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2025: German classics and International Yums |
 My, was it an odyssey to get that darn Marsala!  You would think in a country where Italians are the second-largest ethnicity, after the Portuguese – note: we are in Luxembourg, which is neither Italy nor Portugal, for the geography-challenged  – with delis, restaurants and even supermarkets all over the place that wouldn't turn into the search after the (culinary) Holy Grail. Okay, different than the grail I finally found it, four attempts later.  Sure, I could've called it a day and used sherry or port (the alternatives noted in the recipe, and which are WAY easier to obtain as they ARE all over the place), BUT: the German stickler in me pushed on.  In the end I'm glad I did as I got way more than a really tastebuds-dancing, umami taste experience – but the former's another story. So, although similar to sherry and port, Marsala – a Sicilian dessert wine used for, who would've thought, desserts  , patisserie, cocktails and sauces – has a unique taste I can't put into words. Something fruity, something almond-y, something earthy (probably from the volcanic soil in Sicily? ).Probably it only tasted more intense and "unique", though, because I put so effort into getting it, but I don't think so. And I have a pretty full bottle left which I intend to use this culinary year ... and so can figure it out. The recipe itself I got out of an American, more precise, a New York cook's book: Deb Perelman – Smitten Kitchen Every Day. Deb has a cooking blog of the same name, and published two other books, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook & Smitten Kitchen Keepers (for those who're curious). So, enough babble – now from the smitten kitchen into the w(h)acky kitchen.  Serves: 4 As a main course. Prep Time: 1.5 – 2 hrs I got a little derailed time wise, as I got the chicken out of the freezer too late.  Degree of Difficulty: Easy WE NEED Guys, she's the BEST! She converted imperials => metrics, so way simplifying things for me!  MEATBALLS 455 gr / 1 lb. ground chicken 30 ml = 1 US fl.oz. = 2 tbsp olive oil Try to get extra vergine, the best quality. 30 gr / 2 tbsp butter 1 (small) yellow onion Red here, my fave. 1 tsp + 1-2 pinch(es) (kosher) salt 30 gr / 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs I thought I still have some, but in the end didn't and so used normal breadcrumbs. BUT: I had to use about 1/2 oz.+ because normal breadcrumbs are finer than the coarse panko and don't cohere as well, and cohesion we need so they balls don't fall apart.  1 large egg 60 ml = 1/4 cup milk OR water Milk, definitely! black pepper SAUCE 60 ml = 2 US fl.oz. Marsala Nope! Since I worked so hard to get it – and it smelled so darn good ... rather 3 US fl.oz. Whoopsie! 45 gr = 1.5 oz. = 3 tbsp butter 25 gr = 1 oz. = 3 tbsp flour To thicken the sauce. 420 ml = 1 3/4 cups chicken stock / broth I used organic chicken stock. 60 ml = 1/4 cup heavy cream UN-sweetened / – flavored, UN–de_, or otherwise ruined salt pepper WE DO 1. Get the chicken out of the fridge / freezer, and let it (thaw up /) gain temperature in a big bowl. Because of the hassle of finding Marsala cooking got delayed by a day. ALWAYS put minced meat in the freezer when you don't use it within 24 h , otherwise too many microorganisms, among them salmonella strive, and can cause food poisoning, especially when you don't cook the meat long + done enough. And that happens, unfortunately, often enough.HERE, also a tip for "turbo" de-freezing: fill the above-mentioned bowl with cold water and put the ziplock bag – in which you hopefully put the minced meat to prevent freezerburn – into it. In my case it took about 40 minutes, instead of several hours, to have usable mince. Completele preparations by finely chopping the onion and halving olive oil + butter quantities. You will need 2 x 15 / 1 tbsp of each butter + oil 2. Heat a large saucepan over medim-heat. When it's hot, add one half of oil + butter – see above  . When they've heated up, too, add the onion and 1-2 pinches of salt and sauté for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion's deep golden – if you use the yellow onion – or the SLIGHTEST bit browned + softened. For the red3. Let it cool slightly then pour it over the ground chicken and add panko, egg, milk, 1 tsp salt + pepper. Stir until everything's evenly combined. Like Deb, I used a fork... worked perfectly fine.  4. Scoop up about 1-2 tbsp of the meatball mixture – depending on how big / small you want them –, roll them into balls with WETTED hands, and put them on a plate. Kein Scheiß, guys, DO that. The mixture is so soft + gooey that otherwise it would adhere wholly to your hands. TIP: as I had to re-wet my hands after every second (of 11) meatball, place a glass water next to your bowl. 5. Add the remaining butter + oil to your saucepan over medium heat and, once everything's hot, put in the meatballs in one layer. I had to do two runs as not all meatballs fit in the pan at once. ALSO: I worried about it, too, but be assured that as soft + fragile as they appear, after a few minutes cooking time, they'll hold better together. Don't move them until they're browned underneath, then nudge / roll them around until each meatball is as evenly browned as possible. That guarantees they're (well) done – otherwise: hello, food poisoning Afterwards, remove the meatballs from the pan and let them drain (of fat) on a plate with kitchen towels. 6. Make the SAUCE: pour the Marsala into the pan and let it simmer until it's almost cooked off. If any bits of meatballs remain, scrape them into it, for taste reasons. Next, add the butter and let it melt. Then whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, before slowly adding the stock whisking the whole time. Last, add the cream, bring the mixture to a simmer and season it with salt + pepper. I started off with the exact amount of Marsala in the recipe, but after tasting the sauce, the aroma / taste had almost completely vanished. And since it was so a hassle to get it, and the recipe has it in its name, I added the generous extra ounce.  7. Return the meatballs into the pan and coat them with sauce, reduce the heat to medium-low (like 4 of 9, in my case), cover the pan, and let everything simmer for 10 minutes. Deb advises to check a meatball then to make sure they're well-done, and give them a few more minutes, if that's not the case. I overread that bit , but they were done in the end. Phew!  8. While the sauce / meatballs simmer, cook the pasta in a large pot salted water until they're al dente. Manufacturers, especially NON-Italian ones , tend to provide too long cooking times, so following instructions often leads to slouchy results So cook them for 6-8 minutes and test them from then on – you should still be able to actually chew them... in case you wondered what al dente means. 9. While the pasta drains, melt about 1/2 - 1 tbsp butter in the pot and toss the pasta in it before transferring it to a bowl / deep plate. Add meatballs and top with sauce. If you fancy it, garnish with fresh chives. Buon Appetito & Guten Hunger!      |
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