KitchenDaily http://main.kitchendaily.com KitchenDaily http://main.kitchendaily.com/media/feedlogo.gif KitchenDaily http://main.kitchendaily.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Brodo and Italian Souphttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/10/brodo-and-italian-soup-recipes-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/10/brodo-and-italian-soup-recipes-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/10/brodo-and-italian-soup-recipes-marco-canora/#comments
escarole soup
KitchenDailyIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as meat broth and the two other soups demonstrated in this video: Brodo, Escarole Soup and Stracciatella.

Brodo, a flavorful meat broth, is the base for both soups Marco prepares. Marco makes it by adding turkey legs, a whole chicken and some beef shins to a large pot and covering the meat with cold water. (The water should be at least 4 inches above the top of the meat to make scooping out impurities with a ladle easier.) After a few hours, he adds carrots, onions, celery, peppercorns, garlic and parsley, then cooks it for additional time. When the broth is dark in color and full of flavor, he fishes out the large pieces of meat, then strains the broth through a fine-mesh sieve. The broth is delicious on its own at this point (with a little salt) but Marco uses it to create two classic Italian soups.

The first, Escarole Soup, is very simple to make. He chops up a head of escarole (remove the core first), then washes the leaves in a bowl of cold water. He then adds the cleaned escarole to the already simmering Brodo, and continues to simmer. When the escarole is tender, he ladles the soup into a bowl and garnishes with Parmesan cheese and a swirl of olive oil.

Next, Marco makes Stracciatella, or egg drop soup -- a dish his family enjoys at the start of their Easter celebration meal every year. He heats up some of the Brodo in a pan (you need it very hot for the eggs to cook, so he boils it for a few minutes). While the broth heats, he mixes up eggs, some grated Parmesan, fresh nutmeg and chopped parsley. He removes the broth from the heat, pours in the egg mixture and covers the pot for 60 seconds. (Do not stir the eggs at this point, Marco advises -- you want the eggs to form a mass on the top of the soup before you break them up. If you stir immediately after adding the eggs, the broth will get cloudy.) After 60 seconds, he lifts the lid up, breaks up the eggs with a whisk and the Italian egg drop soup is ready to serve.

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]]>chef-marco-canoraitaliansoupMarco Canora2011-01-10T15:00:00ZLinguine With Clam Saucehttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/10/linguine-with-clam-sauce-recipe-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/10/linguine-with-clam-sauce-recipe-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/10/linguine-with-clam-sauce-recipe-marco-canora/#comments
linguini with clam sauce
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian favorites, such as the dish he demonstrates in this video: Linguine With Clam Sauce recipe.

Marco starts the dish by cooking the clams. He heats up a pot and adds garlic, chopped parsley and some pepperoncini (careful, they're very spicy), followed by white wine and the clams. Once covered, they'll steam open and release their juices.

While the clams cook, he starts the water for the pasta and begins working on the sauce. The base of the flavor is a soffrito -- basically, a mixture of vegetables. In this case, he uses onion, fennel and celery diced finely in a food processor. He cooks the soffrito until the vegetables are soft, then adds a good amount of olive oil (don't be afraid to be generous; it helps coat the pasta). Crushed garlic and a pinch of dried oregano are next.

Now it's time to work with the clams. He drains them, collecting all of the juices in a bowl, then pops the clam meat out of the shells and chops up the clams. He adds them to the soffrito mixture along with the reserved clam juices, then cooks the sauce over high heat to thicken it. Additional olive oil helps the sauce come together, and he also adds fresh chopped parsley and a bit of lemon to brighten the flavor. When the pasta is not quite al dente, he drains it and adds it to the sauce, using tongs to move the pasta around until it's fully coated. He adds a little black pepper and the dish is ready to serve.

Get Marco's recipe for Linguine With Clam Sauce recipe.

