SECOND COURSES
Seafood, Poultry, and Meats
It is often said that Italy’s second courses are more austere than her first dishes. Not in Emilia-Romagna. Yes, second courses are often simple affairs of grilled or roasted meats, poultry, or fish. But “austere” hardly does justice to their deep brown flavors or the bold tastes imparted by fresh herbs and bastings of wine. The region’s stews and sautés are even more bountiful, with their multi-step cooking technique creating complex layerings of tastes. Emilia-Romagna is the land of plenty, and her second courses are as much a testament to her heritage of good eating and consummate cooking skills as is the rest of her regional menu.
But the second course of decades ago had a very different meaning than it does today. Until post—World War II prosperity made meat available to almost everyone, the second course was the economic dividing line between the peasant and the middle class. Before World War II most of the recipes in this section were the dishes of the prosperous. To have meat was to have status. For the farm laborer and city factory worker, dishes like January Pork, Lamb with Black Olives, or Maria Bertuzzi’s Lemon Chicken meant holidays, harvest parties, or special family celebrations. The staples of the peasant diet were the foods of first courses: polenta, beans, vegetables, soups, rice and pasta, and of course bread. For day-to-day eating, especially in the late 19th century and later, small amounts of meat fed many by becoming ragùs for pasta. Before that, even ragùs were regularly eaten only by the more prosperous.
Each area of Emilia-Romagna has its specialties, whether they are relegated to occasional feasts or eaten every day.
Veal is used more than beef throughout the region. Along the coast, seafoods are eaten—usually simply grilled, fried, or stewed.
Especially in Romagna, chops of veal, pork, and lamb are rubbed with olive oil and herbs and grilled over a wood fire. One of Romagna’s most favored meats is the neutered young ram (castrato).
Rabbit is eaten everywhere, but Reggio’s rabbit gained a particularly fine reputation decades ago. And Modena would not dream of letting a holiday go by without its stuffed pig’s foot sausage, zampone.
For the entire region, Christmas means capon, either poached so its broth can welcome tortellini or cappelletti, or roasted with its skin burnished to edible gold.
Guinea hen, pigeon, and quail are always available, but autumn and winter bring game from the mountains and the plain—especially pheasant, hare, wild duck, partridge, and wild boar. Early summer is marked with signs at snack stands and restaurants offering frogs.
Chicken is perhaps the most popular meat of all, easy to raise almost anywhere.
Emilia-Romagna’s pork defines succulence, but traditionally almost every part of the pig went for curing. When the pig met its demise, whole families spent days preserving it for a year’s sustenance. On those evenings they feasted on fresh pork ribs and loin, the rare treats of winter.
Re-creating an Italian meal in the United States is a matter of subtly adjusting the menu’s balance. America’s main course is often merely Italy’s second dish—another element on the menu, not a dish the entire meal revolves around. In Italy second dishes frequently hold equal weight with first courses. And no matter how many pastas, risottos, or soups begin a meal, or how substantial they may seem, they are always considered first courses.
When first courses are intricate or plentiful, second dishes are simple, like grilled or roasted meats or fish. More elaborate second dishes, such as Rabbit Dukes of Modena or Zampone of the Aristocrats, demand center stage. The dishes that precede them should be direct and uncomplicated, not distracting from the grandeur of what is to come.
The “Menu Suggestions” section of each recipe gives guidelines for serving these dishes as they are eaten in Italy, as well as ideas for weaving them into lifestyles on this side of the Atlantic. For instance, in Parma, Erminia’s Pan-Crisped Chicken is eaten hot at the table with a knife and fork. But in America I enjoy it also as cold finger food on summer picnics. For those of us who cannot spend hours cooking just before a dinner party, there is the blessing of dishes that are better for being made ahead, like Mardi Gras Chicken, Rabbit Dukes of Modena, and Beef-Wrapped Sausage. Notice, too, that most of the recipes are prepared in stages, so the cooking can be adjusted to individual schedules.
Many of these dishes are about celebration and about firsts. In Emilia-Romagna they mark the birth of a new baby, the summer’s first harvests of wheat and hay, the rigging of a new boat, a marriage, or the beginning of spring and rebirth. Herald the coming of spring with Mardi Gras Chicken. Feast on the first peppers from the garden with Riccardo Rimondi’s Chicken Cacciatora. Enjoy the first summer cookout with Herbed Seafood Grill or Grilled Beef with Balsamic Glaze. Celebrate a first Sunday with the entire family with Balsamic Roast Chicken. Mark the first snowfall with the homey comfort of Braised Pork Ribs with Polenta. Share a first Christmas together with Christmas Capon instead of goose, roast beef, or turkey. See in the New Year with Modena’s zampone sausage and lentils, knowing the Modenese believe the lentils will bring a year of prosperity.
