INSIDE MY KITCHEN: CRISPY SPAGHETTI AND CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Oh yes!!!  What a classic combination...SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS.  I was prepping my specials before dinner service...I was thinking to myself how can I transform the classic dish into an izakaya (Japanese for "small plates") style appetizer.  So I decided to make the meatball a little healthier by using chicken, limit the amount of noodles on the plate by frying a few strands, and exchanging the tomato sauce for a pine-nut reduction.  Voila!  A delectable outcome!

Recipe:

1#  Ground Chicken

1ea  Egg

1/4C  Milk

1/2C  Panko Breadcrumbs

1/2t  Salt

1T  Parsley

1T  Garlic, minced

1/4C  Parmesan Cheese (grated)

1#  Spaghetti (dry)

1/4C  Pinenut Reduction (recipe follows)

For the meatballs first preheat the oven to 400*F.  Soak breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes.  In a large mixing bowl mix the ground chicken, egg, soaked breadcrumbs, salt, parsley, minced garlic and parmesan cheese.

Using a 2 oz ice cream scoop or a spoon...scoop and roll out mixed ingredients into balls.  Grease a cookie sheet with oil and place the rolled meatballs closely together.  Place in the over and bake for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature of 165*F.

To make the crispy spaghetti.  Cook spaghetti 2 minutes less than package recommendations.  Strain and cool.  Heat a 8qt stock pot with oil until thermometer reads 340*F.  When oil is up to temperature place a few strands of cooked spaghetti into the oil.  Please be careful...the residual water from the pasta may cause the oil to splash.  fry spaghetti until golden brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to catch excess oil.

Pine Nut Reduction:

 2T  Pinenuts (toasted/chopped)

1/2C  Heavy Cream 

1/4C  Veal Stock

1T  Butter

Salt

In a blender pulse cream and pinenuts together until blended.  Pulse 5 times and you are ready.  In a small sauce pot, reduce veal stock butter and pinenut cream until nappe (coats the back of a spoon).  Add salt to taste.