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Category: Dr. Michele Carbone Page 1 of 2

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Confit of Cherry Tomatoes

This is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes I’ve tried. I think the reason it’s so delicious is because the flavor of the cherry tomatoes is dominant, and the combination of sweet and tart reminds us of summer days at any time of the year.  It’s great on its own, as a simple sauce for pasta, gnocchi, or a slice of crusty bread.  But it can also be used as a basis for many other recipes, including a mussel soup.

The confit can be stored in your refrigerator for up to two weeks, so I always buy several pounds of the cherry tomatoes and make a big batch. I’ve never actually made it to the two-week mark without using all the confit in one recipe or another.

Tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and garlic

The ingredients all go into one pot at the same time.

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. of cherry tomatoes (I use a mix of red, yellow, and orange tomatoes because they each have different levels of acidity. The brand “Wild Wonders,” available almost anywhere in the US, works very well.)
  • Good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 full head of garlic, skin on, sliced horizontally
  • 2 bunches of fresh basil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

If you want to prepare a lot, just buy more tomatoes, and use a larger casserole dish!

Preparation

Pre-heat your oven to 250° F.

After cooking, the cherry tomatoes are still whole. the sauce is a combination of juice and olive oil.

Cooked confit of cherry tomatoes. After cooking, the cherry tomatoes are still whole. the sauce is a combination of juice and olive oil.

  1. Wash the cherry tomatoes and put them into a deep-dish casserole or a Dutch oven.
  2. Pour enough olive oil to fill about 1/3 of the casserole containing the tomatoes.
  3. Add salt and black pepper, then mix the tomatoes gently so that each one is coated with oil and the salt and pepper are distributed.
  4. Now insert the garlic heads and basil into the casserole, covering them with the tomatoes.
  5. Put the casserole into the oven uncovered and cook for about one and a half hours.
  6. Cover the dish without disturbing the contents and let them cook for another 30 minutes.
  7. Remove the casserole dish from the oven. You’ll see that the tomatoes remain whole, but a lot of the juice from the tomatoes will fill mix with the olive oil, creating a delicately flavored sauce. Allow to cool and then remove all the garlic cloves from the mixture. (Leaving in the garlic will change the flavor of the dish because it overpowers the tomatoes.) That’s it!  I like it best when I prepare the confit the day before and then refrigerate it overnight.  The flavors combine into a more subtle sauce.

Mussel Soup with Cherry Tomato Confit

This is a wonderful, fast recipe. I recently hosted a dinner party, and everyone loved it and asked for more!

Ingredients

  • Confit of cherry tomatoes (4 cups)
  • 3 lbs. fresh mussels, cleaned and bearded
  • Fresh minced parsley (as a garnish)
  • Black pepper and salt to taste
  • 1 bunch of fresh basil

Preparation

  1. In a medium-sized pot with a tight lid (for example, a 15-quart pot), add the confit of cherry tomatoes.
  2. Bring them to a gentle boil on medium heat. As soon as they start to boil, add the fresh mussels and the basil. Gently stir to combine them with the confit. Cover the pot.
  3. Allow them to boil, covered, for 3 minutes. Open the lid and stir the mixture again, trying not to break too many tomatoes. Re-cover the pot cook another 3 minutes or so – you can tell when they are ready: when they all open their shells. Be careful to avoid overcooking them!
  4. Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with minced parsley, and serve with a crusty bread.

Confit di Pomodori

Ricetta semplicissima, con questo sugo potete farci tante cose, di sotto suggerisco una zuppa di cozze buonissima.

Ingredienti

  • Circa 2 kg di pomodorini piccoli (latterini).
  • 2-3 mazzi di basilico, lavato e fatto a pezzetti con le mani
  • Olio d’oliva di ottima qualità
  • Sale

Preparazione

  1. Forno a 125 C
  2. Mettete i pomodori e il basilico e un po’ di sale in una pentola da forno, aggiungete olio d’oliva a coprire fino a 1/3 dalla base della pentola I pomodori -cioè tanto olio!) e infornateli scoperti per un ora e mezza, poi togliete il coperchio e cuocete per altri 30 minuti.
  3. FATTO! Vedrete che i pomodori sono ancora interi.
  4. Togliete l’aglio, poi potete farli raffreddare e conservare in frigo per 1-2 settimane, o surgelarli per uso future.

Ricetta con le Cozze

Ingredienti

  • 5 Kg di confit di pomodori
  • 5 Kg di cozze
  • 1 mazzo di basilico fresco
  • Pane di giornata

Preparazione

  1. Portate a ebollizione il pomodoro, aggiungete 1.5 Kg di cozze e un mazzo di basilico fresco, e coprite.
  2. Girate dopo 3 min, aspettate altri 3 minuti circa, appena le cozze si aprono portate a tavola e buon appetito (serve naturalmente pane fresco da intingere nel sugo).

Risotto alla Milanese

Risotto alla Milanese (with saffron)

There are many “interpretations” of this risotto. I found this recipe in an old 1950s magazine and maybe over the years I modified it a little bit.  It is one of my preferred risotto dishes, and best made together with Ossobuco (see recipe) since for an outstanding risotto you need the veal bone marrow – buccbut is excellent without it, too.

Time: it takes about 22 minutes from the time you pour the rice in the casserole pan.

Ingredients for 6 people:

  • About 500 ml of either meat broth – that is what I usually use; or chicken broth, which also works also very well. Bring to a boil before you start cooking then lower heat to a simmer.
  • 50 grams of butter and 1 TB olive oil
  • 500 grams of risotto, “Carnaroli” best, alternatively “Vialone nano.”
  • 1 medium red onion, minced
  • ½ cup dried porcini – which you will put in a cup of warm broth before you start cooking – or 50 grams or so of fresh porcini or some good fresh mushrooms cut into ½ inch thick slices
  • 1 cup of red wine (Nebbiolo grape is best)
  • About 2 grams of saffron dissolved in 1 cup of warm broth. You will dissolve the saffron before you start cooking as it takes some time to completely dissolve
  • Bone marrow from about 3-4 osso buchi
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano (about 50 grams); more can be grated on the plate

Preparation:

  1. In a good round pot, La Creuset, Staub, etc., or in a copper pot, melt the butter and oil.
  2. Bring the heat to medium-high and add the minced onions. As soon as they start to soften, add the risotto. While constantly stirring it, cook for about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the mushrooms, stirring constantly for 1 more minute.
  4. Add 1 cup of red wine, and allow it to evaporate almost entirely
  5. Add the hot broth, 1 ladle at time. As it is incorporated into the risotto, add more.  You need to stir continuously as the risotto, mushrooms and onions cook in the hot broth.
  6. When you are close to 20 minutes of cooking time, add the broth in which you have dissolved the saffron. How much saffron? Well different saffron have different power, so 2 grams/500 grams of rice is a suggestion that may need to be modified depending on the type of saffron you use.  Anyway it is pretty simple: The rice should turn yellow orange: if is pale yellow you need to dissolve more saffron in broth and add more, if it starts turning orange, as soon as that happens, stop adding broth with saffron and continue instead with broth without saffron
  7. Once the rice is ready –taste it to know when is ready–add the bone marrow, mix well, turn off the heat and move the pot on a cold burner.  Add the Parmigiano, mix well, taste for salt and eventually add more as needed (it depends if the broth had or did not have enough salt).  Black pepper? Tell your guests to add it if they like.
  8. Buon appetito!

