La Lama Mountain Ovens
Old Italian family recipes
and archives, baking tips, and bakery gifts
Family Secrets
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La Lama Mountain Ovens |
The best of the recipes, techniques, and methods practiced by our large extended Italian-American family - with emphasis on the legacy handed down to us by the original immigrants. This is a cookbook-in-process project. If you try any of these recipes please let us know how they turn out, whether or not you had any difficulties, and any clarifying improvements you might recommend to make them foolproof. We will of course acknowledge genuine "test-kitchen" assistance. |
Family Secrets #17Chicken Spezzatino - By Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens |
| Now that the
summer barbecue season is drawing to a close, and
everyone has had their fill of grilled chicken, the
search begins for different methods of preparing this
delicious bird. A quick search of popular cookbooks
reveals many familiar recipes to prepare this universal
staple. Most of them share one thing in common, you've
been there and done that. Search and search as you may,
there are not that many avenues available to come up with
a unique recipe for the common bird. Until now. Mom called the dish "spitzad", probable a dialect of her birthplace. We believe the more general Italian name to be "spezzatino", with "spizzate" the name in the Abruzzi dialect. In all my travels I have never seen this dish on a menu, nor have I ever seen it published in a cookbook. So, if something different is what you are looking for, read on. Aunt Mary, Mom and my sister Gloria frequently served chicken prepared this way and it was one of my father's all time favorites. At home, mom presented the dinner with a nice tossed salad, home made bread, a glass of white wine and lots of Spitzad. She intentionally left out the vegetables and a starch, because we consumed such huge amounts of the chicken, there was no room for the trimmings. This is not to say that presenting this meal with vegetables and a starch is not acceptable, but rather a point of personal preference. It would also make a very special center dish for a buffet. The dish is somewhat simple to prepare and outrageously delicious. It consists of fresh chicken, bone in, cut in small pieces and coated with a lemon/egg mixture. When considering how much chicken to serve, you have to take into consideration that it is "bone-in", therefore a quick rule of thumb is that you will need approximately 1 lb. of trimmed chicken per person. The next decision to make is whether to use a whole cut up chicken or specific parts. My personal preference is to purchase either all thighs or leg and thigh sections. These cuts, (all dark meat), are more succulent than their white meat counterparts. However, chicken breasts or using a whole cut up chicken will work fine. A kitchen cleaver is a handy tool for this job. |
 Aunt Mary Biordi nee Buzzelli
(1913-1987) |
| It is important to pay
particular attention to cutting the chicken. If using a
whole chicken, you want to cut each breast half into 2 to
3 pieces, depending on the size. Each thigh should be cut
in half and each leg also cut in half. Wings generally
are not included, unless they are large. If using large
wings, trim the tip of the wing and disjoint the wing
into 2 pieces. Once all the cutting is done, go back over
each piece trimming loose skin flaps and any fat. If time
permits, immerse the chicken in lightly salted ice water
for 1/2 hr., up to 2 hours before you begin cooking. The
brining step is not absolutely necessary, but it will
enhance the flavor of the dish and is well worth the time
and effort. _____________________________ Chicken Spitzad Total Ingredients:
Step One: roast the chicken If the chicken is soaked, drain and pat dry on paper towels. Place the cut up chicken pieces in roast pan. Use no liquid or oil. Lightly shake salt and pepper to taste and add the sprig of rosemary. Cover roast pan and place in 350 degree preheated oven for 1 hr This step can be completed up to an hour ahead of finishing. Remove the chicken from roasting pan and place on a wire rack until it is thoroughly drained. Step Two: coat and finish the spitzad In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs until they begin to thicken slightly. Add lemon juice slowly while continuing to whisk vigorously until all of the lemon juice is incorporated. Place a dry, high sided, heavy bottomed sauce pot over high heat for a few moments until the bottom is thoroughly heated. Place the drained chicken pieces in the pot and slowly begin to drizzle in the egg/lemon mixture, constantly turning the chicken with a wooden spoon. You will notice that the egg/lemon mixture will coat the chicken and the heat will make the coating firm. When all of the mixture has been used and the coating is good and firm you may turn the chicken out onto a serving platter Although you may have knives and forks placed at your dinner service, this dish is best enjoyed as a finger food. For those of you who are adventuresome, this entrée can be made with lamb cubes. Follow the same procedure for the chicken, but eliminate the soaking in ice water. Use a tender cut of lamb, trimming it well. The lamb Spitzad makes a delightful change of pace and is a bit more elegant. Since the lamb cubes are boneless, you can use the forks you found so useless when preparing the chicken. This dish has never failed to produce a lot of accolades when served to family and guests. I’m quite sure it will bring the same results to you. Altitude Adjustment: None required. |
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