Chicken Rococo Recipes

ROCCO'S FLASH-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the sliced red onions in a small stainless steel bowl. With a fine grater or zester, zest the skin of 1 lime over the onions. Cut the 4 whole limes in half cross wise and squeeze the juice over the onions. Add a pinch of salt and mix. Submerge the onions in the juice; use the squeezed limes as a weight to push down any onions sticking out of the juice. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. Marinate the onions in the juice for as long as possible, at least 15 minutes or up to 3 days.
• Pour the oil into a large heavy pot that has at least a 6-quart capacity. (There should be at least 2 inches of oil in the pot.) Clip a deep-frying thermometer to the side of the pot and be sure the thermometer is touching the bottom of the pot. Heat the oil to 400 degrees F over medium heat (do not ever cover the pot).
• Place a chicken thigh on a cutting board and cut into 4 to 5 even-sized chunks. Repeat until all thighs are cut into chunks. Arrange all the chunks on a microwave-safe plate and season both sides with 1/4 tablespoon of adobo powder, as well as pepper. Place the plate in the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Remove the plate and turn each piece of chicken over. Microwave again on high until the chunks are just cooked through, another 1 to 2 minutes, depending on your microwave. Let the chicken cool to room temperature.
• Put the egg whites in a bowl and beat with a fork until just foamy, about 1 minute. In a separate wide and shallow bowl or cake pan, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of adobo powder and paprika with the cornmeal and whole-wheat flour. Mix thoroughly. Submerge the chicken pieces in the egg whites. With a fork, toss to coat. One at a time, lift the chicken pieces from the egg whites, transfer them to the flour mixture, and coat each piece thoroughly. Let the chicken sit in one layer over the flour mixture. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly prior to assembling the salad.
• Place the iceberg chunks in a bowl and add the cherry tomatoes. Drain the lime juice from the onions and reserve. To the salad, add the onions, a dash of salt, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved lime juice. Toss to dress evenly. Divide the salad among four serving plates. Divide the avocado pieces equally among the salads.
• Fry the chicken in the oil in four separate batches until deep golden brown, about 12 seconds. Using metal tongs or a stainless steel spider basket, remove the chicken pieces from the oil and transfer them to a plate with either a wire rack on top or paper towels to drain off any excess oil. (Turn the stove off immediately after your last batch.) Arrange the cooked chicken evenly around the individual salads. Place 4 cilantro sprigs over each salad. Serve with lime wedges.

ROCCO'S FAMOUS CHICKEN MARSALA

Steps:

• For the Chicken Marsala:
• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Pound chicken breasts lightly on each side flipping twice. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow baking dish. Bread each breast by pushing down into bread crumbs and then flipping so both sides are breaded. Place the breasts in the hot pan and saute until lightly browned on each side. Drain the oil from the pan.
• The next 2 steps must be done quickly while pan is on the burner. Add the minced garlic to the hot pan, NOT on the chicken breasts. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, basil and marsala wine. Flip chicken breasts over placing them on top of the ingredients so they cook and the breasts do not burn. Let the alcohol burn off and let the wine soak in for a minute. Stir in the half-and-half, marinara sauce, and chicken broth and cook over high heat. Add pepper and continue cooking on high heat until liquid reduces into a thick, golden brown sauce, 3 to 5 minutes.
• If serving right away. Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and transfer to a serving platter. Pour the sauce directly from the pan onto the chicken breasts and serve.
• If making ahead of time and/or for a more tender and juicy Chicken Marsala. Do NOT remove the breasts; instead pour the entire contents of the saute pan into a baking dish and put in a preheated 175 degrees F oven for 1 hour. Carefully remove chicken breasts and transfer to a serving platter. Pour the sauce from the pan over the chicken breasts and serve