Source: Simple Italian Food by Mario Batali
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
1 Tsp. grated Nutmeg
4 Chicken Leg quarters, butterflied open and bones removed (I used chicken breast flattened with a frying pan ... great for winning arguments and flattening meat)
Salt & Pepper
2 Cups chopped fresh Tomatoes (I used cans of diced tomatoes)
1/4 Cup small black olives, such as Nicoise (any fancy black olive will due)
2 TB Capers, rinsed and drained
3 TB extra-virgin olive oil
2TB Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tsp. hot red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
2 TB dried currants (if you don't have any raisins will due)
Instructions:
Preaheat the oven to 450 Degrees
In a mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the pine nuts, the pecorino, and the nutmeg. Place the chicken legs skin side down on a cutting board and season with salt and pepper. Divide the pine nut mixture among the chicken legs, filling them as full as possible. Fold the meat up and around the mixture and tie tightly with butcher's twine. Place the legs in a small roasting pan, flap side down. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned and crispy and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
In a medium bowl mix the chopped tomatoes, olives, capers, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and currants. Place 1 piece of chicken on each plate and remove butcher's twine. Season the sauce with sald and pepper and spoon some over each piece of chicken and serv.
Nutritional Facts:
Rating (1-10): 9
This would be a great summer meal. I didn't have capers when I made this and I think that it would probably have tasted better had there been some.