Pesce ai Ferri
This is home cooking and the food of unpretentious restaurants along the Adriatic. Often those “restaurants” are no more than outdoor grills covered with canvas awnings set up on the beach. But the fish is always fresh, and always cooked over a wood fire. Do not let the lack of outdoor facilities stop you from making this simple dish. Cook it in winter and summer—over charcoal, on a stove-top griddle, and even in a sauté pan. Any firm-fleshed fish works in this recipe, from Spanish mackerel to bluefish, members of the bass family, triggerfish, sea trout, tilefish, swordfish, tuna, and a score of others. The most important ingredient in the fish is freshness. This recipe doubles easily.
[Serves 3 to 4]
1 pound firm-fleshed fish fillets, about ¾ to 1 inch thick
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil or fresh marjoram, or 1½ teaspoons dried whole-leaf basil or marjoram
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 to 6 lemon wedges
Method Working Ahead: For the best flavor, season the fish, cover, and refrigerate 2 to 6 hours before cooking.
Seasoning the Fish: Cut about four diagonal slashes in the fillets, about 1/8 inch deep and 1 inch long. Make a paste of the garlic, parsley, basil, and olive oil by pureeing in a food processor or grinding in a mortar. Rub it over both sides of the fillets. Place them on a platter, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 2 to 6 hours.
Grilling over Charcoal: Use real wood charcoal if possible, and burn it until the coals are covered with gray ash. Brush the grill with olive or vegetable oil to keep the fillets from sticking. If possible, place the grill about 6 inches from the coals. Add the fish with its seasoning rub. Cook it quickly, 2 to 4 minutes per side, browning on both sides. Check to be sure the fish is firm when pressed and opaque to the center, but not yet flaking and dry.
Stove-top Grilling: Heat a heavy griddle or gridded skillet over high heat. Brush it with a little olive oil, and arrange the seasoned fillets on it. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 3 to 4 minutes on one side, 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Check for doneness as described above.
“Grilling” in a Sauté Pan: Film the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil. Heat it over high heat, taking care not to let the oil smoke. Add the fish with its seasoning rub, and turn the heat to medium. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on one side, 2 to 3 minutes on the second side.
Serving: Sprinkle the fish with a little salt and pepper. Serve hot, on a heated platter, garnished with lemon wedges.
Suggestions Wine: For delicately flavored fish, drink a crisp white like a Sauvignon from the hills of Bologna, a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Bianco from Friuli, or the elegant Cortese di Gavi of Piemonte. For tuna or bluefish, have a full-bodied white like Tuscany’s Montecarlo, or a Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
Menu: Begin with Spring Salad with Hazelnuts, Maccheroni with Baked Grilled Vegetables, Linguine with Braised Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar or Spaghetti with Anchovies and Melting Onions. For dessert, serve Torta Barozzi or Iced Melon with Mint and Balsamic Vinegar.
Cook’s Notes Fresh Herbs: For information on fresh herbs, see A guide to Ingredients.
A carrier of fresh fish from the Bologna banquet procession honoring the Swiss guard, Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, 1699
Casa di Risparmio, Bologna
Tonno in Tegame
A fast sauté of fresh herbs, tomato, and black olives sauces fresh tuna. Tuna used to be plentiful on the Adriatic coast of Romagna, especially in summer, when sautés like this one were popular. If tuna is not available, use yellowtail (also known as opah), halibut, or swordfish.
[Serves 6]
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1½ pounds fresh tuna, cut 1 inch thick and divided into 6 steaks
1 medium onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
¼ cup minced fresh basil, or 1½ teaspoons dried whole-leaf basil
½ cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large vine-ripened tomato, cored, seeded, and diced, or 1 cup drained canned tomatoes, crushed
2/3 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)
Method Working Ahead: The fish cooks in almost no time, so serve the tuna straight from the sauté pan. But save last-minute fussing by chopping and measuring the ingredients well ahead of time.
Sautéing the Tuna: Have a serving platter warming in a low oven. Heat the olive oil in a heavy 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the fish steaks in a single layer, sprinkling the onion and parsley over and around them. Sear the fish about 1 minute per side, so the flesh whitens and tightens. Slip a metal or wood spatula under the pieces to turn them without tearing. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Scatter the garlic, basil, and 3 tablespoons of the white wine around the fish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Keep the fish uncovered as you cook it 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until still soft enough to have just a little “give” when pressed. If in doubt, slit into the center of a piece, checking that the meat is opaque but not dry or flaking.
Serving: Slip the steaks onto the heated serving platter. Turn the heat up to high, and add the remaining wine. Boil 30 seconds, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Add the tomato and olives, and toss 20 seconds over high heat. Spoon the sauce over the tuna, and serve. A garnish of fresh basil leaves could be scattered over the tuna.
Suggestions Wine: From the region, a young red Rosso del Bosco, or a white Pinot Bianco or Pinot Grigio from Friuli. A young red Sangiovese di Romagna or from Umbria is also good with the robust fish, as is a young red Cabernet Franc of Friuli.
Menu: Before the tuna, serve Linguine with Braised Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar or Tagliatelle with Fresh Porcini Mushrooms. Follow it with a green salad, and then ripe peaches with Fresh Squaquerone Cheese or Cardinal d’Este’s Tart.
