One BIG Recipe: Rustic Italian Dinner

Difficulty:

1/5

One BIG Recipe

Servings: 4

Ease of Preparation: Medium

Shopping List:

Pantry:	On hand:	Need (Minimum):
Salt		1 ½ cups (350 ml)
Black pepper		¼ cup (60 ml)
Canned Sardines		12 ounces (340 g)
Olive oil		1 ½ cups (350 ml)
14-oz can Crushed Tomatoes		1
Golden Raisins		¼ cup (60 ml)
Red Wine Vinegar		3 tablespoons (45 ml)
Capers		2 tablespoons (30 ml)
Honey		1 tablespoon (15 ml)
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes		¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml)
Bay Leaf		1
Mustard Powder		1 teaspoon (5 ml)
Fennel Seeds		½ teaspoon (2.5 ml)
Vegetable Oil		¼ cup (60 ml)
Canned Piquillo Peppers		3 ounces (85 g)
Hot Smoked Paprika		1 tablespoon (15 ml)
White Balsamic Vinegar		3 tablespoons (45 ml)
Pine Nuts		½ cup (120 ml)
Flakey or Maldon Salt		1 tablespoon (15 ml)

Dairy:
Butter		¼ cup (60 ml)
Pecorino Romano		¼ cup (60 ml)

Bakery:
Baguette		1

Produce:
Baby potatoes		1 ½ pounds (680 g)
Garlic		12 cloves (1 head)
Sage		1 tablespoon (15 ml)
Lemons		3
Eggplant		2
Yellow Onion		3
Red Bell Pepper		7
Fennel		3
Celery		2 stalks
Kalamata Olives		¼ cup (60 ml)
Mint		1 ½ tablespoons (22 ml)
Italian Parsley		1 ½ tablespoons (22 ml)
Basil		1 ½ tablespoons (22 ml)
Thyme		2 tablespoons (30 ml)
Plum Tomatoes		2
Oranges		6

Butcher:
Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks		1 pound (454 g)
Sweet Italian Sausages		2 links
Chicken Stock		¼ cup (60 ml)

Special Equipment:
Non-Stick Cooking Spray

Method:

Mise en Place

Marinate the Chicken:
In a large bowl, combine the salt, thyme, garlic, mustard powder, and fennel seeds. Mix well.
Place the chicken in a resealable bag or non-reactive container, cover with salt mixture, and refrigerate 1-2 hours.
Marinate the Sardines:
In a glass or non-reactive bowl, combine the sardines, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic clove. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator until the fish has turned opaque, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Start the Caponata:
Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
In a bowl, combine the eggplant and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the olive oil. Season with salt, toss to coat, and spread the eggplant on the prepared tray. Roast until deeply golden, 30-35 minutes.
Dice an onion for the caponata and slice onions for the sausage and peppers
Dice a red bell pepper for the caponata and slice red peppers for the sausage and peppers
Dice half a bulb of fennel and 1-2 stalks of celery for the caponata
Mince garlic for the caponata and the sausage and peppers
Slice piquillo peppers for sausage and peppers
Chop herbs for sausage and peppers, potatoes, and caponata
Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm the remaining olive oil.
Add the onion, bell pepper, fennel, and celery to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and just starting to colour, 10-12 minutes.
Slice the baguette into long slices on the bias and place on a tray.
Drizzle the slices with olive oil.
Toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
Start the Potatoes:
Lay potatoes out on plate
Microwave the potatoes until tender but not mushy, 10-12 minutes.
Continue the Caponata:
Add the garlic to the caponata and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and stir to combine.
Add the olives, raisins, vinegar, capers, honey, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf, stirring to combine everything. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the eggplant finishes roasting, stirring occasionally.
Start the Sausage and Peppers:
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly without colouring until very soft, 25-30 minutes.

Get cookin’!

Take the crostini out of the oven and allow to cool slightly
Continue the Sausage and Peppers:
Add the red peppers and tomatoes to the onions and cook slowly until thickened, another 25-30 minutes.
Continue the Caponata:
Discard the bay leaf. Scrape the roasted eggplant into the pot and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to return to a simmer.
Stir in the chopped herbs and once well combined, remove the pot from the heat.
Spread the mixture out onto a new parchment-lined tray and allow to cool to room temperature.
Begin cooking the Chicken:
Lower the oven to 350 F (175 C).
Remove the chicken from the salt mixture, rinse under cold water, and pat dry.
In a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, warm a film of vegetable oil until shimmering. Carefully add the thighs and drumsticks to the pan skin-side-down and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the sausages to the pan and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.
Flip the chicken and sausages and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
Meanwhile, Make the Salad Dressing:
Juice an orange into a small bowl.
Spoon the Dijon into bowl.
Add the olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.
Whisk to combine.
Back to the Chicken, Sausage and Peppers:
Remove the chicken and sausages to a plate and set aside. Lower the heat under the pan to medium.
Add the onion-tomato mixture, piquillo peppers, chicken stock and paprika to the pan. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
Cut the sausages in half and nestle them into the pan. Place the chicken back into the pan, leaving the skin above the liquid.
Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
Serve the Appetizer:

Sardines Caponata On Crostini

Remove the sardines from their marinade and blot on paper towel.
Spoon a generous helping of caponata onto each crostino.
Top each with a sardine and serve immediately.

Take a break, sit down and enjoy…

Dinner time!

Continue the Potatoes:
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet.
Using the bottom of a rocks glass or small jar, press down on the potatoes to smash them into patties. Season with salt and pepper.
In a bowl, combine the butter, garlic, and sage. Brush the mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle the cheese over the potatoes.
Bake until the potatoes are golden and crisp, 20-25 minutes.
Serve the Salad:

Fennel Orange Salad

Toast the pine nuts and allow to cool slightly
Cut the stalks off the fennel. Keep the fronds and set aside for garnishing the salad later.
Trim off the base of the fennel. Cut the fennel in half lengthwise. Using a mandolin, slice the bulb into thin slivers.
Peel the remaining 4 oranges by first cutting off both ends of the orange, then use a knife to slice off the peel and white pith, working lengthwise from one cut end to the other. Then cut oranges crosswise into thin slices.
Add the orange slices and toasted pine nuts to the shaved fennel.
Drizzle over the dressing and toss to coat.
Garnish with fennel fronds, sprinkle with flaked sea salt, and serve.
Serve the Main Course: