NOTHING IS MORE SPECIAL THAN TIME WITH FAMILY. THESE SMALL plates build together nicely as a sit-down meal. Choose two or three to combine into a full dinner, or serve the dishes mixed in with favorites from other chapters. The convivial spirit of Italian snacks turns dinner into a relaxed meal filled with delicious options–served family-style, of course.
SHALLOW-FRIED ARTICHOKE HEARTS WITH LEMON MAYONNAISE
CHILLED TOMATO WATER WITH WARM MOZZARELLA CROUTONS
PANINI OF GRILLED PORTOBELLOS, TRUFFLED MAYONNAISE, AND FONTINA
WILTED ESCAROLE WITH MILK-SOAKED CROUTONS
VEAL INVOLTINI WITH ROASTED GARLIC
WINTER FARRO SALAD
TORTA CAPRESE
SHALLOW-FRIED ARTICHOKE HEARTS WITH LEMON MAYONNAISE
This is a masterful little snack that you can whip up while guests are arriving—a warm little something to hand them along with an aperitif to enjoy while things get under way. Prep the artichoke hearts in advance, keeping them pristine in lemon water. Have your Lemon Mayonnaise ready, and you’re in position to serve this luxurious snack with next to no visible labor. And don’t be afraid of using a thermometer; it makes your job easier.
2 lemons, halved
4 artichokes
Approximately 6 cups vegetable oil
1½ cups Wondra flour
Lemon Mayonnaise
Sea salt
Lemon wedges, for serving
SERVES 4
- Squeeze the halved lemons into a large bowl of water, and set it aside.
- Cut off the top half of each artichoke (just below the pointed end) and then cut off the stem end. Discard. Peel off the leaves, starting at the base, leaving only the tender inner leaves that surround the heart. Use a paring knife to trim away all dark spots.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the thistlelike choke from the center of each artichoke heart. When the hearts are completely clean, place them in the lemon water (where they can be held for up to 2 hours).
- Heat the vegetable oil in a deep, straight-sided sauté pan over a medium-high flame. The oil should be approximately 2 inches deep.
- While the oil is heating, pour the Wondra into a shallow bowl. Drain the artichoke hearts, dry them with a paper towel, and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Add the cubes to the bowl of Wondra and lightly dust them.
- When the oil reaches 370°F, reduce the heat to low. Working in batches, add the flour-dusted artichoke chunks. Fry for 2 minutes until they are golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain while the remaining artichokes are cooked. (Let the oil come back to 370°F before adding the remaining artichokes.) Season with sea salt while the artichokes are still hot.
- Serve the artichokes with a small bowl of cool homemade Lemon Mayonnaise and fresh lemon wedges alongside.
A candy or deep-frying thermometer will allow you to take the oil’s temperature—this guarantees a golden-brown success.
CHILLED TOMATO WATER WITH WARM MOZZARELLA CROUTONS
From the “strictly in summer” category, the clean and pure essence of ripe tomatoes is chilled and served with, well, grilled cheese for grown-ups. The contrast of the cold, refreshing tomato water against the warm cheese toast is fantastic.
Set the tomatoes in the fridge the night before so that you’ll enjoy every last drop of their fabulous liquid. This is a dish that reminds us that nature is unpredictable—the amount of liquid given off by eight tomatoes can differ greatly, depending on the fruit. Gauge the amount of olive oil to add by how much tomato water you’ve got and the depth of its flavor.
8 large ripe summer tomatoes (heirloom, beefsteak)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup fragrant extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices peasant bread, cut 1 inch thick, crusts removed
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
SERVES 4
- Cut the tomatoes in half, then in half again. Season the cut sides with the salt (this draws the moisture from the tomatoes), and place the tomatoes in a large colander set over a large bowl, flesh side down as much as possible. Refrigerate overnight.
- By morning, the bowl under the colander will have caught the juice that has dripped from the tomatoes. Press the tomatoes against the colander to squeeze forth any remaining juice and throw away the squeezed tomatoes. Swirl the olive oil into the tomato liquid (as you would with salt, taste as you go to gauge the right amount).
