Pollo Rosa Maria

Carrabba's was founded by Damian Mandola and his nephew, Johnny Carrabba, on Kirby Drive in Houston. The site used to be an adult book store and Texas Monthly Magazine noted the duo should get some award for "Best Conversion of a Building." Carrabba's number 2 is on Woodway in Houston.

Johnny and Damian sold their interests and the Carrabba's near you is a franchise (unless you live near #1 or #2). Such is life.

I have a connection with Carrabba's but don't get there very often. In some ways, it violates my "rule" of not going to national chains ... unless I go to locations 1 or 2. But the franchises do use the Mandola and Carrabba family recipes.

This is one of those recipes. It's Damian's and it's named in honor of Rose Mandola - Damian's Mother and Johnny's Grandmother. My notes are in parentheses. Like most recipes, it's a guide, not an absolute.

I have offered this dish (prepared by me) in a silent auction the past two years (along with salad, pasta, veggie, garlic bread, and dessert). It has brought in $100 or more each time. Yes, I love to cook. No, I don't want to have a restaurant!

Call me some time and I'll come over and make it for you!

Ciao and Mangia!!!


Carrabba’s Pollo Rosa Maria

Serves : 4
 Prep. Time : 0:40

4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves
 (I season with olive oil, garlic, basil and oregano,

4 slices prosciutto ham
 (shaved smoked ham works, too)
1/2 cup fontina cheese
 (I’ve used SLICES of provelone, muenster and smoked gouda)
1/2 cup clarified butter (see NOTES – but I’ve used plain butter NOT clarified)
3 cloves garlic – minced

1/2 sm. yellow onion – chopped (small??? LOL – whatever)

1/4 cup dry white wine
 (I’ve used chardonnay and pinot grigio ... you can also use Chicken Stock)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (see NOTES)

4 Tbls. butter

1/2 tsp. salt
 (omit if using salted butter)
1/2 tsp. white pepper (black is fine)

1/2 cup chopped fresh sweet basil
 (1/4 cup dry – or use a mix of dried basil and oregano and rosemary)
1 lemon - juice of (I’ve used bottled as well)

-Butterfly chicken breasts and grill until cooked through.

-Remove from grill and allow to cool.

-Holding a breast in your hand, opened like a taco shell, stuff each breast with one slice of prosciutto and 1/8 cup fontina cheese.

-Secure breasts closed with toothpicks. Set aside and keep warm.

-In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté garlic and onion in clarified butter until tender.

-Deglaze pan with wine.

-Add mushrooms (or not - see NOTE #2 below), butter, salt, and pepper and sauté 1-2 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender (at this point I put the chicken breasts back in the pan and ladle/baste with the liquid – it helps melt the cheese).
-Stir in basil (spices) and lemon juice.
 Add mushrooms HERE if you like thicker sauce!
-Top stuffed chicken with prepared sauce. (or you can wait until this step if you’ve kept the breasts warm).



NOTES : #1 - To make clarified butter, melt butter over low heat; remove from heat and let sit until the milk solids settle to the bottom; skim the clear butter from the top; discard sediment.

NOTES: #2 - I cook mushrooms in pan with a bit of butter and wine/stock then DRAIN mushroom liquid so sauce isn't too runny.

My Chili Recipe

First you take a 6 pound can of crushed tomatoes ...

Here’s the chili recipe and some thoughts because it was very c-c-c-c-c-cold in Texas on January 13, 2011.

The thing about chili, there’s no “right” recipe. Chili is like a lot of other ethnic foods … it was designed to use up all the leftovers or utilize whatever you have on hand. Feel free to adjust the seasoning to YOUR taste. If you want the same stuff over and over, then sure, use a recipe and exact amounts. For me, part of the “fun” and “enjoyment” in eating chili is eating something a little bit different each time.

I got that BIG ol’ can of crushed tomatoes at Sam’s (warehouse clubs have them, so do places like Super Wal-Mart and others in the “family” section). Then, I went to the meat case at MY H-E-B (River Park in Sugar Land, Texas).

I bought 10 oz of Garcia Family pork chorizo, 10 oz of Garcia Family beef chorizo, 1 lb ground turkey and 1 lb ground beef. I like meat. If you can’t find chorizo, use more hamburger or maybe some ground pork. Then, add more seasoning. And feel free to add MORE meat if you’d like.

Also on the shopping list – onions, bell peppers, cilantro, green onions, cheese (cheddar, Monterrey jack, and/or pepper jack ... whatever you like) and sour cream.

Finally, get some tortilla chips, or even fresh corn or flour tortillas. If you don’t have fresh ones, take what you can find then use a little butter and warm them in a skillet and they will work fine.

Okay –let’s start cooking.

Get a really BIG pot and a skillet. Pour the tomatoes into the really BIG pot. Start it cooking (medium heat). If you don’t have a really BIG pot don’t put in all the tomatoes – leave room for the meet and onions to come.

Brown the turkey with the pork chorizo and dump it into the pot of tomatoes. Then, brown the beef with the beef chorizo. You CAN drain off the grease, but there’s a LOT of flavor and seasoning in the grease. Just sayin’ …

Speaking of seasoning, it’s time to season your chili. I used 1 T cumin (maybe 2 T, I wasn’t being exact and never thought anyone would ask for the recipe ... really I just sprinkled the camino to lightly cover the top of the pot of tomatoes), 1 t garlic powder, 1/2 t cinnamon and 1 t chili powder. Again, those are guesstimates of what I was adding. I also added 1 cup salsa for additional seasoning. I had debated about using some BBQ sauce in here. I didn’t, but I still have a lot of chili and I can still play around with it.

The Chili Powder was REALLY Chipotle Chili Powder from Central Market. You buy it in bulk and it’s about $15 a pound. I’ve had 3 ounces of it for almost 2 years so it’s not too expensive. A little goes a LONG way with it! Tabasco makes a chipotle pepper sauce and you can use that, or any other seasoning you think might taste good.

You can also add cilantro and use REAL crushed garlic cloves. I was in a hurry and didn’t squeeze the garlic and forget to buy cilantro.

Next, brown some onions and bell pepper. I used one large onion because I like onions (I could have used another because I REALLY like cooked onion). I did about half a bell pepper. I fried about a quarter pound of bacon and used some of the drippings (okay – grease) to fry the onions and peppers. I also put the bacon in the chili. You can’t go wrong using bacon!

Now … simmer … eat … enjoy!

“How long do you simmer?” was a question I received when I posted this recipe. I don’t know. Until you’re ready to eat … until you can smell it … until you get things fixed and are hungry! Everything is cooked and you’re just trying to meld flavors. Maybe an hour, or longer.

I served this in a bowl and topped with cheese, onions, cilantro, and sour cream. It’s great with tortilla chips on the side. I also made a pot of brown rice and tried it over that the second night. It was delicious. Tomorrow (night three), I’m going to try it with tamales!