by Marc Vetri
Montasio CHEESE FRICO
Certain foods come from certain places. Montasio is a semifirm cow’s milk cheese from Friuli. Frico was invented there with this cheese. It’s just the local cheese, so that’s what they used. But you could use another semifirm cow’s milk cheese, like Bitto or Crucolo. The cheese shouldn’t be as hard as Parmesan or as soft as Taleggio—somewhere in the middle. Fruilians grate it, layer it with potato and onion in a pan, and make a little pancake out of it. I mean, fried cheese with potato—is that ever going to be bad? It’s like sex. Even when it’s bad, it’s good!
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled
½ onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups shredded Montasio cheese
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Slice the potato on a mandoline, even an inexpensive handheld model, so the slices are about ⅛ inch thick. Slice the onion to the same thickness, then lay both the onion and the potato on a baking sheet. Bake until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan.
Leaving some gaps so you can see the bottom of the pan, make a thin layer of the potatoes and onions in a 12-inch nonstick sauté pan and season lightly with salt and pepper. Scatter an even layer of cheese over the potatoes and onions. The cheese should be about ½ inch thick, with no gaps.
Set the pan over a medium heat. As the cheese melts through to the pan bottom, it will crisp up and create a lightly browned crust. Push the sides of the “pancake” in toward the center to help shape it into a firm cake. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes. Then flip it with a wide metal spatula and cook until brown on the other side and gooey in the center, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Cut into 4 wedges.
PREP AHEAD
You can shred the cheese and keep it covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours in advance, but the rest of the preparation is so simple, it should be done on the spot.
BEVERAGE—Anselmi, Friulano 2009 (Friuli): Local to Friuli, Anselmi’s wine is perfect here. Its mineral and citrus flavors clean the palate for the next bite of frico.
RUSTIC
DESSERTS
Simplicity and Seasonality, Chocolate,
Suit the Situation
• • •
Traditional Tiramisù
Baked Peaches with Almond Frangipane
Olive Oil Cake
Toasted Raisin Biscuit
Apple Fritters Lombarda Style
Buttermilk Panna Cotta
Mom-Mom’s Rice Pudding
Blueberry Custard Tarts
Rhubarb Strudel
Amaretti Semifreddo with Warm Chocolate Sauce
Waffles with Nutella and Semifreddo
Chocolate-Hazelnut Tartufo
Chocolate Zabaione Tart
IN 1994, I WAS WORKING THE PASTRY STATION at Taverna Colleoni dell’Angelo in Bergamo. I had been at the meat, fish, and pasta stations for months and needed a change. Plus, no one else seemed to want to work the pastry station. A Canadian chef named Peter Zambri was staging at the Taverna at the time, and sometimes we worked together on pastries. The boss, Pierangelo Cornaro, wanted us to make a layer-cake version of tiramisù. We tried it umpteen different ways, but the cream kept sliding off the cake. Finally, we just made a flat ladyfinger cake in a sheet pan, cut it up, and layered it with the mascarpone cream. It worked great and tasted delicious.
About a week later, on our day off, one of the waiters invited us to his mother’s house for dinner. This was on a Monday, and they had the wood grill going, with a big copper pot of polenta over the fire, and a plate of Taleggio cheese, and they were getting ready to grill horse-meat steaks. It was incredible! After the meal, they brought out an old-school tiramisù with store-bought ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, and espresso. Peter and I looked at each other and started laughing. When we tasted it, we looked at each other again and I said to Peter, “We suck!” He agreed. This tiramisù was way better than anything we had made over the past several weeks of hell. We laughed the rest of the night—and changed the recipe the next morning. We went back to a traditional tiramisù, and it was perfect. The boss agreed, too.
SIMPLICITY AND SEASONALITY
I’m a simple-dessert kind of guy. Some chefs like fancy dessert carts and crazy designed plates. Others prefer tarts and cakes. On the whole, I’m more interested in perfecting the classics than spinning sugar cages. I like the simple things. In the late summer, I will serve a peach tart or a whole roasted peach. In the early spring, Rhubarb Strudel. In the early summer, Blueberry Custard Tarts. I let the seasons dictate the menu. When great strawberries come in around May, I just serve them with lightly sweetened whipped cream—maybe with some essential oil of orange in the cream for a whisper of citrus. Anything more than that would do a disservice to a perfect strawberry.
You can change many of the recipes in this chapter to match the season. If you want a strudel in the fall, make the Rhubarb Strudel with apples instead. Or pears. Or figs. Use whatever is fresh and ripe. Just remember to taste the raw fruit first. Always go a little lighter on the sugar rather than a little heavy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard guests say, “Oh, this is great, but it’s a little too sweet.” I don’t like too sweet. It masks the real flavor of the fruit.
