Chicken Bolognese

RH Staff

From: Chef Mark Ferguson, Wolfgang Puck's Trattoria del Lupo, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. Yield: 4 servings.

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. boneless chicken thighs, finely ground
1/4 cup carrot, diced small
1/4 cup onion, diced small
1/4 cup fennel, diced small
1/4 cup celery, diced small
1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
1/4 cup port wine
1/3 cup red wine
2 cups tomato water or juice
2 cups plum tomatoes
4 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs sage
2 sprigs oregano
1/2 whole nutmeg
to taste, sea salt to taste, cracked black pepper

In a large skillet, season and saute chicken in olive oil, lightly browning. Add garlic, celery, carrot, onion and fennel. Continue to saute until vegetables become fragrant; add the wines. Cook wines down by about 2/3, or until flavor starts to become sweet. then add 3/4 of the tomato water and reduce by 1/2. Add tomato, herbs, and allow to steep in the bolognese until the herb flavor has developed; pull the herbs when they have flavored the Bolognese to your liking. Boil fresh-cut pasta in salted water for 2 minutes after it floats. Drain and toss with olive oil and a small amount of unsalted butter. Divide Bolognese onto 4 plates and plate with pasta. Grate fresh nutmeg and Parmesan over pasta.