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Abbacchio Recipe: The Head of the Lamb

By

On September 24, 2025

In Entrees

Head of the lamb

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (200 grams) of bread crumbs
  • 1 cup whole milk [No amount specified]
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 handful fresh Italian parsley, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste (use more salt than normal because the brain needs salt)
  • 1 lamb head. Ask your butcher to cut the head longitudinally so you have two mirror halves.

Preparation

  1. Heat oven at 350 F (175C).
  2. Gently rinse the head under slowly running cold water to remove the blood.
  3. Put a large pot of water on high heat. When the water boils, add the two pieces of the lamb head. Boil it about 12 minutes.
  4. Remove the two halves of the head and allow them to cool for about 15-20 minutes.
  5. Remove the brain from the head with a spoon, and with a knife remove the meat on the cheek bones.
  6. Mince the meat from the cheek bones and place in a medium sized bowl. Chop the brain, adding it to the same bowl.
  7. Squeeze the breadcrumbs to remove excess milk, and add to the bowl with the brain and minced meat. Add the minced garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients well.
  8. Divide the mixture into two “meatballs” and place them back into the head bones.
  9. Cover the surface of the “meatballs” with the remaining bread crumbs and drizzle a little bit of olive oil. Place the two halves of the head into a large roasting pan, and bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.
  10. Increase temperature to broil for just one 1 minute – check check it out! Do not let it burn, you just want it to get a light crust on top.
  11. Remove from the oven and serve with some bruschetta (toasted olive bread, best with olive oil and, if you like, also rub on the bread a clove of garlic).

Suggested Side dishes:

  1. Chicory leaves – 2 leaves per person, immerse the in water an ice, and take them out at he table in front of everybody and with your own hands put some of the sauce of the puntarelle (see recipe Spallucce di Abbacchio alla Cacciatora) over each leaf and enjoy!
  2. Schiacciata di patate (mashed potatoes with onion and rosemary.

Abbacchio Cosciotto al Forno (the 2 hind legs of the lamb).

By

On September 24, 2025

In Entrees

 

I’ve included two recipes.  The first is the classical Roman recipe.  The second is a Spanish recipe provided by a good friend from Spain.

Abbacchio Cosciotto al Forno, a Classical Roman Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 legs of lamb, bone in
  • 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 sprig of rosemary [how much? You didn’t specify]
  • 1 cup (250 ml) of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup (250 ml) of WHITE wine?
  • Salt and black pepper

Preparation

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 F (220 C).
  2. Chop black pepper, salt, rosemary, and 3 garlic cloves and mix well. Use a knife to make several small “holes” or deep cuts along/inside the leg of the abbacchio. Massage the leg with the spice mixture, pushing it into the holes.
  3. Put the onion, celery stocks, and carrot on the bottom of a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the two legs of lamb. Lay the legs of lamb over the chopped vegetables, then pour some olive oil all over it.
  4. Put the roasting pan in the oven, uncovered. After 10 minutes, turn the legs of lamb, and roast for 10 more minutes.  Add 1 cup of white wine and enough water to cover for about ½ inch (1 cm) the bottom of the pan. Turn down the oven to 350 F (180 C) and continue to cook 40 minutes per side, for a total total cooking time of about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
  5. Put the legs on a board to let them cool. Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the roasting pan. In the meantime, de-glaze the roasting liquids by turning on a burner to boil the liquid. Use a wooden spoon detach all the adhered pieces of meat from the roasting pan.  Pour this sauce over the lamb and serve.
  6. Buon appetito!

Abbacchio Cosciotto, from the Brugarolas Family in Spain

This recipe is from my friend and colleague Jim Brugarolas, a top Spanish scientist, who works at University of Texas Southwestern. It’s the Brugarolas family recipe, and I love it

Ingredients

  • 8 sprigs of fresh thyme, divided
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • Salt
  • ¾ cup olive oil, divided

Preparation

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
  2. With a knife, make holes/cuts into the leg of the lamb.
  3. Remove the leaves from about 6 sprigs of thyme and chop 2 garlic cloves add some salt and mix well. Massage this mixture with some olive oil around the leg and push some of it inside the holes/cuts you made.
  4. Place the leg directly into the roasting pan and pour over it 1/2 cup of olive oil and water for a depth of about 1 cm. Add 2 more springs of thyme and a couple of smashed garlic cloves. Put in the oven at 350, uncovered, and roast for 1 and half hours.
  5. Serve the legs of lamb, using the liquid from roasting it as a delicious sauce.
  6. Buon appetito!

