Ingredients for 8 persons:
(Note / all ingredients approximate – as quantities in Italy are ofteh “q.b”., i,e quanto basta (“as much as you need”) about 2 1/2 llbs of tender, top quality veal , cut into – 2 -1/2 in. cubes, roughly (- these are the “quadrotti”) a handful of pinenuts a head of radicchio, sliced into julienne strips olive oil / q.b. salt, pepper, q.b. Parmesan / 1/4 lb or q.b …shaved into strips Roast Chicken – Umbrian farm style If possible, use a free range chicken – the closest you can get to the wonderful flavor of our chickens who hunted and pecked all day and were fed on the corn we grew (no herbicides in use in the mid- 70’s!).
As the farm women advised me to do, I ground up the egg shells (theirs) and added them back to their feed (to increase their calcium, I was told). We used the lard from our own pigs in basting – along with some of our olive oil. But we no longer farm, no longer use lard – but still enjoy a roast chicken (the “umbro” way). Here’s how to prepare it (try this on your next Thanksgiving turkey – and use this basting method on lamb… or any roasts): Use about 1 to 1-1/2 c. of olive oil (depending on the amount of meat you are using). Add to it juice of a lemon (and/or some white wine), finely-chopped garlic (2-3 cloves), finely-chopped bunch of fresh rosemary and bunch of fresh sage. Add salt, pepper (quite a fair amount of salt, actually… 1- 2 T.?).
Rub the chicken with this mixture, including inside the cavity. With sharp knife, poke holes here and there on the chicken and spoon the mixture into these holes. A special addition: slice potatoes longtidudinally (about 4- 5 slices for a medium potato… slices should be about 1 inch thick) and arrange in roasting pan around the chicken, adding more finely-chopped garlic and needles of 3 branches or so of fresh rosemary (we often use wild fennel seeds instead of the rosemary).
