While rooting around for an image I could steal use in good faith I discovered that Connie Stevens or someone in her retinue may have created this herself. All the recipes are exactly the same, whether they’re credited to her or not. Do you know how rare this is, to come up with something, name it, and be the OG? “Ignolia” is Connie’s given last name (she was born Conchita Ignolia in Brooklyn). I doff my toque to you, Connie.
Connie is still alive as I write this, by the way. She’s 83. She’s completely fab. She was raised in Brooklyn until the age of 12, when she was shipped off to family friends in Missouri after having witnessed a murder. Uh-huh. I wonder who killed who? Her father eventually took her to LA. She started off as a singer and acted on the side, getting her first big break when Jerry Lewis cast her as his love interest in 1958’s “Rock-a-Bye Baby,” which I’m sure you all remember. Then she starred opposite Robert Conrad in the detective series “Hawaiian Eye,” a proto-“Hawaii 5-0.” That show debuted the same year that Hawaii joined the Union, in 1959, and all things Hawaiian were at a fever pitch. Elvis caught an episode, gave her a call, and they dated for a while. Elvis! Career-wise, though, she kept getting typecast as a juvenile, and she was approaching 30 and was getting a little tired of it. She developed a nightclub act and attended Dean Martin roasts. By now she’s kind of famous for being famous but you don’t know quite how. Sure as night follows day, she started showing up on “Love Boat,” “Fantasy Island,” “Hotel,” and later “Murder, She Wrote.” It’s a living. I can totally picture Connie Stevens and I’m sure many of you can, too.
I’ve adapted her Chicken Ignolia to make 2 and subbed in my beloved herbes de Provence, rather than tediously combining the five spices she used.
2 pounds of chicken parts, or just use chicken breasts, skin on. I used a breast/thigh combo pack.
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine. I thought this was an Italian recipe so I used pinot grigio but I guess anything goes. Chardonnay maybe. Boxed Chardonnay. Ernest & Julio Gallo Chardonnay if such a thing exists.
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence, which will make the chicken more herb-y than Connie’s original
Place chicken pieces, skin side up, in baking dish. Pour olive oil over chicken.
Combine remaining ingredients; mixing well. Pour over chicken pieces. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 1/4 hours [1 hour for me], or until tender. Baste often with pan drippings. Just before serving, run under the broiler to crisp and brown the chicken. Mix pan drippings well. Pour over chicken before serving. If the herbes de Provence haven’t provided enough oomph, add salt and pepper if you want. I just ground in a little black pepper after my first bite.
Serves 2.
Doing this my way will create more sauce:chicken than Connie’s would, so I used the excess to pour over accompanying simple boiled baby carrots.
Your celebrity stories are awesome!
I would eat Connie Stevens’ chicken ignolia.