[oz-food] Venetian Chicken with Almond Milk & Dates

  • From: Vicki Taylor <vicki@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: oz-food@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 19 Jun 2022 07:16:50 +1000

Ambroyno (Venetian Chicken with Almond Milk & Dates)
Servings: 4 
Description:ItalyThe Persian and Arab fondness for using sugar, spice and ground almonds in savoury dishes spread both East, notably to Indian Mughal cuisine, and West to Medieval European cookery. This recipe is based on one handwritten in a fourteenth-century cookbook from Venice. At the time, the city lay at the end of the fabled spice route, the European hub of spices and silks arriving from the East. Just as Venetian art and architecture drew on Islamic influence, so too does this sweetly spiced braise.
A heavy hand with spice continued for centuries in Northern Italy and the Renaissance chef Cristoforo di Messisbugo included spices in almost every recipe. A ravioli dish for 10 used a heady ounce of cinnamon and half an ounce of ground ginger. There was little distinction between sweet and savoury, dishes freely mingling together and pasta doused in sugar and scented with cloves, pepper and saffron. This recipe has only a gentle sweetness and stands the test of time.
Ingredients:8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs1 tablespoon plain flour3 tablespoons olive oil2 small onions, finely chopped60 g ginger, peeled and finely chopped4 garlic cloves, finely chopped1 teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg½ teaspoon ground corianderPinch of ground cloves2 bay leaves400 ml (1½ cups) unsweetened almond milk2 tablespoons verjuicePinch of saffron strands2 tablespoons date syrup4 medjool dates, stoned and quartered2 tablespoons toasted almond flakesHandful coriander leavesRice or polenta, to serve (optional)
Directions:Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper, then dust with the flour. Set a large casserole pan over a medium-high heat and when hot, pour in the olive oil. Add the chicken thighs and brown to a deep golden on all sides. Remove to a plate, leaving the oil behind.
Add the onion to the pan and cook to soften but not colour. Stir in the ginger, garlic, spices and bay leaves and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Return the chicken to the pan in a single layer.
Pour in the almond milk and verjuice, scrunch in the strands of saffron and add the date syrup and dates. Season with salt. Bring to a bubble, then lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. The chicken should be tender and falling from the bone.
Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and turn up the heat. Bubble the sauce until it has reduced and thickened. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Serve the chicken in the sauce, scattered with almonds and coriander, alongside rice or polenta.
Notes:EAT WITHSpinach and pine nuts: Soften onion and garlic in olive oil, wilt in spinach leaves, then add a scattering of pine nuts, raisins, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Finish with a squeeze of lemon.
Source: The Nutmeg Trail by Eleanor Ford

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