Michele-Carbone-New-Cover

Betti’s Biscotti

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On November 22, 2020

In Fun Stuff

Miguel eats these biscotti almost every day.  This recipe is a variation of a recipe from The Splendid Table, which adapted it from Tony Lenox.  Betti has added grated lemon or orange zest and dipped the biscotto in dark chocolate.  It’s a great breakfast!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
  • 1 cup sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched OR 1 cup pistachios (I usually grind about 1⁄3 of them, then combine them with the whole pistachio kernels)
  • Zest of 3 lemons OR zest of 2 oranges

Preparation

  1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cornmeal and whisk again to blend.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs and continue to beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, for another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light, smooth and creamy.
  3. Beat in the almond extract and lemon or orange zest. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. You’ll have a soft stick-to-your-fingers dough that will ball up around the paddle or beaters.
  4. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes before continuing.
  5. Scrape half the dough onto one side of the baking sheet. Using your fingers and a rubber spatula or scraper, work the dough into a log about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. The log will be more rectangular than domed and bumpy, rough and uneven. Form a second log with the remaining dough on the other side of the baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the logs are lightly golden but still soft and springy to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool the logs on the baking sheet for 30 – 60 minutes.
  7. If you turned off the oven, bring it back up to 350 degrees F.
  8. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the logs to a cutting board and, with a long sharp knife, trim the ends and cut the logs into 3/4- inch-thick slices.
  9. Return the slices to the baking sheet–this time standing them up like a marching band–and slide the sheet back into the oven. Cook for 15 minutes.
  10. Allow the biscotti to cool for an hour or so.
  11. Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl in the microwave. I usually use Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Baking Chips, and I put about ½ a bag into a bowl and then microwave on 50% power for several minutes, warming it for 1 minute at a time, stirring it, and then re-heating it until it is ready.
  12. Dip the cooled biscotti in the melted chocolate and set onto a separate platter. Allow the chocolate to dry, and then store the biscotti.
Dr. Michele Carbone bucatini bianca

Bucatini alla Gricia, Amatriciana bianca

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On October 22, 2020

In Pasta Dishes

The Amatriciana and Gricia are classic Roman recipes.  Very easy to make, yet it’s difficult to find an excellent preparation in most restaurants as people try to modify it and screw it up.  Try this recipe – the old original one and still the best. As always, the quality of the ingredients is key.  You may need to go to a specialty grocer (such as a butcher) in order to find the guanciale (or you can settle on pancetta if you do not find it).  You also need to get imported Italian Pecorino Romano cheese, preferably in a small block that you can grate yourself (Whole Foods sells it). Note: If you cannot find either guanciale or pancetta, you can use thick-cut bacon, but the flavor will not be as good, obviously.

Bucatini Amatriciana, Rossa (red) Traditional recipe (5 people, 100g spaghetti each)

Ingredients

  • 1 box of Bucatini, Spaghetti, or Rigatoni style pasta (500 grams)
  • 100 grams (4 OZ)  oz Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
  • 125 grams (5OZ) of “guanciale” or if you cannot find it, “pancetta,” cut in thick slices of about (about ¼ of an inch thick by ¼ inch wide and ¼ long)
  • 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • Red pepper flakes, or 2 fresh little hot peppers chopped very finely (put as little or as much red pepper as you like)
  • ¼ glass white wine
  • 400 grams of canned Italian tomatoes (home made, or can tomatoes, Pomi` or similar) –for this recipe canned tomatoes are better than fresh tomatoes.

Preparation

  1. Put a large pot of water to boil on the stove – it should be boiling by the time you get to step 4
  2. In an 8-inch skillet, add the guanciale (or pancetta), red pepper, and 1 spoon of olive oil.
  3. Start the heat at medium high and as soon as “sfricchiola” (means you hear it is frying), to low the heat for about 5-6 minutes to let the fat get out, then add white wine and turn the fire up for 30 seconds so it evaporates.
  4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook on medium or medium/high (depends how powerful your stove is, should be just bubbling slowly, not boiling). Cook this sauce for about 10 minutes
  5. In the meantime poor the pasta into the boiling water.  As soon as the water starts to boil again after the pasta has been added, use a long-handled wooden spoon to stir the pasta so that nothing sticks to the bottom.
  6. Drain the pasta very al dente, poor in a past bowl, add the tomato/guanciale sauce, mix well and add the pecorino mixing well all the time and serve immediately.
  7. Buon appetito!

