LIKE THE AMERICAN SUPER BOWL, THIS WORLD SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP is a wildly exciting sports event, uniting fans of the game and culminating in a big TV fest. The following recipes aim to elevate the game-time menu while still staying true to the idea that a bunch of guys (and girls too) will gather in front of the television, eats lots of food, and drink beer. Since the World Cup occurs every four years, look to these snacks during the World Series, the U.S. Open, and various NASCAR races. As with the Super Bowl, the mandate is that the food be plentiful, the television gargantuan, and the volume way too loud.
MONTASIO FRICO
VONGOLE
SHALLOW-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CAPER MAYONNAISE AND CITRUS SALAD
BRUSCHETTA OF PICKLED RED PEPPERS WITH PECORINO PEPATO
PANINI OF OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY WITH RED PEPPER RELISH AND GRANA PADANO
COLD PANINI OF FRESH MOZZARELLA AND PICKLED RED PEPPERS WITH ARUGULA
MONTASIO FRICO
These melted cheese crisps add a little flourish to a salad or a lacy crispness to fresh fruit. I prefer the oven method over stovetop frying for making larger batches with more consistent results.
Montasio is a Friulian cow’s milk cheese with a pleasant melting personality. The cheese is most famous for these golden brown crackerlike snacks.
1 cup finely grated Montasio
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
MAKES 12 FRICOS
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Combine the grated Montasio and the pepper in a small bowl.
- On a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, sprinkle the grated cheese in 3-inch rounds, using about 3 teaspoons of cheese per frico. Space the fricos about 1 inch apart.
- Bake until melted and golden, 4 to 5 minutes (overbaking will cause the fricos to turn bitter). Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 minute before peeling the fricos from the parchment paper, using a spatula to loosen the edges. Transfer to a platter, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
VONGOLE
Taking roughly 10 minutes to prepare, clams steamed open in a spicy broth look like trouble but aren’t. The broth evaporates to steam open the clams and infuses them with flavor. That same broth gets cooked down to a more concentrated sauce, perfect to be soaked up with a hunk of bread.
Serve the clams in big bowls, with the liquid spooned over and toasted bread on the side.
This preparation works equally well with mussels. And yes, you can ladle the steamed clams over their favorite partner, linguine.
1 cup tomato puree
1½ cups dry red wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds clams (Mohagany, Littlenecks), rinsed and scrubbed
1 handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
12 baguette slices, toasted
SERVES 4
- Combine the tomato puree, red wine, olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over a medium-high flame.
- Add the clams and cover the pot. Cook until all of the clams have opened, approximately 3 minutes, discarding those that don’t open. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the clams to serving bowls.
- Raise the flame to high and bring the cooking liquid to a strong boil. Reduce the liquid by half (about 5 minutes), and then spoon the sauce over the clams. Dress each bowl with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and 3 toast slices. Serve immediately.
BUYING CLAMS Purchase the clams on the day you intend to eat them. Keep them in the fridge, in a large bowl covered with a damp towel. They should be alive: tightly closed, or if slightly open, springing closed when touched. Discard any uncooked clams that remain open or that have cracked shells. Rinse them well under cold running water before cooking. The number of clams per pound will vary depending on the size and type, but plan on 4 to 6 clams per person for an appetizer portion.
SHALLOW-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CAPER MAYONNAISE AND CITRUS SALAD
Soft-shell crabs arrive in the spring and can still be found into summer. For those who love them, they are something to look forward to, and for most, something to be fried. My at-home method of shallow frying offers a crisp crust with less oil. As always, a candy or deep-frying thermometer gauges the temperature of the oil, allowing for good hot frying.
1 cup Frascati or pinot grigio
2 cups Wondra flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cups vegetable oil
8 soft-shell crabs, cleaned by your fishmonger
2 cups arugula leaves, loosely packed
1 orange, peeled and separated into segments
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Caper Mayonnaise (recipe follows)
SERVES 4
- In a large bowl, whisk the wine, flour, salt, and red pepper flakes together to form a batter.
- Heat the oil in a large, straight-sided sauté pan over a medium-high flame to 375°F.
- Pat the crabs dry with paper towels. Dip one in the batter, let the excess drip off, and then place it in the hot oil (use a long-handled slotted spoon). Fry the crabs, in pairs, for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer the crabs to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Bring the oil back up to 375°F before adding the next pair of crabs.
- Toss the arugula leaves and the orange segments together. Spread on a serving platter. Arrange lime wedges around the edge of the platter.
- Serve the crabs over the salad, sprinkling the platter with sea salt followed by several turns of a pepper mill. Finish with the Caper Mayonnaise spooned over the center of each crab.
