In Italy, Fried Rooster, Not Latkes, Is the Star of Hanukkah Tables

From Japanese Europe’s potato latkes to rustic Moroccan doughnuts referred to as sfenj, frying meals in oil is a crucial a part of how Jewish communities world wide rejoice Hanukkah. The oil commemorates the Hanukkah story of the Maccabees, a small Judean military that recaptured the Temple in Jerusalem from the traditional Greeks and used olive oil to rededicate the Temple’s menorah. Because the story goes, the Maccabees discovered sufficient oil to mild the menorah for just one night time, but it surely miraculously lasted for eight.

However you received’t discover potato latkes on the desk for the Jewish Competition of Lights in Italy. As a substitute, in Tuscany, Hanukkah historically means pollo fritto per Chanukkà (Hanukkah fried hen): hen items which might be marinated in lemon juice, then battered and fried in oil. Basic pollo fritto recipes are typically fairly easy and spare, consisting of little greater than flour, egg, hen, oil, and salt. However that crunchy canvas presents plenty of alternatives to mess around with taste, like including heat and smoky spices to the flour combination and enlivening the crushed egg with lemon zest and juice.

For a extra trendy tackle pollo fritto, I tinkered with the traditional system, opting to oven-fry the hen relatively than deep-fry it. Selecting the oven-frying route is easier, more healthy, and received’t splatter sizzling oil throughout your counter tops. And because the oven does a lot of the heavy lifting, you do not need to face on the range babysitting your hen, making this pollo fritto as accessible for weeknights as for particular vacation dinners. 

To assist obtain the mouthwatering crispness you sometimes get from deep-frying, I added a beneficiant quantity of cornstarch to the flour coating. The outcomes are impressively paying homage to the “actual factor”: supremely tender and juicy hen inside, with a crunchy, golden-brown cap. Due to a mixture of onion powder, smoked paprika, and floor cinnamon within the flour coating, the hen items additionally come out of the oven so flavorful they hardly want any sauce or accompaniment. However for a little bit of added brightness and acidity, you possibly can serve lemon wedges alongside to squeeze over the hen on the desk. 

Whereas pollo fritto is straightforward sufficient for a weeknight meal, it’s additionally a enjoyable solution to swap up your vacation fundamental dish, pivoting away from the long-cooked flavors of brisket or quick ribs, and enlivening Hanukkah dinners with brilliant, zesty flavors and satisfying crunch. To make a Hanukkah dinner out of it, attempt serving the hen with salad of bitter greens (omit any dairy, to maintain it kosher), and a facet of roasted cauliflower.

You received’t even miss the latkes.