Rustic Italian Food
Page 20
PREP AHEAD
The meatballs can be rolled in flour and frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put the frozen balls in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and sear as directed.
BEVERAGE—Torre Quarto, Don Marcello Rosso 2007 (Puglia): This Southern Italian blend is ideal with these meatballs. Primarily Sangiovese with Cab and Merlot, this slightly tannic blend is aged in stainless steel and brings a surprising flavor of fresh fruit that makes it as rustic as the dish it complements.
Preparing Veal Breast “al Latte” with Fried Sage
Preparing Veal Breast “al Latte” with Fried Sage
Veal Breast “al Latte” with Fried Sage
Veal Breast “al Latte” WITH FRIED SAGE
In 1994, when I was in working in Tuscany at La Chiusa, we used to braise goat in milk all the time. It made it so tender. The milk did something to the meat. Then we would blend the juices with the cooked milk and make an incredibly creamy sauce. It’s a very traditional Tuscan way to cook. After it’s braised and sliced, I like to serve the veal with cipollini onions roasted in a hot oven until soft and browned. Or try the Shallot Marmalade.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
1½ pounds pork fatback, cubed
2 cloves garlic
Leaves of 3 sprigs rosemary, plus 2 sprigs more for braising
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 boneless veal breast, about 5 pounds
3 to 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1 lemon, plus 2 lemons, sliced
3 quarts to 1 gallon whole milk
20 fresh sage leaves, plus more for garnish
Put the fatback in a single layer on a baking sheet that will fit in your freezer and freeze until firm but not solid, 30 to 40 minutes. Puree the fat, garlic, and rosemary leaves in a food processor in small batches until it is the texture of softened butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the veal breast, rough side up, on a work surface and lay it flat. Trim the excess fat to make the meat relatively flat and even, then season with salt and pepper. Spread three-fourths of the fat mixture evenly over the surface of the veal. Starting at a long side, roll the veal into a compact roll. Tie the roll with butcher’s string at even intervals spaced 1 to 2 inches apart. Rub the outside of the roll with the remaining fat mixture.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in an oval Dutch oven or a heavy ovenproof casserole big enough to hold the veal roll (roughly 16 to 18 inches at the widest spot). Add the veal and cook until it is dark brown on all sides, about 10 minutes, turning now and then.
Tie the bay leaf and 2 rosemary sprigs together with kitchen twine, then toss it in the pan. Add the lemon juice and slices to the pan. Pour in enough milk to come about two-thirds of the way up the side of the veal. Reduce the heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook in the oven until the veal is fork-tender, about 2 hours.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the veal to a cutting board. Remove the lemon slices and the herb sachet from the cooking liquid, which will be curdled. Let the liquid cool for a few minutes, then skim some of the fat from the surface.
Boil the liquid over medium-high heat until it reduces in volume by about one-third, 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the liquid using an immersion blender or regular blender until the mixture is smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Cut the veal roll crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slices. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the slices in batches until crisp, about 4 minutes per batch, adding oil as necessary. Sauté the 20 sage leaves until they are crisp as well. Arrange the meat and sage leaves on a warm serving platter or individual plates.
Discard any remaining oil in the pan and pour in the pureed braising liquid. Simmer it gently over medium-low heat until warm. Drizzle the sauce over the veal and garnish with sage leaves.
PREP AHEAD
It’s best to start the veal several hours before you plan to serve it, preferably the day before. You can also braise the veal roll, remove the roll from the braising liquid, and cover and refrigerate it for 1 day before slicing it. Allow the slices to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before searing them.
BEVERAGE—Tenuta di Capezzana, “Barco Reale di Carmignano” 2007 (Tuscany): For this succulent yet delicate dish, you might think Chianti, but I prefer this velvety Sangiovese/Cabernet/Canaiolo blend. It strikes a tremendous balance with just a hint of oak.
GRILLED Beef Cheeks
These days, you can find veal cheeks on many restaurant menus. It has become the “in” thing, probably because veal cheeks have a seductive, tender texture from all the collagen in the veal. But that tenderness comes at the expense of flavor. Veal is such a young animal that the muscles haven’t developed. And the more developed a muscle is, the better the meat tastes. Beef cheeks taste much more robust, and plenty of Italian cooks use them instead of veal. The trick is to soften them without losing their beefy character. After cooking them every which way, I found that braising the cheeks in wine, then quickly grilling them, gives you the perfect combination of fork-tender, beefy-tasting meat and a crusty surface. I like to serve these with Celery Root Puree, but Roasted Mushrooms in Foil work well too. A few small heirloom carrots on the side are nice, too. Blanch them with some of the stem on, then sauté them quickly and season with coarse salt and pepper.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
3 pounds beef cheeks (4 cheeks, each about 12 ounces), trimmed of fat and sinew
Salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour for dredging
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, plus a little more for coating
4 cups dry red wine
⅔ cup finely chopped carrot
⅔ cup finely chopped celery
⅔ cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Celery Root Puree
Gremolata
Maldon sea salt, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly season the beef cheeks with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.
Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cheeks (in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding) and sear until golden brown all over, about 5 minutes.
Discard the oil from the pan, then stir in the red wine so it bubbles, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (if the pan is too burned, exchange it for a clean pan). Add the carrot, celery, and onion and return the cheeks to the pan. Add just enough water to come about three-fourths of the way up the sides of the cheeks.
Cover the pan and cook in the oven until the cheeks are fork-tender but not falling apart, 3 to 4 hours. Pull the cheeks out of the liquid and let cool. Strain the cooking liquid into a medium saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil. Cook until reduced to about 2 cups, then swirl in the butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Light a grill for high heat. Cut the cooled beef cheeks into 3 or 4 slices each. Coat the slices in grapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper. When the grill is hot, scrape the grill rack clean and oil it with an oily paper towel. Put the beef slices on the hottest part of the grill. Grill just until the cheeks develop a nice crust, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Heat the celery root puree in a small saucepan until hot. Reheat the beef sauce. Put 3 or 4 beef slices on each plate and ladle some sauce over the slices. Pour about ½ cup hot celery root puree alongside each serving and scatter some gremolata over each plate. Garnish with Maldon sea salt.
PREP AHEAD
Both the celery root puree and the gremolata can be made up to 8 hours in advance, covered, and refrigerated. After braising and cooling the cheeks, you can cover and refrigerate them for up to 8 hours before grilling. Let them sit at room temperature to take the chill off while the grill heats up.
BEVERAGE—Pio Cesare, Barolo 2005 (Piedmont): People often
think of Cabernet Sauvignon when they think of beef, but this smoky, structured Barolo is perfect with the cheeks.
Turkey Cutlets MILANESE STYLE
You’ll find this dish in home kitchens all over Northern Italy. When I was opening my restaurant Amis, I knew something milanese was definitely going on the menu. To do a little research, I took my wife, Megan, and my son Maurice to Cene, just outside of Bergamo in Northern Italy to visit Pina, the mother-in-law of my chef Jeff Michaud. We all loved her turkey milanese. She made it in the classic way with turkey cutlets pounded thin, breaded, and panfried. Served on a bed of arugula dressed with lemon and olive oil, it became something even more spectacular. The bite of arugula and the spark of lemon perk up the turkey, and a few shavings of Parmesan give it the perfect saltiness. It’s still one of the most popular dishes on the Amis menu.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1½ pounds boneless, skinless turkey breast, cut into 8 slices on the diagonal
1 cup tipo 00 or all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups plain dried bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling
4 ounces arugula
2 tablespoons Lemon Vinaigrette
½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
½ lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Place a slice of turkey between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a flat meat mallet or small iron skillet, pound the turkey breast slice to an even thickness of about ¼ inch. Repeat with the remaining slices.
Put the flour in a shallow bowl, the eggs in a second one, and the bread crumbs in a third. Season the flour with salt and pepper to taste. Coat the flattened turkey slices in the flour, patting off any excess. Coat with egg using one hand, and immediately dredge in the bread crumbs using your other hand. Put each breaded slice on a wire rack to rest for 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the butter and melt. In two batches, panfry the breaded turkey slices in the hot fat until browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with Maldon sea salt.
Dress the arugula with the lemon vinaigrette and a little salt. Mound a small pile of dressed arugula on each turkey slice. Top with a couple of Parmesan shavings and garnish with a wedge of lemon.
PREP AHEAD
The vinaigrette can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated. You can also bread the pounded turkey and let it rest at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before panfrying it.
BEVERAGE—Elio Perrone, Barbera d’Asti 2009 “Tasmorcan” (Piedmont): White meat and red wine? Yes, it does work, and the Barberas from Asti prove that, especially with a lightly breaded dish like milanese. Fresh fruit, good acid, and a nice tart finish work magic with the turkey.
BRAISED Monkfish
I was never a big monkfish fan. I couldn’t get over the chewiness and lack of flavor. Everyone told me, “Monkfish is the poor man’s lobster,” but I didn’t see the likeness. Why not just eat lobster? One day at Vetri, years ago, I decided to give it a second chance. I braised the monkfish like ossobuco. And then I saw the light. I was starstruck! Monkfish is tough, like a beef cheek, but when you braise it, the meat tenderizes itself and becomes moist and juicy. White wine and tomatoes in the braising liquid give it great flavor, too. Even better than lobster! I used to break up the fish and toss it with papardelle. But more recently at Osteria, Jeff Michaud decided to serve it like ossobuco with some Saffron Puree on the side.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1½ pounds monkfish, cut into 4 equal pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Tipo 00 or all-purpose flour for dredging
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup grapeseed oil
4 leeks (white and light green parts only), trimmed, rinsed between leaf layers, and cut into half-moons
1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine
1 cup canned peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
Fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the monkfish with salt and pepper on all sides, then dredge in the flour.
