The Catskill Chronicle

By Jude Waterston

I hadn’t thought of Joan Deleo in years, but I made chicken cacciatore, or hunter’s chicken, last night and this morning found myself reminiscing. She was one of my closest friends in junior high school, and I loved hanging out at her house. Her mother was gentle, all-knowing (a similarity to mine and perhaps to all mothers), and somewhat reserved, while her father was expansive, gruff, and clearly loving.

At meals in the Deleo home, there were always two things to be counted on at the table: a long loaf of crusty bread (to be broken by hand, never cut with a knife) and a bottle of red wine. “Have a little vino, Jude,” Joan’s dad would offer, raising the bottle over the juice glass to the right of my plate. My family never had wine with dinner, with the exception of a special holiday, and then we had to get through singing a blessing before we could indulge. It was all very natural at the Deleo’s and I felt right at home. “Salute!” we would say, with gusto, as we clicked glasses.

Mrs. Deleo seemed to have an endless supply of interesting food in her fridge. While my mom always presented me and my friends with neatly cut carrot and celery sticks, Mrs. Deleo’s snacks were exotic offerings such as fried eggplant slices, stuffed peppers, or a few pickled mushrooms. I was thrilled whenever I was asked to stay for dinner. It was there that I had my first taste of traditionally prepared chicken cacciatore, lasagna, and eggplant parmigiana. Everything Mrs. Deleo made tasted different (meaning exciting) to me compared to my mother’s cooking.

One evening I came home after eating at Joan’s house and said to my mother, “Dinner was so good.” “What did her mother make?” my mom asked. “Pork chops.” My mother was incensed. “I make pork chops. You barely touch them. How did she prepare them?” she demanded. I shrugged, then added, “They really were just delicious.” This seemed to infuriate my mother further. Next thing I knew she was on the phone with Joan’s mother. “I grill or broil them, and serve them with homemade apple sauce,” I heard my mother say. After a pause, “Oh, I see, breaded, sure, flavored breadcrumbs, I’ll try that. Yes, believe me, I know how kids can be.”

A few days later we had breaded pork chops seasoned with Italian herbs and Parmesan cheese. They were served with oven roasted potatoes, something totally new in our household. My mother watched me expectantly. What can I tell you? The grass is always greener, which is to say they seemed to taste better at Joan’s house. Perhaps it was the wine.

Epilogue: I have made hunter’s chicken many times in my life, but have only recently begun to add meat to my diet after over three decades of abstention. The pork chop, I have found, is a delight. I’d forgotten how flavorful, chewy (in a good way), and sustaining it can be, and I now often pan fry or stove-top grill bone-in chops. Contrary to past belief, it is now acceptable to eat your pork with a touch of pink in its center, and I find it more tender and succulent that way. I sometimes serve the crisp-coated chops with sautéed apples, as an ode to my mom, but I’ve also been known to accompany them with spinach and cheese ravioli tossed with butter and sage or creamed spinach.

Hunter’s Chicken

Serves 4

I sometimes find that the sauce is thinner than I’d like. If that occurs, I make a roux by melting two tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small skillet. When melted, I add two tablespoons flour and whisk the mixture until the flour is incorporated and the roux is smooth, about 1 minute. A teaspoon or two of this added to the hot sauce, 1 teaspoon at a time, will thicken it slightly.

6 chicken thighs

6 chicken legs (or you can use 1 whole chicken, cut up)

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

¾ cup red or white wine

1 large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely minced

¼ cup + 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1-2 teaspoons mixed dried Italian herbs, oregano, or rosemary

2 dozen cremini or white button mushrooms, halved

Generously salt and pepper chicken pieces. Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a Dutch oven or skillet on medium heat. Sauté chicken pieces in batches for 6-8 minutes, turning once. Set aside. Add onion to pot and cook until soft, 3 or 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Raise heat to medium-high and add wine. Let cook until the alcohol evaporates, a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Return chicken to pot and immerse it in the sauce. Cook, partially covered, on a simmer, moving pieces on occasion, for 45 minutes. While chicken is cooking, heat the three tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan on high heat. Sauté mushrooms, stirring constantly, until cooked through, but still firm, about 3 minutes. Set aside. When chicken is cooked add the mushrooms and stir to heat through. Serve immediately, preferably on a bed of wide egg noodles. Hope that there are leftovers because this is even better the following day.

Breaded Pork Chops

Serves 2

If you cannot find best-quality Italian flavored breadcrumbs, such as those made by the company, Marinella, use 3/4 cup fine, dry bread crumbs and add about ½ teaspoon each of mixed Italian herbs (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary) or oregano, salt, pepper, paprika, and about ¼ cup finely grated parmesan or romano cheese.

2 thin (between ½ and ¾-inch) center-cut bone-in pork chops

1/3 cup whole milk

¾ cup Marinella (or homemade) Italian flavored breadcrumbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive or

Pour the milk into a shallow baking dish or pie plate and add pork chops. Turn once or twice to ensure chops are coated with milk. Place the breadcrumbs in another shallow dish and season them with salt and pepper. Remove the chops from the milk and shake off excess liquid. Bread the chops one at a time, pressing them into the crumbs and patting the crumbs onto the sides of the chops. Place the breaded chops on a plate and chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or stove-top grill over medium high head. When hot, add the pork chops. Cook, turning once, 3 – 4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. The pork chops will be slightly pink in the center. Serve immediately.