 

Spallucce di Abbacchio (Lamb) alla Cacciatora

By

On September 24, 2025

In Entrees

This is another of the classic Roman abbacchio recipes, featuring the front legs of the lamb, cooked in the “hunter’s style” with anchovies and served with bitter greens.

For this dish, we will use the front legs of the lamb, the shoulders and the vertebrae cut into pieces of about 2-3 inches (ask the butcher to do it for you, or, if you prefer, you can chop it if you have a Mannaia (cleaver) and a big butcher block.

I serve this with a slightly bitter salad. The best is the Italian Catalonian chicory, or puntarelle, which makes an excellent side salad. If you cannot find Catalonian chicory, consider radicchio, endive, or escarole.

Ingredients

For the Meat

  • Front legs, shoulders, and vertebrae, cut into 2-to-3-inch pieces
  • 1 or 2 tsp. tomato paste, depending how intense it is
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 1 glass white wine
  • About ¼ cup (60 ml) of extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Sauce

  • 1/5 cup (50 ml) white vinegar
  • ¾ cup (200 ml) of olive oil
  • 4 anchovies, or 8 filets of anchovies
  • 2 garlic cloves

Preparation

Preparation of the Sauce

  1. Combine the white vinegar, olive oil, anchovies, and garlic cloves in a food processor or a blender and mix well. You can prepare the sauce up to 1 week in advance and keep in the refrigerator, in a tightly closed container. If made fresh, allow it to rest for 15 minutes before using it.

Preparation of the Meat

  1. Using a large, non-stick skillet, add just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, put the heat to high. When the oil is hot, add the chopped lamb, and let them take a golden/brown color on all sides for 2 to 3 minutes.
  2. Lower the heat and add the smashed garlic cloves. As soon as the garlic becomes gold, remove it. Add the tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and olive oil sauce.  Simmer for 1 minute and add the white wine, increasing the heat to allow the alcohol to evaporate, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the rosemary, salt, black pepper, and add 6 cups (1.5 liters) of water. Partially cover the pan and let it cook on medium or medium-low for about 45 minutes.
  4. Remove the pieces of lamb from the skillet with a slotted spoon and reserve in a large bowl. Increase the heat, cooking until the liquid becomes very thick, almost like a paste.  De-glaze if necessary with some water, then pour this sauce on top of the lamb pieces and serve.
  5. Consider a serving of a salad, such as the puntarella (chicory salad) dressed with the sauce.
  6. Buon appetito!

 

Braciolette di Abbacchio (Lamb Ribs)

By

On September 24, 2025

In Entrees

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs, beaten in a shallow bowl
  • 1 cup (300 grams) of breadcrumbs, poured in a large shallow bowl
  • 1 cup (300 grams) of all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups (800 ml) olive oil, or, if you prefer, vegetable oil
  • 1 small sprig of rosemary, minced
  • 3 lemons, quartered?
  • Ribs of the abbacchio, sliced into individual rib-chops
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Mix the minced rosemary with the breadcrumbs in a large, shallow bowl.
  2. Using a large non-stick skillet, add the olive (or vegetable) oil and turn the heat to high.
  3. Beat the eggs in a large shallow bowl. Immerse the ribs into the beaten eggs, then dip each into the breadcrumb and rosemary mixture.
  4. Transfer the ribs into the pan with olive oil, turn once. [How many minutes per side?] They will be ready in a couple of minutes, as soon as they are golden. Pull them from the skillet, allow them to drain briefly on a platter lined with paper towels, then add pepper and salt
  5. Serve immediately with some slices of fresh lemon.