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]]>chef-marco-canoraitalianpastashellfishMarco Canora2011-01-10T14:30:00ZFrisee with Bacon and Gorgonzola Cheesehttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/06/frisee-with-bacon-and-gorgonzola-cheese-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/06/frisee-with-bacon-and-gorgonzola-cheese-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/06/frisee-with-bacon-and-gorgonzola-cheese-marco-canora/#comments
frisee with bacon and gorgonzola
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as the Frisée with Bacon and Gorgonzola Cheese recipe demonstrated in this video.

This salad relies on the balance between tangy, acidic Sherry vinegar and the richness of bacon and Gorgonzola cheese. To begin, Marco places the frisée (curly endive) in a large, shallow bowl, then cuts the bacon into lardons (1/4-inch crosswise slices). While he cooks the bacon pieces, he smears spoonfuls of Gorgonzola cheese along the edges of the bowl. When the bacon is done, he spoons the bacon and the bacon fat over the cheese, then adds the vinegar. Next, using his hands, he picks up the frisée and uses it to mop up the cheese and fat mixture, creating the dressing as he tosses the lettuce. That's all there is to it. Marco suggests serving the salad with some chopped apple and nuts on top.

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]]>chef-marco-canoraitalianmarco-canorasaladMarco Canora2011-01-06T10:30:00ZRoasted Red Snapperhttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/21/roasted-red-snapper-recipe-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/21/roasted-red-snapper-recipe-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/21/roasted-red-snapper-recipe-marco-canora/#comments
Roasted Red Snapper
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as the Roasted Red Snapper recipe demonstrated in this video.

To prepare the fish, Marco dries the exterior of a medium-sized red snapper, then removes all of the fins. To ensure the fillets will be easy to remove after cooking, he strategically cuts the skin away from the spine and head. Next, he makes three shallow cuts in each side of the fish, then stuffs them with fresh rosemary and thinly sliced lemon. For an impressive presentation (and to make sure the fish cooks evenly) he places a lemon inside the cavity before baking, which allows the fish stand upright. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and a bit of oil over the top and sides and that's it -- the fish is ready for the oven.

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]]>chef-marco-canorafishitalianseafoodMarco Canora2010-12-21T17:15:00ZCaesar Saladhttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/21/caesar-salad-recipe-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/21/caesar-salad-recipe-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/21/caesar-salad-recipe-marco-canora/#comments
caesar salad
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as the Caesar Salad recipe demonstrated in this video.

The key to a good Caesar salad is the dressing, so Marco demonstrates how to whisk together egg yolks and olive oil to achieve a thick, silky texture. Once the eggs and oil have begun to come together, he adds fresh lemon juice. He continues adding oil and lemon juice until the mixture has the viscosity he's looking for. Next, he chops garlic and anchovies and adds them to the dressing along with some Parmesan cheese. Once he's got the balance he wants, he tosses romaine lettuce with a generous amount of dressing and half of his croutons. To finish the salad, he adds additional croutons and shaves Parmesan cheese over the top.

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]]>saladMarco Canora2010-12-21T16:55:00ZBreaded Chicken Cutlets: Marsala and Piccatahttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/19/breaded-chicken-cutlets-marsala-and-piccata/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/19/breaded-chicken-cutlets-marsala-and-piccata/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/19/breaded-chicken-cutlets-marsala-and-piccata/#comments
chicken piccata
KitchenDailyIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as the two breaded chicken cutlet recipes demonstrated in this video: Chicken Marsala and Chicken Piccata.

To start off his chicken recipes, Marco separates the breasts by removing the cartilage attaching them; he then peels off any tenderloins, leaving the breasts thin and manageable. He also cuts off excess fat and cartilage, and then slices each breast in half, creating two cutlets from each breast.

To make the Chicken Marsala, Marco begins by sautéing crimini mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil until they become golden. In another pan, he adds butter and olive oil. He places each cutlet in the flour, and when the butter in the pan takes on some color, he quickly coats the other side of the cutlet in the flour, pats off the excess, then puts the chicken in the pan. When the first side is golden, he flips the chicken and adds shallot, fresh rosemary, the cooked criminis, and a good amount of Marsala wine. (You want the heat to be high enough to cause the wine to sizzle and evaporate out most of the alcohol.) To finish the dish, he adds a little chicken stock and some more butter. When he shakes the pan, a beautiful pan sauce comes together.

