Cookin' with Carol logo


#277 - Napa Stories

Cookbook author and PBS television cooking show host Michael Chiarello tempts Carol with delicious recipes from his new cookbook, Napa Stories. For more information, or to order Michael's products from NapaStyle, please visit the NapaStyle website at: www.napastyle.com.

Roast Chicken with Fennel and Sage

Serves 4

1 tablespoon sea salt, preferably gray salt

1 tablespoon toasted fennel seed

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh sage

Extra virgin olive oil

One 3-pound free-range chicken

2 carrots, halved lengthwise

Preheat oven to 450° F. Turn on the convection fan, if you have one. Pound salt, fennel, and sage together in a mortar, or crush in a mini-chopper or with the flat side of a chef's knife. Coat your hands with olive oil and massage the bird all over. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, pressing it into the skin and sprinkling some inside the cavity. Truss the legs. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and oil the foil lightly. Place carrots in the middle of the baking sheet, cut side down and parallel, to make a raft for the bird. Set the chicken on top of the carrots. Bake until chicken begins to color nicely, about 25 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375° F and continue roasting until chicken juices run clear, about 35 minutes more.

Mushroom Sugo

Serves 4

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cups finely chopped, mixed wild mushrooms

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1/4 cup red wine

1/2 cup tomato puree (from fresh peeled tomato)

1/2 cup chicken broth or water

Sea salt, preferably gray salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 generous tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. When hot, add oil, then sprinkle in the mushrooms. Don't stir! Let the mushrooms sizzle and caramelize for 7 to 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about a minute to release its fragrance. Add the shallot and cook for about a minute, then add the parsley and rosemary. Cook briefly to release their fragrance, then add the wine and simmer until almost evaporated. Add tomato, then broth. Simmer until lightly reduced, 4 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Soft Polenta and Variations

Serves 4

Polenta is not really a recipe, it is a ratio of dry to wet ingredients. For firm polenta, it's one to three. For soft polenta, the ratio of dry to wet is one to five or six. For more information and polenta recipes, see Michael's polenta website page at: http://www.napastyle.com/kitchen/recipes/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=45

>Recipes from Napa Stories by Michael Chiarello with Janet Fletcher (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)

Back to Cookin' with Carol Cooking Show Main Page


Take me back to the COOKIN' WITH CAROL OFFICIAL WEB SITE HOME PAGE


© 2001