Five Roman Abbacchio Recipes (suckling lamb recipes) for 12 People

By

On September 24, 2025

In Entrees

Abbacchio, a suckling, or milk-fed lamb, must be 8 weeks old or less and should not weigh more than 7 kg (15 lb.)  This is a delicacy in Rome, and there are four typical Roman dishes that are prepared from 1 abbacchio. Each dish alone feeds 4 people:

One entire abbacchio will feed 10 -12 people. For a perfect dinner, start with a Rigatoni with Mussels, Bacala and Pecorino (another classic Roman recipe), and then continue with the four classic abbacchio dishes.

In addition, at the end I list a fifth recipe that is quite popular in the South of Italy: the head of the lamb. I have seen that in the US my guests first say, “No thank you!” Then they try it, and ask for more and more, because it is delicious.  If you cook it, I suggest you serve it as an appetizer with bruschetta, a toasted bread with some olive oil.

Italian Catalonian chicory, or puntarelle, makes an excellent side salad for any or all of these abbacchio dishes. If you cannot find Catalonian chicory, consider radicchio, endive, or escarole.

 

Baccalà Soup for 4 – 6 people (Baccalà in Guazzetto)

By

On May 23, 2025

In Broths and Soups, Entrees, Fish

Baccalà is dried salted Atlantic Cod (merluzzo in Italian), not to be confused with stoccafisso which is dried (unsalted) cod.  Authentic cod should be made using Atlantic cod, merluzzo, but at times I have seen people sell other fish (such as black cod and lingcod) under this same name, so check.  Baccalà is traditionally served in Italy on Christmas Eve and Fridays during Lent.

Here are two outstanding recipes for Baccalà. Please note that you need to start preparing baccalà three days in advance in order to remove the salt flavor from the fish.

How to De-Salt Baccalà

When you buy baccalà, you need to remove the salt before you cook it.  This needs to be done three days in advance of cooking it.

  1. Put the filets of baccalà in a large container and rinse for about an hour under a faucet that continuously drips cold water on it.
  2. Place the container full of fresh water and the Baccalà in the refrigerator. Change the water every morning and evening It will be ready the evening of the third day.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. De-salted baccalà (500 grams)
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 2 hot red peppers (Calabrian preferred)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 2 – 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1/4 tsp dried Italian oregano (this has a different flavor than the dried spice you find in most grocery stores, look for the Italian dried oregano)
  • A handful of fresh Italian parsley, minced
  • Fresh Italian basil
  • 800 grams of peeled Italian peeled whole tomatoes (the best are home canned tomatoes)
  • 1 cup of dry white wine (remember to use a decent wine for any cooking), I used Pinot Grigio
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. In a large clay pot or Dutch oven (if you do not have a clay pot) place the de-salted baccalà filets with about ¼ of a cup of olive oil and thyme. Massage the thyme over the baccalà. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the sauce.
  2. In a medium-large pot, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add the chopped red onion, 2 hot peppers, 2 peeled, smashed garlic cloves smashed, two tablespoons of chopped parsley, and about 10 whole leaves of basil. Cook on medium-high heat.
  3. Once the garlic starts to take color, add 1 cup of white wine. Cook for about a minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate, then add about 2 pounds (800 g) of canned whole Italian tomatoes (or your own canned tomatoes). Add 1 teaspoon of Italian oregano and 1 cup of cold water, one teaspoon of salt, lower the flame, and let it cook covered for 25 minutes.Uncover the pot while continuing to cook for another 5 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 325F.
  5. Add the sauce to the pot containing the baccalà filets, mix well, and put in the oven for 35 minutes.
  6. Serve with a crusty fresh bread.
  7. Buon appetito!

Note: This typical Roman dish often has pine nuts and raisins added at the end. I much prefer the soup without them, but if you like them, you can add them. Also rather than cooking the Baccalà in the oven you can cook on the stovetop on low heat.

Meatballs “Polpette” (for 4 people)

By

On September 4, 2023

In Entrees

First, don’t eat these with pasta! You eat them “alone” with bread instead.

This is a great dish loved by both children and adults.  It’s the perfect dish to get a child involved in cooking.