For the Chicken Piccata, he once again has all of his ingredients ready to go: When you're cooking with cutlets, everything needs to happen quickly. He adds butter and olive oil to the pan, then adds floured cutlets. When their golden color indicates it's time to flip them, he adds fresh parsley, capers, shallot and white wine. (Again, here you want the wine to evaporate very quickly, so be sure you're cooking with enough heat.) To finish the sauce, he adds a squeeze of lemon, black pepper, a bit of broth and more butter. When he shakes the pan, the liquids emulsify into a rich, creamy sauce.

Get Marco's Chicken Cutlet Recipes:
Chicken Marsala
Chicken Piccata

Watch Marco prepare two other chicken cutlet recipes: Chicken Milanese and Chicken Lucchese.

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]]>chef-marco-canorachickenitalianMarco Canora2010-11-19T11:55:00ZBreaded Chicken Cutlets: Milanese and Lucchesehttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/05/breaded-chicken-cutlets-milanese-and-lucchese/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/05/breaded-chicken-cutlets-milanese-and-lucchese/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/05/breaded-chicken-cutlets-milanese-and-lucchese/#comments
chicken lucchese
KitchenDailyIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as the two breaded chicken cutlet recipes demonstrated in this video: Chicken Cutlet Milanese and Chicken Cutlet Lucchese.

To start off his chicken recipes, Marco separates the breasts by removing the cartilage attaching them; he then peels off any tenderloins, leaving the breasts thin and manageable. He also cuts off excess fat and cartilage, and then slices each breast in half, creating two cutlets from each breast.

Then Marco makes the Chicken Milanese -- a crispy, crunchy, fried breaded cutlet. This easy recipe involves flouring the chicken cutlets, dipping them in an egg bath, and then thoroughly coating them with breadcrumbs. Then, Marco heats oil and butter in a large skillet, and fries the cutlets for two minutes on each side. After removing the finished cutlets from the pan, he drains them of butter and oil by placing them on a paper towel-lined plate, and then serves them with fresh lemon. If you'd like a little more to your meal, Marco suggests topping an arugula salad with the Milanese cutlets, or adding sauce and melted mozzarella for a dish similar to chicken Parmigiana.

Next, Marco prepares the Chicken Cutlet Lucchese, a dish that comes from the Tuscan town of Lucca -- where Marco's family originated. Though very similar to the Milanese (which is the preferred preparation method in Lombardy, Italy), the Lucchese has a richer flavor and a softer, velvety texture due to the fact that the breading precedes the egg bath. In Marco's opinion, this dish is slightly more elegant than the Milanese. To prepare his cutlets, Marco first dips them in breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs firmly into the meat with his hands, and then dips them into an egg and sage mixture. He then cooks the cutlets in the same fashion: frying on both sides in butter and oil, draining them on a paper towel-lined plate, and serving them with a fresh lemon garnish.

Get Marco's Chicken Cutlet Recipes:
Chicken Cutlet Milanese
Chicken Cutlet Lucchese

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]]>chef-marco-canorachickenitalianMarco Canora2010-11-05T12:42:00ZTomato Sauce Recipeshttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/26/tomato-sauce-recipes-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/26/tomato-sauce-recipes-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/26/tomato-sauce-recipes-marco-canora/#comments
Tomato Sauces
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as the three tomato sauce recipes demonstrated in this video: a Summer Fresh Tomato Sauce, a Quick Canned Tomato Sauce and a long-cooked Tuscan Tomato Sauce.

