International Cooking Club: Puttanesca Sauce

Our library started a Virtual International Cooking Club. We meet once a month and discuss a recipe that was suggested by one of the members. This month was our first recipe. Puttanesca Sauce. I was surprised at how many people had heard of this sauce. 

The last time I made Puttanesca sauce, back in 2013, I used a recipe that I found in From Biba's Italian Kitchen.

Ingredients (Serves 2) -
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 bone-in Chicken Breast halves, washed and dried on paper towels
Salt to taste
2 anchovy fillets, chopped (I omitted the anchovies)
1 garlic clove, minced (I cut it in half so I could remove it)
2 - 2 1/2 cups canned imported Italian crushed tomatoes
Dried red pepper flakes to taste
8-10 pitted black olives, Kalamata, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. capers, rinsed

Method -
Heat the oil in a wide-bottomed casserole pan over medium heat. When the oil is very hot, slip in the chicken piece without crowding them. Cook until the chicken is golden on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large platter.

Discard half of the oil in the casserole. Add the anchovies and the garlic and stir quickly a few times (Remember that the oil is very hot and the garlic will turn golden in no time at all). Add the tomatoes and bring to a gentle boil. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Return the chicken to the casserole, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan partially. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, turning the chicken pieces and stirring occasionally. Add the olives and the capers, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes longer. If the sauce is a bit thin, transfer the chicken pieces to a large platter, raise the heat under the pan and boil the sauce down to a thicker consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve.

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Chicken Stew with Puttanesca Sauce

Can you believe I have never made Puttanesca Sauce? Why? I have no idea! But I will now be making it more often. Where's the bread! You do not want to waste a drop of this.

The recipe comes from From Biba's Italian Kitchen. This is running a close second to Chicken Cacciatore for favorite chicken recipes. And we get to have leftovers tomorrow night. One pan and two meals... gotta love that.

Ingredients  (Serves 4) -
1/3 cup exra vigin olive oil
One 4 pound chicken cut up into 8 serving pieces, washed and dried on paper towels
Salt to taste
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced (I cut it in half so I could remove it)
2 - 2 1/2 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes with their juces put through a food mill to remove the seeds (I used crushed tomatoes, I do not have a food mill but more on that later this week)
Dried red pepper flakes to tast
8-10 pitted blackolives, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. capers, rinsed

Method -
Heat the oil in a wide bottomed casserole over medium heat. When the oil is very hot, slip in the chicken piece without crowding them. Cook until the chicken is golden on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large platter.

Discard half of the oil in the casserole. Add the anchovies and the garlic and stir quickly a few times (Remember that the oil is very hot and the garlic will turn golden in no time at all). Add the tomatoes and bring to a gentle boil. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Return the chicken to the casserole, reduce heat to low and cover the pan partially. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, turning the chicken pieces and stirring occasionally. Add the olives and the capers, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes longer. If the sauce is a bit thin, transfer the chicken pieces to a large platter, raise the heat under the pan and boil the sauce down to a thicker consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve.