Negresco - Childhood recipe revisited!

·        Pack of Pasta (my childhood memory recalls spaghetti)

o   Boil until al dente (4 liters of water with a pinch of salt and a hint of olive oil)

·        1 Chicken (usually people prefer breast, but it's my childhood memory)

o   Boil the chicken until tender

§  Add salt & pinch of black pepper

§  a stick of cinnamon

§  1 whole onion

§  1 carrot

§  1 stalk celery

o   Save the chicken stock aside

o   Remove all the bones from the chicken leaving only meat

o   Shred the chicken

·        Vegetable mix (frozen mini mix or canned mix) (childhoods mix was peas and carrots)

o   Mix the veggies with the chicken

·        Béchamel sauce (recipe follows)

o   Mix 2/3 of sauce with the chicken mix

Assembly

·        Pre heat oven to 300 degrees

·        Butter a baking dish and coat the bottom layer with breadcrumbs

·        Place a layer of pasta on the bottom

·        Top with a generous layer of the chicken/veggie béchamel mix

·        Place another layer of pasta

·        Top with the 1/3 sauce (mixed with egg & cheese) that was kept aside

·        As preferred top with some more grated cheese

·        Place in pre-heated 350 degrees oven for around 45 minutes or until the top layer is a crunchy crispy golden brown of spaghetti strips

 

 Béchamel Sauce

·        4 Tablespoons Butter

·        4 Tablespoons Flour

·        4 Cups of Milk (or 3 milk ½ cream) – OR – 2 Cups Milk, 2 Cups Chicken Broth, ½ cream

·        A pinch of Nutmeg

·        2 tsp of salt

·        In a saucepan, warm the butter and gradually add the flour

·        Sauté till golden smooth around 5 minutes

·        In a separate pan, heat the milk to near boiling temperature

·        Remove from fire

·        Add the mix to the mixture, slowly & gradually, to avoid clumping

·        Bring to a boil whisking and stirring constantly for around 10 minutes

·        Remove from heat adding salt and nutmeg

·        (save a third and whisk with an egg and a grated Kraft cheese)