Chicken Braciole Messinese Recipes

CHICKEN BRACIOLE MESSINESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450° F.
• In a mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the pine nuts, the pecorino, and nutmeg.
• Place the chicken legs skin side down on a cutting board and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the pine nut mixture among the chicken legs, filling them as full as possible.
• Fold the meat up and around the mixture and tie tightly with butcher’s twine.
• Place the legs in a small roasting pan, flap side down.
• Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned and crispy and cooked through.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix the chopped tomatoes, olives, capers, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and currants.
• Place 1 piece of chicken on each plate and spoon some over each piece of chicken and serve.

BRACIOLINE DI PESCE SPADA ALLA MESSINESE

Steps:

• With a mezzaluna or a very sharp knife, finely mince 1 cup of the mint and parsley together with the garlic to a fine paste and transfer it to a large bowl. Lightly pan-roast the pine nuts. Add the olives, raisins, and any residual liquid and the pine nuts to the bowl along with the capers, pecorino, bread crumbs, and the egg. Generously grind on the pepper. Work the elements to a well-amalgamated paste. The pecorino and capers should be salty enough to flavor the paste, but after tasting it, add a bit more if you wish.
• Lay the bracioline on a work surface and pound them lightly but firmly with a mallet, thinning the flesh a bit. Spread each steak with a good tablespoon of the paste, roll it into a fat little sausage shape, and secure the braciolina with a toothpick. Over a lively flame, heat the oil in a large sauté pan and very quickly cook the bracioline, sautéing them well but taking only a minute or so to do it so as not to overcook the fish. Remove the bracioline to a holding plate.
• When all are cooked, discard any remaining oil and rinse the pan with the 2/3 cup of Malvasia, scraping and stirring and permitting the wine to reduce for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the sauce over the bracioline and present them, strewn with 1/2 cup mint leaves, warm or at room temperature.
• Sacrificing the beauty of the sauce, one could skewer the bracioline onto well-soaked grapevine twigs, olive wood twigs, thick branches of rosemary, or metal skewers, alternating them with bay leaves and roasting them over a very hot wood fire for a minute or two on each side, basting them with olive oil. They'll need some accessory-a spoonful of warm tomato vinaigrette would do nicely.

CHICKEN BRACIOLE WITH ALFREDO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pound the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to about 1/4-inch thickness. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, parsley, grated Parmesan, and garlic. Slowly add 1/2 cup olive oil until the mixture becomes the consistency of thick paste. Evenly spread the mixture down the center of each piece of chicken, leaving room around the edges. Roll as tightly as you can and secure with toothpicks or cotton string.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Carefully add the chicken and brown on each side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream. Sprinkle in the shredded Parmesan a little at a time (the more cheese you add the more parmesan flavor you will get) until melted and smooth. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Let simmer on very low heat until thickened. Do not let this boil or you will get a grainy sauce.
• To serve, place a small amount of hot cooked pasta on a plate. Place the chicken braciole on the pasta and pour the Alfredo sauce over everything. Enjoy!!

SICILIAN BRASCIOLE A LA LENA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil a heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and parsley, and continue cooking until onions begin to brown. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.
• In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, Romano cheese, raisins, pine nuts and pepper.
• Pound steak to 1/2 inch with a moistened mallet or the side of a cleaver. Spread onion mixture evenly over meat, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges. Spread bread crumb mixture in an even layer, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roll up from the narrow end, and tie tightly with kitchen twine.
• Heat remaining olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown roll on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Pour in spaghetti sauce, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, until tender.