We had some left over chicken. The cookbook On Top of
Spaghetti has chocked full of recipes of spaghetti sauces. We decided to make
this one to re-purpose the left over chicken.
Fettuccine with Venetian Chicken Sauce
Johanne Killeen and George Germon
Serves 6 to 8 as a first course or 4 to 6 as a main course
In Venice, water is everywhere. With the
canals and the lagoon spilling into the Adriatic, one
associates Venetian cooking with fish and seafood. It's true you can eat
delectable local sea creatures in a select group of impeccable restaurants. We
have feasted on razor clams, scallops, feisty mantis shrimp, inkv cuttlefish,
and octopus—the list goes on. But there is more to this cucina. You could be
regaled by grilled radicchio from nearby Treviso; steamed white asparagus from
Bassano; wild mushrooms prepared in every imaginable guise; criminally rich
Venetian calves' liver; risotto with vegetables, meats, or white truffles;
silky, homemade pastas; and some yen- impressive desserts. One dish we have
found inspirational is a delicate vegetable sauce made with tiny pieces of
diced chicken tossed with ribbon noodles .We took this food souvenir ofVenezia
home with us and created a sauce and pasta that evoke happy memories of that
magic city. Our elegant, suave sauce is made with carrots. Its striking yellow-orange
color is food for the eyes.
2 cups
homemade chicken stock
8 ounces
skinned and boned chicken breasts
6 tablespoons
unsalted butter
1 small
garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
¼ teaspoon
sea salt
1 cup
tomato juice, preferably organic
1 pound
dried fettuccine or fresh fettuccine
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Rcggiano
1. Bring the
chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan,
2. Cut the
chicken breasts into lengthwise strips about the width of a finger. Drop the
strips into the boiling stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and
simmer for 4 minutes. Remove the cover and set aside, allowing the chicken to
cool in the liquid. When cool, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and
reheat the stock.
3. Meanwhile,
melt 4 tablespoon of the butter in another large/saucepan. Stir in the garlic
and cook over low heat until the garlic becomes golden. Add 1 cup water to
prevent the garlic from j browning. Stir to combine. Add the carrots and salt
and cook over moderate heat, stirring often, until the mixture is nearly dry
with just a bit of water left. Be vigilant and stir constantly toward the end
of this step to be sure the carrots do not brown at all. Add the hot stock and
tomato juice. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, set the cover ajar,
and simmer gently for 35 minutes, or until the carrots are very soft. Puree
with an immersion blender until you have a smooth puree. Set aside.
4. Cut the
chicken strips lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, then cut across to make
1/8-inch dice. Add the chicken to the sauce and reheat gently.
5. Bring a
large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and drop in the
fettuccine. Cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer
to a heated platter or shallow gratin dish. Toss with the remaining butter and
fold in enough sauce to coat the noodles generously. Sprinkle with
Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve at once. Pass more cheese at the table.