 

Italiano: Risotto alla Milanese

Tante “intepretazioni” questa ricotta l’ho trovata in una vecchia rivista degli anni 50 a casa dei miei nonni, l’ho copiata e probabilmente modificata un po’ nel corso degli anni.  È uno dei miei risotti preferiti.  Suggersco di offrirlo insieme all’ossobuco, perchè per un risotto alla Milanese perfetto serve un po di midollo di vitello, ma va bene anche senza, non perfetto, ma ottimo.

Tempo: Ci vogliono circa 22 minuti dal momento in cui buttate il riso in casseruola.

Ingredienti per 6 persone:

  • Circa mezzo litro di brodo di carne o se non lo avete di pollo che mettete sul fuoco finchè bolle, poi abbassate al minimo
  • 50 grammi di burro e 1 cucchiaio di olio d’oliva
  • 500 grammi di risotto, “Carnaroli” oppure “Vialone nano”.
  • 1 cipolla media a pezzettini
  • 1-2 pugni di porcini secchi messi a mollo in circa 200 ml di brodo tiepido
  • meglio circa 50 grammi di porcini freschi o altri funghi buoni a pezzetti
  • 1 bicchiere vino rosso (nebbiolo meglio)
  • Circa 2 grammi di zafferano dissolto in circa 250 ml di brodo tiepido –ci vuole un po perchè i dissolva perciò mettetelo a dissolvere appena cominciate, quando mettete il brodo a scaldare.
  • Il midollo di 3-4 ossi buchi
  • Circa 50 grammi di parmigiano –poi chi vuole ne mette altro

 

Preparazione

  1. In una buona pentola rotonda, La Creuset, Staub, etc., o di rame, squagliate il burro con olio –fuoco basso.
  2. Alzate il fuoco e aggiungete cipolla a pezzetti e riso girando costantemente, 3 minuti.
  3. Aggiungete i funghi, girare 1 altro minuto.
  4. Aggiungere 1 bicchiere vino rosso fare evaporare quasi completamente.
  5. Aggiungere 1 mestolo di brodo per volta fino a cottura – circa 20 minuti.
  6. Quando il riso è quasi cotto, 5 minuti prima di spegnere il fuoco, aggiungere il brodo in cui avete dissolto lo zafferano. Quanto zafferano? Quando il riso è giallo/arancione (colore mandarino) è la quantità giusta: se è solo giallo serve più zafferano, come diventa un po’ arancione, fermatevi.
  7. Quando il riso è quasi pronto aggiungere il midollo di vitello che avrete preso dagli ossibuchi mischiare, spegnere il fuoco spostare la padella su fornello freddo aggiungete il parmigiano e mischiate. Sale? Dipende se il brodo lo aveva, comunque assaggiate e se necessario aggiungetelo. Pepe nero? Un po’ ci sta bene, ma fate fare ai commensali a gusto proprio.
  8. Buon Appetito.

 

My Favorite Roasted Rabbit Recipe

Roasted Rabbit

One day a few years ago, my wife Betti called me from Whole Foods. “They have frozen rabbit,” she said. “Didn’t you tell me that you wanted to cook something different?”  I told her to buy it, and then began looking through my cookbooks for a good recipe.

After going through several of my favorite books, including the one my mother gave me in college (Il Cuoco Gentiloumo), I decided that none of them were quite right.  I decided to create my own recipe, and it turned out to be one of my best.

Ingredients

  • 1 rabbit cut in 8-12 pieces (ask the butcher to do it if you do not know how)
  • Extra virgin Italian olive oil
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced into in 8 wedges
  • 1 large ripe tomato, Heirloom preferred, sliced into 8 wedges
  • 2 teaspoons of capers
  • 2 tablespoons of good-quality green olives (pitted)
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 bunch of Italian parsley
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch of basil
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, just the leaves
  • ¾ of a cup white wine
  • Juice from 3 lemons
  • Balsamic vinegar, ¼ of a cup
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 hot spicy pepper

 

Preparation

  1. Marinate the rabbit with:
    • 1/3 of cup olive oil
    • 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
    • The juice of 3 lemons
    • 2 sprigs of rosemary –needles only
    • 8-10 basil leaves
    • The green bell pepper in 8 pieces
    • Salt and black pepperTurn the pieces over every 20 minutes or so, for about 1 hour.
  2. Start oven convection roast 475 – 480 F
  3. In a roasting pan, or Dutch oven (for example, Staubb or Le Crueset), add 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 minced red pepper (for example, a Calabrian red pepper or a Thai pepper), 2 cloves of smashed garlic, some coarse salt. Add the rabbit pieces and half of the marinade.
  4. Cook for 10 minutes on high, mixing every so often to brown the rabbit.
  5. After 10 minutes, add the rest of the marinade and continue to brown for 5 more minutes.
  6. In the meantime, get a medium sized bowl and mix together ¾ of a cup of white wine, ¼ of cup of balsamic vinegar. Add half of the remaining minced parsley.
  7. Remove the pan from the fire, and add ½ cup of flour, the wine and balsamic vinegar mix, and 1 cup of water to the pan. Mix the liquid well and then add the slices of tomato and the rest of the parsley.  Put the pan into the oven and lower the heat to 400 F.
  8. After 15 minutes, add the 2 teaspoons of capers and the 2 tablespoons of green olives. Cook for 5 more minutes.The total roasting time is 20 minutes, or 25 minutes if you cook a large rabbit or double this recipe.
  9. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remainder of the minced parsley, a handful of fresh basil and serve with excellent, crusty bread.
  10. Buon Appetito!

 

Italiano: Coniglio di Miguel

Ricetta che ho inventato perché tutte quelle che trovavo non mi piacevano.  È venuto il miglior coniglio che ho mai mangiato e da allora è uno dei miei piatti preferiti.