Ingredients

Meatballs
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs made from 2-day old bread
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 lb. ground meat (I prefer Bison, but you can use any meat you like).
  • 3 oz. mortadella, minced
  • 4 egg yolks
  • A pinch of nutmeg
  • Zest of two lemons
  • 1 Tb. Freshly minced Italian parsley
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 Tb. extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
Tomato Sauce

The tomato sauce you use when cooking the meatballs is flexible.  You can make a very simple basic sauce (sugo), as described here. Alternatively, you can cook my Zia Viviana’s zesty tomato sauce and use it as a slightly more piquant sauce for your meatballs.

  1. 1 box of Pomì chopped tomatoes
  2. 1 – 2 cloves of fresh garlic smashed
  3. 2 Tb. Chopped fresh Italian parsley or basil, whatever you prefer
  4. ¼ cup olive oil

Preparation

Prepare the Meatballs
  1. Make fresh breadcrumbs by pulling apart the soft middle of 2–3-day old fresh bread. These crumbs need to be soft, not firm like those in a typical container of “breadcrumbs” sold at the supermarket.
  2. Mince the breadcrumbs and put them into a bowl with the milk.  Leave them in the milk for 3 – 5 minutes, then squeeze out the milk.  Add them to a large bowl containing all the other ingredients.
  3. Mix the meat, spices, breadcrumbs, etc. well, using your hands. Once the ingredients are mixed, form meatballs of about the size of a golf ball. (I did a little experiment and weighed a few of the meatballs before cooking them. They each weighed about 33 grams (a little over 1 ounce each) on my kitchen scale). Place the meatballs on a large plate as you prepare the sauce.

Prepare the Tomato Sauce

  1. Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium.
  2. When the olive oil is warm, add the smashed garlic cloves.
  3. Allow the garlic to turn golden; then remove all the garlic, using a fork.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the basil and the meatballs, cover, and cook on medium.
  5. After about 10 minutes, gently turn the meatballs over. Re-cover and allow to cook for another 10 minutes. This cooking time may vary depending on how well-cooked you prefer your meat.
  6. Serve immediately with some good fresh bread.
  7. Buon appetito!

 

Italiano: Polpette con sugo di pomodoro

Ingredienti

Polpette
  • 1 tazza molliche di pane fatte con pane Vecchio di 1-2 giorni
  • 1 tazza di latte intero
  • 450 g carne macinata (preferisco il bisonte, ma qualunque carne magra va bene)
  • 80 g. mortadella, a pezzettini
  • 4 rossi d’uovo
  • 1 cucchiaino di caffè di noce moscata
  • La buccia grattata di 2 limoni
  • 2 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato
  • 1 spicchi d’aglio tritato
  • 2 cucchiai di olio d’oliva extra vergine
  • Sale e pepe
Sugo di Pomodoro
  • 1 scatola di 1 kg pomodori latterini o Pomì a pezzetti (meglio se avete la Conserva di pomodoro 1 kg)
  • 2 spicchi d’aglio, schiacciati
  • Circa ½ tazza di olio extravergine di oliva
  • 1 peperoncino piccante calabrese italiano o, tritato (facoltativo) o altro Thai peperoncino, etc.
  • Una manciata di basilico italiano fresco tritato
  • Sale e pepe a piacere

Preparazione

Prepare le Polpette
  1. Mettete le molliche a mollo in una tazza di latte, per circa 5-10 min, poi strizzatele -senza esagerare- e usando le mani mischiatele con tutti gli altri ingredienti in una ciotola capiente.
  2. Quando gli ingredienti sono mischiati bene, fate delle polpette della grandezza di una palla da golf. Ho fatto un piccolo esperimento e ho pesato alcune polpette prima di cuocerle. Ciascuno pesava circa 33 grammi.
Prepare il Sugo
  1. Aggiungere l’olio d’oliva in una padella fuoco medio alto.
  2. Quando l’olio d’oliva è caldo, aggiungere aglio schiacciato.
  3. Lasciare che l’aglio diventi dorato; quindi toglierlo.
  4. Aggiungere la polpa di pomodoro and cuocete 2-3 minuti a fuoco medio. Aggiungete basilico e le polpette. Coprite.
  5. Dopo 10 minuti, girate le polpette e coprite di nuovo, per 10 minuti. Sempre coperto -ma se il sugo vi pare troppo lento allora togliete il coperchio così si asciuga, sempre a fuoco medio. Le polpette sono pronte, buon appetito.
  6. Servire subito con pane fresco
  7. Buon appetito!

