Rooster in wine and torta figassa: Rachel Roddy’s recipes for an Italian winter season meal | A kitchen area in Rome | Food items

January, from the Latin Januarius, is named following Janus, the Roman god who presided above doorways, beginnings and transitions. It is also a cold month, however, so acquire precautions with this simple and mild Tuscan-style rooster stew, with wine, and polenta cake, with grappa.

Pollo alla Toscana – Tuscan-model hen

One more variation on the hen braised with herbs and wine theme this just one is from Tuscany, and a recipe in the excellent Le Ricette Regionali Italiane with porcini and sage. Cooking occasions fluctuate depending on the chicken, so keep an eye on it and squeeze — it is finished when the flesh is tender somewhat than bouncy, and starting off to occur absent from the bone. Once again, the final reduction will depend on the rooster you may possibly uncover you have incredibly couple of juices at the end of cooking, in which situation, do not cut down. If, on the other hand, juices are plentiful and slim, bubble carefully until they thicken.

Prep 20 min
Soak 15 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 4 – 6

1 totally free-assortment hen (about 1.6kg), slash into 8 items
Salt and pepper
20g dried porcini
20g butter
4 tbsp olive oil
250ml dry white wine
12 sage leaves, half chopped, fifty percent total
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

Period the chicken with salt and pepper. Soak the dried porcini in 200ml heat drinking water for 15 minutes, then drain, reserving the liquid.

Warmth the butter and oil in a casserole or deep frying pan with a lid, then fry the hen, initially on a person facet, then the other, right until a deep golden brown.

Pour about the wine and depart to sizzle for a few minutes, then increase the sage, garlic, porcini and soaking liquid. See that everything bubbles gently, then go over the pan and depart simmering for 35-50 minutes, relying on your rooster – it really should really feel tender and be coming absent from the bone.

Lift the lid and permit to bubble more vigorously, so that the juices reduce to a dense sauce. Taste and alter the seasoning and serve with bread, mash or soft polenta.

Torta figassa

Grappa is a liquor distilled from pomace (the sound remains of grapes) still left about from winemaking. For this cake, grappa is utilized to soak dried figs, which are then baked into a dense polenta cake. It is not common, but it would be a skipped possibility not to provide this with custard or a spoonful of heat zabaione.

Prep 20 min
Soak 2 hr
Cook 25 min
Serves 8-12

150g dried figs, slash in quarters
200ml grappa
200g butter, at home temperature
200g caster sugar
3 egg yolks
200g 00 flour
200g fine polenta
Icing sugar, to dust

Soak the figs in the grappa for at minimum two several hours. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, but do not squeeze.

In huge bowl, beat jointly the butter and sugar, include the egg yolks and figs, and stir once again. Fold in both equally flours then scrape into a lined 20-22cm cake tin.

Bake at 180C (160C enthusiast)/350F/gasoline 4 for 25 minutes, right up until firm and golden.

Depart to amazing prior to inverting from the tin on to a plate, and dusting with icing sugar.