Ingredienti

  • 1 coniglio intero tagliato in 8-12 pezzi. Se non sapete tagliarlo chiedete al macellaio di farlo per voi
  • Olio extravergine di oliva italiano
  • 1 peperone verde, tagliato in 8 spicchi
  • 1 pomodoro grande maturo, preferito Heirloom, tagliato in 8 spicchi
  • 2 cucchiaini di capperi
  • 2 cucchiai di olive verdi di buona qualità (denocciolate)
  • 5 spicchi d’aglio
  • 1 mazzetto di prezzemolo italiano
  • 4 foglie di alloro
  • 1 mazzetto di basilico
  • 2 rametti di rosmarino fresco, solo le foglie
  • ¾ di bicchiere di vino bianco
  • Succo di 3 limoni
  • Aceto balsamico, ¼ di tazza
  • ½ tazza di farina per tutti gli usi
  • 1 peperoncino piccante

Preparazione

  1. Mettere il coniglio a marinare per circa 1 ora in una pentola con: 3 limoni spremuti, 3 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati, ½ tazzina di caffè di olio d’oliva, 1 peperone verde tagliato in 8 pezzi, 4 foglie di lauro, 1 rametto di rosmarino (solo gli aghi), un pugno di basilico, sale e pepe nero. Girare ogni 20 minuti circa.
  2. Accendere forno a 250C.
  3. In una buona pentola di alluminio o di ferro, 1/3 di tazzina di caffè d’olio d’oliva, 1 peperoncino piccante, quelli calabresi sono i migliori, 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati, un po’ di sale grosso. Aggiungere il coniglio e mezza marinata, fuoco forte fate rosolare per 10 minuti.
  4. Passati 10 minuti, aggiungete il resto della marinata e continuate a rosolare per 5 minuti a fuoco forte.
  5. Preparate 1 bicchiere 3/4 di vino bianco 1/4 di aceto balsamico e tagliate in 4 pezzi un grosso pomodoro. Tritate 1/2 mazzetto di prezzemolo.  Prendete la farina.
  6. Spegnete il fuoco, aggiungete due pugni di farina, il bicchiere vino e aceto, e lo stesso volume di acqua, rimestando per sciogliere la farina, aggiungete metà del prezzemolo e il pomodoro a pezzi, infornate scoperto abbassando il forno a 200.
  7. Dopo 15 minuti aggiungere 2 cucchiai di capperi e due di olive verdi (buone non olive in barattolo.) Infornate per altri 5 minuti (tempo totale in forno 20 minuti che diventane 25 se il coniglio è grosso o se state cuocendo due conigli).
  8. Togliere dal forno spruzzarci sopra un po di prezzemolo, e basilico fresco e buon appetito!

Tiramisu by Betti

Tiramisu is one of the classic Italian desserts, a delicious combination of cream, coffee, sugar and egg.   A good tiramisu is difficult to find, but I’ve been able to prepare this one for very large crowd…just a little piece goes a long way!

Tiramisu

A delicious slice of tiramisu

This is based on Giancarlo Gottardo’s recipe, but it has less sugar and  adds whipped egg whites to the custard for the tiramisu.

I also add a chocolate-flavored rum to the zabaglione (custard) that is the basis for the tiramisu. The alcohol in the rum cooks off, but it leaves a delicious flavor.

The tiramisu has a layer of custard on the bottom, topped by a layer of coffee-dipped ladyfingers, with another layer of custard, another layer of coffee-dipped ladyfingers, and then topped with a final layer of custard sprinkled with powered chocolate.  This recipe makes enough of the custard for a 13.5 inch by 9 inch  rectangular baking pan.

Because it’s so rich, a small piece is just right, and this recipe can serve 40 people easily.  That said, I always give the leftover tiramisu from a smaller gathering to my mom, who eats a couple of pieces each day for almost a week.  She assures me that the tiramisu seems to get better with each passing day.  So don’t worry, even if this seems like a lot of tiramisu, none will go to waste.

When you assemble the ingredients, you need to make sure that you make each part separately and then combine them quickly into the baking pan.

Make the recipe one day in advance so that the ingredients combine together fully before serving it.

Ingredients

  • 5 egg yolks, with 3 TB sugar for the zabaglione
  • 3 egg whites, with 3 TB sugar (or just use all 5 egg whites, using 1 TB sugar for each). You can reserve the extra whipped egg whites for your coffee the following morning.
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 packages of ladyfingers: You need enough to create two layers of ladyfingers in the baking pan
  • 3/4 cup fresh espresso, mixed with 2 TB sugar. You can optionally add 1/4 cup of chocolate-flavored rum to the coffee if you are okay with serving a dessert that has a small amount of alcohol in it.
  • 2 cups of mascarpone
  • 1/4 cup of chocolate-flavored rum (optional) for the zabaglione, plus an additional 1/4 cup that you can add to the coffee if you are okay with
  • 1/4 cup of ground dark chocolate (I use my coffee bean grinder to create the powder that dusts the top of the tiramisu)

Preparation

You will need several large mixing bowls ready for this recipe, as well as space in your refrigerator to store each bowl as you complete the steps below.  I have found that it’s best to start with the zabaglione, then whip the heavy cream, followed by the whipped egg whites.

Start by taking the two cups of mascarpone from the refrigerator so that they are at room temperature when you mix everything together.

Espresso

  1. Make 3/4 cup espresso and add 2 TB sugar. You an optionally add about 1/4 cup of chocolate-based rum, if you and your guests are okay with having some alcohol in the dessert.  If you prefer it non-alcoholic, make about 1 cup of espresso.
  2. Refrigerate until you need to assemble the tiramisu.

Zabaglione

The zabaglione is the egg-yolk-based custard that is key to making an excellent tiramisu.  You need to be prepared to devote at least 15 minutes of your full attention – and both hands – to the process of making zabaglione.  Turn off your phone, make sure you are listening to some good music!