Spaghetti alla Gricia: Bucatini alla Gricia (for 3 people). The only difference is that in the Gricia you do not use tomato and therefore you will have less condiment and so, given same amount of guanciale, you will use less pasta.

Procedure: As above –because there is less condiment, use for the same amount of guanciale and pecorino only 250 grams of pasta (the amount for 3 people).  There’s no tomato, so when the guanciale is ready, turn off the fire and once ready mix the pasta directly with the guanciale and pecorino.

Italiano: Bucatini/Rigatoni Amatriciana

Ingredienti

  • 1 pacco di bucatini o rigatoni
  • 100 g di pecorino romano grattugiato fresco
  • 125 g di “guanciale” o “pancetta”, tagliato a fette spesse di circa (circa ¼ di pollice di spessore per ¼ di pollice di larghezza e ¼ di lunghezza)
  • 1 cucchiaio di olio extravergine di oliva
  • Peperoncino rosso picante a piacere –io metto 2-3 peperoncini rossi calabresi
  • 1 sorso (1/4 di bicchiere) vino bianco
  • 400 grammi -1/2 scatola di pomodori pelati schiacciati, Pomì o simili

Preparazione

  1. Pancetta o guanciale a pezzettini, 1 cucchiaio d’olio, fuoco medio alto appena sfricchiola abbassa il fuoco e fai andare circa 5-6 minuti perche` rilasci il grasso –la pancetta non deve essere fritta! L’importante è fare cuocere il guanciale a fuoco vivo senza bruciarlo!!!
  2. Appena il guanciale comincia a essere un po’ croccante, aggiungete un sorso di vino binco, fate evaporare 1 minuto.
  3. Aggiungere 400 g pelati a pezzetti, alzare il fuoco a medio/medio alto, deve sobbollire, girare spesso.
  4. Allo stesso tempo calare la pasta, scolarla molto al dente, versatela in una zuppiera aggiungere il sugo, mischiare bene 2 minuti mentre aggiungete Pecorino e servire.
  5. La fine del mondo!

Spaghetti/Rigatoni alla Gricia: come sopra senza pomodoro, cioè dopo che aggiungete il vino spegnete il fuoco.  Siccome c’è meno sugo per questa stessa quantità di guanciale e pecorino usate solo 250 g di pasta (3 persone o 2 con appetito).

 

 

Giancarlo Gottardo’s Vinaigrette

By

On March 8, 2020

In Basics, Fun Stuff

Vinaigrette

Do you like a slightly-sweet vinaigrette with your salads? I do, and often I have used a bit of honey as one of the ingredients in my oil and vinegar salad dressings.  Now I have a new favorite – a grape-reduction vinaigrette that has become one of the staples in my pantry.

I never knew what to do with the grapes that remained after an event.  They are so beautiful when they are fresh and cool, displayed artfully on a platter…but if  they aren’t all eaten, they look soft and unappealing the next day. I used to throw them away, until Giancarlo Gottardo, our good friend, showed me how to use them to make a fantastic homemade vinaigrette.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of sugarGiancarlo's Vinaigrette
  • 1 cup of white, apple cider vinegar, or white
    balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) of white, red, or green grapes and their stems (you can use a mix of these varieties as well)

How to Prepare this Recipe

  1. Put the grapes, sugar, vinegar, water, and salt into a heavy saucepan with a good lid.
  2. Bring to a boil for a couple of minutes, then put a lid on the pot and turn down the heat. Cook for an hour on a simmer with the lid on.
  3. Allow the pot to cool, covered, then strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a bottle.
  4. Store at a cool temperature inside a cabinet.

Homemade Vegetable Broth

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On September 24, 2018

In Basics, Broths and Soups

I like to use homemade broths for all of my soup and risotto recipes. My wife, Betti, makes the broth in our household, and she always keeps fresh or frozen broth in the kitchen. Here’s her recipe for a simple vegetable broth.

Ingredients

  • 2 potatoes
  • 2 onions
  • 2 leeks
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 leafs of kale (optional)
  • 2 cherry tomatoes
  • ½ bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
  • Salt
  • A teaspoon of black peppercorns
  • 2 liters of water

How to make this recipe

  1. Coarsely chop all of the vegetables except the cherry tomatoes and the parsley.
  2. Fill a pot with 2 to 3 liters of water. Make sure you have a heavy lid for the pot.
  3. Add the chopped vegetables, salt and peppercorns, and the ½ bunch of Italian parsley to the pot.
  4. Bring to a boil.  Allow to boil vigorously for 5 to 10 minutes, then partially cover the pot with its lid and bring to a simmer.
  5. Allow the ingredients to simmer for about 2 – 3 hours, making sure that it stays close to a boil, but doesn’t actually boil anymore
  6. After cooking for 2 – 3 hours, add the cherry tomatoes and bring to a boil once again for a few minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow to cool.  Use a colander or a strainer to separate the vegetables and peppercorns from the broth.

Basic Chicken Broth (Basic, or light version)

By

On August 31, 2017

In Basics, Broths and Soups

My wife Betti makes all of the broths we use in our recipes.  We always have a store of frozen chicken, vegetable, and meat broths available because the flavor of these home-made broths is much richer and more intense than that of packaged broths.  If you have to buy a broth, look for an organic broth in your local market.  But I promise you, once you’ve made your own broth, you won’t go back to the store-bought variety.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 2 carrots, chopped into large pieces
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped into large pieces
  • 1 white onion, quartered
  • 2 leeks, chopped into rounds (wash the leeks carefully to remove the grit)
  • ½ bunch fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 20 black peppercorns
  • A handful of salt
  • A bunch of fresh thyme – sometimes you can find a combined bunch of thyme and marjoram mixed together at the market, and you can use this bunch

How to Make this Recipe

  1. In a large stockpot (about 4 quarts of water), add cold water and all of the ingredients except the chicken.
  2. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Allow the vegetables to cook for about 40-45 minutes.
  3. Raise the heat to a boil and add the chicken (don’t add the giblets—you can reserve them for something else).
  4. Bring the heat to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes.
  5. Reduce the heat to a simmer, so that you see rolling bubbles every minute or two, but the water is not rapidly boiling.
  6. Partially cover, and allow to cook for about 1 hour. You can skim off any foam periodically, so that the resulting broth will be very clear.
  7. Remove the chicken from the pot, placing it into a large bowl or baking dish so that it can cool. Keep the broth on a low simmer until the chicken is cooled enough to pick the meat from the bones. Once it’s cooled, you can shred the meat from the bone and use it for another recipe—my favorite use for the shredded chicken is a variation of the Mediterranean Chicken Salad recipe from the classic cookbook The Silver Palate:  http://www.silverpalate.com/recipe/store-favorites/mediterreanian-chicken-salad
  8. Put the bones back into the broth and cook for another hour, partially covered, and always at a low boil.
  9. Strain the chicken broth once it’s cooled enough for use or storage.

Fish Broth

By

On August 30, 2017

In Basics, Broths and Soups, Fish

How to Make Fish Stock

Use only fish from the sea, not from rivers and lakes.  You can use anything you like. For example, you can use 1 pound of sardines and/or fish heads (say salmon, grouper, Mahi Mahi, shirimp, or the “skin” of the shrimp. Always use some, say 10 or so mussels or clams, etc. and their spines. Do not use small fish. Then, you do not have to deal with their small bones that will choke some guests not used to eating fish).

In a pot (really big),  add the fish; it should occupy about 1/3 to ¼ of the pot.  Add 1-2 glasses white wine –depending on how big your pot is, 1 red onion cut in 4, 4 cloves of garlic crushed, 1 bunch of parsley, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 celery cut in pieces, water up to 2 inches to the top, black peppercorns, and salt. Let it boil lightly for 2-3 hours or three, until the water is about half then what you started with. Drain the broth, set aside until it reaches room temperature, and then freeze. When you need it, you will defrost it.

Pollo alla Diavola, the Devil’s chicken

By

On August 23, 2017

In Entrees

Clearly the Devil knows how to cook a chicken!

This is a classic Italian recipe, rarely or maybe never seen in the US restaurants.  Ideal for people who like to grill or who are on a diet and want to eat well.

Ingredients for 4 to 6 people

  • 1 whole chicken
  • Create a marinade by mixing:
    • ½ cup virgin olive oil
    • Juice of 2 lemons
    • 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
    • 6 leaves of fresh sage, minced
    • ¼ of cup of fresh rosemary
    • Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Using a cleaver or sharp knife, cut the chicken along the chest. Open it like a book. Press on it to flatten it.
  2. Pour the marinade over the chicken; massage well and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, preferably for 2 hours.
  3. Start the grill. I prefer mesquite or other natural briquettes (the devil does not use gas!)
  4. Cook the chicken on the grill for about 35 min—depending on the heat of your fire and the size of the chicken, the cooking time may vary between 30-40 minutes.
  • Turn the pieces over a total of 4 times
  • Each time you turn the chicken, brush the pieces with the marinade
  • I put a weight on the chicken to keep it flattened –I use a brick of marble, but a pizza stone works well, too. Of course the chicken will be black and burned: that’s why it is called the Devil’s chicken.  Eat everything, including the burned skin!  It tastes great.
  1. Buon appetito!

If you do not have a grill you can cook in an iron skillet on a (powerful) gas stove with heat at maximum, again putting a weight on the chicken to smash it down as it cooks.

Suggested Wine Pairing

I like a good Rosé from Calabria (Cirò Librandi, for example) or from Sicily (Regaleali Le Rose).

Italian version: Pollo alla Diavola

  1. Pollo aperto come un libro, tagliandolo lungo il petto.
  2. Metterlo a marinare con: 120 ml di olio d’oliva, 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati, 4-6 foglie di rosmarino, 6 foglie di salvia a pezzetti, 2 limoni spremuti, sale e pepe.

    Idealmente lo lasciate nella marinara 2 ore, al minimo 30 minuti.

  3. Accendere la griglia a carbone.
  4. Cuocere il pollo circa 35 minuti, dipende dalla potenza del fuoco e dalla grandezza del pollo, girandolo ogni dieci e spalmandolo con la marinata quando lo girate.

    Io uso una lastra di marmo che metto sul pollo per tenerlo schiacciato mentre cuoce.  Il pollo naturalmente sarà un po’ bruciacchiato, perciò si chiama pollo alla diavola!

  5. Buon appetito!

Se non avete la griglia potete cuocerlo in una padella di ferro sul fuoco a gas. Fuoco al massimo sempre usando un peso sul pollo per tenerlo schiacciato.

Vino: a me piace un Ciro Rosé Librandi o un Regaleali Le Rose, ma naturalmente un chianti ci sta a meraviglia, e se preferite, un Regaleali bianco.

mixed heirloom tomatoes

Canned Tomatoes – A Cooking Basic

By

On May 19, 2017

In Basics

Although many recipes are very good when you use store-bought canned tomatoes (like Pomì), they reach the next level of excellence when you can use tomatoes you have canned yourself.  My wife and I discovered this when we lived in the Chicago area, and found many varieties of beautiful heirloom tomatoes at a local farmer’s market. We found that the yellow, green, and orange heirlooms provided a lovely balance for fish recipes requiring tomato, while the red heirlooms were milder and more tasty than the store-bought tomatoes. Now, we always keep a supply of canned tomatoes on hand.

Ingredients

  • Ball mason jars and new lids (you can buy these jars at Walmart and in many supermarkets) – washed and drained
  • Fresh basil
  • Lots and lots of mature, clean tomatoes – we typically buy 50 pounds of them from the market and spend the weekend cleaning and canning.

How to make this recipe

 

  • Put a very large pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil
  • Carefully drop the clean tomatoes (in batches) into the water
      1. Leave them there for a minute or two until the skin begins to split
  • Use a slotted spoon to lift the tomatoes from the water and put them on a large flat serving dish to cool
  • Do steps 2 and 3 multiple times until all the tomatoes are ready
  • Peel the tomatoes and put them into the canning jars, filling to near the top (you could also look at the instructions on the Ball Canning website
  • Add one leaf of clean, fresh basil to the jar
  • Use a wooden tool to make sure that there are no air bubbles in the jar
  • Screw on the top of the jar, finger-tight
  • Place the jars into a large pot of cold water or a pressure cooker, with at least 3 inches of water covering the jars.  
    1. You can follow the instructions on the Ball Ball Canning website for cooking.
    2. I do not follow instructions and do as I saw my grandmother did: At sea level, since the water boils, I wait 20 minutes, then I turn off the fire and leave the pot on the stove until it cools down (about 16 hours). Then you can store the jars for several years. However, the time it takes to cook the tomatoes is influenced by the altitude. So, if you live on top of a mountain, you may want to wait 30 minutes or so before turning the fire off.