Cook’s Notes The Best Olives: Taste olives before buying. Since wide selections of Italian olives are sometimes hard to find, do not hesitate to try olives from Greece, France, and other countries. The best oil-cured ones are tasty and rich without overwhelming saltiness. Better to use a good brine-cured black or green olive than a mediocre oil-cured one. The olive’s nationality is far less important than its taste.
Gamberi Ripieni
Parsley, onion, and bread crumbs stuff big shrimp in this dish from Romagna’s coast. They are usually sautéed in olive oil, but many grill the shrimps over charcoal.
[Serves 3 to 4 as a main dish, 4 to 6 as a first course]
Stuffing
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup dried unflavored bread crumbs
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1 tablespoon minced onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Shrimps
1 pound raw jumbo shrimps (8 to 12 per pound)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large lemons, cut into wedges
Method Working Ahead: For the best flavor, make the filling and stuff the shrimps 4 to 8 hours before cooking. Keep them covered and refrigerated. Serve the shrimps immediately after broiling.
Making the Filling: Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and garlic, and lower the heat to the lowest possible setting. Stir the crumbs constantly 3 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Turn the crumbs into a small bowl. Stir in the parsley and onion, and season with salt and pepper.
Stuffing the Shrimps: Shell the shrimps, leaving the tail section intact. Cut a long pocket into their undersides by making a deep slit down the length from the tail, stopping just short of slicing through the other end. Take care not to cut through the top side of the shrimps. Press a generous teaspoon of the stuffing into each pocket. Pile the shrimps on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 4 to 8 hours.
Broiling and Serving: Preheat the broiler, and set a rack as close as possible to the flame. The shrimps should be about 5 inches from the flame when they cook. Arrange the shrimps on their sides in a single layer in a broiler pan or baking dish. Drizzle each one with a fine film of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Broil 2 minutes, or until bright pink on one side. Turn the shrimps over with tongs, and broil another 1 to 3 minutes, or until pink on the other side. They should be firm but not rubbery. Take care not to overcook them. Immediately remove them from the broiler.
Pile the shrimps on a heated serving platter, or serve right from their baking dish. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice. Arrange the remaining lemon wedges among them, and serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: Serve a dry white Albana di Romagna, Lombardy’s fragrant Lugana, or Friuli’s more aggressive Pinot Bianco.
Menu: Before the shrimps, have Spring Salad with Hazelnuts or Tagliatelle with Caramelized Onions and Fresh Herbs. Green Beans with Balsamic Pesto are excellent with the shrimps. Make dessert Cinnamon and Clove Custard or Modena Rice Pudding.
Brodetto
Brodetto is the king of Romagna’s seafood stews. Making a proper one is almost a religious rite, with no two cooks ever entirely agreeing on method and ingredients. What sets apart this recipe is simmering onions in vinegar, then sautéing and stewing them with tomatoes and seafood. Instead of souring the Brodetto, the onions sweeten and enrich the stew. This is a singular dish unlike any other, a turn-of-the-century recipe shared by Gianni Quondamatteo.
[Serves 6 to 8]
¾ cup red wine vinegar
2 large onions, finely chopped
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Two 3-inch strips of lemon zest
2 large cloves garlic, minced
22/3 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped vine-ripened tomatoes, or 22/3 cups canned tomatoes with their juice
4 cups dry white wine
3½ pounds combined filleted fresh fish, cut into bite-size pieces (such as bluefish, flounder, sea robin, sea trout, rockfish, cod, mullet, or shark) and shellfish (such as squid, cuttlefish, small clams, shrimps)
Method Working Ahead: Brodetto can be prepared several hours in advance, up to the point of adding the seafood. Chill until ready to continue, then bring the stew to a simmer, add the fish, and finish.
Preparing the Onions: In a heavy 6- to 8-quart pot, bring the vinegar to a lively bubble over high heat. Add the onions, turn the heat to low, and partially cover the pot. Cook 15 minutes, or until the onions are soft and almost transparent. Stir occasionally. If the liquid threatens to evaporate totally, add about ¼ cup water. Once the onions are soft and rosy colored, uncover the pot and let the vinegar bubble gently, stirring frequently, until it evaporates. Add the oil, a little salt, and a generous sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper. Slowly sauté over medium-low heat, uncovered, 10 minutes, or until the onions turn golden. Stir frequently.
Making the Base: With the heat still at medium-low, stir in the lemon zest and garlic, and cook about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to high, and boil, uncovered, 5 minutes, or until thick. Pour in the wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil over high heat 5 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced by about one third and no raw alcohol taste is left from the wine. The flavors should be slightly sweet from the tomato and onion, with a tart backdrop. Taste for seasoning.