  1. Prepare a Dutch boiler by putting water high enough to cover the bottom of the inserted pan. If you don’t have a Dutch boiler, select a pot that can hold a heavy Pyrex bowl comfortably, with the bottom part of the bowl immersed in the water.It’s best if you have a pan or bowl with a curved bottom, because you will need to whisk the eggs and sugar, and the curved surface makes the task easier and prevents sticking.
  2. Turn on the heat to medium/medium high to start heating the water. In the top pan, combine the 5 egg yolks with 3 TB sugar. With a large whisk, begin whisking the egg yolks and sugar, as the water comes to a light boil/simmer.You want to regulate the heat so that the water doesn’t boil too hard.  The goal is to make sure that the zabaglione cooks into a thick sauce over the next several minutes.
  3. Using a whisk, rapidly froth the egg yolks and sugar. Continue mixing over the Dutch oven for about 10 – 14 minutes. If you wish to add the chocolate-based rum, add it in 2-3 increments as you continue to whisk the eggs, sugar, and rum.If you don’t add the rum, add about 1/4 cup of the boiling water in small increments.
  4. When the mixture becomes thick, like a mayonnaise, the eggs have become pasteurized, and the zabaglione is ready.
  5. Remove the top part of the Dutch oven (or the Pyrex bowl) from the heat and continue to whisk for a couple of more minutes. This allows the custard to cool down and become slightly thicker.  Once it has cooled to a tepid temperature, you can stop whisking and place the bowl/pan you’re your refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Whipping Cream

  1. In a cold mixing bowl, add the whipping cream and vanilla extract.
  2. Mix until the whipping cream is light and fluffy.
  3. Put into the refrigerator. Clean the blades on your blender before starting the next step.

Egg Whites

  1. Just before combining ingredients for the tiramisu, make the egg white mixture. In a mixing bowl, add the 3 egg whites and 3 TB sugar.
  2. Whip until the egg whites form stiff peaks.

Combining All Ingredients

  1. With a silicon/rubber spatula, lightly fold—by hand—the mascarpone with the whipping cream in your largest bowl. Do not overmix – the mixture should be a combination of lumpy and fluffy, like summer clouds.
  2. Now fold the zabaglione mixture into the combined mascarpone/whipping cream.
  3. Next, gently fold approximately 1/2 to 2/3 of the whipped egg whites into the mixture.
  4. Spoon a layer of the zabaglione/mascarpone/egg white mixture into a rectangular baking pan.
  5. Now add the first layer of coffee-soaked ladyfingers. I usually line up the ladyfingers, a flat-bottomed bowl containing the coffee, and the rectangular baking pan.Working quickly, one ladyfinger at a time, I dip a ladyfinger into the coffee, then place it gently on the layer of custard.  I create a layer of ladyfingers, lined up like little soldiers, over the custard.
  6. Add a layer of custard over the ladyfingers.
  7. Next, add a second layer of ladyfingers, following the same process as above – dip each ladyfinger in coffee, then gently place it over the custard in the baking dish.
  8. Layer the last of the custard over the ladyfingers.
  9. Sprinkle the powdered chocolate over the top of the pan.
  10. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator at least 8 hours to allow the custard to set.

 

Gnocchi  (recipe for 4 – 6 people)

Gnocchi are a classic dish that have been served since Roman times.  If you want good gnocchi go to Sora Lella, one of the best Roman restaurants on the Isola Tiberina in the center of Roma (https://www.trattoriasoralella.it/it/).

There are various kinds of gnocchi, but the most commonly-known in the United States are those made with potatoes.  And while we don’t have the exact types of potatoes in the US as are used in Italy, I decided to try to replicate the flavor and texture of those delicious little “knuckles.”

For some reason I had never made gnocchi, which sounds bad if you think of yourself as a good Chef! Betti and I experimented with a recipe in Mario Batali’s Molto Italiano cookbook –that is generally a good cookbook.  Well, not for gnocchi! After replicating his recipe (somewhat faithfully), we made a new version that works much better.  First of all, instead of boiling the potatoes, as suggested by Batali, we roasted them.  And his recipe recommends boiling the gnocchi and then putting them in a bowl with canola oil to refrigerate, then re-boil the gnocchi immediately before adding a sauce.  This doesn’t work!  Even with utmost care, the gnocchi that have been pre-boiled turn into soft fragments the minute you try to re-boil them.  (Also –  canola oil? Please never use that, only olive oil!)

Naturally, I called my mother.  “No! You don’t cook them and then put them in the refrigerator!,” she said in horror.  “You make them and then you immediately eat them.”  So we tried some experiments with this process and learned that you can make them in advance, but with some caveats.

Another part of gnocchi adventure is that I found that I couldn’t bring myself to throw away the delicious cooked potato skins.  Betti and I came up with two fantastic (and easy) recipes to use the skins of those roasted potatoes:

  • Potato-skin frittata (omelette)
  • Twice-baked potato-skins with anchovies, parsley, grated Parmigiano, and red pepper – or anything else you want to add!

Here’s my recipe for simple potato gnocchi. This is enough for four (4) servings as a main course, and eight (8) servings as an appetizer.   This recipe works best if you have a potato press or ricer because it allows you to mash up the cooked potato to a very consistent, fine texture (here’s a link to different varieties of ricers: https://robbreport.com/lifestyle/product-recommendations/best-potato-ricer-masher-amazon-2919928/) – I have to confess that I have a very simple one with fine holes that cost me $3, so you don’t need to spend much money to buy one.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds of Russet potatoes (these are the best for gnocchi)
  • 1 to 2 cups of organic all-purpose flour; you will need to judge the amount as you make the pasta (dough) for the gnocchi
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt

Preparation

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 F. While it’s heating, scrub the potatoes and use a fork to poke holes all over each surface.  Once the oven has reached 450 F, put a large baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven to catch drippings, and then put the potatoes directly on the middle oven rack.
  2. Cook them for 45 – 50 minutes. They are cooked when you can reach in with an oven mitt and gently squeeze a potato and feel it give slightly “give” under the pressure of your mitt.
  3. Remove the potatoes from the oven, and turn off the oven. Allow the potatoes to cool for a few minutes so that they are still warm, but not impossible to handle (15 – 30 minutes should be enough).
  4. Peel the potatoes with your fingers, placing the peel into a medium-sized bowl. If you want to experiment with my potato skin recipes, put the bowl aside for later. Put the remainder of the potatoes in large bowl, or onto the baking pan you used for the drippings.
  5. Set up a clean, large work surface — I use a flour-dusted silicone pad on my kitchen counter. Using your potato ricer, mash all of the warm potatoes onto the work surface and form a well in the center.
  6. Beat the egg with a teaspoon of fine sea salt, then pour it into the potato well. Now, working with about 1/2 cup of flour at a time, begin to mix the flour with the potato and egg.  Gently mix, continuing to add more flour, until you have a dough that feels flexible and soft, but not sticky.  Form a ball of the dough.
  7. Knead it very gently for 3 to 4 more minutes until you have a consistent, smooth texture.
  8. Now divide the dough into even pieces or wedges. Roll each into a ball.