Italiano:

Come fare la conserva: Tanti pomodori maturi, bollire 1-2 min appena la pelle si spacca metterli in uno scolapasta. Farli raffreddare. Sbuccciarli e metterli in barattoli di vetro per fare conserva -si vendono ovunque, precedentemente lavati in lavastoviglie -che disinfetta molto meglio che lavando a mano. Riempire fino all’olrlo e mettere una foglia di basilico fresco -togliere bolle d’aria con una forchetta. Chiudere il barattolo con gli appositi coperchi. Mettere in un grande pentolone e coprire d’acqua fredda. I barattoli devono essere interamente sommersi. Accendere il fuoco al massimo, da quando bolle, aspettare 20 min. poi spegnere il fuoco e lasciare raffreddare fino al mattino successivo. Pomodori pronti: si conservano vari anni.

Michele Carbone

Limoncello

By

On May 1, 2017

In Fun Stuff, Side Dishes

(VERY EASY TO MAKE)

My favorite summertime after-dinner digestivo is the limoncello made from the lemon trees in my mother’s yard in Calabria. You can purchase limoncello in many locations in Italy and the US, but the pre-packaged bottles are never as good as the ones made from those homegrown, freshly-picked Calabrian lemons.

I’ve found that I can make a great limoncello using organic lemons from the supermarket. Of course, they aren’t quite as great as those collected in the warm sunlight of my mother’s garden, but they still make something delicious.

Even the process of making limoncello is a pleasure, because you breath in the aroma of the fresh lemon zest as you prepare it. The only problem with this recipe is that you have to steep the lemon zest in alcohol for a week – or up to three weeks (depends on the point of view). I say 1 week is all is that is needed before you finish the recipe.

Download a PDF with detailed instructions – Limoncello and Crema Recipe [Download]

Ingredients

  • 20 organic lemons, preferably less-mature lemons with a very thick skin
  • 750 ML rectified spirit, or ethyl alcohol, such as Everclear (I do not recommend the use of vodka as a substitute, that is a terrible idea)
  • 750 grams white sugar
  • 1.5 Liters water (purified or bottled)

NOTE:  The simple syrup is made with water and sugar, in a ratio of 1 liter of water to 500 grams of sugar.  If you want 2 liters of simple syrup, just double the quantities (1 KG sugar mixed with 2 liters of water).  Most Americans prefer to mix the infusion (the alcohol infused with the ethyl alcohol) at a combination of 1 liter of infusion to 2 liters of simple syrup (1:2).  My mother’s recipe is much stronger: 1 liter of infusion is combined with 1 liter of simple syrup (1:1).

Additional Supplies

  • A serrated vegetable peeler – One of the most important things about this recipe is that you need to use the lemon peel, avoiding the pith as much as possible. The pith gives the drink a bitter taste. Peeling the lemons “just so” used to be quite difficult, but now I have started using a microplane. It makes the job easy.
  • A large glass jar with a cover. The jar needs to be able to hold at least 1 liter of liquid (more if you choose to double or triple this recipe).
  • Another large glass jar that you use for the filtration process.
  • Aluminum foil to cover the jar as the limoncello steeps in the rectified spirit.
  • Glass bottles for the finished limoncello. You will need 2 1-liter bottles for this recipe.
  • A store-bought permanent coffee filter.

