Title: Chicken Baked in Milk (Pollo Al Latte)
Categories: Poultry
Yield: 4 Servings
| 1 | | Chicken, 2 1/2 lb |
| 1 | qt | Milk |
| 2 | oz | Butter |
| 2 | oz | Ham or bacon |
| 1 | | Onion |
| 1 | | Clove garlic |
| 6 | | Coriander seeds |
| | | A little basil or marjoram |
| | | Salt and pepper |
Ask the butcher to split the chicken into two halves. Or just joint the
chicken as usual. . Rub the chicken with salt and pepper, and a cut clove
of garlic. Melt the butter in a frying pan and brown the chicken in it,
together with the chopped onion, ham or bacon, and finely chopped garlic.
Lay the chicken pieces and the other ingredients, including all the hot
butter, in a casserole or other fireproof dish. In a separate pan, heat the
milk to boiling point, with the coriander seeds and a pinch of basil or
marjoram. Now pour it, with the seeds and herbs, over the chicken. Add a
pinch of salt and black pepper. Bring the milk to simmering point again and
keep simmering, uncovered, at a moderate pace -- the milk should bubble
visibly but not fiercely -- for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Don't touch it during
this period, and you should see a golden skin forming over the contents of
the pot while the milk bubbles away underneath. At the end of this time,
stir the skin into the milk, together with any crusty bits sticking to the
sides of the pan. The milk will have reduced quite a bit now, and will be
getting thick. Continue simmering for another 1/2 hour, till the sauce has
reduced to a cupful or so, watching carefully to see that it does not
"catch" and burn. . This dish can be eaten either hot or cold. If hot,
serve the chicken from the pan, as it is, with some of the thick sauce.
Nice with noodles and peas. If it is to be eaten cold, lay the chicken
pieces out flat on a plate amd coat them carefully with the remaining
sauce, before leaving them to cool.