Mediterranean Swordfish with Tomatoes and Olives &
Italian Chicken Under a Brick

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Barb Jernigan for this groaner:

There was a chicken farmer who lived in a village in China. One year his
chickens were afflicted with a strange blight that caused them to lose
their feathers. The farmer was deeply concerned about this because
winter was coming and if the chickens had no feathers, they would freeze
to death. So, the farmer decided to consult the two wisest men in the
land. First, he visited Mr. Hing, the renowned scholar. Mr. Hing leafed
through all his agricultural and medicinal texts and pored over books
and scrolls well into the night. Finally, he returned to the farmer and
told him that, if he crushed the leaves of a gum tree into powder, made
it into tea, and fed it to his chickens, they would be cured.

The farmer then went to Mr. Ming, the great seer. Mr. Ming cast stones,
read tea leaves, and poked through entrails until finally he came up
with the answer: "As surely as gum causes a shoe to stick to the ground,
tea made from gum leaves will cause feathers to stick to chickens."

Now the farmer was ecstatic. The two wisest men in the land had given
him exactly the same prescription. So, as soon as he returned home, he
took some gum leaves and made tea from them. He mixed this with the
chicken feed and fed it to his chickens. But it didn't work. The
chickens continued to lose their feathers, and, with the onset of
winter, they all froze.

The moral of this story: All of Hing's courses and all of Ming's ken
couldn't get gum tea to feather a hen.

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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In Italy this sauce might be called puttanesca, but the ingredients are
available and often used throughout the Mediterranean region.

Mediterranean Swordfish with Tomatoes and Olives

3 Tbs (45 ml) olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 lbs (675-900 g) swordfish steak cut into 4 to 6 portions
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 15-oz (425 g) cans tomatoes with their liquid
1/2 cup (125 ml) brine-cured black or green olives
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped parsley
3 Tbs (45 ml) capers, drained
Hot red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Heat the oil in large heavy skillet over high heat. Season the swordfish
generously with salt and pepper and saute until browned on both sides.
Transfer the fish to a platter and add the remaining ingredients to the
skillet. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the fish to
the sauce and cook, turning once, until the fish is firm to the touch
and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

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Some recipes - maybe most - are all about ingredients. This one is all
about technique. The weight of the bricks on the chicken during cooking
forces it to a uniform thickness to aid in even cooking; the skin is
pressed flat against the cooking surface for even browning; and much of
the fat is squeezed out during cooking. This is truly one of the world's
great chicken recipes.

Italian Chicken Under a Brick (Pollo al Mattone)

1 roasting chicken, about 4 - 5 lbs (1.8 - 2.2 Kg)
The juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil

Using a sharp knife or pair of poultry shears, remove and discard the
backbone from the chicken. Lay the chicken on a flat surface, skin side
up, and flatten the breast by pressing with the heel of your hand - the
chicken should be as flat as possible. Rub with lemon juice and season
generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet
over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Place the chicken
in the oil skin side down and place a lid or other skillet on top of the
chicken. Place two bricks or other weights totalling about 10 pounds
(4.5 Kg) on top of the lid and cook the chicken over medium-high heat
until the skin is golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove the weights and
lid and turn the chicken over. Replace the lid and weights and cook 12
minutes more. To test for doneness, pierce the thigh with the tip of a
sharp knife - the juices should run clear. Transfer the chicken to a
serving platter and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 to 30
minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Wed Apr 11 18:33:47 2007