Catellis Tennessee Tart Recipes

CATELLI'S CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• For the marinade: Pound or butterfly chicken breasts to about 1/2-inch thick.
• Blend basil, parsley, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender.
• Pour over the chicken in a bowl and let marinate 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight refrigerated.
• For the breading: Bring oil to 350 degrees in a deep fryer or preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Stir together the flour and salt in a shallow bowl, then beat together the eggs and 1/2 cup water with a little salt and pepper in another shallow bowl. Stir together the panko, granulated garlic and salt in a third shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour first, followed by the eggs, then the panko.
• Fry until the chicken floats, about 3 minutes, or bake until cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.
• For the polenta: Bring 10 cups water to a boil in a saucepan, then stir in polenta and lower the heat. Simmer, stirring regularly, until done, approximately 20 minutes. Stir in mascarpone, smoked mozzarella and Parmesan until the cheese has melted.
• For Domenica's sauce: Lightly saute the garlic and crushed red pepper in the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the tomatoes and salt and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Scoop polenta into an oiled cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof dish. Put the chicken on the polenta, then ladle Domenica's sauce over top. Scoop on burrata and Parmesan, then bake until the cheese is melted, approximately 5 minutes. Finish with more Parmesan and chopped parsley.

CATELLI'S 10 LAYER LASAGNA WITH DOMENICA'S SAUCE

Steps:

• For Domenica's sauce: Lightly saute the garlic and chili flakes in the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the tomatoes and salt and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• For the three-cheese filling: Mix together ricotta, goat cheese, Parmesan, basil, mint, nutmeg and some salt and pepper in a bowl.
• For the pasta: Place the yolks in the base of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and turn on low speed. Start slowly adding flour. As the dough starts to come together, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough and knead until smooth and not sticky. Let rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Cut dough into four quarters. Roll the quarters through a pasta machine, starting with the widest opening, taking it through each opening once or twice and finishing with the smallest opening. (You should be able to see through the finished pasta sheets.)
• Cut sheets into pieces that will fit in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
• Boil a pot of water and cook pasta sheets for about 1 minute, then remove them and put them in ice water to stop the cooking. Remove the sheets and lay out on clean kitchen towels or napkins.
• For the thyme bechamel: Heat the butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat and stir together for a minute. Add the milk, thyme and some salt and pepper and cook until mixture starts to thicken. Turn off heat and set aside.
• To assemble: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Coat a large baking dish with olive oil. Lay a sheet of pasta in the bottom and spread with a thin layer of bechamel and cheese filling. Spread with a rubber spatula or large metal spoon. Add a layer of pasta, then spread a layer of tomato sauce on that.
• Repeat this assembly until the pasta is all layered. Finish the top layer with tomato sauce and bechamel and sprinkle with Parmesan and basil. Cover with foil and bake for 24 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

FOOLPROOF TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• At least one day before you plan to cook the tart, prepare the apples: Slice off the bottom of each apple so it has a flat base. Peel and quarter the apples. Use a small sharp knife to trim the hard cores and seeds from the center of each quarter; don't worry about being too neat. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, lightly covered, for at least one day or up to three days. (This key step reduces the amount of liquid in the tart. Don't worry if the apples turn brown; they will be browned during the cooking anyway.)
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 375 degrees (or 350 if using convection). Thickly coat the bottom of a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably nonstick metal, with butter. Sprinkle sugar evenly on top.
• Cut one piece of apple into a thick round disk and place in the center of the skillet to serve as the "button." Arrange the remaining apple pieces, each one standing on its flat end, in concentric circles around the button. Keep the pieces close together so that they support one another, standing upright. They will look like the petals of a flower.
• On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry about 1/8-inch thick. Place an upside-down bowl or pan on the pastry and use the tip of a sharp knife to cut out a circle about the same size as the top of your skillet. Lift out the circle and drape gently over the apples. Use your hands to tuck the pastry around the apple pieces, hugging them together firmly.
• Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat until golden-brown juice begins to bubble around the edges, 3 minutes (if the juices keep rising, spoon out as needed to remain level with pastry). If necessary, raise the heat so that the juices are at a boil. Keep cooking until the juices are turning darker brown and smell caramelized, no longer than 10 minutes more.
• Transfer skillet to the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until puff pastry is browned and firm.
• Let cool 5 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a round serving plate. (Or, if not serving immediately, let cool completely in the pan; when ready to serve, rewarm for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven before turning out.) If any apples remain stuck in the pan, gently use your fingers or a spatula to retrieve them, and rearrange on the pastry shell. Cut in wedges and serve warm with heavy cream, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.