- Toast the bread slices lightly. Cover them with the slices of mozzarella and then toast or top-brown them until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Place a cheese toast in the center of each of four chilled shallow bowls. Divide the chilled tomato water among the bowls, ladling it in around the toasts. Finish with a sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. A chilled spoon makes a nice touch.
PANINI OF GRILLED PORTOBELLOS, TRUFFLED MAYONNAISE, AND FONTINA
Truffled olive oil is pure trickery—olive oil infused with the heady scent of the prized white truffle. It doesn’t compare to the real McCoy, but it costs far less and your friends will love the aroma. In this panino, rich homemade mayonnaise is perfumed with truffle oil and partnered with meltingly delicious Italian fontina. Grilled portobellos are the “meat” of the sandwich. This meat-free sandwich is hearty enough for carnivores.
2 portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean with a damp paper towel
½ cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Truffled Mayonnaise
4 ciabatta rolls, domed tops sliced off, rolls sliced in half horizontally
4 ounces Italian fontina, thinly sliced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
SERVES 4
- Preheat a panini grill.
- Grill the portobello caps (closing the press onto the mushrooms) for 3 minutes. The mushrooms should be slightly charred and softened but still have a firm, fresh feel.
- When they are cool enough to handle, cut the mushroom caps into a medium dice. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the diced mushrooms, the parsley, and the Truffled Mayonnaise.
- Spoon the mushroom mixture over the bottom halves of the ciabatta rolls, covering them completely. Lay the sliced fontina over the mushroom mixture in a single but complete layer. Season with salt and pepper before covering with the top halves of the rolls.
- Grill the sandwiches for 4 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has begun to set. Cut each sandwich in half, and serve.
ITALIAN FONTINA A cow’s milk cheese from Valle D’Aosta, this is a cheese that was born to melt (thus its starring role in fondue). Seek out the bona fide Italian article.
WILTED ESCAROLE WITH MILK-SOAKED CROUTONS
I’m a big fan of any dish that makes the most of bitter greens. The milk-soaked toasts add richness to humble escarole. It’s crisp against wilted, sweet and slightly bitter; in other words, all the great taste sensations are harmoniously balanced. This can be served as a warm salad at the start of a meal or as a side dish with meat. I like the escarole to have just a little crunch left to it. Cook it a few minutes more for a more molten texture.
The ciabatta should soak in the milk for at least an hour or can be made up to 1 day in advance.
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 head escarole, dark outer tips of the leaves and stem ends removed
1 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
Milk-Soaked Croutons (recipe follows)
SERVES 4
- In a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over a medium flame for 2 minutes. Add the escarole leaves, salt, and garlic. Cover, and steam until the leaves are limp, about 5 minutes.
- Divide the wilted escarole among four small serving plates. Top with the sliced onion, and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Top with the croutons, and serve immediately.
MILK-SOAKED CROUTONS
1 stale ciabatta loaf, cut into 1½-inch cubes
3 cups milk
Olive oil for drizzling
- Place the bread cubes in a shallow bowl and add milk to cover them. Let the bread soak for 1 hour to absorb the milk.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Drain the bread cubes, squeezing them to remove any excess liquid. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and toast in the oven, shaking the baking sheet occasionally, until they are gold and crisp, 15 to 17 minutes. If making the croutons in advance, store at room temperature in an airtight container.
VEAL INVOLTINI WITH ROASTED GARLIC
A simple Italian snack that is just as at home on the antipasto table as it is on the dinner table, this makes a quick main course when served with pasta or polenta. Buy good-quality veal (or pork loin) and be vigilant with the cooking time.
Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
6 slices prosciutto di Parma, cut into thin ribbons
3 cups tightly packed arugula leaves
3 cups Milk-Soaked Croutons
1/3 cup milk
1 pound boneless veal loin, cut and pounded into 4 very thin scallops
Sea salt
Black pepper
SERVES 4
- Preheat the oven to 475°F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 9-inch sauté pan until it is hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is translucent, 2 minutes. Add the sliced prosciutto and lightly sauté, 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of the arugula leaves and toss to wilt. Add the Milk-Soaked Croutons, the remaining cup of arugula, and the milk. Combine thoroughly, and remove from the heat.
