This is a two-part blog series. To see the first half of this meal summary, including more, great, recipes, click here.
As a brief recap, I decided to make a meal reminiscent of our honeymoon to share with my daughters after we returned from Italy. The prior post covered the Aperitivo, Antipasti, and Primi, along with a delicious Italian cocktail. Next up is Secondi, Contorni, Insalata, Formaggi e Frutta, and finally, Dolce. The Secondi is just what it sounds like, 2nd course, and a bit heavier than the prior (Primi). Additionally, a Contorni (side) typically accompanies this course as well.
For the Secondi, I made something we actually did not have in Italy, chicken. After about a week, I turned to my newly betrothed and said "the trip was great, the food is delicious, but I need something to sink my teeth into. I could really go for a nicely cooked chicken." I ended up eating a pigeon in Florence at Cibréo, where the owner came out and carved it for me and took time to answer questions I had about their mostarda, which they’ve been cultivating since his father opened the restaurant in 1979! I would also like to comment on how good the grocery stores are in Italy. Just a basic store has delicious, yellow, natural chickens...not to mention their fish monger station has a variety of whole fish, to include squid and octopus! Not a specialty store, just a normal run-of-the-mill grocer in a small town. One thing I also missed was vegetables. There are farms as far as the eye could see, but nary a vegetable on a plate...or a hearty salad. So, for the Secondi and Contorni, I made an Italian grilled brick chicken and a broccoli salad I grew up on...yes, employing store-bought dressing!
Then came the salad course. Salads, while tasty and celebrating a small amount of good ingredients, don’t have the same heft in Italy as they do here in the states. They’re typically just a bunch of scattered lettuce leaves with really good olive oil and large-grain salt. I followed suit by mimicking the salad course we had at Cibréo and used the extra-virgin olive oil we received upon our arrival at Tenuta di Murlo in Umbria. I followed this meal up with a nice fruit and cheese course, using local honey and rosemary, and topped it all off with some caffè (espresso) and scratch tiramisu, honoring the family owned, family-run, and nonna-cheffed, Casa Bleve. All the recipes are below.
Pidgeon from Cibréo. Our view at Tenuta di Murlo. Tiramisu from Casa Bleve.
Grilled Italian Brick Chicken with Broccoli Salad
Whole chicken
2 foil-wrapped bricks
Olive oil
Dried Italian herbs
Lemon
1 lb. broccoli or broccolini
Shallot
Fire-roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
Can of black olives, drained
Canned, quartered artichokes, drained
Your favorite store-bought Italian salad dressing
Preheat your grill on high, with the foil-wrapped bricks on the grates, for about 20 minutes. Be sure to clean and oil the grates (with oil soaked paper towels and tongs) about half way through the preheating.
Meanwhile, using kitchen shears, cut the spine out of the chicken and dry it thoroughly. Flip it over, cut-side down, and press firmly between the breasts until the chicken lays flat. Rub a little olive oil on the skin and cavity portion. Season the bird with Kosher salt and black pepper and dried Italian herbs.
Place the chicken, skin-side down on one side of the grill, with the breasts just next to the side of the grill and legs pointing towards the unused grates. Using oven gloves, place the bricks onto the underside of the chicken and press lightly to ensure they stay stable. Turn off all of the burners except for the burner under the unused grate.
Grill for about 35 minutes. Then, using gloves, remove the bricks to the side and flip the chicken over, keeping the legs closest to the active burner. Place the bricks back onto the chicken and grill for 20 minutes. Check the temperature, you may need to cook an additional 5-10 minutes, and remove when the thickest part of the breast reaches 160. Squirt some lemon juice onto the grilled chicken and let it rest for 10 minutes prior to carving.
While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and trim your broccoli/broccolini. When the water boils, place the broccoli into the boiling water. Return to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes. Then, transfer the broccoli to a bowl full of ice water to stop the cooking. After a few minutes, trim the broccoli down further into bite-sized pieces, if desired and place into an empty bowl.
Peel and thinly slice the shallot and scatter it on top of the broccoli along with the remaining vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and the dressing. Mix thoroughly and taste for seasoning needs. Cover and set in the fridge until time to serve. Mix thoroughly prior to serving. This salad will hold overnight, too.
To serve, place some of the broccoli salad onto a plate. Carve the chicken or serve quartered.
Simple Green Salad
1 or 2 heads of small lettuce, like little gems or multi leaved hamptons
Quality extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt like Maldon
Freshly cracked black pepper
Remove the root ball from the heads of lettuce. Rinse and drain (or use a salad spinner) the lettuce leaves and allow to dry. Scatter the lettuce leaves on a large platter and drizzle on the olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper.
Italian Fruit and Cheese
For this fall fruit, I used a nice Asiago. If peaches were still in season, I would’ve grilled them and whipped together some ricotta (or mascarpone) with the honey and rosemary, and maybe finished it with a reduced balsamic vinegar. If you’re unaware how to properly pair fruit and cheese, ask your local cheesemonger.
Apples and Pears or other fresh, seasonal fruits
Asiago or other Italian cheese of your choice
Local honey
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced fine
Clean and thinly slice your fruit. Serve along with thinly sliced cheese. Drizzle honey over the fruit and sprinkle on some rosemary. Serve.
Tiramisu
1 cup strongly brewed espresso, cooled
1/4 cup Disaronno
4 eggs
Sugar
2 cups mascarpone cheese
Hershey’s dutch processed special dark cocoa powder
1-2 packages of Italian ladyfinger cookies
Brew the espresso and set aside in a small bowl to cool. Then, briefly stir in the Disaronno and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a glass bowl set over a medium pot of simmering water, whisk together the 4 egg yolks with 2 tbsp sugar until thick and ribbons form when they fall off the whisk, about 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
While the thickened yolks cool, in a bowl of a stand mixer (or in a separate metal bowl using a hand mixer), whisk 2 egg whites until they just start to form stiff peaks. Fold the whipped egg whites into the cooled egg yolks.
In an 8-inch square casserole dish, using a metal fine-meshed sieve, lightly dust the bottom of the dish with some processed cocoa.
Working two-at-a-time, dip the lady fingers into the espresso mixture for about 2-3 seconds, lift and drain briefly, and place them into the casserole dish to form one complete layer. You may have to break 1 or 2 cookies to get a perfect fit. Cover the soaked ladyfinger cookies with 1/3 of the egg mixture. Lightly dust with some cocoa powder. Repeat this process 2 more times.
Place in the fridge and allow to set for at least 8-12 hours, but preferably 24 hours.
To serve, using a metal spatula, portion the tiramisu and lightly dust with some additional cocoa powder.
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Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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