CHOCOLATE
I have to admit, while I love fruit all year long, I’m also a total chocoholic. I don’t need quantity. Just quality. I need to end a meal with at least one little piece of chocolate, or else I feel sad and incomplete. I prefer bittersweet chocolate but not too bitter. Most of the time, I use chocolate with 58 percent cocoa solids, which has a good balance of deep chocolate flavor, sweetness, and a bitter edge. Vahlrona and Cocoa Barry are my favorite brands. Sometimes I’ll jump up to Vahlrona’s 64 percent (Manjari) or 72 percent (Aranguani) chocolate for different desserts. But in that case, I like to add flavors that complement the bitterness and depth of the chocolate. For instance, Aranguani has notes of licorice, brown sugar, and raisins. So I will add something aromatic like Candied Citrus Peel to balance out the flavors.
Don’t sweat the percentages, though. In the end, some chocolate is better than no chocolate. Just buy the best you can find, taste it, and balance the flavors until it tastes good to you. But don’t even bother with white chocolate. I think it should be banned from civilization completely. If you’re lucky, you might find a brand with some real cocoa butter in it, but most have vegetable oil instead and none of them have chocolate liquor, the stuff that tastes so awesomely bitter and delicious in chocolate. White chocolate isn’t really chocolate. You would be better off eating a stick of butter with some sugar on it.
TRADITIONAL Tiramisù
I walked into Amis one day and Brad Spence brought me some ladyfingers he had made—three different kinds. We had a classic back-and-forth. “What are those for?” I asked. “For the tiramisù,” he said. “Just use the ones from the store,” I told him. “But I made these!” he shot back. “Why?” I asked. “I was trying to make the tiramisù something nice,” he pleaded. “Na, na, na,” I soothed him, “just use the ones from the store. They hold up better. The ones you made will just get mushy in the tiramisù.” He stood there with his mouth open like I’d just killed his dog. So I threw him a bone, “Use the ones you made for decoration.” He sulked a little, but if there’s one thing I learned in Italy, it’s that store-bought ladyfingers work best for tiramisù. When Brad tasted it with the store-bought cookies, he understood.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS
8 eggs, separated
1½ cups sugar
2 pounds mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
24 store-bought ladyfingers, plus a few for garnish
4 cups brewed espresso or strong brewed coffee, cooled
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for garnish
Put the yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1
cup of the sugar. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until nice and thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to another bowl.
Put the mascarpone in the mixer bowl and beat with the paddle attachment briefly to soften it. Beat in the yolk mixture on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
In a clean mixer bowl, beat the egg whites and remaining ½ cup sugar with the whisk attachment until glossy and thick. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whites into the mascarpone mixture in 3 increments.
Soak the ladyfingers in the espresso just until softened and saturated, about 1 minute. Make a layer of ladyfingers in a 3-quart serving dish or bowl, or in 12 individual serving dishes or bowls. Top with the mascarpone mixture, another layer of ladyfingers, and a final layer of mascarpone. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Sprinkle the top with the ¼ cup cocoa. Garnish each portion with another ladyfinger dusted on one side with a little cocoa.
PREP AHEAD
I use Forno Bonomi ladyfingers, which you can pick up at Italian grocery stores or at Amazon and other online retailers (see Sources). The tiramisù keeps for about 3 days in the refrigerator. Let the tiramisù stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
BEVERAGE—Miscela d’Oro Espresso/Caffe Corretto: The espresso in a classic tiramisù calls for not much more than espresso to drink. However, if you’re like me and enjoy the digestive powers of grappa, pour 1 ounce in your coffee and make a caffè corretto.
Baked Peaches with Almond Frangipane
Baked Peaches WITH ALMOND FRANGIPANE
Peaches and almonds are one of those slam-dunk flavor combinations. When peaches are in season, I love nothing more than roasting them with some frangipane, or sweetened almond paste, in the hollows of the pitted peaches. The frangipane oozes over the sides and browns up crisp on the edges, yet stays creamy soft in the center.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
8 ounces almond paste, broken into small pieces
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
½ cup white pastry flour
4 large, ripe peaches
Put the almond paste, butter, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high speed, using the paddle attachment, until well incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the pastry flour until it becomes incorporated and the frangipane becomes a thick, wet paste. Makes about 1 cup.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the peaches in half and flick out the pits. If the pits don’t come out easily, ease them out with a spoon. Put the pitted peaches, cut side up, in a shallow baking dish that holds them snugly. Bake just until heated through, about 10 minutes.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of frangipane into the hollow of each peach half and bake until the frangipane develops a golden crust, 10 to 15 minutes. As it bakes, the frangipane will spread over the cut surface of each peach. Serve warm.
PREP AHEAD
Make the frangipane up to 2 days ahead and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
BEVERAGE—Vietti, Moscato d’Asti 2007 (Piedmont): The sweet peachy, floral character of Moscato is ideal here or as an aperitivo.
