Chicken in Barolo sauce w/ porcini mushrooms & luganega sausage
It’s Mother’s Day today and as expected my Ma hinted in her special (demanding, Colombian) way that I cook something today. I obviously did cook today with a lot of love. I always think sometimes how lucky I am to have not only 2 amazing parents but also if it was not for their Italian/Latina heritage I may never have had the taste for cooking & food like I do have today. I remember there were times especially as a stroppy teenager that I could not understand their ‘old school’ ways. But the older I became, I really embraced their cultures, in more ways than one. Food obviously being my favourite. That’s why recently I have really thrown myself into wanting to understand how cooking differs all over the amazing country that is Italy. Piemonte is at the opposite end of Puglia where my Pops is from, and like most Italians, I am loyal to my region; the only one I have ever really known. But the last few weeks cooking Piedmontese has just given me the taste to want to know everything I need to know about the diversity of Italian cooking. This recipe incorporates elements that are important to this region, good red wine, porcini mushrooms, autumnal flavours…. But what I love most about this recipe & also Italian cooking is it’s simplicity. Go on, give it a try.
Ingredients
1kg Chicken thighs
1 bottle of Barolo
1 onion
25g Butter
4 tbsp grappa
Grated nutmeg
10g porcini mushrooms
1 luganega sausage or 200g pork sausage
Plain flour
Salt & Pepper
- Soften the porcini mushroom in warm milk
- Melt the butter in a wide saucepan; add the onion and cook until softened
- Then add the chicken and pan fry, turning over on both side.
- Sprinkle flour over the chicken and cook on both sides until it has all been absorbed.
- Add all the wine, grappa, a sprinkle of nutmeg & season. Boil for a few minutes and then turn down the heat & cook for approximately an hour.
- After, remove the chicken & keep warm.
- Increase the heat on the sauce and reduce the sauce a little further. Add chopped porcini mushrooms & crumble in the sausage meat. Cook for another 15-20 minutes on a low heat.
- Serve the chicken with the mashed potato & add the sauce.
