Patsy's Italian Family Cookbook (18 page)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), each sliced in half horizontally into scaloppini

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, beaten

¼ cup olive oil

8 ounces fresh white button mushrooms, sliced

½ cup ⅛-inch-wide strips of prosciutto

1¼ cups
Quick Brown Sauce

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup chopped fresh basil

⅓ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons drained nonpareil capers, rinsed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.
Spread the flour on a plate. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Place the flour and eggs near the stove.

2.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the chicken and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.

3.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms and prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

4.
Add the sauce, wine, lemon juice, capers, and butter and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover tightly. Simmer until the chicken shows no sign of pink when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 5 minutes.

5.
Transfer the chicken to a platter. Increase the heat to high and boil the sauce in the skillet, stirring often, until lightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce on top of the chicken. Serve hot.

Rose’s Chicken Legs with Peas and Marsala

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

This wonderful recipe, a specialty of my mom Rose, is the perfect example of what to make on a busy weeknight. I always looked forward to having this on Wednesdays when its turn in our family menu rotation came up. To this day, I ask Mom to make it for me when I need perfect comfort food. Serve this with steamed rice to soak up the juices.

8 chicken drumsticks

8 bone-in chicken thighs

¼ cup olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, cut into thin half moon

1 cup
Chicken Stock
or reduced-sodium store-bought chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup dry Marsala or more white wine

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen peas

½ cup chopped fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2.
Toss the chicken drumsticks and thighs with the oil in a large roasting pan, and arrange them in a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue roasting for 15 minutes more.

3.
Add the onions and toss with the pan juices. Roast until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Stir in the stock, wine, and Marsala, loosening any browned bits in the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the peas and basil. Return to the oven and roast until the chicken thigh shows no sign of pink when pierced at the bone, and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken and pan juices to a deep platter and serve hot.

Seafood

Striped Bass Francese

Striped Bass Salad

Striped Bass with Eggplant and Olives

Trio of Striped Bass, Salmon, and Tilapia

Oven-Roasted Branzino with Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette

Fried Cod Fritters

Flounder Milanese

Pan-Seared Halibut with Mustard-Caper Sauce

Roasted Monkfish with Asparagus and Chickpeas

Fillet of Sole with Seafood Stuffing

Grilled Calamari with Three Bean Salad

Octopus Affogati with Linguine

Scallops Oreganata

Sea Scallops with Caramelized Fennel

Sautéed Shrimp with Prosecco Sauce

Striped Bass Francese

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

I used to fish with my dad and cousins off Orient Point in Long Island, and we could serve the catch at the restaurant. Now, we buy seafood from certified purveyors, and that’s not a bad thing. This is one of my favorite ways to serve one of my favorite fish, with a light egg coating and delicate lemon sauce.

½ cup olive oil

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

Four 6-ounce skinless striped bass fillets

1 cup bottled clam juice or water

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup dry white wine

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering but not smoking.

2.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Spread the flour on a plate. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Coat each fillet in flour, shake off the excess, and dip on both sides in the beaten eggs. Add the fillets to the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the fillets to the paper towel–lined baking sheet.

3.
Carefully pour off the oil from the skillet. Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the clam juice, lemon juice, wine, basil, butter, and parsley. Bring to a boil, whisking almost constantly to emulsify the butter into the liquid. Return the fish to the skillet and simmer, uncovered, until the fish is opaque when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, and the sauce has thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer each fillet to a dinner plate and spoon the sauce on top.

Striped Bass Salad

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Putting on an extra few pounds is an occupational hazard in the restaurant business. We designed this salad to enjoy at lunch when we want to eat something on the light side. You can use less garlic if you wish … but we don’t. Don’t marinate the fish for more than an hour or the texture will be affected.