Cooking the Seafood and Serving: Have soup dishes warming in a low oven. Use a tureen if available. If necessary, bring the Brodetto to a gentle bubble over medium to medium-high heat. If you are using squid or cuttlefish, cook it at a very gentle bubble about 20 minutes, or until tender, before adding the remaining seafood. Layer the firm-fleshed fish in the pot, topping it with the thinner, flakier fillets. Scatter the shrimps and clams on top of the fish. Using the back of a wooden spatula, gently press the fish into the sauce. Bring the liquid to a slow bubble. Cover, and cook 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickest pieces are firm and opaque to their centers. Ladle the Brodetto into the heated soup plates or tureen, and serve.
Suggestions Wine: A simple crisp white like a Sauvignon from Colli Bolognesi, a Trebbiano di Romagna, or a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi.
Menu: Offer Brodetto as a one-dish main course, served with Piadina or Spianata bread. Follow it with the Salad of Mixed Greens and Fennel or the Salad of Spring Greens, then a dessert of Modena Crumbling Cake or Meringues of the Dark Lake.
Cook’s Notes Olive Oil: Use a fruity oil. See A guide to Ingredients for information on selecting olive oils.
Brodetto
Even though there are almost as many different renditions of Brodetto as there are fishermen, all agree that tomato, olive oil, and wine are constants. The argument over what kind of seafood should go into the stew is not settled easily. Fish with pervading sweetness or hinting at lavishness are banned from Brodetto. This is fishermen’s food, not a dish for the rich. Some make Brodetto with eel; others feel eel ruins the dish. In men’s cafés up and down the Adriatic coast, the same arguments rage over almost every fish arriving on their boats.
Romagna folklorist Gianni Quondamatteo explains that the true Brodetto was defined years ago. At that time, supplies were meager when Romagna’s fishermen went to sea, usually for seven and eight days at a time in small boats powered only by sail. A liter of olive oil, a small barrel of wine, and maybe some tomatoes had to last a week. Quondamatteo says that this was the foundation of Brodetto: seawater supplied the broth and the salt, and the unsalable fish they caught made the Brodetto a stew. It is still a part of traditions that have not changed in small coastal towns where men still mend nets at dockside and women still cook Brodetto.
Anguille alla Comacchiese con Piselli
Once people get over the idea of eel, its mild taste wins over the most hesitant. Sweet peas, tomato, and a hint of vinegar all accentuate the nonfishy quality of this seafood. Because of their firm flesh, eels can be gently reheated, making them ideal for entertaining.
[Serves 4 to 6]
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1 medium onion, minced
2 pounds eel, skinned and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 inches thick)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons tomato purée, or 2 canned plum tomatoes, drained and crushed
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1½ pounds fresh sugar snap peas, shelled, or one 10-ounce package frozen tiny peas, defrosted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method Working Ahead: This dish can be cooked 1 hour ahead, to the point of adding the peas. Keep it at room temperature, lightly covered. Reheat gradually over medium heat. Once the eels are hot, continue the recipe.
Sautéing the Eel: Have plates warming in a low oven. Heat the oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the parsley and onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spatula, 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened. Add the eel pieces and the vinegar, raising the heat to medium-high. Cook, turning gently, 10 minutes, or until the eel is seared. Turn the heat to medium-low, and add the tomato purée and white wine. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes.
Adding the Peas and Serving: Stir in the fresh peas and cook another 5 to 8 minutes, or until they are tender. If you are using defrosted frozen peas, cook the eel, tomatoes, and wine 15 minutes instead of 10 over low heat, and then add the peas. Cook another minute, or long enough to heat the peas through. Season to taste, spoon onto the warmed dishes, and serve.
Suggestions Wine: In the Comacchio, a local red, Rosso del Bosco, is drunk with eel. The wine is grapey and slightly acidic. Outside the area, drink the Veneto’s Bardolino Classico or Bardolino Classico Superiore, or a light-bodied red Merlot from the Friuli’s Aquilea area.
Menu: As an introduction to the meal, have a plateful of steamed shrimps sprinkled with a little olive oil and black pepper. Serve the eel with boiled new potatoes in spring and summer, or later in the year with slices of Baked Polenta. Have a green salad, then finish with a plateful of Sweet Cornmeal Biscuits and tiny cups of espresso, or Zabaione Jam Tart.
Cook’s Notes Buying Eel: Most fish stores stock eel only occasionally but will special-order it. Ideally it should arrive live and be cleaned by your fishmonger. It must be as fresh as possible when cooked.
The Comacchio
The area where the Po River meets the Adriatic in Ferrara province is a vast and mysterious place called the Comacchio. It is the stillest place in all of Emilia-Romagna, with lagoons like sheets of glass. Villages of only a few houses cluster at intersections of long, straight roads. Stubs of ruins jutting up from mounds of sea grass mark the site of ancient Spina, the first Greek settlement along the Po River. The Ferrarese view the people of the Comacchio as a breed apart—reticent loners, a people of another world and time. The eels that are their livelihood came with the Romans, who designed the underwater traps that still secure the fish each year, when they migrate into the lagoons from their spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea. Today the seafood is shipped throughout Italy. The Comacchio, naturally, boasts a multitude of local eel dishes. One favorite is simply to rub pieces of eel with olive oil and grill them over a wood fire. Another is this braising, a choice for spring and early summer.