First, Marco prepares his two "quick" tomato sauces, a Summer Tomato Sauce -- great to make in July and August when tomatoes are in peak season -- and a Canned Tomato Sauce. The preparation method for the two sauces is similar and each takes less than 30 minutes. He starts off the Summer Fresh Tomato Sauce by coring and scoring the tomatoes. To loosen the skins, he submerges the tomatoes in boiling water for just about 30 seconds to blanch them, and then shocks them by putting them in a bowl of ice water. At this point, the skin should easy peel off. He halves the skinned tomatoes, squeezes most of their seeds out and then roughly chops them. Next, he thinly slices two cloves of garlic (thinly sliced garlic will release more flavor than thick slices, he explains).

He then preheats a pan with oil, adds the garlic and sautees until the garlic has started to brown (but not burn); then he adds the tomatoes and turns the heat up to high. The goal in cooking the tomatoes is to evaporate as much of their water as possible in order to concentrate the flavors of the tomato. Once the tomatoes are soft -- you cannot feel any firm resistance with the back of your spoon -- and the sauce looks cohesive enough to coat pasta (for example), your sauce is close to ready. Marco then turns off the heat, tears fresh basil leaves into large pieces and adds them to the pan along with cracked pepper, and then tastes the sauce to see whether he needs to add any salt.

For the Quick Canned Tomato Sauce, Marco adds four or five tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet, and then adds a thinly sliced garlic clove, dried Sicilian oregano leaves and crumbled peperoncini (hot peppers from Italy). (If you can't find dried oregano imported from Italy, any other oregano will do.) He turns the heat to medium-high and cooks the mixture to let the ingredients infuse the oil with flavor. Once the garlic is fragrant, he adds the tomatoes to the pan in a single layer, breaking them up with his fingers to release their juices and reduce the size of the chunks. He cooks the tomatoes until they've softened (about ten minutes) and then squishes them using the tines of a fork. Once the liquid has mostly evaporated and the tomatoes have turned to a dark shade of red, Marco adjusts to taste with salt and pepper.

Lastly, Marco demonstrates a different cooking technique to make his Tuscan Tomato Sauce, which takes at least two hours to cook but only about ten minutes of active preparation. He starts by making a soffrito -- an onion, celery and carrot mixture, minced and cooked in oil -- which is the foundation of many Italian dishes. He prepares this mixture by mincing the three vegetables in a food processor, and then cooking them in a pot with oil over really high heat. This level of heat will fry the vegetables and quickly eliminate their water content, which will prevent them from steaming in their own juices. After the vegetables have reduced by about one third and have taken on a bronze hue, he adds two quarts of tomato purée to the pot. (For this recipe, it's fine if the tomatoes are from a jar or can -- in fact, often canned tomatoes have a better flavor than fresh.) Once the sauce comes to a boil, he lowers the heat to reduce it to a simmer, seasons very lightly with a little salt, and leaves the sauce to cook for at least two hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce will darken and concentrate, and after it is done cooking, he'll season again with a little salt and pepper.

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]]>chef-marco-canoraitalianMarco Canora2010-10-26T17:52:00ZTuscan Eggplant Parmesanhttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/18/tuscan-eggplant-parmesan/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/18/tuscan-eggplant-parmesan/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/18/tuscan-eggplant-parmesan/#comments
tuscan eggplant parmesan
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as the Tuscan Eggplant Parmesan demonstrated in this video.

Marco starts off by sharing the most essential ingredient in this recipe: a good quality Italian eggplant. This smaller variety of the vegetable has fewer seeds, which tend to be bitter. And while eggplant's skin is colorful, it can also be bitter and tough, so Marco creates "racing stripes" by peeling off 50 percent of the skin in strips, giving the dish some color but keeping bitterness in check. He then cuts the eggplant into approximately 1/2-inch rounds and pan-fries them until they're lightly browned, about a minute on each side. (Be sure that your oil is hot before you add the slices, and don't overcrowd the pan.) Once he can easily poke the tines of a fork through the center of each slice, he removes the slices from the pan, blots them on a paper towel and seasons them with salt. He repeats this process until all of the slices are cooked.

