Woodman's Chicken-Pollo alla Boscaiola
Weeknight dinners are always a challenge in my house, with my kids doing sports after school, I always try and cook to suit my schedule on those days. On my daughter's dancing nights I try to do things that are easy as she gets home after 8pm and I don't want to be cooking or eating too long after she gets home.
We as a family always wait for everyone to be home and we eat dinner together, my mum did it with us, so I love doing it with my family.
This dish was delicious, I mean really delicious. The aromas that waft through the house promise something special and you hope it will taste as good as it smells, and this one certainly does.
It is really, really easy to make. I assembled it a little in advance, then baked it so that it is ready by the time my husband went and picked up my daughter.
I served it with a green salad, some broccolini, some roasted mushrooms (as we had extra) and some roasted truss tomatoes. You need some crusty Italian style bread or a crisp baguette, to soak up the sauce, it's fabulous. Silvia suggests serving it with some soft polenta, as I love polenta, I'll try that soon.
You can easily make this for more people, I added an extra potato and more mushrooms, as we love it. I used portobello mushrooms here. Please don't use normal bacon, look for the streaky bacon which is far superior in flavour to standard bacon.
This is something you really need to try, it's simple and so tasty.
We as a family always wait for everyone to be home and we eat dinner together, my mum did it with us, so I love doing it with my family.
This dish was delicious, I mean really delicious. The aromas that waft through the house promise something special and you hope it will taste as good as it smells, and this one certainly does.
It is really, really easy to make. I assembled it a little in advance, then baked it so that it is ready by the time my husband went and picked up my daughter.
I served it with a green salad, some broccolini, some roasted mushrooms (as we had extra) and some roasted truss tomatoes. You need some crusty Italian style bread or a crisp baguette, to soak up the sauce, it's fabulous. Silvia suggests serving it with some soft polenta, as I love polenta, I'll try that soon.
You can easily make this for more people, I added an extra potato and more mushrooms, as we love it. I used portobello mushrooms here. Please don't use normal bacon, look for the streaky bacon which is far superior in flavour to standard bacon.
This is something you really need to try, it's simple and so tasty.
Recipe
Recipe adapted from Silvia Colloca's Cookbook 'Made in Italy'
Serves 4-6
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm thick slices
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
8 chicken thigh fillets
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, skin on, bashed with the back of a knife
150ml white wine
A few sprigs of thyme
5 thin slices streaky bacon
2 cups (about 100g) mixed mushrooms (field, portobello, porcini-anything but button mushroom), cleaned and sliced
Serves 4-6
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm thick slices
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
8 chicken thigh fillets
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, skin on, bashed with the back of a knife
150ml white wine
A few sprigs of thyme
5 thin slices streaky bacon
2 cups (about 100g) mixed mushrooms (field, portobello, porcini-anything but button mushroom), cleaned and sliced
Preheat your oven to 220C/200C fan forced.
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, season with salt. Parboil the potato slices in the salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain carefully, trying not to break up the pieces, set aside. I did this in two batches, but you can do it in one.
Grease a large baking dish with olive oil. Arrange half the potato slices over the base of the dish. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then place them over the potato. Arrange the remaining potato over the chicken, don't completely cover the chicken, leave gaps. Scatter over the garlic cloves.
Drizzle the olive oil and wine on top, scatter over the thyme sprigs and season with a little extra salt. Coverdish with aluminium foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil and arrange the streaky bacon over the chicken and potato. Scatter the sliced mushrooms over the top, then bake, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes. Now turn on your grill function in your oven and grill for about 5 minutes to encourage the pancetta to crisp up and the chicken and potatoes to develop a light, healthy tan.
Serve hot with crusty bread that you dip into the sauce, a green salad or cooked broccolini and some roasted tomatoes.
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, season with salt. Parboil the potato slices in the salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain carefully, trying not to break up the pieces, set aside. I did this in two batches, but you can do it in one.
Grease a large baking dish with olive oil. Arrange half the potato slices over the base of the dish. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then place them over the potato. Arrange the remaining potato over the chicken, don't completely cover the chicken, leave gaps. Scatter over the garlic cloves.
Drizzle the olive oil and wine on top, scatter over the thyme sprigs and season with a little extra salt. Coverdish with aluminium foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil and arrange the streaky bacon over the chicken and potato. Scatter the sliced mushrooms over the top, then bake, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes. Now turn on your grill function in your oven and grill for about 5 minutes to encourage the pancetta to crisp up and the chicken and potatoes to develop a light, healthy tan.
Serve hot with crusty bread that you dip into the sauce, a green salad or cooked broccolini and some roasted tomatoes.
Enjoy!