Sage-and-Garlic-Scented Bluefish
Pesce Serra al Forno con Salvia
Sage is an unexpected seasoning for fish. It needs a bold partner, and bluefish is ideal. Although full-flavored by itself, bluefish tastes almost like meat when marinated with fresh sage, garlic, lemon, and olive oil. The first time I tasted sage and seafood in Romagna, the herb was combined with roasted fresh sardines. Finding fresh sardines in prime condition on this side of the Atlantic can be difficult. But the easily bought bluefish has a Mediterranean cousin (pesce serra) that is prepared almost the same way as the sardines. It shares some of the sardine’s rich character and makes a good version of this dish.
[Serves 2 to 3]
About 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces bluefish fillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices
1 large clove garlic, cut into paper-thin slivers
12 medium to small fresh sage leaves (do not use dried sage)
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 lemon wedges
Method Working Ahead: For the best flavor, season the fish 1 to 2 hours before cooking and keep it, covered, in the refrigerator. Serve the dish as soon as it has finished cooking.
Seasoning the Bluefish: Use about ½ tablespoon of the olive oil to oil a large shallow gratin dish. I prefer an enameled cast-iron dish that can go from the refrigerator to the oven with no danger of cracking. Spread the pieces of fish in a single layer in the dish, spacing them about ½ inch apart. Dot the pieces with garlic slivers and sage leaves, then drizzle with a thin film of olive oil. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, and then with salt and pepper. Lightly cover the fish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
Baking and Serving the Fish: Have dinner plates warming in a low oven. Preheat another oven to 450°F. Slip the gratin dish into the oven and bake 7 to 10 minutes, or until the bluefish is firm when pressed. Baste the fish with the pan juices after about 3 minutes. Do not overcook. Fish that flakes easily is overdone. If you are concerned about undercooking, cut into the thickest piece; it should be opaque all the way through, with no raw-looking center. Serve the bluefish directly from its baking dish, setting the pieces on the warmed dinner plates. Spoon the pan juices over the fish, and pass lemon wedges as the final seasoning.
Suggestions Wine: From Romagna, drink a white Albana di Romagna. From Friuli, have a white Riesling Italico or Sauvignon Blanc.
Menu: The bluefish is excellent accompanied by steamed little red-skinned potatoes and the Salad of Spring Greens, or serve it with Roasted Beets and Onions. Before the fish, have Parsley Pasta with Tomato and Peas Villa Guidello. Make dessert Caramelized Almond Tart or Zabaione Jam Tart.
Soup of Seafood and Chick-peas
Zuppa di Ceci e Pesce
Chick-peas may seem unusual in a seafood soup, but the combination dates back to at least the Medieval period, possibly to pre-Roman times. In this soup, their natural sweetness sharpens the taste of tomato and seafood. Sprinkling black pepper and olive oil over the soup at the table is an all-important finishing touch.
[Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish, 6 to 8 as a first course]
Chick-peas
1¼ cups (8 ounces) dried chick-peas, soaked overnight in cold water and drained
1 small to medium onion, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 canned plum tomatoes, drained and crushed, or 1 large vine-ripened tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
10 cups Quick Stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Soup
1 cup Winter Tomato Sauce
About 3 cups Quick Stock
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and halved
8 to 12 ounces mixed fillets of fish (bass, flounder, mullet, bluefish, sea trout, and/or rockfish), cut into bite-size pieces
Salt to taste
Final Seasoning
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Method Working Ahead: The soup can be made 1 to 2 days ahead, up to the point of adding the seafood. Store it, covered, in the refrigerator. It needs only about 10 minutes to warm up to a gentle bubble. Cook in the seafood about 3 minutes, and the soup is ready to serve.
Cooking the Chick-peas: In a 5-quart pot, stir together the drained and rinsed chick-peas, the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and 10 cups stock. Bring to a slow bubble, partially cover, and cook 3 hours, or until the chick-peas are tender. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Making the Soup: Blend the tomato sauce and the 3 cups stock into the chick-peas, and simmer about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. The soup should have the consistency of heavy cream. Add water or more stock if necessary.
Cooking the Seafood and Serving: Have a tureen and soup dishes warming in a low oven. Set a pitcher of olive oil and a peppermill on the table. Heat the soup until it is bubbling quietly. Stir in the shrimps and seafood, and cook, uncovered, 3 minutes, or until the shrimps are firm and pink. Turn into the heated tureen or soup dishes, and serve. Drizzle a teaspoon to a tablespoon of olive oil over each serving, and grind enough pepper into the soup to give it an assertive snap.
Suggestions Wine: From the region, a white Trebbiano di Romagna or a Sauvignon. If unavailable, have a white Sauvignon from Trentino-Alto Adige or Friuli.
Menu: Serve the soup as a main dish accompanied by Spianata or Piadina bread. Follow it with a green salad. Make dessert Home-Style Jam Cake or Strawberries in Red Wine.
