Hey guys, how are you all doing? Now since my cook’s on leave for indefinite time, I am cooking quite a lot. In a way it’s good, I’ll get stuffs to update this blog and can have a lot more variety for dinners. But in a way it’s really daunting, to get back home through this traffic and then get into the kitchen. That’s why you will notice for last few recipes the photos are not styled or anything. Food styling and photography takes time, and I almost don’t have it after I am done with cooking the dinner. We just want to jump on the food. But that’s okay I guess.
So what am I going to share today? It’s called Tetrazzini.
What is Tetrazzini?
Are you wandering what that is? Okay I’ll give you some light on that. Though the name sounds Italian it is essentially an American main. You can make a Tetrazzini with absolutely anything, chicken, mushroom, sea food, anything. It was named after an Italian opera star Luisa Tetrazzini. You can Google about it more. And here I am going to share a recipe of Chicken Tetrazzini.
Now don’t go with the name. It’s really easy and you can make it just 20 mins. You can make a Tetrazzini with pasta or rice. Most of the Restaurant’s in India who serve a tetrazzini will serve you with rice. On my last visit to Kolkata, I had ordered for a Tetrazzini in one the famous clubs, and they had served with rice, I wasn’t particularly happy with the way they cooked it, so I thought let me only give it a shot. And we are going to make it with pasta… the original style. Now let’s get into the recipe.
All that you need
- Pasta 250 gms (I am using Spaghetti, you can use fussilli as well, everything works fine. Traditionally it is made with Spaghetti)
- Boneless Chicken cooked – 200g, chopped
- Onion – 2 large, sliced
- Garlic – 3 cloves, crushed
- Mushroom – 3-4 chopped
- Mushroom soup – 1 can/pack
- Chicken stalk – 2 cups
- Butter – 1 tablespoon
- Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- Fresh dill – ½ a cup, chopped
- Chili Flakes, Salt & Pepper – to taste (you may use sweet paprika as well)
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – 1 cup (actually the cheese part is up to you – you can use Pecorino, Edam or even regular Cheddar)
Let’s get Started
Put the spaghetti in boiling water with little salt and cook till al dente.
[Check my Tiny Tip section to learn how to cook perfect pasta without sticking it together]
In a wok heat some olive oil and fry crushed garlic and sliced onions till the onions turn translucent
Add chopped mushroom and fry
Add the chopped boneless chicken and chopped dill and cook for 2-3 mintues.
[You can use chicken breast, in case you don’t have chicken breast boil some water with Bay leaf, Peppercorns, 2 cloves, salt and add any chicken pieces you have. I have used chicken thighs. Boil them till chicken is tender. Take out the chicken pieces from the broth and de-bone them. You can use that broth later]
Add salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste and your chicken base is done.
In a separate saucepan add butter and pour in the mushroom soup.
[You can use a canned concentrated soup or even a powdered soup works absolutely fine. I am using a Crème of Mushroom soup by Maggi.]
Add chicken stalk, seasoning and mix well.
[If you boiled the chicken the way I did add the left over broth after taking out the bay leaf]
In the wok toss in the pasta with the chicken and mushroom and pour this mushroom sauce over.
Transfer the entire content in an ovenproof casserole
Spread a layer with the grated cheese and a knob of butter and grill it in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes
And your quick tetrazzini is done.