Meat:

Meat Dishes

[Ciccaudia e Miligue:] [Caccitori w/mushrooms][Chicken Caccitori]

The most common way of cooking something in my family was "alla cacciatore". This style of cooking is found throughout Italy, what makes it uniquely Calabrese is its adaptation to available meat and garden produce. This recipe was not limited to chicken but to any meat requiring long, slow cooking to make it edible. This included venison, squirrel, pheasant, rabbit, wild duck, goose, etc. and even once bear!! The inclusion of mushrooms, particularly if wild, is something very Calabrese. Also variations would include adding peppers (taglianelle) and scallions from the garden. I am sure, we, in our little Calabrese island in CT, were not unique in this style of cooking.

Rose Albrizio

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Caccitori w/Mushrooms:
From Prov. of Cosenza
Caccitori:Your choice of chicken or other Meats-mushrooms
(Pollo alla Cacciatora)
1 Small roasting chicker(Cut in Pieces)
4 Tlbs. Olive or veg. Oil
1 small chopped onion
1 Green Pepper
1 Tlbs. Minced celery
1 clove Garlic(cut fine) 1 pinch of rosemary
1 Cup red wine
3 Large peeled tomatos
Salt-pepper and Hot pepper (to taste)
Cut a small roasting chicken into serving pieces and brown the pieces on all sides in 4 tablespoons olive oil heated in a heavy pan. After about 10 minutes add 1 small onion, chopped, 1 green pepper, cleaned of pith and seeds and thinly sliced, 1 tablespoon minced celery, 1 clove of garlic, chopped, salt and pepper, and a pinch of rosemary. When the vegetables are slightly browned add 3 peeled and seeded tomatoes, coarsely chopped, 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped, and 1/2 to 3/4 cup red wine. Cover the pan and simmer the chicken slowly for 25 to 35 minutes, or until it is almost tender, adding a small amount of hot water should this be necessary. Add 1 cup sliced mushrooms and cook for 15 minutes more. Serves 4.
Rose Albrizzio

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Chicken Caccitori:
From Oriolo, Cosenza
(rabbit or other meat, w peppers and tomatoes>
1 2-3 lb. chicken, Rabbit(or any other meat)
3-4 fresh green peppers(or mixed w/hot)
3 tlbs olove or other oil
4-6 oz mushrooms(sliced)
2 cloves Garlic (sliced)
1 16 oz can whole tomatos(chopped)
1 tsp fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
Optional...1 tsp Red pepper flakes. 1 med. onion(sliced)if desired
Cut chicken or rabbit into serving sized pieces. Rinse well with plenty of cold water. heat oil in large pan. when hot add and brown garlic. add additional oil and meat.saute meat for a few minutes until 1/4 cooked. Add peppers which have been Cleaned and cut into disired size strips. saute untill pepers are just beginning to cook.Add mushrooms and other spices and continual heating until mushrooms are hot.Now add tomatoes and let simmer slowly for 45 minutes or more, stiring oftem. This is real Calabrian cooking.
Rose Grizzuti Lilli
Frankfort NY>

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Ciccaudia e miligue:
From Oriolo, Cosenza
Fried Dandelions w/Sausage-Breadcrumbs
1 lb Dandelions (Wild or Garden variety)
1 lb Italian Sausage
1/4 cup oil
2 cups dried breadcrumbs
2 cloves Garlic (sliced)
1 tsp Red pepper flakes.
Peperika
Salt-Pepper.
Fry Sausage in oil, untill 1/2 cooked. Remove sausage from pan. also remove oil, leaving only enough oil to brown the breadcrumbs. Add the garlic to the oil then add the breadcrumbs and brown (stir well) add a little peprika(for coloring) salt-pepper to taste. Add dandelions(which have been cleaned and par boiled(drained well) to mix. when heated add rest of oil, sausage, pepper flakes ect. when dandelions cooked remove and serve
Rose Grizzuti Lilli
Frankfort NY>

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