Beef Roast Brasato, or Brasato di Manzo (for many people)

By

On May 15, 2023

In Entrees

I love this recipe, it is easy to make and feeds easily 10-14 people or more. It’s perfect if you busy and have little time to prepare a dinner, it takes about 45 min to prepare it before putting it in the oven, then it cooks on its own for 3 hours: you will impress your guests for sure.

Ingredients

  • Beef roast with 3 – 4 ribs (about 9-12 pounds) , depending on how many people will be over for dinner.  You need to make sure you have a big enough roasting pot for the roast – for a 4-rib roast, you need a 12 inch cast iron skillet with a cover
  • 3 – 4 celery stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 – 4 carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large red onion cut in small pieces
  • A bunch of fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary, and bay leaves tied into a bunch (I use a tea bag to hold the fresh spices in a sack).
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • ½ cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 TB. olive oil
  • ½ box (about 400 grams) of Pomì chopped tomatoes or homemade canned tomatoes
  • 2 cups (1/2 liter) of meat broth
  • 1 bottle of a good red Italian wine, for example a Nebbiolo (use a good quality wine)

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
  2. Put salt and pepper on the roast, and massage it in with your hands.
  3. Put a half cup of all-purpose flour into a large brown bag and put the roast into the bag. Shake it up so that the entire roast is lightly covered with flour.
  4. Melt 1 stick of butter with 1 TB of olive oil in the skillet.  Put the floured roast into a pan.  Use high heat, rotating every 2 – 3 minutes, allowing the roast it take a nice gold color all around.
  5. Once the entire roast is lightly browned, add the onion, carrots and the celery 3 minutes.
  6. Keeping the heat on medium-high, add the herb sac and 1 bottle of Nebbiolo (or other good strong Italian wine) – look, if you use a wine of high quality, you will have a dish of high quality, and vice-versa. Allow about 1/5 of the wine to evaporate.
  7. Add 1/2 box (400 grams) of crushed Pomì tomatoes -or better if you have them home made canned tomatoes) let it cook 5 minutes and then add the homemade meat broth. Cover and put in the oven for 3 hours.  Turn the roast only once.
  8. During the last 30 minutes or so, remove the cover if it appears that there is more liquid in the pan than you would like so the sauce becomes denser.
  9. After 3 hours turn off the oven, and remove the roasting pan.  Leave it covered until you are ready to serve it. .

Italiano: Brasato di Manzo

Ingredienti

  • Arrosto di manzo o vitello 3 – 4 costole, circa 3-5 kg dipende quanti siete.  4 kg bastano per 12-14 persone.  Prima di comprarlo misurate la pentola da forno che deve avere il coperchio, per essere sicuri di comprare un arrosto che entra nella vostra pentola e nel vostro forno.
  • 3 – 4 gambi di sedano a pezzetti di circa 2 cm
  • 3 – 4 carote, a pezzetti di circa 2 cm
  • 1 cipolla rossa grande a pezzetti
  • Un mazzetto di timo, maggiorana, rosmarino e lauro legato insieme o mezzo in una bustina da te, oppure “libero” se non avete bustina o come legarlo
  • Sale e pepe nero
  • 3-4 pugni di farina
  • 1 bastoncino di burro
  • 1 cucchiaio d’olio d’oliva
  • ½ pacco di Pomi (circa 40o g), meglio se avete la costra conserva di pomodoro fatta in casa
  • ½ litro di brodo di carne
  • 1 bottiglia di Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cirò o altro vino rosso di qualità`.

