Makarna bulli with sorpresine
Makarna bulli is a comforting Cypriot chicken pasta dish. This version uses handmade sorpresine pasta, poached chicken, crisp chicken skin, halloumi, dried mint and a little chilli or Turkish ketchup to serve.
Ingredients
For the sorpresine
For the makarna bulli
- 2 litres/3½ pints chicken stock
- 1 whole chicken, about 1.8kg/4lb
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 220g/8oz halloumi, or hellim, grated
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1 lemon, juice only
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- pinch chilli flakes or 2 tbsp Turkish ketchup, optional
Method
To make the sorpresine, tip the flour onto a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the egg yolks and whole egg to the well.
Use your fingers to slowly mix the eggs, bringing in a little flour from the edges each time. Keep mixing until the dough becomes too firm to stir.
Use a pastry scraper to fold in the remaining flour, chopping it through the eggs until a rough dough forms.
Knead the dough for about 20 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hour.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Keep the pieces you’re not using wrapped so they don’t dry out.
Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough through a pasta machine, gradually reducing the thickness until you reach the second-thinnest setting. Dust lightly with semolina if needed.
Cut the pasta sheet into strips about 2cm/¾in wide, then cut across the strips to make 2cm/¾in squares.
Put a pasta square diagonally in the palm of your hand. Use your thumb to gently press and roll the square away from you, so it curls around your thumb and forms a small ridged shell. Pinch the ends together lightly to make the sorpresine shape.
Transfer the shaped pasta to a tray lightly dusted with semolina. Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure the pasta pieces don’t touch.
To make the makarna bulli, bring the chicken stock to the boil in a large pan. Add 2 large pinches of salt and the chicken. Make sure the chicken is fully covered, topping up with a little water if needed.
Gently poach the chicken for 30–40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock and rest for 10 minutes. Reserve the stock for later.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, joint it carefully, keeping the skin intact for crisping later. Separate the legs, divide the thighs and remove the breasts. The chicken will be slightly undercooked at this stage and will finish cooking later.
Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
Fry the chicken over a medium heat until the skin is golden and crisp, the meat is piping hot throughout and the juices run clear with no trace of pink when the thickest part is pierced. This will take 5–8 minutes. Leave the rendered fat in the pan.
Taste the reserved poaching stock and season with salt if needed. Bring back to the boil, add the pasta and cook for 2–3 minutes, or until al dente.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the chicken fat. Add a splash of the poaching stock and a generous splash of olive oil. Toss over the heat until the olive oil and stock come together to make a glossy sauce.
To serve, grate the halloumi into a bowl and mix with the dried mint. Spoon a little of the halloumi mixture into the base of each serving bowl.
Slice the chicken breasts and arrange on a serving plate. Serve the thighs on the bone.
Divide the pasta and sauce between the serving bowls, spooning it over the halloumi mixture. Scatter generously with more halloumi and mint, then spoon over any remaining pan juices.
Serve with chilli flakes or Turkish ketchup, if using.
