Anyone feeling particularly creative today? I need help...

C

carianna-in-wa

Well-known member
I'm trying to put together an "Italy in Small Bites" menu for a bride. I have lots of good ideas so far, but can't think of a way to make some sort of italian chicken dish into an appetizer (preferably on a skewer). Usually I'm pretty good at turning entrees into appetizers, but I'm not that familiar with italian food beyond pasta and am drawing a blank. Can anyone think of a great italian chicken recipe that I can convert into a small bite? Grilled chicken piccata skewers maybe?

It's about an 80 person reception, so make in advance would be handy. (or at least completely prep in advance) Maybe something that tastes mighty good at room temperature?

 
Perhaps chicken cacciatore? The chicken could be skewered with olives, dolloped with sauce

(tomato sauce with bell peppers, mushrooms and capers) and spinkled with lemon zest and chopped sage.

 
I like that idea.I was thinking about Alfredo--but how about adapting cordon bleu? Or

Chicken and Italian sausage skewers fixed some way--maybe with the cacciatore sauce.

 
chicken parm or fried ravioli

chicken parm nuggets with marinara dipping sauce...

Fried Ravioli (chicken stuffed) (breaded and deep fried or pan fried are good too but not really make ahead. again a marinara or pesto sauce is nice

 
Ooh, I kind of like this idea. Execution? Would you pound out the breasts and then

lay down the cheese, sage and prosciutto and roll it up? Sautee, slice into pinwheels and skewer?

Or another idea? Maybe sauteed chicken cubes that have been marinated in a sage-flavored marinade and then skewer the chicken with prosciutto wrapped fontina cubes?

Other ideas?

 
Oh, you're way ahead of me with the pinwheel idea! I think the prosciutto has to be baked on

the outside so that it's crisp. I would probably cube the chicken, saute, skewer, top one side with a little cheese and a sage leaf, then wrap in prosciutto and bake.

The flavors will be wonderful no matter what you do

(I confess I've never made this recipe with chicken, only pork.)

 
My dear beau makes this, with chicken and veal, and he does this >>>

Pound the breasts between sheets of saran wrap until very thin, lightly pepper them, and sprinkle with sherry (he uses cream sherry).

Then he places the prosciutto on the inside of the breast and the cheese, rolls and secures with toothpicks.

He salts and peppers the outside, and lightly dredged in flour and saute in a hot pan with a mixture of butter and olive oil.

When they are golden brown on both sides, he sprinkles the pan with more sherry to make a pan sauce.

He also makes a secret tomato/mushroom/sherry sauce that sadly I'm not allowed to watch being prepared!

This was the first dish he ever made for me and wow, was it love at first bite!!

I love the idea of adding sage, maybe between the meat and the cheese?

 
Here's a non-chicken idea: Breaded eggplant bites stuffed with fontina and sage. Food torture for

sure, but worth it. They can be fried ahead and reheated in the oven. The client who showed me this saw Marianne Esposito do it on TV. She freezes them after frying, but I've never tried that.

Find the smallest Japanese eggplants you can. Slice a little skin off each side, then slice them 1/8-inch thick. Lay them out on paper towels in the order you cut them. (You'll need adjacent slices to make little sandwiches.) Salt them on both sides and let them exude their excess liquid. Pat dry.

Take two adjacent slices and fill with a sliver of fontina cheese and a sage leaf.

Set up a bowl of seasoned flour, another of beaten egg, and another of bread crumbs. (fresh or dry, your choice). Heat peanut or canola oil in a skillet until breadcrumbs sizzle on contact. Now comes the torture part: while endeavoring to keep the layers together, dip the sandwiches first in flour, then egg, then crumbs. (I've tried forks and toothpicks to no avail. Just plan on getting very cakey fingers.)

Fry them on both sides until brown and crisp. Once the cheese melts they'll hold together.

Serve with your favorite tomato sauce.

 
Or Tuscan Chicken? Rec: inside

From Epi - if you'd really rather skewer them, I'd go with skinless chicken breasts and skip the beans...

TUSCAN CHICKEN WITH WARM BEAN SALAD

1 4- to 4 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces
9 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil

3 T chopped fresh rosemary or 3 teaspoons dried
2 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained

Arrange chicken in 12x9x2-inch baking dish. Mince 5 garlic cloves; mix in 1 teaspoon salt. Rub garlic mixture into chicken. Mix lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons rosemary, lemon peel and sugar in small bowl. Pour over chicken. Season with pepper. Cover; chill up to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cannellini in large skillet. Chop remaining 4 garlic cloves and mix into cannellini with 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.

Uncover chicken and bake until cooked through but still juicy, basting occasionally, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Broil chicken until just brown, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir bean salad over medium heat until heated through, about 8 minutes. Spoon salad onto platter. Top with chicken and pan juices.

Serves 4.
Bon Appétit
December 1995

 
wow dawn. very close to what i thunk up for supper tomorrow - REC:another tuscan(ish) chicken

i'm doing an 8# roster. run your fingers between the skin and meat along the breasts and legs.

stuff with 1/2 cup rosemary and thyme
2 heads roasted garlic
juice of 1 lemon (~1/4 cup)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup minced proscuitto
1/2 cup crumbled feta

fill the main cavity with as much lemon and orange peels as will fit.

roast in oven. i'll roast it in my smoker over either grape vine or pearwood.

 
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