HAWTHORNE, New Jersey (WABC) -- Franco Pasulo says for 10 years he kept walking into restaurants where they gave him the key. The time had come for him to have the keys to his own place.
Pasulo opened Bella Fig in Hawthorne, New Jersey in April of 2016 and he is already getting ready to expand his space. He grew up in Hackensack, and decided he didn't want to do a traditional red-sauce Italian restaurant.
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Bella Fig has lots of unique dishes. The Chicken Bella Fig is made with fig butter. There is farfalle lobster carbonara and osso bucco rice balls.
Diners say it feels like home, but with much better cooking.
Chicken Bella Fig
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 cup fingerling potatoes (par boiled)
cup red pepper chopped
cup Vidalia onions chopped
cup bacon chopped
1oz Frangelico
1oz white wine
cup chicken stock
1 Tsp flour
2 TBS butter
Olive oil
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2 TBS fig butter* (recipe below)
Salt pepper
1 Thyme sprig
Directions:
Heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat
Salt and pepper each chicken breast and add to pan
Cook chicken 2 minutes and then add bacon
Cook another 2 minutes and add potatoes, onions
Cook 2 minutes and turn chicken, and mix items around in pan
Add white wine and Frangelico (watch for a possible flame)
Add in stock, butter and flour-which will thicken the sauce
Cook down for 5-6 minutes
When plating place the fig butter and a sprig of thyme on top
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Serve!
Fig Butter
Ingredients:
8oz butter
2 oz chopped dried fig
2 tsp sugar
2 splash vanilla extract
Directions:
Let butter soften to room temperature in a mixing bowl
Add all ingredients
Mix together
Place on cellophane roll into a log
Keep refrigerated until ready to use
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