A Home Cooking Journey with Katie Parla’s Food of the Italian South

Our long-anticipated Italian vacation, a high school graduation gift for my son, was how my family planned to spend the last two weeks of June. Unfortunately, COVID-19 postponed our trip indefinitely. Since we can’t physically experience our Italian dreams, I was inspired to bring the flavors of the region into my home after reading Katie Parla’s cookbook Food of the Italian South: Recipes for Classic, Disappearing and Lost Dishes.

Parla is a respected food writer and author, who co-wrote American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Handmade Pasta, a 2020 James Beard Award winner for Best Photography. With Food of the Italian South, she spent time in remote regions including Campania, Puglia and Basilicata, with an older population of home cooks, chefs, farmers and bakers, learning about recipes less appetizing to their younger offspring, but integral to their culinary history. 

My menu, I decided, wouldn’t include pasta, and settled on a baked bread and provolone casserole (‘U Pan’ Cuott’) and a Potenza-style chicken with herbs and wine (Pollo alla Potentina).  What appealed about the bread casserole were the simple ingredients: bread, provolone cheese and tomatoes, all family favorites. Parla calls for using day-old durum wheat bread, which I couldn’t find anywhere so I opted for semolina. Both are made using milled durum wheat, yet semolina has a heavier texture compared to the softer durum dough. 

Rather than tearing the bread, I cut it into bite-sized pieces, and I splurged on imported sharp provolone. Big mistake! My version of bite-sized was too big, and the provolone didn’t melt. With enough bread leftover, and a second visit to the Italian grocery store to buy cheaper, softer provolone, I remade the dish.  So glad I did! It was a crusty plate of cheesy comfort that we likened to the Italian version of Thanksgiving stuffing. 

One revision I made to the Potenza-style chicken, was adding low-sodium chicken stock instead of water to enhance the flavor. I also overpoured more liquid than necessary into the skillet, requiring more than 30 minutes to cook down. Still, the chicken was flavorful and moist, and the sauce was so good that we were dunking pieces of our bread casserole into it.  

Setting the tone for our meal was the aperitivo: Parla’s version of the classic Negroni cocktail. She recommends substituting Campari with Vecchio Amaro del Capo to temper the bitterness and to garnish with a lemon wheel. The local liquor shop didn’t carry Amaro, so I ordered it online. Since then, I’ve continued making Negronis sans the Campari. It’s less boozy and tastes better.  

A welcomed escape to a beautiful country we hope to visit soon.

Pictures credits: The three food pictures are reprinted from Food of the Italian South © 2019 by Katie Parla. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing/Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Photographs by Ed Anderson.

’U Pan’ Cuott’ by Katie Parla

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 pound day-old durum wheat bread (I like Matera-style;), torn into bite-size pieces
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
7 ounces provolone cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon peperoni cruschi powder or sweet paprika
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon peperoncino or red pepper flakes
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the center position.

Place the bread in a colander, rinse with warm water, and set aside to soften. The bread should be moistened but not sopping wet.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, provolone, peperoni cruschi powder (or paprika), garlic, oregano, peperoncino, and ¼ cup of the olive oil. Season with salt.

When the bread crusts have softened, squeeze out any excess liquid and add the bread to the bowl with the tomato mixture. Stir to combine.

Grease a baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, pour in the tomato mixture, and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on top. Bake until the top is heavily browned and the provolone has melted, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Pollo alla Potentina by Katie Parla

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons pork lard or extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole chicken, salted in advance (see page 32) and cut into 8 pieces
1 onion, halved and cut into
¼-inch-thick slices, crosswise
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Sea salt
1 teaspoon peperoncino or red pepper flakes
½ cup dry white wine
4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
5 or 6 fresh basil leaves

Method:

Melt the lard in a large skillet over medium heat. When the fat shimmers, add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook, turning once, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent burning. If the chicken skin sticks to the bottom of the pan while browning, do not force turning or flipping—it will release from the pan when it is ready. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt, and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the peperoncino and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium, and scrape up any browned bits from the sides and bottom of the pan. When the alcohol aroma dissipates and the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes, add the tomatoes and basil. Season with salt.

Return all the chicken pieces except the breasts to the pan and add enough water to cover it halfway. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender but not falling away from the bone and the sauce has reduced but is not dry. Return the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook on low until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 145°F, about 5 minutes more. If the sauce becomes too dry, add a bit more water. Serve immediately.

Brava Mary Jane! Watch her cooking on our Instagram account @lacucinaitalianausa - you see all the videos in the Highlights section! #HomeCookingLCI