From a Bologna banquet procession honoring the Swiss guard, by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, 1699
Casa di Risparmio, Bologna
Pesce Gatto in Umido
This is one of those dishes you can never get enough of. It is eaten up and down the banks of the Po on Emilia-Romagna’s plain. As the catfish braises, it picks up the flavors of the rosemary, bay, wine, and vegetables. Plan on serving it with creamy baked polenta or wedges of steamed new potatoes.
[Serves 3 to 4]
1½ pounds thick catfish fillets
1 large clove garlic
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
Generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 large celery leaves, finely minced
1 tablespoon finely minced celery stalk
2 tablespoons finely minced carrot
1/3 cup finely minced onion
1 California bay laurel leaf, broken
¼ cup dry white wine
1 canned plum tomato, drained
Salt
Method Working Ahead: For the best flavor, season the fish with its herb rub 2 to 4 hours before cooking. Once the fish is cooked, serve it immediately.
Seasoning the Fish: Rinse the fish and pat it dry. Cut large fillets into quarters or halves so they are easy to turn with a spatula. Set them on a plate.
Combine the garlic, rosemary, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a mortar or food processor. Crush to a coarse paste, or process until finely chopped. Rub the seasoning over the catfish, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.
Cooking the Fish: Have a medium-size platter warming in a low oven. Make sure the vegetables are minced almost as fine as confetti. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetables, including the celery leaves, and the bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula, until the vegetables barely begin to pick up color, about 3 minutes. Lay the fillets in the skillet, keeping the heat at medium. Top them with any seasoning rub that might have remained on the plate. Take about 3 minutes to sear the fillets on both sides, turning them with two spatulas to avoid breaking them. They will pick up only a little color. To keep the vegetables from burning, pile them on the fish as it cooks. Add the wine to the skillet. Crush the tomato and add it. Turn the fish to coat it with the tomato and wine. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Pile the vegetables atop the fillets once again, and cover the skillet tightly. Cook 5 minutes, or until the fish is firm and opaque all the way through.
Serving: Transfer the fish to the heated platter. Pour the pan sauce over it. Serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: A white Trebbiano di Romagna or an Albana di Romagna. From other parts of Italy, have a Soave Classico from the Veneto or Sicily’s white Corvo.
Menu: Serve with Baked Polenta or potatoes, and the Salad of Mixed Greens and Fennel. As a prelude you could have small portions of Fresh Pears with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Balsamic Vinegar or small portions of Modena’s Spiced Soup of Spinach and Cheese. Have Baked Pears with Fresh Grape Syrup or Chestnut Ricotta Cheesecake for dessert.
Cook’s Notes Thick Fillets: The thicker the fillets, the slower the fish cooks and the longer the time it has to absorb the sauce’s flavors. If catfish is not to be had, use thick-cut halibut or cod steaks, or whole mullet.
Summer Clams with Balsamic Vinegar
Poveracce con Aceto Balsamico
Balsamic vinegar is my own addition to a popular Romagna recipe for local clams and mussels. Colorful and easily prepared ahead, it doubles and triples with no effort.
[Serves 2]
2 pounds small clams (tiny Manilas or larger littlenecks are ideal)
2 quarts cold water
2 tablespoons salt (for ridding clams of sand)
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large vine-ripened tomato, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped, or 2/3 cup canned tomatoes with their liquid
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons commercial balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 small clusters arugula, or small romaine leaves, for garnish
Method Working Ahead: The clams and their juice can be cooked up to 8 hours ahead. Remove their top shells, arrange them on a platter, cover, and refrigerate them until about 10 minutes before serving. Be sure to purge the clams in salt water 30 minutes before cooking.
Purging the Clams: Rid clams of any sand by first scrubbing them under cold running water. Then put them in a bowl, cover with the cold water, and sprinkle with the salt. Refrigerate no longer than 30 minutes. Drain and rinse.
Cooking the Clams and Sauce: Heat the oil in a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion 5 to 8 minutes, or until golden. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute. Add the clams to the pot, cover securely, and steam 8 minutes, or until the shells are open about an inch. Steam any clams that have not opened 1 more minute. If still unopened, discard. Keep the liquid simmering while you lift the clams onto a platter. Add the tomato and basil to the pot, and cook a few seconds. Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Let the clams and sauce cool to room temperature. Transfer the sauce to a sealed container. If desired, remove some of the top shells from the clams. Add any liquid from the plate to the sauce. Tightly cover the clams. Refrigerate the sauce and clams separately.
Serving: Take the sauce out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Ten minutes before serving, remove the clams from the refrigerator and arrange them on individual plates. Taste the sauce for seasoning, stirring in the remaining tablespoon of vinegar if desired. Spoon the sauce over the clams. Arrange clusters of greens on each plate and serve.
Suggestions Wine: A white Sauvignon from either the Colli Bolognesi or Friuli.