How to make this recipe

This is a two part process:

  1. Create the infusion of lemon zest in alcohol by zesting the lemons, putting the zest in a large jar, and pouring grain alcohol (such as Everclear) into the jar.  Cover the jar with aluminum foil and put it in a dark, cool place. Shake the jar every day for at least 7 days, and up to 3 three weeks.
  2. Once the infusion has matured, make the simple syrup of water and sugar (or alternatively, you can make a “crema” with a combination of heavy cream, milk, and sugar).  Once the simple syrup/crema reaches room temperature, you can mix it with the filtered infusion.
    1. If you have made the limoncello with simple syrup – Cover the jar again and put it in a dark cabinet…and wait at least 2 weeks, preferably 2-3 months, which causes the flavors to blend and become softer.
    2. If you have made a “crema” with the heavy cream, milk, and sugar –  Put the jar into your refrigerator and then wait for 2 weeks. You can then transfer the jar to your freezer.

Preparation

  1. Wash and dry the lemons.
  2. Peel the lemons, making sure that you avoid including the pith.
  3. Chop the lemon zest, just a little bit.
  4. Pour the 750 ml of the rectified spirits into the clean glass jar, then add the lemon zest.
  5. Place the lid on the jar, then wrap it with aluminum foil or a cloth. The reason you cover it with aluminum foil is that the process is photo-sensitive. Therefore, you want to avoid exposing it to light during the one- to three-week steeping process.
  6. Shake the jar, then place it in a cool, dry, and dark place. Some people say that it’s best to shake the bottle each day; others say just leave it alone. My mother leaves the bottle alone with a towel around it for at least one week, so I suggest you do it her way (moms know best)!
  7. After the one-to-three week steeping period, you’re ready for the next steps.  
  8. In a very clean saucepan, heat 1 liter of purified water. Add, slowly, ½ kilogram of superfine sugar to the pan and stir it until the liquid is clear, meaning that the sugar has dissolved completely, creating a supersaturated sugar mixture.
  9. Allow the sugar-water to cool in a glass container.
  10. Strain the steeped limoncello mixture. Don’t squeeze or try to push the saturated lemon zest in order to extract a few extra ml of limoncello.  
  11. Once the limoncello spirits have been filtered, mix 1:1 with the sugar-water.  

    1. NOTE:  Most people perfer a 1:2 ratio of infusion to water, which lowers the alcohol percentage.  But my mother likes it strong!
    2. Decant the limoncello into your clean glass bottles and  cap them.
      While you can drink this right away, it’s even better if you can store it in a dark place for a couple of weeks — or more — before putting it in the freezer.
    3. Italians keep limoncello in the freezer — it won’t freeze.
  • Enjoy after dinner in a shot glass. Remember that this is a highly alcoholic drink, so sip it.

Lobster (The “Lovers Recipe”)

By

On April 28, 2017

In Entrees, Fish

There are many recipes to cook lobster, some are excellent but boring, how many times do you want to eat a boiled lobster?  Others are good but quite greasy, cut lobster into half, put butter on top and broil, others are over complicated, and others simply disgusting.  Try my lobster and you will be happy.  This is especially good meal to cook if you want to impress your lover, spouse, significant other, etc.

Time to prepare: 15-20 minutes, depending on your stove.

Lobster with pear tomatoes

Lobster with pear tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 4 small-to-medium-sized lobsters, with slits on the back.

    Lobsters Slits On Back

    Lobsters with slits along back

  • ½ pound mixed yellow and orange “pear” tomatoes. If you can’t find them, you can use cherry tomatoes mixed with a golden heirloom tomato. Yellow tomatoes provide a very nice balance for seafood, so if you can find them, use them in any seafood dish. Betti and I go to the Farmer’s market every fall and buy and can the yellow and green heirlooms especially for this purpose. (See our canning recipe here: Canned Tomatoes – A Cooking Basic)
  • ½ glass white wine (always use good wine for cooking)
  • ½ bunch of wild arugula, or ½ one of those plastic boxes containing wild arugula
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 crushed garlic cloves
  • 2 TB chopped Italian parsley
  • Salt
  • 1 or 2 spicy peppers (such as a Thai chili pepper), or ¼ teaspoon of dried chili pepper flakes

Recipe Preparation

  1. Using scissors, cut lengthwise along the back shell of the lobster and pull apart with your hands, cracking it well, so the meat is exposed , but the shell is still on the lobster.

