Pastitsada Kerkyras (Παστιτσάδα Κέρκυρας)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •heavy 5 to 6 litre casserole or Dutch oven, about 28cm wide
• •large 6 litre pasta pot
• •box grater for fresh tomatoes

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the rooster

   Pat the rooster pieces very dry and season them all over with the salt and black pepper. Let them stand for 20 minutes while you chop the onions and measure the spices. Dry meat takes color properly, and color is the beginning of the sauce.

2. 2

   Brown in batches

   Heat the olive oil in a heavy wide casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the rooster in two or three batches, skin side down first, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch, until the pieces are deep golden in patches. Do not crowd the pot. This is the step that decides Pastitsada: the sauce must begin with browned meat, not watery meat.

   If the oil darkens too fast, lower the heat a little. You want browned meat and a fragrant base, not scorched spices later.
3. 3

   Build the base

   Lift the browned rooster to a plate. Add the onions to the same pot and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste and spetseriko. Cook for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens and the oil turns brick red.

4. 4

   Braise gently

   Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot, letting it bubble for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 250ml of the warm water or stock, and the bay leaf. Return the rooster and any juices to the pot. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat, not drown it. Cover partly and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, turning the pieces now and then, until the meat yields easily at the thigh.

   A young chicken may be tender in about 1 hour. A proper rooster takes longer, and that is why it gives the sauce its depth.
5. 5

   Thicken the sauce

   When the rooster is tender, uncover the pot and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, adding the remaining 50ml water or stock only if the sauce tightens before the meat is ready. The finished sauce should be thick, glossy, and red enough to stain the spoon. Taste for salt.

6. 6

   Cook the pasta

   Boil the bucatini or thick macaroni in well-salted water until just shy of tender. Reserve 250ml of the pasta water, then drain. Pastitsada wants thick hollow pasta because it catches the sauce inside and outside. Thin spaghetti will feed you, but it won't give you the same dish.

7. 7

   Marry and serve

   Return the pasta to its pot with two ladles of the red sauce and a splash of pasta water, tossing until glossy. Pile it generously onto warm plates, set a piece of rooster on top, and spoon over more sauce. Finish with grated kefalotyri if you like it at your table. Serve at once.

Chef Tips

• •Use rooster if you can find it. A supermarket breast has no place here; it dries before the sauce has time to deepen. If rooster is impossible, choose bone-in free-range legs and shorten the braise.
• •Spetseriko is a Corfiot spice seller's mix, not one single printed formula. Cinnamon and clove must be present and clear. If you buy a good blend from Corfu, use 1 tablespoon and skip the measured home blend.
• •A winter tomato with no flavor will not improve in this pot. Use good passata instead. Λίγα και καλά, a few things, and good ones.
• •The braise keeps beautifully, but the pasta does not. Rewarm the meat and sauce gently the next day, then boil the bucatini fresh and marry them just before serving.

Advance Preparation

• •The spetseriko blend can be mixed up to 1 month ahead and kept in a sealed jar away from light.
• •The rooster can be seasoned up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerated uncovered, then brought out 30 minutes before browning.
• •The braise can be made 1 day ahead. Chill the meat in its sauce, rewarm gently, and cook the pasta fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 470g)