    Gnocchi Dividing And Cutting 1

    A dough made of cooked russet potatoes, egg, and flour is divided and shaped into gnocchi

Gnocchi Cutting And Shaping 1

Cutting the rolled potato dough

9. Starting with the first ball, roll it gently into a long log that is about 3/4 inch in diameter. Cut it into 1-inch pieces, and then using a fork or your fingers, roll down the back of each segment to create the characteristic “knuckle” shape.

Gnocchi Cutting And Shaping 3

10.  Gently place the shaped gnocchi onto a flat, parchment-lined baking dish. Continue creating all of the gnocchi.

At this point, you can either cook the gnocchi in a pot of boiling water (no salt, please, because it will cause the gnocchi to break down) and serve with a delicious sauce –see below- or you can cover the gnocchi with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day before cooking.

Alternatively, you can freeze your gnocchi, and then cook them in the boiling water after taking them from your freezer.

 

Risotto with Saffron and Artichoke (for 4)

This is a wonderful recipe: it will make an impression! but…saffron is expensive!

Risotto With Wild Artichoke And Saffron 1

Michele finalizing the Artichoke and Saffron Risotto in Calabria

I modified this recipe from something I read in a magazine, basically I replaced the butter with olive oil, changed the type of onion and artichoke, and added the rosemary to the rice.

Artichokes: ideally you want the small wild artichokes.  About 20 of them for 4 people –also those found in jars under olive oil are good.  If you cannot find these type of artichokes, you can use fresh artichokes (1 or 2 per person after you cleaned them very well). You can also use one and half jar of Italian artichokes in olive oil (“Seggiano,” for example, are great).  If you use a jar of regular artichokes, drain the oil from the jar and throw it away, because that oil will not taste good if cooked, and cut each artichoke in 4.

Ingredients

  • Artichokes (see above for quantity)
  • 175 ml (¾ cup) Italian extra virgin olive oil
  • 300 grams of risotto Carnaroli (or Vialone Nano)
  • 2 grams of saffron, not more not less.
  • 1 sweet onion, preferably a Tropea onion, alternatively a Vidalia or a Maui onion, minced
  • 4 sprigs of rosemary, divided. Remove the needles from two of the sprigs to cook with the artichoke; reserve the other whole sprigs for the risotto.
  • ½ glass white wine
  • About 1.25 liters (4-5 cups) of chicken broth, preferably homemade (see recipe)
  • 50 – 70 grams freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) of finely chopped Italian parsley

Preparation

  1. Put the saffron in about 1 cup of warm broth and let it dissolve for several minutes. It will help if you mix it periodically with a fork
  2. Put the rest of the broth on high heat, covered, till it boils. Then put the pot on simmer.
  3. In a separate large skillet, add ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil, the rosemary needles, and turn the heat to high. Add the artichokes and fry until they are golden, approximately 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside after pouring off the olive oil used to cook the artichokes.
  4. Now you are ready to start the risotto. In a risotto pot (Staub or Creuset enamel are the best), add 1/3 of cup of olive oil, the minced onion, and the remaining two sprigs of rosemary and cook on high heat for about 2 minutes, until the onion just begin to become translucent.
  5. Add the risotto, and stir constantly on high heat with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.
  6. Add the white wine, allow it to evaporate for about 30 seconds, and start adding chicken broth ½ cup at the time, of course stirring it continuously.
  7. Taste for salt and add it if necessary, which means if the broth had little salt, add some.
  8. After about 20 minutes when the risotto is almost ready. Add the broth that contains saffron; now the risotto will turn yellowish/red. Keep stirring.
  9. Once the risotto is done, which means it is still al dente and the broth absorbed almost entirely, turn the heat off, add the Parmigiano and mix well.
  10. Put the cooked artichokes on top of the risotto (do NOT add the olive oil in which you cooked the artichokes), sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.
  11. Buon Appetito!

Risotto Carciofi e Zafferano

Ottimo, semplice, ma caro perché lo zafferano costa!

Adding Parmigiano to Risotto Wild Artichoke And Saffron

Michele adds the Parmigiano to the risotto.

Carciofi: se trovate i carciofini selvatici, freschi o in scatola meglio, altrimenti i carciofi normali, 1-2 a testa oppure anche quelli in scatola con i c

arciofi sott’olio per esempio I carciofi chef a “Seggiano” sono ottimi (non quelli in acqua per carità).  Se usate i carciofi in barattolo, un barattolo e mezzo per 300 g di riso che basta per 4 persone.  Attenzione l’olio che usano per inscatolarli di solito è scadente, perciò scolatelo e friggeteli con del buon olio d’oliva. Come sempre la qualità dell’olio è fondamentale per la buona riuscita del piatto.

Ingredienti

  • Carciofi (vedi sopra)
  • Olio d’oliva extra vergine Italiano
  • 300 grammi Risotto Carnaroli (o Vialone Nano)
  • Zafferano 2 grame, né più né meno.
  • 1 cipolla di Tropea, o altra cipolla dolce a pezzettini.
  • 4 rametti di rosmarino
  • ½ bicchiere di vino bianco
  • Circa 1 litro e mezzo di brodo di pollo fatto in casa (vedi ricotta)
  • 50-70 grammi di parmigiano grattato fresco
  • Un pugno di prezzemolo tritato

Preparazione

  1. Mettere lo zafferano in 1/3 di litro di brodo di pollo tiepido e con una forchetta girare un po’ e lasciarlo li per circa mezzora che si sciolga. Il più possibile girando spesso.
  2. Mettere il resto del brodo a bollire e come bolle abbassare il fuoco al minimo
  3. Mettere 1/2 bicchiere d’olio in padella, gli aghi di due rametti di rosmarino, fuoco alto, aggiungere i carciofi e fare cuocere finche dorati da entrambi I lati, circa 5 minuti.
  4. In una buona pentola, di ferro, di rame o tipo Staub o Le Creuset per esempio, mettere 1/3 di bicchiere d’ olio, la cipolla a pezzettini, e gli aghi di due rametti di rosmarino, fuoco forte, fate soffriggere 2 minuti, al massimo e aggiungete il riso.
  5. Girate continuamente con un cucchiaio di legno per circa 2 minuti, aggiungete mezzo bicchiere di vino bianco, lasciate evaporare 30 secondi, sempre girando, e cominciate ad aggiungere il brodo un mesto alla volta finché non si incorpora. Assaggiate di sale, se il brodo è insipido dovrete aggiungere un po’ di sale.
  6. Dopo circa 20 min quando il risotto è quasi pronto, aggiungete il brodo con lo zafferano –anche quello che non si è sciolto -e continuate a girare fino a completa cottura.
  7. Spegnete il fuoco, togliete la pentola dai fornelli bollenti, aggiungete il parmigiano rimestate bene, e metteteci sopra i carciofi presi dalla pentola in cui li avete soffritti. Quindi saranno unti, non dovete asciugarli dall’olio ma non dovete aggiungere l’olio in cui avete fritto i carciofi. Aggiungete il prezzemolo e portate la padella a tavola così che tutti vedono quanto è bello questo risotto, poi fate le porzioni e…
  8. Buon Appetito!

