Chicken Piccata Class

Pasta from Scratch

Chicken Piccata

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan

Chocolate Lava Cobbler

Fresh Pasta Dough

yield: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

  Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.

  In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.

  Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.

  Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

2 chicken cutlets or breasts, boneless, skinless, butterflied pounded to create thinner pieces

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup flour

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 shallot, finely chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic (from 4-6 cloves)

¾ cup chicken stock

1/2 teaspoons lemon zest plus more to taste

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoons capers, drained

Fresh parsley, chopped, optional

Method

 Season the chicken all over with the pepper and ½ teaspoons of the salt. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dip each piece of the chicken in the flour, turning to coat and shake off any excess. Discard the flour when finished dredging.  Place chicken breast cutlet on a baking sheet

 Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoons oil in a large skillet set over medium-high until the butter has melted. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter.

Add the shallot to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute more. Stir in the stock and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in 2 tablespoons of the butter, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.

Add the chicken back to the pan and finish cooking until it reaches correct temperature. Plate and garnish with parsley before serving.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan

yield: 2 servings

¼ teaspoon vegetable oil

8 oz asparagus spears, trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lemon zested and cut in half

2 oz parmesan cheese, freshly shaved with vegetable peeler or coarsely shredded

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

  Pre heat oven to 350

 Place trimmed asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle olive oil over top. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly.

 Roast in oven for approximately 10-12 minutes

 Transfer to serving platter or plates, sprinkle parmesan cheese over top along with the lemon juice and zest. Serve immediately.

Brownie pudding (chocolate lava cobbler)

  yield: 8

1 cup flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons veggie oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 ½ cup hot water

Preheat oven 350

Grease 9×9 pan

In a small bowl mix together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, milk, veggie oil, and vanilla. The batter will be very thick. Pour into prepared pan, spread evenly.

In a small bowl combine brown sugar and remaining cocoa powder, pour over top of thick batter. DON’T MIX.

Pour hot water on top and place in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.