- Season the veal scallops on both sides with sea salt and black pepper. Spread the arugula mixture over the scallops and roll them up tightly (starting from the long sides). Skewer along the seam of the meat with metal skewers or bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for 10 minutes to keep it from unrolling, and lightly coat the outside with olive oil. Transfer the rolls to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 14 to 15 minutes, until the meat feels slightly firm to the touch.
- Remove the rolls from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, removing the skewers before serving.
WINTER FARRO SALAD
Hands down my favorite grain, farro has an all-day versatility. In the morning, cooked in cream and topped with fresh fruit, it’s a different take on oatmeal or granola. For dinner, farro can be cooked in the same fashion as risotto; this is called farrotto. Farro, also known as emmer wheat, can be purchased at Italian specialty markets, or wheat berries can be used in its place. (Wheat berries can be found at natural foods stores.)
This is a salad of earthy flavors and textures. Make it at least a few hours in advance so the flavors weave together. A day in advance is even better.
6 cups water
1 cup farro
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup blanched almonds, roughly chopped
Wine-Roasted Garlic (recipe follows)
Seeds of 1 pomegranate (about 1 cup; see Chapter 5)
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 apples, unpeeled, cored and diced (submerge in a bowl of water containing the juice of 1 lemon to prevent discoloration)
6 ounces smoked mozzarella, cut into ½-inch cubes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
SERVES 4 TO 6
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, farro, and salt. Bring to a boil over a high flame, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes, or until tender.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Spread the almonds out on a small baking sheet and toast them in the oven until they are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Drain the farro and spread it on a paper-towel-lined tray to dry, 10 minutes.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the farro, toasted almonds, Wine-Roasted Garlic, pomegranate seeds, parsley, drained apples, and mozzarella. Toss to combine.
- Whisk the olive oil and the vinegar together in a large bowl. Add the farro mixture, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss well to combine. The salad can be made hours in advance and chilled.
WINE-ROASTED GARLIC
MAKES 1 CUP
20 cloves garlic (2 heads), unpeeled
1 tablespoon honey
Splash of rosé or white wine
- Preheat the oven to 200°F.
- Place the garlic cloves on a square of aluminium foil. Drizzle the honey over the garlic, and then add the splash of rosé.
- Wrap the garlic loosely in the foil and bake for 1 hour, or until the cloves are soft and buttery. Squeeze the garlic out of the peels before serving. If making the garlic in advance, keep the skins on until ready to use.
HOW TO SEED A POMEGRANATE Score the fruit with a knife around its middle, and twist it in half. Hold the fruit above a bowl, flesh side down, and begin rapping on top of it with a soupspoon. The jewel-like seeds, along with their juice, will rain down into the bowl. When the flow of seeds slows, break each half in half again, revealing a new vein of seeds. When the soupspoon method runs dry, use your finger to gently extract the remaining seeds.
TORTA CAPRESE
The best thing about this flourless chocolate cake is that it is crowd-pleasingly delicious, humble on the plate and rich in the mouth, especially with a little fluffy whipped cream alongside. The downside is that it requires two mixing bowls, a food processor, and a springform pan—in other words, more kitchen equipment than I usually like to work with. If you have only one bowl for your mixer, spoon out the chocolate mix, then wash and thoroughly dry the mixing bowl to whip the egg whites—that’s how I do it.
Butter and flour for the pan
2 cups whole blanched almonds (12 ounces)
1¼ cups granulated sugar
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
Confectioners’ sugar
SERVES 8 TO 10
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan. Fit the bottom with a parchment paper round, and then butter and flour the paper.
- In a food processor, grind the almonds in 3 batches, adding 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar each time. Set the almond mixture aside.
- Combine the chocolates and the butter in a Pyrex bowl or large measuring cup. Melt in a microwave oven on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring after each minute, until thoroughly melted and smooth. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks, gradually adding half of the remaining granulated sugar until the mixture is pale and thick. Add the melted chocolate mixture, beat until incorporated, and then add the almond mixture.
- Using a wire whisk, beat the egg whites and the remaining granulated sugar until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in two additions.
- Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake for 90 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.