Menu: Serve with Piadina or Spianata bread. Follow with a green salad, and have fresh fruit and Nonna’s Jam Tart or Modena Crumbling Cake for dessert. If a first course is needed, have small portions of Tagliatelle with Caramelized Onions and Fresh Herbs.
Cook’s Notes Balsamic Vinegar: These vinegars vary greatly in quality. See A guide to Ingredients for guidelines in selecting a fine balsamic.
Substituting Mussels: Substitute 2 pounds mussels for the clams. Purge the mussels for 4 to 8 hours in cold water to cover, by first sprinkling the water with about ¼ cup cornmeal and then refrigerating them. Drain, scrub, and debeard. Cook as described above.
The Poor Little One
There is a small clam in Romagna called the “poor little one,” or poveracca. For a long time the “poor little one” was scorned as too common for the gourmands who came to Romagna’s coast to feast on fresh seafood. But the clam’s exceptional flavor finally won out, and now its popularity equals that of its larger cousins. Eating poveracce is a treat for the ear as well as the palate. Served in mounds, the clam’s thin, light shells tinkle and clatter as you fork each bit of meat. Although no two types of clam taste alike, and nothing quite matches the poveracca’s character, our small clams from both coasts hold their own in this recipe.
Pollo a Due Tempi Il Vecchio Molinetto
This chicken is the specialty of the house at Erminia Marasi’s trattoria, Il Vecchio Molinetto, in Parma. Crackly on the outside, moist on the inside, with hints of rosemary, lemon, and black pepper, the dish is almost fat-free and easy to do. Two-step cooking makes good company food, since it needs little last-minute attention. First the chicken is sautéed; then hours later, just before sitting down to dinner, it is reheated and given a final crisping.
[Serves 4]
3½-pound frying or roasting chicken (organic free-range preferred)
1-inch sprig fresh rosemary, or 1/3 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1 small clove garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
Method Working Ahead: Season the chicken 18 to 24 hours before cooking. Do not refrigerate it between cooking and reheating. Cook the chicken about 2 hours before dining, keep it at room temperature, and then reheat as described below.
Seasoning the Chicken: Rinse the chicken. Cut it into eight pieces, halving each side of the breast and eliminating the wings and backbone. Pat the pieces dry. Use a food processor or mortar and pestle to blend the rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice into a paste, and rub it over the chicken. Set the pieces on a platter, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 18 to 24 hours.
First Cooking: The secret of the chicken’s succulence lies in taking care not to overcook it. Follow the timing for the two-step cooking carefully, and you will have no difficulties. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Slip in the chicken pieces, skin side down. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 1 minute to lightly sear them. Then turn the pieces to coat them with the oil. Arrange the pieces in the center of the pan. Set a 9-inch cake pan on top of the chicken, and weight it with several heavy cans.
Cook the weighted chicken, turning over the breast pieces after 8 minutes and the leg and thigh pieces after 10 minutes (put the weighted pan back on the chicken after each turning). Sprinkle the chicken with the additional 1 tablespoon lemon juice after turning the legs and thighs. Cook the breast pieces another 8 minutes and remove. Cook the leg and thigh pieces 10 minutes. Then crisp the chicken to a rich dark brown by reducing the heat to medium-low and arranging all the pieces back in the pan, skin side up. Cook under the weighted pan for another 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon or tongs, immediately remove the pieces to a platter. Let the chicken cool about 10 minutes, and then lightly cover with plastic wrap or foil. Pour away all the fat and replace the sauté pan over high heat. Swirl in the water, and take about 3 minutes to boil it down by half while scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spatula. Turn the pan juices into a small bowl, and put it in the freezer for 2 hours. Then lift off the hardened fat.
Second Cooking and Serving: Have a serving dish warming in a low oven. Film the bottom of a sauté pan with a little olive oil. Have the heat at medium when you slip in the chicken pieces, skin side down. Top with the cake pan and weights, and warm 5 minutes. Set aside the weighted pan. Turn the chicken pieces, moistening each piece with the reserved pan juices, and lightly cover with aluminum foil. Heat another 5 to 8 minutes. Pile the chicken pieces on the platter, and garnish with rosemary sprigs if desired (at Il Vecchio Molinetto there is no garnish). Serve hot or at room temperature.
Suggestions Wine: Have young Barbera from the Piedmont’s Asti area, or a flowery St. Magdalener of Trentino-Alto Adige.
Menu: Traditional Parma accompaniments are first courses of Tortelli of Ricotta and Fresh Greens, Cappellacci with Sweet Squash, or Tagliatelle with Prosciutto di Parma. For lighter dining, have Spring Salad with Hazelnuts or a few pieces of Garlic Crostini with Pancetta, then the chicken accompanied by Green Beans Bolognese. End with Modena Rice Pudding. For picnics, team the chicken with Paola Bini’s Potato Salad and Marinated Baby Onions.
