A French Chef, an Italian Diva, and a Luxurious Lasagna

One of my favorite ways to spend my Saturdays is to cook something elaborate and listen to The Splendid Table on NPR. Last Saturday, Lynn Rosetta Casper spoke to Daniel Boulud, French Chef, author, and owner of his three-star Michelin restaurant Daniel, as well as many more, who was promoting his new book Daniel. I was so inspired, that I pulled out his recipe for "Lasagna with Chicken, Wild Mushrooms, and Fontina Cheese." This bechamel based lasagna combines tender chicken with spinach, wild mushrooms, and an entire pound of fontina cheese! The mixture is seasoned with white wine, nutmeg, and white pepper, then topped off with a generous layer of Parmesan cheese! It's very rich and extremely delicious! Although somewhat time consuming, this luxurious lasagna is the ultimate comfort food! 

After presenting my wondrous concoction, and after my husband took his first bite, he made a reference to Chicken Tetrazzini. What? WHAT? Well, on second thought, given the ingredients, it should be reminiscent of Chicken Tetrazzini; although, much tastier and definitely a more sophisticated presentation. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Chicken Tetrazzini originated in San Francisco and was created for and named after Luisa Tetrazzini. Luisa Tetrazzini was a world renowned opera singer from Florence, who moved to San Francisco to sing in the early 1900s. Her most famous performance was on Christmas Eve in 1910, when she got up on a platform and serenaded an estimated 200-300,000 San Franciscans! She was also the fat lady of "it's not over till the fat lady sings!" No wonder such an uber-rich dish was created for this larger-then-life and deeply revered performer!   

I baked this lasagna in a standard 9"x13" Pyrex baking dish, and it did bubble over a little in the oven. So, if you have a slightly deeper pan, I would recommend using that. If not, place a baking sheet underneath the pan in the oven, to catch any possible drips. In addition, one 9-ounce bag of spinach works well because after you remove the stems, you will be pretty close to the 8-ounces that the recipe calls for. And finally, serve this luscious lasagna with crusty bread or breadsticks, a big green salad, and a bottle of white wine. So, whether you are singing for your supper or feeding a crowd, everyone will love this decadent lasagna, which just might summon an encore!

   

Lasagna with Chicken, Wild Mushrooms, and Fontina Cheese

Serves 10-12, Can be assembled a day ahead.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, finely diced

2 stalks of celery, finely diced

1 pound wild mushrooms (I used cremini mushrooms), trimmed and roughly chopped

1/2 pound spinach leaves, stems removed, washed

4 tablespoons butter, plus extra to grease pan

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into approximately 1/2" pieces

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

3 cups milk

1/2 bunch Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

16 dried lasagna noodles

1 pound fontina cheese, cut into small dice

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Directions:

To cook the vegetables, chicken, and bechamel:

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery with a sprinkle of salt and white pepper, and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high, and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, then add the spinach with a sprinkle of salt and white pepper. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the mushrooms are tender. Remove the vegetables from the pot and reserve. (After sitting, my vegetable mixture seemed to release some liquid, which I was slightly concerned about, but didn't cause any problems when added to the bechamel. So don't worry!)

Add the butter to the same pot, and adjust the heat to medium. Season the chicken pieces on all sides with salt and white pepper, and add to the melted butter. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is almost cooked through but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until almost completely reduced. (This took about 10 minutes, which made me afraid that the chicken would be overcooked, but surprisingly it remained very tender.) Sprinkle the flour over the chicken, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, allowing the flour to coat the chicken and absorb the liquid. Gradually stir in the cream and milk, scraping the pot to release any cooked flour from the bottom and sides (if necessary, stir with a whisk to break up any lumps). Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, allowing the liquid to thicken. With a spoon or ladle, reserve 1 cup of the liquid. Remove the pot from the heat, and add the cooked vegetables. Add the chopped parsley. Season generously with nutmeg, salt, and white pepper to taste.

To assemble the lasagna:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles for about 8 minutes; they should be not quite cooked through. Strain the noodles in a colander, and rinse in cold water. Drain, then toss noodles with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to prevent sticking. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Butter a 9"x13" baking pan. Place a layer of 4 noodles on the bottom, overlapping them slightly. Top with one third of the chicken mixture, then one third of the diced fontina. Repeat layering twice, finishing with a layer of noodles.

Spread the reserved 1 cup sauce on the noodles and then sprinkle with Parmesan.

(At this stage, the lasagna can be covered and refrigerated overnight.) Cover with aluminum foil or a lid and bake for 30 minutes. (I would recommend buttering the foil to prevent the Parmesan from sticking once removed.) Increase heat to 400 degrees, remove the foil, and continue to bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes more. (If not browned, run under the broiler for a minute or two, don't let it burn!)

Recipe slightly adapted from Elle Decor.