Shrimp, Calabrian Style

This recipe is enough for four people.

Note: This recipe will work with other crustaceans, you just need to adjust for amount of time and ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 20 shrimp with head and everything else, not peeled!
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 bunch of parsley, chopped very fine
  • Hot red pepper (better fresh southern Italian hot peppers, or Hawaiian hot peppers, or Thai peppers, or whatever dry red pepper you have)
  • 1 glass white wine

Preparation

  1. Using scissors, cut lengthwise along the spine of the shrimp, starting from the junction of the head-body down toward the tail–but leave the head and the shell on! Carefully pull the black cord from the shrimp and rinse under cold water. Set aside until all the shrimp have been sliced.
  2. In a large pan, add ½ cup olive oil, and turn the heat to high. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Turn the flame off, and allow the garlic take on a golden color.
  3. Remove and discard the garlic.
  4. Turn the flame back to high and add ½ of the minced parsley, red pepper to taste, and immediately add the shrimp. Cook about 1 minute per side, add 1 glass of white wine, and cook for 2 more minutes (i.e. 1 additional minute per side).
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Pour the sauce from the skillet over each plate, add the shrimp on top forming a circle, then garnish with the remaining minced parsley.
  7. Buon appetito!

Italiano: Gamberi alla Calabrese

Questa ricetta è sufficiente per quattro persone.

Nota: questa ricetta funzionerà con altri crostacei, devi solo regolare la quantità di tempo e gli ingredienti.

Ingredienti

  • 20 gamberetti con la testa e tutto il resto, non pelati!
  • 120 ml di olio extravergine di oliva
  • 3 spicchi d’aglio, schiacciati
  • 1 mazzetto di prezzemolo tritato molto fine
  • Pepe rosso piccante (meglio peperoncino piccante dell’Italia meridionale, o peperoncino hawaiano, o peperoncino thailandese, o qualunque altro peperoncino secco tu abbia)

Preparazione

  1. Tagliare il guscio dei gamberi dorsalmente con le forbici, senza rimuovere né guscio né la testa.
  2. Versare circa un bicchiere d’olio d’oliva in una padella grande.  Fuoco forte.
  3. Soffriggere l’aglio, rimuoverlo appena imbiondisce, aggiungere un pugno di prezzemolo tritato, peperoncino rosso, a gusto vostro, a me piacciono molto piccanti, e immediatamente anche i gamberi.
  4. Soffriggere 1 minuto per lato.  Aggiungere 1 bicchiere vino bianco.  Cuocere altri due minuti, sempre fuoco forte, 1 minuto per lato.
  5. Rimuovere padella dal fuoco, aggiungere un pugno di prezzemolo tritato, e servire i gamberi con la loro salsetta.
  6. Buon appetito!
Bone-In Veal Chop

Bone-in Veal Chops (for 4 people)

Bone-In Veal Chop

The veal chop in its sauce.

This is a traditional Italian dish, and it’s outstanding if cooked well.  Here’s how I make it. It’s best when you get bone-in veal that’s cut about one and a half inches thick.

About the porcini mushrooms: be sure they are Italian porcini, not porcini “packed in Italy”.  There is a huge difference and a big scam based on the fact that most do not know how to tell the difference.  If it is Italian, you can be sure that it is spelled clearly on the label.  If says packed in Italy it means bought in Yugoslavia or another country, where unfortunately the porcini are much less aromatic. The best ones are those from “Sila,” the mountainous part of Calabria.

There are different grades of porcini: there is the top quality (prima scelta), the second quality, third quality, and fourth quality.  Quality depends on the number of holes they have, which means how many worms ate it.  The more the holes, the less valuable and older the mushroom, and the more bitter “acid” it tastes.   Usually the 4th quality is reduced to a powder sold as “porcini powder”.

My advice is to use only first (best) or second quality. Probably you need to spend some time on the internet to find them. If you cannot find them, get the best you can and plan a trip to Calabria, usually when I come back my suitcase is full of dried porcini.

Ingredients

  • 4 1-and-½ inch thick veal chops
  • 25 to 50 grams of dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup of warm water for at least 30 minutes, then drain them and reserve the water. Chop them coarsely just before adding to the pot
  • 1 medium size onion
  • 1 clove of garlic, smashed
  • 13 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, minced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 cup of chicken broth
  • 1 TB extra-virgin olive oil
  • Juice from one lemon
  • 2 TB butter

 

Preparation

  1. In a large iron skillet, add just enough olive oil to cover just the bottom of the pan (perhaps 1 TB. of oil, depending on the size of the pan).
  2. Watching the pan carefully, heat on high until the oil just starts to smoke, add the bone-in veal chops and lower the heat to medium-high.
  3. Cook on one side for 5 minutes, moving the chops with a spatula so they do not stick to the pan. Flip the veal chops and cook them for another 5 minutes, and every other minute move them with the spatula to prevent sticking.
  4. Get the porcini out of the water, squeeze them lightly and chop (remember to reserve the liquid they have soaked in).
  5. Now that the veal chops are well-browned on both sides, flip them over again, and add the chopped onion and garlic and parsley, cooking them for 2 minutes.
  6. Add the chopped porcini mushrooms, and let them cook 2 minutes.
  7. Add 1 cup of white wine, turning the chops once more as the wine evaporates for two minutes.
  8. Add the water of the porcini mushrooms and let it evaporate for 2 minutes.
  9. Flip the veal.
  10. Add 1 cup of chicken broth, allow it to evaporate for about 3 minutes, until very little liquid is left. Add 2 TB of butter to the skillet.
  11. As soon as the butter melts, turn off the heat.
  12. Add the juice of 1 lemon. Add salt and pepper, and mix well.
  13. Plate your phenomenal dinner, and Buon Appetito!

 

Suggested Wine Pairing:  Serve with a Barbaresco, of course, because I love it.  But a Barolo or a good Chianti or Etna Rosso will be good with this fabulous dish.

Italiano: Costolette di vitello con osso

Questo è un piatto tradizionale italiano ed è eccezionale se cucinato bene. Ecco come lo preparo. È meglio quando ottieni un vitello con osso tagliato di circa un pollice e mezzo di spessore

A proposito dei funghi porcini: assicuratevi che siano porcini italiani, non porcini “confezionati in Italia”.