Preparazione

  1. Preriscaldari il forno a 160 C.
  2. Massaggiare la carne con sale e pepe.
  3. Infarinarne la carne, senza esagerare.
  4. Squagliate il burro con l’olio nella pentola, alzate il fuoco a medio alto o alto -dipende dalla potenza dei vostri fornelli- e rosolate la carne 3-4 min per lato finche` si colora bene.
  5. Aggiungete cipolla, sedano e carote e cucinate per latri 3-4 min.
  6. Aggiungete il mazzetto aromatico e 1 bottiglia di vino rosso, fate evaporare circa 1/5 del vino poi aggiungete il pomodoro e appena bolle, il brodo di carne.
  7. Coprite e infornate per due ore girando l’arrosto dopo un’ora e mezzo.
  8. Verso la fine, cioè a circa 30 minuti dalla fine scoprite per fare condensare il sugo. Cuoche 3 ore, togliere dal forno e lasciato coperto fino al momento di mangiare.
  9. Buon Appetito!

My Favorite Roasted Rabbit Recipe

By

On March 3, 2022

In Dr. Michele Carbone, Entrees

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!

Roasted Suckling Pig

By

On April 28, 2021

In Entrees

Sunshine and the Suckling Pig

Some years ago I cooked a suckling pig at a friend’s party. A classy Chinese lady came up to me and said, “Thank you, since I was a little kid in China I did not taste something like this, you brought back beautiful memories.”

We chatted for a while, then I asked a question I never ask to women: “How old are you?”

“97,” she replied.

“Please,” I asked her, “When you turn 100, please call me, and I will cook the suckling pig again for your birthday.”

A few years later, my phone rings. “Excuse me, Doctor, I am sorry to disturb you and this may sound strange, but my mom is turning 100 and she said you promised her you would cook a suckling pig for her.  I called because she insisted, I am sorry, but… what should I tell her?”

“Come over with all the family, please,” I replied.

We had a wonderful party and the 100 year old lady—who I will call Sunshine, as everybody does in her family—walked up 2 flights of stairs to get to my “Lanai” where we ate.

Time passed. Recently, I got a message from a student: “Grandma is turning 105 and wonders whether you will cook the suckling pig for her one more time.”

Tonight I did. We had a wonderful party, Sunshine again walked up two flights of stairs to get to my Lanai, ate everything, and asked if we can do it again in 2020.

Here’s the recipe for Sunshine’s Suckling Pig, adapted from Julia Child.

Ingredients

You’ll need a large oven baking pot and aluminum foil for this recipe.

  • A 12-14 pound suckling pig

    Sunshine And The Pig

    Sunshine and the suckling pig

  • A fresh large apple
  • 250 ml of vinegar
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Butter (100 grams, or 1 stick)
  • Olive oil
  • Celery, chopped (4-5 cups, divided)
  • Carrots, chopped (2 cups)
  • 4-6 medium size sweet onions or red onions, chopped
  • ¼ cup dry mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • Salt and pepper

Cooking time: A total of 2:15 minutes for a 12 pound pig; 3 hours for a 22 pound pig, when thermometer should read about 185° F in the hip (I do not use it, just go by time).

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit.
  1. Wash the pig well, especially the ears, nose and mouth by immersing in a bath-tub with ¼ cup red wine vinegar/gallon, + 2 tablespoons of salt /gallon. Leave it soaking for 2-3 hours.
  2. In a large skillet, sauté on low/medium heat about 2 cups each of chopped onions and celery with the butter for about 15 minutes, until the celery and onions are soft.
  3. Rinse the pig, and then dry it.
  4. In the stomach cavity, place salt, black pepper, thyme, and sage. Add the sautéed onions and celery. Then sew the pig’s belly closed–you can use 2-3 inch nails and wrap a string around them.
  5. Massage the whole pig with olive oil.
  6. Put it in the roasting pan in a sitting position, if necessary with its back legs straight forward to make it fit in your largest roasting pan.
  7. Wrap aluminum foil around the ears and on any portions of the pig that touch the side of pot –so that it does not drip in the oven, Place a ball of aluminum foil in mouth to keep it open. Tuck the tail inside the butt so does not burn.If you like, you can use a thermometer that you will stick in the thigh down to the hip. The pig will be ready when the temp reads 185°
  8. Put the roasting pan with the pig in an oven that has been preheated 450°F oven (Convection-Roast best).
  9. Cook at 450°F for 30 minutes, basting once after 15 minute with olive oil
  10. Lower the heat at 350°F, and let the pig cook for another 1:45 minutes, basting every 30 minutes with the fat that accumulates in the bottom of the pan. Use a brush and try to baste the whole pig.
  11. One hour before end of the cooking time, add the remaining 2-3 cups of chopped raw celery and carrots to the bottom of the oven pot, so that the fat from the pig drips onto the chopped carrot and celery mixture.
  12. Prepare the Glaze:In a medium sized bowl, combine ¼ cup of dry mustard, ¼ of cup of Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1/3 cup of honey and 2-3 tablespoons water. Mix well.
  13. 40 minutes before the pig is ready, start basting it every 10 minutes with the glaze –use a brush. This will give a beautiful brown looking and very tasty skin.
  14. Turn the oven off and let the pig rest at least 30 minutes or longer (1 hour is best). This is critical for the juice to percolate and give more flavor.
  15. Remove the pig from the oven. Take off the foil from the ears, untuck the tail, and remove the foil ball from the mouth. Place an apple in the pig’s mouth and cover with little flowers to make it look good –see photo.
  16. Serve and enjoy!