Next, Marco layers a casserole dish with his ingredients, starting with whole canned tomatoes, which he has broken up into smaller pieces using his hands. Then he adds torn basil, a sprinkle of oregano, a little bit of salt and pepper, extra virgin olive oil and the first layer of overlapping eggplant slices. In his second layer, Marco adds the above ingredients, plus thinly sliced garlic and both fresh mozzarella and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. He repeats these steps until the pan is filled with five or six layers, and then Marco pops the dish in a 350 degree oven. An eggplant Parmesan in his deeper casserole dish takes 35 to 40 minutes to cook, but if you're using a wider, more shallow pan, you will probably only need to bake the dish for 10 to 15 minutes. Before serving, he adds additional shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

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]]>chef-marco-canoraitalianvegetableMarco Canora2010-10-18T13:42:00ZSalmon in Parchment Paperhttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/07/salmon-in-parchment-paper/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/07/salmon-in-parchment-paper/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/07/salmon-in-parchment-paper/#comments
salmon in parchment paper
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as the Salmon in Parchment Paper recipe -- or salmon "al cartoccio" -- demonstrated in this video. The parchment paper creates a closed environment that prevents moisture from escaping, essentially steaming the salmon and resulting in a very moist, flavorful piece of fish. You don't have to worry about overcooking the fish a little, either -- since the moisture can't escape, the flesh won't dry out.

Marco first cuts the salmon fillet into four equal pieces (you can request that this be done for you at your fish counter). He recommends wild Alaskan salmon (a favorite among chefs and environmentalists), though any variety will do. To prepare his parchment paper packets, Marco folds four large pieces of parchment paper in half, and using a dinner plate, traces a semi circle (with the round perimeter being on the folded edge). He then cuts the semi-circle out of the four pieces, resulting in rounded rectangles that are folded in the middle like a clam shell. On one half of each piece of parchment, he rubs olive oil with his fingers, lays a few slices of lemon and sprinkles some salt. Next he lays the salmon, followed by thinly sliced shallots, pitted black olives (his are Taggiasca olives) and finely chopped parsley. Since this dish will bake in the oven for only 15 minutes, Marco reminds viewers that any ingredients added to the parchment packets must be able to cook in that time frame -- hence the thin slices and finely chopped herbs. Though Marco chooses these three flavoring ingredients, he encourages viewers to choose their favorite flavoring agents to season the salmon. He then drizzles some more olive oil and sprinkles salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lastly, he sprinkles a few drops of white wine -- no more than 5 or 10, to avoid making the parchment soggy.

To create the necessary sealed environment, Marco folds the other half of the parchment paper over the fish, and presses the upper half into the lower by making several folds around the perimeter of the circle. He gives all folds a good press to make sure the packet is well sealed, and then puts the pouches on a cookie sheet. The fish bakes in a 400 F. degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, and when it comes out of the oven, is ready to serve. You might then choose to serve the closed packets to dinner guests so each person can open his or her own bag, or, if you'd like to give the fish some final seasoning touches (Marco finishes off his fish with some fresh parsley, a squirt of lemon and sea salt), open it in the kitchen, and then serve.

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]]>chef-marco-canorafishsalmonMarco Canora2010-10-07T14:15:00ZVeal and Ricotta Meatballs in Tomato Saucehttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/28/veal-and-ricotta-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/28/veal-and-ricotta-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/28/veal-and-ricotta-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-marco-canora/#comments
Veal Meatballs
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as the Veal and Ricotta Meatballs recipe demonstrated in this video. Marco learned to make this dish from a chef in Florence, Italy, named Fabio Picchi (though Picchi used chicken instead of veal).

To start off, Marco recommends triple-ground veal from your butcher -- the fine grind makes for light and fluffy meatballs. Then, to prepare the ricotta cheese, he squeezes out three to four tablespoons of liquid by folding it in a cheese cloth over a strainer and a bowl, and then placing a can on top of it. This will make the cheese denser and better suited to forming the meatballs (which contain equal parts ricotta and veal). Add about a pound each of the ricotta and veal to a bowl, followed by Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, eggs, whole nutmeg, salt and cracked pepper. Now the messy part: He combines the ingredients well using his hands, until the mass appears homogeneous. Marco uses an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to form even-sized meatballs, shapes them into round balls that are slightly smaller than a tennis ball using floured hands and drops them onto a flour-dusted baking sheet. He pats them well to eliminate any air pockets, and after the tray is filled, places them in the freezer for a few minutes so they'll set and won't fall apart during cooking.

Next, Marco makes a simple tomato sauce using canned tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, butter, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. He first crushes a few cloves of garlic, and then cooks them with the oil in a pan for about five minutes until the garlic is fragrant. He then adds the tomatoes, salt and pepper and brings them to a boil. After simmering the sauce for about 30 minutes, he blends in the butter and then the basil using a hand-held blender -- but if you don't have one, a regular blender will work just as well. When all the ingredients are incorporated, the color of the sauce will have gotten a little paler.

Finally, Marco cooks the meatballs. He heats oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and places the meatballs into the pan. (The oil should come halfway up each meatball when the pan is filled.) Once they've browned on one side, he flips them. He fries them about one minute on each side until they're brown all over, and then lifts them out of the pan with a slotted spoon to drain excess oil; then he lowers them into the sauce. They cook through in the sauce for about 30 minutes. Marco serves these meatballs as a main course, as they are served in Italy, instead of with pasta. His serving recommendation? Two meatballs for each person -- with lots of sauce and extra Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Get Marco's Veal and Ricotta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce recipe.

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]]>chef-marco-canoraitalianvealMarco Canora2010-09-28T17:28:00ZChicken Under a Brickhttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/27/chicken-under-a-brick-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/27/chicken-under-a-brick-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/27/chicken-under-a-brick-marco-canora/#comments
Chicken under a Brick with Rapini
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn his series The Italian Kitchen with Marco Canora, chef and cookbook author Marco Canora prepares classic Italian recipes -- like the Chicken Under a Brick with Rapini recipe featured in this video -- that are simple and straightforward, but yield a surprising depth of flavor.

In this video, Marco makes a chicken dish cooked beneath a brick for even and quick cooking. First he cuts the back of a whole chicken to flatten it, exposing both breasts. He removes the keel bone and trims off excess fat, and then separates the skin from the breasts to make room for salt and herbs. Marco marinates the bird by rubbing salt, pepper and roughly chopped sage and rosemary leaves beneath the skin -- these spices and herbs will penetrate the meat during cooking. Marco then transfers the chicken to a large piece of plastic wrap, and scatters sliced garlic, sprigs of sage and rosemary, and lemon zest over the top of the chicken. He sprinkles a little more salt and pepper, drizzles some olive oil, and wraps the chicken in the plastic wrap. He then leaves the chicken in the fridge for at least an hour, but up to 8 (overnight).

Next comes the brick. Marco heats a large pan until it's very hot, discards the lemon, herbs and garlic from the chicken, and salts its skin one last time. He adds the chicken to the pan, and then places a foil-wrapped brick on top of the chicken. He leaves it over the high heat for 30 to 45 seconds, and then pops it in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes. How do you tell if the chicken's done? Poke a knife into the thickest part of the chicken leg (which takes the longest to cook) to make sure that the juices are running clear. And before you dump out the juices from the pan, return the pan to the stove with some fresh garlic slices, and add in blanched rapini (or broccoli rabe) to sautée it with these strong flavors. Plate the greens with your whole chicken...and dinner is served.

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]]>chef-marco-canorachickenitalianMarco Canora2010-09-27T17:00:00ZGnocchi with Sage-Butter Saucehttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/27/gnocchi-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/27/gnocchi-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/27/gnocchi-marco-canora/#comments
gnocchi
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes, such as the Gnocchi with Sage-Butter Sauce demonstrated in this video. Gnocchi -- the Italian dumplings generally made with a mixture of potato and flour -- can range from light and airy to dense and lumpy. Marco has a few tricks for making the former.

