CASARECCE WITH CHICKEN DUMPLINGS

This is from a recipe adapted for the March 2020 issue of Selector Magazine You can replace ingredients if needs be, just be sure to replace apples with apples (if you know what I mean).

Serves 4-6

This is a delicious comfort dish. It seems traditional but it is really an amalgam of several dishes. The pasta idea was from Alain Ducasse, the meatballs are meatballs, bit of Jewish bit of Chinese, bit of French, the cheese addition is Cacio e pepe like, the lemon juice was when we cooked a version at Pei modern. Matt Germanchis (head chef) said it was like Avgolemono.

I have been cooking variations of it for many years. An interesting thing is cooking the pasta like a risotto. It is a technique I first came across in Nice and it is reasonably common in the French and Italian Rivieras. The starch from the pasta thickens the sauce and also gives an incredible texture. Cararecce originates from Sicily, and are short twists of pasta, which appear rolled up on themselves. Possible substitutes are Strozzapreti (or ‘Priest Stranglers’) or Penne. Any of the shorter pastas with some structure to hold up in the cooking process. In regards to brands, I have my preferences such as Benedetto Cavalieri the important thing to look for is that the pasta is made of hard durum wheat semolina, is usually extruded with bronze dies and is not kiln dried. Nothing against the shiny, yellow, kiln dried supermarket pastas but they just don’t give the same result.

If you are at all squeamish about the included offal. Feel free to leave it out. No judgment but its all chicken .

INGREDIENTS 

• 80 ml virgin olive oil 

• 100g butter 

• 300g casarecce 

• 700ml chicken stock 

• 150g Parmigiano Reggiano 

• Juice of 1/2 lemon 

• Freshly ground White pepper 

CHICKEN DUMPLINGS 

• 600g chicken breast 

• 4 chicken livers 

• 1 egg

• 180ml pouring cream

• 10 chicken hearts 

• 1/2 nutmeg

• 1 cup panko crumbs 

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 

  METHOD

  1. To make the chicken dumplings: use a kitchen knife to separately chop the chicken breast, livers and hearts into small pieces.

  2. Transfer half the chopped breast and egg to a food processor and process until quite fine. 

  3. Add the cream in a thin stream and continue to process to form a mousse. 

  4. Add the chicken heart, liver, and remaining chicken breast, nutmeg, panko crumbs, teaspoon salt and the white pepper to the food processor and pulse to combine. 

  5. Cook a small spoonful in simmering water until firm to test for balance of flavour and texture. Adjust the seasoning to taste. 

  6. To make the casarecce: put the olive oil and 40g of the butter in a heavy- based saucepan over low heat. Add the pasta and stir to coat it evenly. 

  7. Add the chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. 

  8. Using a dessertspoon, make small balls of the chicken dumpling mixture and add it to the pasta (approximately 3–4 balls per person). 

  9. Cook for a further 10 minutes. 

  10. Remove the pan from the heat and finish with the finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano and the remaining butter. 

  11. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and stir (with a wooden spoon) to emulsify the sauce

  11. Finish with a generous grinding of white pepper. 

  Serve with a simple salad of green and bitter leaves dressed with Olive Oil

  Photography: Rob Palmer, Styling: Emma Knowles, Food Prep: Sarah-Jane Hallett