CAPER MAYONNAISE
MAKES 2 CUPS
2 cups ’Ino Mayonnaise
½ cup capers
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Combine the mayonnaise, capers, and red wine vinegar in a bowl. Blend until smooth. Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
BRUSCHETTA OF PICKLED RED PEPPERS WITH PECORINO PEPATO
Pickled peppers are a great ingredient to have on hand; they can be used in all kinds of ways (in salads, on a cheese board), but they’re excellent in sandwiches or in this simple bruschetta. The sweet and sour peppers can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept refrigerated in the vinegar they were simmered in.
Pickled Red Peppers (recipe follows)
8 baguette slices, cut ¾ inch thick on the diagonal, toasted
4 ounces Pecorino Pepato, thinly sliced, then broken into pieces
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
SERVES 4
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the Pickled Red Peppers from the vinegar mixture. Spread the peppers over the toasts, creating an even layer from crust to crust.
- Sprinkle each toast with the Pecorino Pepato pieces. Follow with a light sprinkling of sea salt and just a little freshly ground black pepper.
PICKLED RED PEPPERS
These peppers are meant to be softer and more yielding than raw peppers—but not much more. Add them to sandwiches for both their bright flavor and their refreshing bite. Add one to a Bloody Mary to surprise your friends.
MAKES 2 CUPS
3 cups red wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch-wide strips
- Combine the red wine vinegar and the sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the red pepper strips, place over a medium-high flame, and bring to a boil.
- After the liquid begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat and cover it with a tight-fitting lid. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Store the peppers in enough of their liquid to cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
PANINI OF OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY WITH RED PEPPER RELISH AND GRANA PADANO
Roast the turkey breast in the morning and you’ll have afternoon lunch all sewn up. Make the Red Pepper Relish the day before and you can feed a crowd at the drop of a hat. The instructions below are for four panini, but the Oven-Roasted Turkey can easily make eight to ten panini; double the recipe below if preparing for a group.
4 ciabatta rolls, domed tops sliced off, rolls sliced in half horizontally
¾ cup Red Pepper Relish (recipe follows)
8 ounces Oven-Roasted Turkey (recipe follows), sliced
6 ounces Grana Padano, thinly sliced
SERVES 4
- Preheat a panini grill to high.
- Spread the bottom halves of the ciabatta rolls with Red Pepper Relish (about 3 tablespoons each). Divide the sliced turkey among the four sandwiches, creating a single but complete layer. Top the turkey with the sliced cheese, again creating a thin but complete layer. Cover with the top halves of the rolls.
- Grill the sandwiches (place the cheese side up on the grill) until the bread is golden and the cheese has begun to melt, about 4 minutes.
- Cut the sandwiches in half and serve them hot off the grill.
RED PEPPER RELISH
4 small hot red peppers (bottled), chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly to combine (you can also pulse them in a mini food processor). This will keep for up to 5 days, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.
OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY
1 turkey breast (4 to 5 pounds), preferably brined (see Chapter 12)
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, softened
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons water
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Rinse the turkey breast and pat it dry with a paper towel. Rub 2 tablespoons of the softened butter on the skin of the turkey breast, and then sprinkle it generously with salt, pepper, and the thyme leaves. Place the turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan. Add the water and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan.
- Roast the turkey for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue to roast for 1½ hours, basting every 15 minutes or so. If the skin begins to get too brown, cover the breast with aluminum foil. Roast until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let it stand for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
BRINING Brining, in my experience, is one of the best ways to ensure a juicy bird. A turkey breast, so easily over-roasted to a tight dryness, especially benefits from this small extra step. Use a large glass mixing bowl, or a stockpot lined with a plastic roasting bag, for a 4-to 5-pound breast.
4 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt
2 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
4 garlic cloves, crushed
- Combine all the brine ingredients in a stainless-steel pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the salt has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, and then transfer to a large glass mixing bowl or a plastic-lined stockpot.
- Rinse the turkey breast under cold running water and submerge it in the brine. Brine the breast for 24 hours, turning it once if it isn’t fully submerged. Remove from the brine, rinse briefly, and proceed with roasting.
COLD PANINI OF FRESH MOZZARELLA AND PICKLED RED PEPPERS WITH ARUGULA
This sandwich highlights the fresh and creamy texture of mozzarella. Buy the best mozzarella and bread that you can find, and resist the urge to grill the sandwich. Your reward will be a peerless fresh cheese experience. Top-quality salt and olive oil are also a must.
4 ciabatta rolls, domed tops sliced off, rolls sliced in half horizontally
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Pickled Red Peppers
1 cup fresh arugula leaves
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
SERVES 4
Arrange the bottom halves of the ciabatta rolls on a clean work surface. Place mozzarella slices on each one for a thin but complete coverage. Spread 2 tablespoons of the Pickled Red Peppers over each sandwich, and then top with a light covering of arugula. Season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover with the tops of the ciabatta rolls. (The sandwiches can be wrapped in parchment paper and then foil to be taken along and enjoyed as an on-the-road snack.)