Sunday, October 18, 2020

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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