Written by adam on Oct 14, 2005

Peas Don't Make Me Use Them

Filed Under: Television
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The whole Giada issue just keeps coming up. On the same day I wrote the last entry about giada's cleavage, I caught this episode where she makes Chicken Tetrazzini. It was a delightful episode, full of her beatitful smile, brilliant white teeth, and ample cleavage.

By the way, if you ever hear a guy say "ample cleavage" ... he's a pig.

The dish looked easy to make and delicious. That is, until she deicede to throw half a bag of green peas in there. The freak. I hate green peas. HATE! It never makes any sense why anyone would use them anywhere except in fried rice. Yuck.

So here is Giada's Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe which I will be cooking soon (without the peas). The ingredients list is long, but the recipe looked worth it. I would recommend this recipe for large groups of people.

- 9 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk, room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 12 ounces linguine
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

The Chicken: Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.

The Shrooms: Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 12 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

The Creamy Sauce: Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.

The Pasta:bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.

All together now: Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.