Ingredients

Serves 4-6

Crumbed Chicken
1–2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
100–120 g romano or parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1–2 eggs
1 tbsp milk
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
5 skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut lengthways into 10 thin pieces
Extra virgin olive oil, for frying


Tomato & Red Onion Salad
Serves 4

4 large Roma tomatoes, quartered
½ red onion, thinly sliced
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Sea salt, to taste


Nonna’s Almond Biscuits
Makes 50–60

6 eggs
300 g ground almonds
300 g caster sugar
90 ml extra virgin olive oil
Dash of vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
Self-raising flour, as required

 

Method

Crumbed Chicken (Cotolette di pollo)
ISABELLA: Nonna used to make these crunchy, super-tasty treats with round steak or veal, and my Zia Nerina always made them with chicken breast, but I like to make them with chicken thigh because it stays moist inside. Make some extra for panini or sandwiches (add a little lettuce and mayo) for school or work the next day. Or simply make smaller cotolette to eat with your fingers.

Gently beat the chicken pieces between plastic wrap.
Combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan and parsley in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.
In another shallow dish, whisk together the egg, milk and garlic, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture, then coat with the breadcrumbs, firmly pressing the breadcrumbs onto the chicken with your fingertips.

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the chicken until golden all over. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain the excess oil, and serve.

Tips
Try coating the chicken in flour first and then in the egg wash followed by the breadcrumbs – either way works. For speed, Nonna used to leave out the flour step sometimes.

Never throw out the leftover egg and breadcrumb mixture. I beat them together, adding an extra egg if required, to make delicious little fritters, which always disappear quickly!

 

Tomato & Red Onion Salad (Insalata di pomodori e cipolla)
Place the tomatoes and red onion in a serving bowl. Dress with the olive oil, garlic and salt, then toss gently and serve.

Variation
Add a large sliced ball of fresh mozzarella or bocconcino to the tomato and onion. Gently toss in half a cup of roughly chopped basil leaves after adding the dressing and serve.

 

Nonna’s Almond Biscuits (Biscotti di mandorla della Nonna)
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Line a tray with baking paper.
Mix all the ingredients, except the flour, in a medium bowl. Add the flour gradually to make a soft dough, ensuring all the ingredients are well combined.

Divide the dough into eight pieces and roll each one into a long thin sausage (approximately 2 cm thick). Cut lengths from the sausages about 10 cm long and form an ‘S’ or any preferred shape (try the letters in the first name of your own or other kids – they’ll love it!) until all the dough is used.

Place the biscuits 5 cm apart on the lined tray and bake for 10–15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Variations
Dust the biscuits with icing sugar once they are cool.
Make round biscuits and ice them with lemon icing.
(Mix together 500 g icing sugar, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of soft butter and juice of half a lemon. Add extra juice or teaspoons of water if required to reach the right consistency.)

 

A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That by Isabella and Sofia Bliss, and Sylvana Spina, Penguin, RRP: $35.00