C’è un’enorme differenza e una grande truffa basata sul fatto che la maggior parte non sa come capire la differenza. Se è italiano, puoi star certo che è scritto chiaramente sull’etichetta. Se si dice confezionato in Italia significa comprato in Jugoslavia o in un altro paese, dove purtroppo i porcini sono molto meno aromatici. I migliori sono quelli della “Sila”, la parte montuosa della Calabria.

Esistono diversi gradi di porcini: c’è la qualità superiore (prima scelta), la seconda qualità, la terza qualità e la quarta qualità. La qualità dipende dal numero di buchi che hanno, il che significa quanti vermi l’hanno mangiato. Più sono buchi, meno pregiato e vecchio è il fungo e più “acido” ha un sapore amaro. Di solito la 4a qualità si riduce a una polvere venduta come “polvere di porcini”.

Il mio consiglio è di utilizzare solo la prima (migliore) o la seconda qualità. Probabilmente hai bisogno di passare un po’ di tempo su Internet per trovarli. Se non riesci a trovarli, fatti il meglio che puoi e organizza un viaggio in Calabria, di solito quando torno la mia valigia è piena di porcini secchi.

Ingredienti

  • 4 costolette di vitello spesse 3,5 cm
  • 25-50 grammi di funghi porcini secchi, messi a bagno in 250 ml di acqua tiepida per almeno 30 minuti, quindi scolateli e mettete da parte l’acqua. Tagliarli grossolanamente appena prima di aggiungerli alla pentola
  • 1 cipolla di media grandezza
  • 1 spicchio d’aglio, schiacciato
  • 1⁄3 mazzetto di prezzemolo a foglia piatta, tritato
  • 250 ml di vino bianco
  • 250 ml di brodo di pollo
  • 1 cucchiaio di olio extravergine di oliva
  • Succo di un limone
  • 2 cucchiai di burro

Preparazione

  1. In una grande padella di ferro, aggiungi olio d’oliva quanto basta per coprire solo il fondo della padella (forse 1 cucchiaio di olio, a seconda delle dimensioni della padella).
  2. Guardando attentamente la padella, scaldare a fuoco alto fino a quando l’olio inizia a fumare, aggiungere le costolette di vitello con osso e abbassare la fiamma a medio-alta.
  3. Cuocere da un lato per 5 minuti, spostando le costolette con una spatola in modo che non si attacchino alla padella. Girate le costolette di vitello e fatele cuocere per altri 5 minuti, e ogni due minuti spostatele con la spatola per evitare che si attacchino.
  4. Togliete i porcini dall’acqua, strizzateli leggermente e tritateli (ricordatevi di riservare il liquido in cui hanno messo a bagno).
  5. Ora che le costolette di vitello sono ben dorate su entrambi i lati, giratele di nuovo e aggiungete la cipolla tritata, l’aglio e il prezzemolo, cuocendoli per 2 minuti.
  6. Aggiungere i funghi porcini tritati e lasciarli cuocere 2 minuti.
  7. Aggiungere 250 ml di vino bianco, rigirando ancora una volta le costolette man mano che il vino evapora per due minuti.
  8. Aggiungete l’acqua dei funghi porcini e lasciate evaporare per 2 minuti.
  9. Capovolgere il vitello.
  10. Aggiungere 250 ml di brodo di pollo, lasciarlo evaporare per circa 3 minuti, fino a quando rimane pochissimo liquido. Aggiungi 2 cucchiai di burro nella padella.
  11. Non appena il burro si scioglie, spegnete il fuoco.
  12. Aggiungere il succo di 1 limone. Salate e pepate e mescolate bene.
  13. Prepara la tua cena fenomenale e Buon Appetito!

Abbinamenti Vini Consigliati: Servire con un Barbaresco, ovviamente, perché lo adoro. Ma un Barolo o un buon Chianti o l’Etna Rosso andranno bene con questo piatto favoloso.

 

 

Acciughe (Sardines) in umido (option: pasta with sardine)

Acciughe (Sardines) in umido (option: pasta with sardines) 

Sardine

A plate of sardines, garnished with parsley.

Not too long ago, I cooked sardines for me,  my daughter, and a group of her friends.  I found the sardines fresh at Whole Foods and bought them because I wanted something tasty, and at the same time healthy, to keep me in shape.  The recipe came out great!  One of the best dinners I cooked, and everyone loved it.

It takes no time, say 15-20 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sardines (fresh!)
  • 4-5 TB olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic smashed
  • 4 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon of oregano (Italian preferred)
  • 3 teaspoons of bread crumbs, plain
  • 1 – 2 hot Calabrian, Hawaiian, or Thai pepper
  • 15-20 small “pear” tomatoes all colors, each cut into quarters
  • ½ glass white wine –Sicilian or Calabrian best, for example Etna Bianco
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 TB. of capers

Critical element: you need a good pot with a good cover that closes well, no leaks.  Ideally a Staub or La Creuset, or a similar heavy pot

Preparation

  1. Fillet the sardines –if you do not know how, let the fish vendor do it for you, and be sure she also removes the few scales they may have on the skin.
  2. Cover the bottom of a 6-8 inch pot with 2-3 mm of olive oil, say about ¼ of a cup.
  3. Add the sardine filets, garlic, 3 teaspoons of parsley (conserve 1 teaspoon for garnish), oregano, hot pepper, tomatoes, bread crumbs, wine, and salt.
  4. Cover the pot, and then turn on the stove to medium high for about 5 minutes. Stironly once, cover again for 3 more minutes.
  5. Uncover, and allow to cook another 2 minutes or so, so that the sauce evaporates, and there is no liquid. You know that it is ready when the tomatoes are soft.  It should take a total of about 10-12 min.
  6. Turn off the heat, add 1 TB. of capers and 1 TB. of minced parsley.
  7. Enjoy!

 

Option: cook pasta al dente, mix with the sauce you prepared and now you will eat pasta (linguine is the best choice of pastas) with sardines.

Yes, of course, you could prepare the same recipe of sardines in the oven, but my oven is broken, so I cooked them on the fire, and the result was superb!

Italian: Tortino di alici – oppure pasta con alici

–Non molto tempo fa ho cucinato le sarde per me, mia figlia e un gruppo di suoi amici. Ho trovato le sarde fresche da Whole Foods e le ho comprate perché volevo qualcosa di gustoso, e allo stesso tempo sano, che mi tenesse in forma. La ricetta è venuta alla grande!

È delle migliori cene che ho cucinato e è piaciuto a tutti.