Melt the butter with the grapeseed oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the monkfish to the pan and brown all over, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the monkfish from the pan and drain off all but ¼ cup fat.
Add the leeks to the pan and cook gently over medium-low heat until they start to look translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and pour in the wine, stirring to scrape the browned bits from the pan bottom. Simmer until the liquid reduces in volume slightly, 3 to 4 minutes.
Crush the tomatoes by hand, adding them to the pan. Return the monkfish to the pan and, if necessary, add enough water to barely cover the fish. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and add the thyme, bay leaves, and a few squeezes of lemon juice. Cover the pan and put it in the oven until the fish is tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the monkfish to a platter or plates. Remove the thyme and bay leaves from the braising liquid and ladle some of it over each serving.
BEVERAGE—Mastroberardino, Greco di Tufo 2006 (Campania): This Greco typifies the grape. Flavors of apricot and peach with just the right amount of acid create a lush mouthfeel that plays well with the full flavor of the monkfish.
Thanks for the Complement
When people taste wine they often say something like, “Oh, that imparts hints of citrus and honey,” or “I’m getting some chocolate and strawberry on the finish.” Reflect on those kinds of insights when trying to pair wine with food. If citrus, honey, chocolate, or strawberries are foods that could actually be used in the dish you’re making, get those flavors on the table in the form of wine instead. That way, the wine will complement the food. Let’s say you’re making a seafood dish and considering a generous squeeze of lemon or a few grindings of fresh black pepper. Hold back a little on the seasonings and let the wine bring those flavors. The Mixed Seafood Grill makes an excellent example. Pairing the Vermentino with this dish brings both the acid and the citrus you might achieve with a squeeze of lemon. This concept also explains why Zinfandel is such a food-friendly wine. Its peppery bite stands in for the fresh black pepper we often grind over our savory dishes.
Mixed Seafood Grill
MIXED Seafood Grill
For this dish, use whatever fish is freshest at your market. No scallops? Skip ’em. The swordfish came in yesterday, but the halibut this morning? Use halibut—no question. Freshness is everything. It all just gets grilled anyway. If you have a cast-iron griddle (plancha) on your grill, grill the polenta on that. If not, you can put the polenta squares right on the grill grate alongside the fish. Put the grilled fish on a big platter, spritz it with lemon and olive oil, toss on some herbs, and decorate with some sliced lemon. Perfection!
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
8 extra-large (16 to 20 per pound) shrimp in the shell, heads removed, shells split down the back, and deveined (leave shells on)
4 large diver sea scallops
4 small squid, cleaned, tentacles reserved
4 ounces swordfish, cut into four ½-inch-thick pieces
4 ounces skate wing, cut into four ½-inch-thick pieces
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
Eight 2-inch chilled Polenta Squares
½ cup Lemon Vinaigrette for Grilling
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Light a grill for high heat. If you have a cast-iron griddle and enough grill space, heat the griddle on one side of the grill.
Gently toss the seafood with the 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Brush the polenta squares with oil.
&nbs
p; When the grill is hot, scrape the grill grate clean and oil it with an oily paper towel. Grill the seafood until grill-marked and firm but not dry, about 2 minutes for the swordfish, skate wing, and squid bodies and tentacles; 3 minutes for the shrimp; and 3 to 4 minutes for the squid sacs and scallops, turning the pieces halfway through the cooking. Grill the polenta squares until nicely grill-marked, about 2 minutes per side, using the griddle if you have one.
Serve 2 polenta squares, 2 shrimp, 1 scallop, 1 squid, 1 swordfish piece, and 1 piece of skate wing per person, topped with 2 tablespoons lemon vinaigrette, 1 tablespoon parsley, and a lemon wedge.
PREP AHEAD
The polenta can be cooked, chilled, cut, and kept refrigerated for up to 2 days before grilling. The vinaigrette can also be made a couple of days in advance.
BEVERAGE—Argiolas, Vermentino di Sardegna 2008 “Costamolino” (Sardinia): The honeyed tropical fruit nose here is unmistakably Sardinian. With refreshing acidity and lemon-lime flavors right up front, it immediately calls to mind summer at the beach.
Halibut WITH PEAS
This is my Sunday go-to dinner. I learned it in 1995 from a woman nicknamed Titi. She was from Genoa and married to Giorgio Gallizio, the man who hired me to open Giorgio’s at the Pier in Juneau, Alaska. Giorgio wanted his wife to put some of her dishes on the menu. I was skeptical at first, but then she started cooking for me. Skepticism be gone! She made me some incredible dishes, like ravioli genovese (sweetbread and brain ravioli), fried porcini mushrooms, and halibut with peas. The halibut was my favorite, and it went on the menu at Giorgio’s. It was on my menu at Vetri for a while, too, but nowadays it shows up more often on my own kitchen table. My wife just loves it. Sometimes, I’ll toss in a little chopped Pancetta to make it richer. But don’t even bother using anything but freshly shelled peas. The smaller, the better. Once they get too big, they go from sweet to starchy.