Erica De Mane

Recipes:

Farfalle with Burst Tomatoes, Sweet Vermouth, Rosemary, and Goat Cheese
Broiled Chicken Breast with Walnuts, Garlic, and Parsley, Served on Bibb Lettuce

Can a boneless chicken breast be delicious?

Boneless, skinless chicken breast has long been one of my most hated foods. It’s almost always dry, boring, stiff, and lifeless. I completely ignored it in my grocery store until recently when, trying to fashion a make-ahead second course to serve after pasta, I decided to cook some up. Eating pasta as a first course is something I used to frown on, not only because I preferred to eat disgustingly huge loads of pasta, as a real American, but also because I didn’t want to have to get up after the meal began to prepare another course, as a cook. That was annoying. I really don’t know how Italians do it. Maybe they all have maids, or maybe the women are all still slaves, or maybe, just maybe, they make things ahead. What a concept.

I decided that chicken breasts might be an easy thing to prepare and serve after a small dish of pasta. But I knew I would have to do some major rethinking before I could love them. First off I de-dieted them a tad by—horrors—leaving the skin on. The truth is, a little chicken skin isn’t going to hurt anybody, and it makes all the difference, since the skin protects the delicate white meat by enveloping it in its fat of choice, its own. Not only that, but you can stuff deliciousness under the skin, adding garlic, leeks, herbs, pesto, or cheese, creating a personalized chicken breast with amazing taste. Cook it quick over high heat and you wind up with tender, juicy (moist, in fact, I kid you not) Italian-seasoned chicken encased in deliciously crisp skin. That’s about as good as a chicken breast gets. I chose a walnut pesto, which makes this easy dish taste really rich, as if you had put a lot of time into it. You hadn’t. You had only put a lot of flavor in it. And it all gets made ahead and served just warm, after you’ve eaten your pasta, so all you need to do is bring it to the table. I like first-course pastas that are simple and clean. Try this one flavored with tomato, goat cheese, and rosemary. It cooks in about ten minutes.

Farfalle with Burst Tomatoes, Sweet Vermouth, Rosemary, and Goat Cheese

(Serves 3 as a first course)

½ pound farfalle pasta
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large sprig rosemary, the leaves chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
A generous splash of sweet red vermouth
2 tablespoons soft, unaged goat cheese, at room temperature
A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, the leaves lightly chopped
A small chunk of Grana Padano cheese for grating

Put up a pot of pasta cooking water and bring it to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Drop in the farfalle.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the grape tomatoes, and sauté, shaking them around for about a minute. Now add the garlic and rosemary, and season with salt and black pepper. Continue shaking the skillet until the tomatoes start to burst and give off juice, about another 4 minutes. Add the vermouth, and let it bubble for a few moments.

When the farfalle is al dente, drain it, saving about half a cup of the cooking water, and add the farfalle to the skillet, tossing quickly to coat it well. Transfer the pasta to a warmed serving bowl. Add the goat cheese, the parsley, a few more turns of black pepper, and a drizzle of fresh olive oil, and toss well, adding a few splashes of pasta cooking water if needed to loosen the sauce. Serve hot with a little Grana Padano grated over each bowl.

Broiled Chicken Breast with Walnuts, Garlic, and Parsley, Served on Bibb Lettuce

(Serves 3 as a second course)

Game plan: If you prepare the chicken about an hour ahead, you’ll deepen its flavor. Throw the chicken in the broiler when you start boiling the pasta, and they’ll both be ready at about them same time. Then your chicken can rest, getting tender and perfectly cooked while you enjoy your pasta.

2 large chicken breasts, boned but with the skin left on
½ cup fresh walnuts, lightly toasted, plus a handful for the salad
1 large garlic clove
2 anchovy fillets
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 small heads bibb lettuce, separated into individual leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

In a small food processor, combine the walnuts, garlic, anchovies, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the butter, a little salt, and a more generous amount of pepper. Pulse until you have a rough paste. Add the parsley, and pulse once or twice more, just until the parsley is roughly chopped. Lift the chicken skin up with your fingers, and work as much of the walnut mixture as you can under the skin of both breasts. Season the chicken breasts well on both sides with salt and black pepper, and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with a little olive oil.

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, turn on your broiler and place the chicken about 6 inches from the heat source (if it’s too close, the skin may burn before the chicken is cooked through). Broil about 8 to 12 minutes, checking after 8 minutes. The skin should be well browned, and the meat should feel firm but with a little give at the center, indicating that there is still a touch of pink inside. If you’re unsure, cut into one and take a peek. Take the chicken from the oven, and let it sit. It will continue cooking gently.

Now enjoy your pasta.

When you’re ready to serve the chicken, lay out a large serving platter, and scatter on the bibb lettuce and the reserved walnuts (do this ahead if you like). Whisk the lemon juice together with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season it with salt and black pepper. Use about three quarters of it to dress the lettuce. Slice the chicken widthwise on an angle in thick slices, and arrange them over the salad. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the chicken. Serve right away.