Marco uses russet potatoes (such as Idaho) because their high starch content makes for fluffier gnocchi (this is also what makes them great for mashed potatoes). He starts by poking holes in the potatoes, which allows steam to escape and reduces the water content in the flesh, which in turn cuts down on the need for extra flour in the dough that can lead to leaden dumplings. He bakes the potatoes in a 350 F. oven until they're soft (1 to 1 1/2 hours) and then scoops out the flesh with a spoon.

Marco passes the potato flesh through a ricer, which breaks it into small (rice-like) pieces that he spreads on a clean, dry work surface (if you don't have a ricer, you can use a fine-holed food mill). He then sprinkles an even blanket of flour over the potatoes, and uses a dough scraper (or, as he calls it, a "bench scraper") to cut the flour into the potatoes. (Two knives can also be used instead of a dough scraper.) He points out that the potato absorbs the flour -- when you don't see white flour anymore, you know it's time for the next addition of flour. After repeating the process with the scraper, he forms the dough into a ball and presses it onto a heavily floured surface, then sprinkles more flour over the flattened dough. He folds the dough, flattens it again, and repeats the process until all of the flour is incorporated. (Marco warns against kneading the dough, which makes the gnocchi chewy and tough.) When all of the flour is incorporated, he shapes the gnocchi into a log and presses it on all sides to remove any air pockets. He then slices the dough into pieces that he rolls into cylinders about a half inch thick. These cylinders are then cut into individual dumplings.

While bringing a large pot of of heavily salted water to a boil, Marco makes the sauce: He coarsely chops fresh sage, which he heats with about an ounce (two tablespoons) of water in a skillet to make a "sage tea." When most of the liquid has evaporated, he reduces the heat to low and adds two sticks of butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly. He then cooks the gnocchi in the boiling water, and, when they float to the top, he scoops them out with a slotted spoon and adds them to the sauce for about 30 seconds.

To finish the gnocchi, he adds Parmigiano Reggiano and freshly ground black pepper and swirls to combine -- the dish is served with additional parmesan and optional sea salt.

Get Marco's Gnocchi with Sage-Butter Sauce recipe.

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]]>chef-marco-canoraitalianMarco Canora2010-09-27T15:50:00ZIntroduction to The Italian Kitchen with Marco Canorahttp://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/27/the-italian-kitchen-with-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/27/the-italian-kitchen-with-marco-canora/http://main.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/27/the-italian-kitchen-with-marco-canora/#comments
Marco Canora
Stephen Davis PhillipsIn KitchenDaily's latest video series, The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes like Chicken Under a Brick with Rapini, Veal and Ricotta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce and Gnocchi. Having received no formal training, Marco stands firmly behind his belief that delicious, wholesome meals can be prepared by anyone -- all it takes is some confidence, comfort in the kitchen and a willingness to experiment.

When he was first approached by KitchenDaily, Marco was excited about the opportunity to spread the message that cooking is very important, as is sitting down to dinner as a family every night. Being a father has grounded Marco -- easing some of the stress of being a high-profile, high-energy New York City chef -- and has reminded him how much that end-of-day meal contributes to family togetherness and a healthy lifestyle. Marco reminds viewers that whether you have access to produce that's fresh from the farm, or are shopping at a chain supermarket (like the one his mother shopped in when he was growing up), you can still put delicious, wholesome food on the table.

Marco's goal for The Italian Kitchen was to demonstrate cooking skills and execution tips, rather than focusing on specific dishes -- illustrating the how, and not the what. His simple, straightforward recipes yield food with a depth of flavor -- the pinnacle of Italian cooking. As the chef behind New York City restaurants Hearth and Terroir, and the author of "Salt to Taste," Marco knows a thing or two about leading a busy lifestyle. But at the end of the day, great cooking is not something that can be sacrificed. As Marco says at the end of this introductory video, "cooking can't go the way of darning your own socks." And with Marco's help, it won't have to.

Find out more about chef Marco Canora here.

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