Tonight is a taste of New York City. We’re making chicken croquettes. Similar to chicken parmesan, these are made from fresh chicken breasts that are diced and made into patties with eggs, Parmesan Reggiano cheese and Italian breadcrumbs. Topped with a home-made tomato sauce made using San Marzano tomatoes and sprinkled with freshly grated mozzarella and Havarti cheese.
And why are we making this dish tonight?
Well this week we were in New York City. The Big Apple. Home of many iconic landmarks like The Empire State Building, Time Square, Central Park, The Statue of Liberty, and The Freedom Tower. And there’s nothing like being in New York City at Christmas time! Like tonight at Rockerfeller Plaza and their giant Christmas Tree, tall, beautiful and elegant. Lets go shopping at Macy’s, the World’s largest department store, Nothing better than a fresh New York style pizza, and when you want Italian food, visit world famous Patsy’s, in Manhatten. Patsy’s was Frank Sinatra’s favorite Italian restaurant in New York, We had the opportunity to meet the owner of Patsy’s, Chef Salvatore Scognamillo, who’s grandfather started the restaurant in 1944.
And that brings us to our dish tonight. Chicken croquettes.
The sauce needs to cook for a few hours, so we’ll start with our sauce first.
For the Sauce:
28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes
4 oz of tomato paste
½ green pepper chopped
4oz of sliced mushrooms
2 sticks of celery chopped
2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs of fresh basil
2 oz sun dried tomatoes
2 oz of sliced calamata olives
A dash of Worstershire sauce
Extra virgin olive oil
A dash of hot sauce
1 oz of anchovy paste
2 small onions chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
½ stick of butter
2 oz extra dry vermouth
4 oz of Natalie’s blood orange juice
Pour some olive oil into a large reduction pan. Add in the onions and sauté them for five minutes. Then add in the green pepper and garlic and cook for another two minutes.
Add in the San Marzano tomatoes. Pour in a few ounces of extra dry vermouth and add in the tomato paste. Give it a nice stir, and then add in the Italian seasoning. Salt & pepper to taste,
Add in the sun-dried tomatoes, and the calamata olives. Add in the Worsteshire sauce.
After cooking for a few minutes, put the tomato sauce into a blender. We want this sauce to be smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pan, add in some fresh basil, and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes; longer if you have the time.
Next it’s time to prepare the chicken croquettes.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced and diced
2 eggs
½ cup of Italian breadcrumbs
½ cup of Parmesan Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons of Chopped parsley
Salt & Pepper
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz shredded Havarti cheese (optional)
Beat two eggs in a large bowl and slice the chicken breast into small pieces. The chicken slices need to be diced, about the size of a sugar cube. Then place the diced chicken into the eggs and stir thoroughly so that all of the chicken pieces are coated with the egg. Add in ½ cup of Italian breadcrumbs, ½ cup of grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese, and some chopped parsley. Add salt & pepper to taste and the 4 oz of the shredded mozzarella and Havarti cheese.
Stir everything thoroughly and form the chicken croquettes into patties; just like you would for a hamburger. Put them into a pan of extra virgin olive oil and cook for about three minutes. Flip them over and cook for an additional three minutes. Put the pan into a 425-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Also, here is where you will add in the asparagus.
Bring a pot of salted water to boil, add in a tablespoon of turmeric, and then the linguine, and cook it for 10 minutes. The turmeric is optional; we use it for color and flavor.
Remove the pan from the oven and ladle some tomato sauce on top of the croquettes. Add some shredded Havarti and mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce, then place the pan back into the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts. You can also put it under a broiler for two minutes if you want them crispy and brown.
And now it’s time to plate our dish. Put two chicken croquettes onto the plate, add the asparagus, then add the linguine using a meat fork so that you can twirl it, add your sauce, a fresh basil leaf, and two sprigs of thyme, and we’re done!
And there it is, a taste of New York City! Chicken croquettes with San Marzano tomato sauce, baked asparagus, and imported linguine. An Italian favorite from the Big Apple.
It was delicious!
Until next time,
Bon appetite!
Ciao,
Mark