    Lobster split along back of shell

    Lobster split along back of shell

  2. Put in a 10-inch pan, (le Crueset, Staub, Calphalon and Circulon are my preferred ones):
    • 4 lobsters,
    • 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
    • 1 or more chopped chili peppers, or red pepper flakes to taste
    • 3 crushed garlic cloves
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • Arugula
    • ½ cup of extra-virgin Italian olive oil
    • Salt to taste
  1. Mix the ingredients well.
  2. With the heat on high, start with with lobsters on their backs.
  3. Move the ingredients around with spoon the ingredients every 2 minutes or so, and after the first 5 min, add ½ glass of white wine, letting it cook 1 more minute, and then turn the lobster on the other side (i.e., on their stomachs).
  4. Cook 5-6 more minutes, moving ingredients around every 2 minutes.
    Now the question is how powerful is your stove? If it is a Viking like mine, then the lobsters are probably ready, if it is a less powerful stove you may need 6 or so more minutes.
    The easiest way to decide is to look at the consistency of the tomatoes; when they become almost a pulp, i.e., you touch them with a wooden spoon and they smash easily, then the lobster is ready.
  5. Turn off the fire, put the lobster in the center of a large plate and put all around it the sauce.
  6. Enjoy with fresh bread.

Suggested Wine Pairing

Serve with champagne if you want to really charm your lover, or any other good wine (both a good white and a “soft’” red, such as a Chianti, Barbera, etc., but not a “super-Tuscan” or Cabernet, match well with this dish).

Italiano: Aragosta (La “Ricetta degli amanti”)

 

Ingredienti:

  • 4 aragoste di taglia medio-piccola, con fessure sul dorso.
  • 0,25 chili di pomodori “pera” gialli e arancioni misti. Se non riesci a trovarli, puoi usare i pomodorini mescolati con un pomodoro dorato di cimelio.I pomodori gialli forniscono un ottimo equilibrio per i frutti di mare, quindi se riesci a trovarli, usali in qualsiasi piatto di pesce. Betti e io andiamo al mercato del contadino ogni autunno e compriamo e possiamo i cimeli gialli e verdi appositamente per questo scopo. (Vedi la nostra ricetta per l’inscatolamento qui: Pomodori in scatola – A Cooking Basic)
  • 120 ml di vino bianco (usare sempre del buon vino per cucinare)
  • ½ mazzo di rucola selvatica, o ½ una di quelle scatole di plastica contenenti rucola selvatica
  • 120 ml di olio extravergine di oliva
  • 3 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati
  • 2 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato
  • Sale
  • 1 o 2 peperoni piccanti (come un peperoncino thailandese) o ¼ di cucchiaino di fiocchi di peperoncino essiccato

Preparazione

  1. Con le forbici, tagliare longitudinalmente il guscio posteriore dell’aragosta e separarlo con le mani, spezzandolo bene, in modo che la carne sia esposta, ma il guscio è ancora sull’astice.
  2. Mettere in una padella da 10 pollici, (le Crueset, Staub, Calphalon e Circulon sono i miei preferiti):
    1. 4 aragoste
    2. 2 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato
    3. 1 o più peperoncino tritato o fiocchi di peperoncino a piacere
    4. 3 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati
    5. Pomodori ciliegini
    6. Rucola
    7. 120 ml di olio extravergine di oliva italiano
    8. Sale quanto vuoi
  3. Mescolare bene gli ingredienti.
  4. Con il fuoco alto, inizia con le aragoste sulla schiena.
  5. Spostare gli ingredienti con un cucchiaio gli ingredienti ogni 2 minuti circa, e dopo i primi 5 minuti, aggiungere 120 ml di vino bianco, lasciando cuocere ancora 1 minuto, quindi girare l’aragosta sull’altro lato (cioè sul i loro stomaci).
  6. Cuocere altri 5-6 minuti, spostando gli ingredienti ogni 2 minuti.La domanda è: quanto è potente la tua stufa? Se è un vichingo come il mio, probabilmente le aragoste sono pronte, se è una stufa meno potente potresti aver bisogno di 6 minuti in più.

    Il modo più semplice per decidere è guardare la consistenza dei pomodori; quando diventano quasi una polpa, cioè le tocchi con un cucchiaio di legno e si rompono facilmente, allora l’astice è pronto.

  7. Spegnete il fuoco, mettete l’astice al centro di un piatto largo e mettete tutto intorno la salsa.
  8. Buon appetito. Mangia con pane fresco.

 

 

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