Non ci vuole tempo, diciamo 15-20 minuti dall’inizio alla fine.

Ingredienti

  • 500 g di sardine –appena pescate
  • 5 cucchiai d’olio d’oliva buono
  • 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati
  • 4 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato
  • 1 cucchiaio di origano
  • 3 cucchiai di pan grattato
  • 1 – 2 peperoncini piccanti
  • 15-20 pomodorini pachino tagliati in 4
  • 120 ml di vino bianco, un Cirò o Etna Bianco ci sta benissimo
  • 1 cucchiaio di capperi

Una buona pentola con coperchio emetico (le Staub sono le migliori).

Preparazione

  1. Filettate le sarde, se non sapete come fare chiedete aiuto al pescivendolo e naturalmente rimuovete le scaglie, se sono grosse.
  2. Coprite il fondo della pentola con 2 -3 mm di olio d’oliva buono.
  3. Versate sull’olio i filetti di alici, l’aglio, 3 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato, 3 – 4 spicchi di aglio schiacciati, l’origano, peperoncino piccante, i pomodorini, pan grattato, vino e (poco) sale.
  4. Fuoco medio alto, cuocere 5 minuti coperto, mischiare –solo una volta, coprire di nuovo per 5 minuti. E se c’è troppo liquido –perché avete messo troppo vino- cuocere 2 minuti scoperchiato.  È pronto quando i pomodori sono appassiti.  In tutto 10-12 minuti massimo.
  5. Spegnere il fuoco e aggiungere un cucchiaio di prezzemolo tritato e un cucchiaio (o due se vi piacciono tanto) di capperi.
  6. Buon appetito!

Opzione: Cucinare le linguine al dente e condire con il tortino di alici.

Naturalmente potete farlo al forno, ma il mio forno era rotto e perciò l’ho fatta sui fornelli: è venuta così buona che non ho mai avuto il coraggio di provare a farla al forno!

 

 

 

Il Polpettone: “the big meat ball”

This is a very old recipe that you can find in the famous cookbook by Artusi, the great grandfather of what is now known as the Italian Cuisine.  He apparently loved this dish—like me and all my friends and guests—but you will seldom find it in any Italian restaurant, either in Italy or in the US.  It is the type of food that your mom cooks at home.  Anyway, apparently this dish originated in Florence in the 1400s.

Here is the original recipe: Try it and tell me what you think.

Il polpettone

This is similar to the meatloaf that is made in the US, but it has some variations in its preparation.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound or 500 grams of lean ground meat—buffalo meat is perfect
  • 2 eggs: 1 whole egg, and only the yolk of the other, which will be mixed with the ground meat
  • 2 egg yolks, beaten – used to create a gravy from the drippings
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmigiano cheese
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • A handful of flour (for dusting the cutting board where you shape the polpettone)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Preparation

  1. Wash your hands.
  2. Make a “volcano” out of the ground beef on a cutting board that has been dusted with all-purpose white flour. There should be a hole in the middle of the beef.
  3. Add to the center of the volcano: 2 eggs: 1 whole, 1 yolk only; 2 TB of grated Parmigiano; 2 table spoons of “plain” bread crumbs, TB. nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, mix them up with the surrounding meat trying not to let the egg leak on the floor –that is why you made a volcano!  With your hands mix everything well and make a big oval meatball log, i.e., the “polpettone.”
  4. Roll the polpettone in the flour. Carefully lift the polpettone log into the pan where the ½ cup of olive oil is already hot, but not smoking!
  5. Brown the polpettone on medium-high fire for about 10 minutes turning it around gently so all sides take a nice brown color.
  6. Add 1 cup of chicken broth, cover and lower the heat to medium-low (or low depending of the stove) and let it cook 20 minutes.
  7. Remove from the heat and IMMEDIATELY add the 2 well-beaten egg yolks,  and turn the polpettone around the egg yok. As this starts to coagulate, add the juice of 1 squeezed lemon, turn the polpettone a little more. It will form a nice granulated sauce.
  8. Put the polpettone on the cutting board, slice it, put slices on serving dish, pour some of the gravy over it, and enjoy.

Wine Pairing Suggestions

A good Chianti, of course, or a Rosso di Montalcino for this dish that apparently originated in Florence.

Italiano: Il Polpettone

Il polpettone è una delle ricette più antiche della cucina Italiana.  Era uno dei piatti preferiti dell’Artusi, il grande nonno della cucina Italiana, ma trovare questa ricotta in un ristorante è impossibile, chissà perché.  Piace a tutti, adulti e bambini, e si fa molto facilmente.  In 30 minuti da mangiare a 5 persone, o dieci se raddoppiate gli ingredienti.

Ingredienti

  • 236 ml di olio extravergine di oliva
  • 500 grammi di carne macinata magra: la carne di bufalo è perfetta
  • 2 uova: 1 uovo intero, e solo il tuorlo dell’altro, che andrà mescolato alla carne macinata
  • 2 tuorli d’uovo, sbattuti – usati per creare un sugo dalle sgocciolature
  • Succo di 1 limone
  • 2 cucchiai di parmigiano grattugiato
  • 1 cucchiaino di noce moscata
  • 2 cucchiai di pangrattato normale
  • 236 ml di brodo di pollo
  • Una manciata di farina (per spolverare il tagliere dove si forma il polpettone)
  • Sale e pepe a piacere

Preparazione

  1. 500 grammi di carne magra tritata (di bufala se la trovate).
  2. Lavatevi le mani.
  3. Formare un vulcano, e mettere nello spazio vuoto al centro del vulcano 2 uova, uno intero, l’altro solo il rosso, 2 cucchiai di Parmigiano grattato e due di pan grattato, un cucchiaino da te di noce moscata, sale e pepe.  Mischiate bene e fate una polpettona ovale.  Poi passatela nella farina.
  4. Mettetela in una pentola con olio già caldo (circa 10 cucchiai d’olio o 120 ml).  Giratelo delicatamente finche non prende un bel colore marrone da tutti i lati, circa 10 minuti fuoco medio alto.  Aggiungete una tazza di brodo di pollo, abbassate il fuoco e fate andare per 20 minuti coperto.
  5. Togliete la pentola dal fuoco e procedete con la “fricassee” cioè: aggiungete 2 torli d’uovo sbattuti, e girateci intorno il polpettone, appena l’uovo comincia a raggrumarsi spremeteci sopra 1 limone, girate il polpettone ancora un po’ e poi mettetelo su un tagliere, tagliatelo a fette, servite nei piatti e aggiungete sopra un po’ della salsetta.  La fine del mondo.

 

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