Italiano: Maialino di latte al forno

Peso: 5-6 kg.  Tempo di cottura totale 2 ore e 15 minuti; 3 ore per un maialino di 10kg.

  1. Lavarlo bene, specie orecchie naso e bocca, metterlo in una tinozza coperto d’acqua e con circa 250-500 ml di aceto di vino (quantità aceto dipende da quanta acqua c’è che dipende da quanto è grande la tinozza.
  2. Lasciare per 2-3 ora. Sciacquare bene, asciugare.
  3. Accendere forno 235°C, convection roast meglio.
  4. Cuocere in una padella con 100 g di burro l’equivalente di “2 cups/270 grams” (1 cup = 136 grammi) di sedano e 270 grammi di cipolla rossa tagliate a pezzetti di circa un cm. Le verdure devono essere ben cotte, circa 15 minuti fuoco medio/basso.
  5. Tagliare a pezzetti altre 270 grammi di sedano e di carote e lasciare da parte per dopo queste non vanno cotte!
  6. Mettere nella pancia del maialino: timo, salvia, sale grosso, pepe nero e le verdure appena cotte. Cucire con spago, o come preferite la pancia del maialino per tenere il ripieno dentro la pancia.  Spalmare il maialino con le mani con olio d’oliva di ottima qualità.
  7. Coprire le orecchie con carta stagnola (argentata), mettere nella bocca del maialino una palla di carta stagnola per tenergliela aperta, infilare la coda nel sedere del maialino sennò si brucia, mettere il maialino seduto nella pentola e dove la pelle tocca la pentola ai lati, mettere carta stagnola in modo che quando si scioglie il grasso della pelle va in pentola e non in forno.
  8. Infornare per 30 minuti a 235°C, poi abbassare a 175°C e continuate per 1ora e 45 minuti, cioè fino a 2 ore e 15 minuti tempo totale (per un maialino di 5kg e di più se è più grande). Dopo i primi 15 minuti, spalmare con un pennello con altro olio di olive, poi spalmare ogni 30 minuti col grasso che si raccoglie in pentola.
  9. A 1 ora dalla fine, cioè dopo 1 ora e 15 minuti, aggiungere direttamente nel fondo della pentola in forno le restanti 450 grammi di sedano e di carote non cotte.
  10. Preparate la cremolata: 25 grammi di senape in polvere, 25 grammi di Salsa di soia, 45 grammi di miele, 1 cucchiaio di salsa “Worchester,” 3 – 4 cucchiai d’acqua, mischiare bene.
  11. 40 minuti prima che il maialino sia pronto spennellate sulla pelle del maialino la cremolata ogni 10 minuti, perciò ogni volta usate circa ¼ della cremolata, fino a finirla.
  12. Spegnete il forno e lasciate il maialino a riposare almeno 30 minuti, meglio 1 ora.
  13. Poi guarnitelo, togliete la carta stagnola, mettetegli in bocca una mele, copritelo di fiori e portatelo a tavola (vedi foto) e buon appetito.

 

Sunshine And The Pig

Sunshine and the suckling pig

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