Rao's Recipes

Rao's Famous Lemon Chicken

• Two  2-1/2 to 3 lbs. broiling chicken, halved
• Rao’s Homemade Lemon Chicken Marinade
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

To attain maximum heat, preheat broiler for at least 15 minutes before using. Broil chicken halves, turning once, for about 30 minutes or until skin is golden-brown and juices run clear when bird is pierced with a fork. Remove chicken from broiler, leaving broiler on. Using a very sharp knife, cut each half into 6 pieces (leg, thigh, wing, 3 small breast pieces). Place chicken on a baking sheet with sides, of a size that can fit into a broiler. Pour Rao’s Homemade Lemon Chicken Marinade over the chicken and toss to coat well. If necessary, divide sauce in half and do this in two batches. Return to broiler and broil for 3 minutes. Turn each piece and broil for an additional minute.

• 1 pound ground lean beef
• ½ pound ground veal
• ½ pound ground pork
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1½ tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• ½ small garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup Rao’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, blend ingredients together.

Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add water,1 cup at a time, until the mixture is quite moist.

Shape the meat mixture into balls (2½ to 3 inch balls).

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. When oil is very hot but not smoking, fry meatballs in batches. When bottom half of meatball is very brown and slightly crisp turn and cook top half. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.

Lower cooked meatballs into simmering Marinara Sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta or on their own.
Makes about 28 meatballs

• 1lb whole almonds
• 1/2 cup dried apricots (dice into small pieces)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs, plus 1 large egg for egg wash
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together,add in the almonds cranberries and dried apricots, set aside.  Crack 5 eggs and add vanilla extract, wisk to combine.  Create a well in the flour and add eggs and vanilla.  Mix together until all ingredients are combined.    Let stand for 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 2 equal rounds.  Shape into oval loaves approximately 10 inches long and 5 inches wide.  Dough will be hard to work with.  You can dip your hands into cold water to help shape the dough into ovals.

Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl.  Brush loaves with the egg wash.

Bake the loaves for 45 minutes and remove them from the oven.   When they are cool enough to handle (10-15 minutes), slice the loaves crosswise into 3/4 inch thick slices.

Return the biscotti to the cookie sheet and bake them for 7 minutes turn cookies and bake 7 minutes more.  Remove from oven, cool and serve.

The cookies can be stored in a jar with a lid at room temperature.

• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/3 cup Rao’s 12 Year Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 lb dried mission figs, stems discarded
• ¾ cup walnut pieces (2 oz), toasted
• ½ cup mascarpone

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bring wine, vinegar, and sugar to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then add figs and gently simmer uncovered, 5 minutes. Pour figs with liquid into a 2-quart shallow glass baking dish and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake, uncovered, until figs are softened and have absorbed most of the liquid, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.
Serve warm figs with sauce and a dollop of mascarpone.

Serves 6

• ¾ cup Rao’s 12 Year Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mild honey
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (1/2 lb) piece young Pecorino or ricotta salata

Briskly simmer Rao’s Vinegar, honey, and pepper in a heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, uncovered, until syrupy and reduced to about ¼ cup, 6-8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Slice cheese and drizzle with syrup.

Serves 4

**scroll to the bottom of this recipe for an alternate version

• 1 lb. Fresh small Squid (Calamari), with tentacles, cleaned
• 1 cup jumbo lump crab meat
• 8 large shrimp
• 1 lb. cooked fresh lobster meat
• 2 cups fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons of salt
• 1 cup Rao’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley
• 6 lemon wedges
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Separate squid bodies and tentacles, as they must be cooked in different water to keep the tentacles from coloring the rings. Place 1 quart cold water in a saucepan.  Add squid bodies, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons salt. Place 1 quart cold water in a saucepan.  Add squid tentacles, 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring both pots to a boil.  Lower heat and cook until squid are very tender, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and refresh in cold water.

Drain the bodies, pat dry and cut into rings.

Under running water, gently rub, pushing the black specks and colored skin from the tentacles.  Drain well and pat dry. Combine the rings and tentacles in a colander and drain. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Peel, devein, and cover shrimp with water and bring to a boil in a small saucepan.  Immediately remove from the heat, and refresh in cold, water.  Cut into quarters.

Whisk together the oil, remaining lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Add shrimp and squid to the oil mixture.  Toss to coat. Add crabmeat and lobster and turn gently to coat. Remove and discard garlic cloves. Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Serves 6

**FOR A QUICK AND EASY ALTERNATIVE:

Cook seafood as instructed and add Rao’s Seafood Salad Marinade and Dressing