Team Eats: CATANIA – Sicilian Chicken

Back by popular demand, Team Eats is a culinary guide to cooking and consuming the opposition. Each week, we pick a recipe from the home cuisine of Juve’s upcoming adversary, put on the kitchen apron and… cook it and eat it. Buon Appetito!

 
This Sunday, like Hannibal and his army of 37 elephants, the Sicilians of Catania brave the alps to lay siege upon Juventus in Torino. While the snow may have provided its own difficulties for that ancient invading force of Carthage, the modern technologies of Juventus Stadium (including a water-heated pitch) can ensure that even the worst snowfall should not stop this match from being played.

Catania actually has nothing to do with ancient Carthage, though the team mascot happens to be an elephant. While modern-day Carthage is currently a suburb of the capital of Tunisia, Catania is located on the eastern coast of Sicily, that giant island that looks like it’s about to be kicked by the Italian boot.

Catanian cuisine derives from a mix of agricultural products and fish, enriched by the influences of various invasions throughout history. Typical recipes make use of simple and cheap ingredients combined with the foreign flavors of past invading cultures. With its strong link to the sea (not only due the city’s geography but also to the richness in quality of Ionian Sea seafood products), fish is prevalent and generally used as primo piatto (first dish) served fried, charcoal-roasted or marinated in extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

I actually found quite a few recipes for many different fried dishes, but I don’t like friend foods so I didn’t pick one.

This week’s “sicilian chicken” recipe is not exactly a traditional dish of Catania, but it’s a Sicilian residence that’s fast to cook, easy to make, and tastes really damn good.

Let’s start it up.

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry wine (preferably white)
• 1/2 cup sliced Sicilian olives
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced no-salt-added tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• rice or vegetables for a side dish, your choice

I actually made a major change for this one, but by accident… I thought I had chicken breasts in my fridge, but it turns out they were turkey breasts. So I used turkey and everything still turned out great.

You should also prepare a side dish. I made a simple cauliflower sauté but you can add any side dish you like. Easy-to-make vegetables or rice is probably a good choice, but the best plan is always to just use what you have laying around the kitchen.

Also if you can’t find “sicilian olives”, substitute them with green Spanish olives.
 

Directions

1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound each breast to about a 1/2-inch thickness using a mallet, heavy skillet, your own Giorgio Chiellini fists, or Conte’s spiked club. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge meat in flour.

3. Add the floured chicken to the pan and sauté. Cook for 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned.

4. Add the wine to the mix and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.

5. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the basil) and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. When it’s ready to serve, sprinkle with basil.

6. The picture below is a before and after of the CAULIFLOWER SIDE DISH I made, which turned out pretty tasty.To make it I just sauteed some cauliflower in olive oil for a few minutes, slowly adding 1/2 cup of wine and then cooking on low heat for ~15 minutes. I also added a handful of the golden raisins plus some sunflower seeds I had laying around, but you can make anything you want.

7. Consume. Image each delicious olive an outstanding overlap by Cáceres down the flank, each rich raisin a give-and-go from Marchisio, each juicy slice of meat another shot on goal by the Juventus attack.

Deceptively simple yet surprisingly delicious, this recipe is my style of cooking: fast, easy, and scrumptious. Cooking the chicken (ok, in my case turkey) in the wine adds a slight sweetness to the terrific combination of olives and raisins. Personally I think the tomato quantity should be reduced by a third, but if served over a bed of plain rice it’s probably the perfect amount.

Post pictures of your attempts in the comments section, I’m really curious to see what side dishes you all picked. Who’s ready to slay some elephants?
 

★ BUON APPETITO ★