Olive Oil CAKE
It’s so funny when people see a slice of this next to the other desserts we serve. You would think it’s not much of anything. Then they take a bite and smile. This is a very special cake. The olive oil makes it taste light and rich at the same time. And the orange brightens the whole thing with an awesome perfume. Serve this with gently whipped cream and chopped Candied Hazelnuts.
MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS
2 cups tipo 00 or all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of fine sea salt
3 eggs
2½ cups granulated sugar
1½ cups olive oil
1½ cups whole milk
Grated zest of 3 oranges
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a lower oven rack with aluminum foil in case the cake leaks out a little batter. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray and cut a piece of parchment to fit in the pan and come up the sides about ½ inch. Fit the parchment into the pan and spray the parchment.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and granulated sugar until blended. Whisk in the oil, milk, and orange zest. Add the dry ingredients and stir until blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the middle oven rack until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. The cake will be very moist. Cool it in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the pan and remove the springform sides.
Let cool completely, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.
PREP AHEAD
The cake can sit at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 3 days. Cut slices as needed.
BEVERAGE—Jacopo Poli, Miele di Poli NV (Friuli): This honeyed brandy cuts through yet matches the richness of olive oil in the cake. I often dip my cake in a little (like a deconstructed baba), but that’s just me!
TOASTED Raisin Biscuit
I have been making this lightly seethed biscuit since I opened Vetri in 1998. Seethed means the batter is gently heated on the stove top but not simmered. I used to cut the biscuit into rectangles, grill them with a little butter, and serve them with our cheese plate. That’s still my favorite way to prepare them—even if I’m just having them with an afternoon espresso. Two cool things about the recipe: first, it’s all mixed in a saucepan on the stove top instead of a mixer. Second, it’s easy to remember: 1 part (6 ounces) each butter, sugar, flour, and eggs to 2 parts (12 ounces) raisins.
MAKES 24 SMALL BISCUITS
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for toasting
1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
5 large egg whites
1⅓ cups plus 2 tablespoons tipo 00 or all-purpose flour
Pinch of fine sea salt
½ cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
Cream the ¾ cup butter and the confectioners’ sugar in a large saucepan with a wooden spoon. Gently warm the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring in the egg whites, flour, and salt. Do not let the mixture simmer. Remove from the heat and fold in the raisins. Immediately scrape the thick mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake until the top looks dry and the edges are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Prick the biscuit all over with a fork about halfway through baking to prevent it from bubbling up.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into 1½ by 3-inch rectangles. To serve, melt a little butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the rectangles and toast until both sides are browned, 1 to 2 minutes, adding butter as needed.
PREP AHEAD
The biscuit can sit in the pan at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 4 days. Cut into rectangles and toast as needed.
BEVERAGE—Rivetto, Barolo Chinato NV (Piedmont): This is the dessert version of the Piemontese big boy. Rarely produced, it is a blend of almost eighty botanicals mixed with Barolo wine. The result is a full-bodied sweet wine intertwining myriad herb, spice, and dried fruit flavors.
Apple Fritters Lombarda Style
Apple Fritters LOMBARDA STYLE
When fresh, crisp apples come into the market, I love making these fritters. Unlike most fritters, they don’t taste like greasy doughnuts with a tiny bit of apple inside. No, these taste more like the whole apple with a light, sweet batter on the outside. If you like cinnamon, sprinkle some in the confectioners’ sugar for dusting. The apples are cut into rings, and I
like to stack the fried rings on a plate. A slice of raw apple on top and a rosemary sprig garnish makes it look sort of like a whole apple. Honeycrisp and Gala are my favorite apples to use here.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
2 eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup tipo 00 or all-purpose flour, plus 1½ cups for dredging
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 pound apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into rings about ¼ inch thick
Canola oil for deep-frying
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Ground cinnamon (optional)
Whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, milk, the ¼ cup flour, the baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the apple rings and push them down to soak in the liquid. Put the 1½ cups flour in a shallow bowl.
Add 3 inches of oil to a Dutch oven or deep fryer and heat to 350°F on a deep-fat thermometer.
Working in batches, remove some of the apple rings from the liquid and dredge them in the flour. Drop them into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust the heat as you go to maintain the 350°F oil temperature.
Using a wire skimmer, transfer the apple rings to paper towels to drain and cool until just warm. Dust with confectioners’ sugar (mix cinnamon into the confectioners’ sugar first if you like).
PREP AHEAD
The apple rings can be cut and soaked in the liquid for up to 1 hour before you fry them.
BEVERAGE—La Spinetta, Moscato d’Asti 2008 “Bricco Quaglia” (Piedmont): Here’s a nice, low-alcohol way to end a big meal. Fried sweet desserts need a bit of effervescence, which this naturally sparkling drink has in spades. The apple-pear finish complements the fritters nicely.