Dinner in a tavern from a 17th-century Bologna board game, by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli
Casa di Risparmio, Bologna
II Vecchio Molinetto
II Vecchio Molinetto (The Old Mill) is an institution in Parma, typical of the simple trattorie and restaurants found throughout Emilia-Romagna and much of Italy. It shares the sense of timelessness found in most of these places. Its decor is unpretentious, and unchanged since it opened in 1954. Workingmen, businesspeople, and families dine here year after year on the Parma cuisine they have known since childhood. Whereas Americans often dine out on foods they do not cook at home, Italians most often dine out on the foods that mean home to them. Il Vecchio Molinetto serves the food of Parma’s mothers and grandmothers. The pasta is always handmade, the local wines are straightforward, the cured pork comes from nearby farms, and the seasons dictate the menu.
These trattorie are usually the domains of women, and The Old Mill is no exception. Cook/owner Erminia Marasi may be shy and self-effacing, but she stubbornly holds the line in her kitchen, giving not an inch toward trend or fashion. Erminia’s partner and sister-in-law, Anna Bertolazzi, is more than the Molinetto’s waitress. She rules the dining room like a benevolent dictator. Regulars love her one-eyebrow-raised humor, her mothering, the reprimands when she feels you have ordered unwisely, and her approval of a new girlfriend or a new hairdo. The vecchi molinetti of Italy are not restaurants as we usually think of them. They are not removed from home life—they are an extension of it. Weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays are celebrated here. Everyone knows everyone by name. This is like a second living room for many Parmesans.
Maria Bertuzzi’s Lemon Chicken
Il Pollo in Tegame di Maria Bertuzzi
Maria Bertuzzi shared this recipe at her Ristorante Grande in Rivergaro, along the Trebbia River in Piacenza province. She called it good contadina, or farm food. I like the way fresh lemon finishes the dish’s tomato sauce and the way the chicken easily reheats.
[Serves 4 to 6]
3½-pound frying or roasting chicken (organic free-range preferred), cut into 8 pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ small carrot, minced
½ medium onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
8 fresh sage leaves, or 8 dried whole sage leaves
Shredded zest of 1 large lemon
1 large clove garlic, minced
Pinch of ground cloves
¾ cup chopped ripe fresh tomatoes (peeled and seeded) or thoroughly drained chopped canned tomatoes
2/3 cup water or liquid from the canned tomatoes
5 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Garnish
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
Method Working Ahead: The chicken can be made 1 day ahead and stored overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. Undercook by 10 minutes, and do not add the final 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice until just before serving.
Browning and Cooking the Chicken: Rinse and thoroughly dry the chicken pieces. Heat the oil in a heavy 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Slip in the chicken pieces, skin side down, arranging them so they do not touch. Brown over medium heat or lower, adjusting the heat so the chicken colors slowly, taking about 15 minutes to reach a rich amber color. Sprinkle the pieces with a little salt and pepper as they cook, turning them with two wooden spatulas. Remove the browned chicken to a platter. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Set the pan over medium heat and sauté the carrot, onion, parsley, and sage, 8 minutes, or until the onion starts to color. Stir in the lemon zest and continue sautéing, stirring often, 3 minutes, or until the onion is deep gold. Take care not to burn the brown glaze on the bottom of the pan. Blend in the garlic, cloves, tomatoes, and water, scraping up the glaze. Add the chicken and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Bring to a gentle bubble. Cover the pan. Cook 15 minutes. Uncover and cook about 10 minutes, turning the chicken pieces to moisten them. The sauce should thicken and cling to the chicken.
Serving: Have a platter warming in a low oven. Sprinkle the remaining 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice over the chicken, and taste for salt and pepper. Pile the chicken on the platter, moistening the meat with the pan juices. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
Suggestions Wine: From Piacenza, a local red Bonarda or Gutturnio. From other parts of Italy, have the Veneto’s young red Merlot del Piave, a Chianti Classico of Tuscany, or a Santa Maddalena Classico from the Trentino—Alto Adige region.
Menu: Serve the chicken with freshly cooked Creamy Polenta, Basil and Onion Mashed Potatoes, or steamed green beans. Have an antipasto of Garlic Crostini with Pancetta or a first course of Priest’s Soup.
Tips for a Better-Tasting Chicken
Trim away all fat, removing the skin if possible for the selected recipe.
Use less oil in browning chicken, since it throws off so much fat of its own.
Give chicken fuller flavor before cooking by rubbing it with a blend of minced garlic, fresh rosemary, and a little salt. Lightly cover the meat and refrigerate it overnight. (Across the Po plain from Ferrara, in Modena, the blend is called aglione.) When a recipe or personal preference calls for other herbs, substitute them for the rosemary.
Leave the herb blend on chickens to be roasted if they are basted with some form of liquid. The addition of a little liquid keeps the blend from burning.
Protect the herb blend from burning and turning bitter by scraping it off chickens destined for pan-browning. Reserve the mixture and add it to the dish after browning is completed.
Riccardo Rimondi’s Chicken Cacciatora
Pollo alla Cacciatora Riccardo Rimondi
Wedges of sweet pepper and slow-cooked onion flavor this chicken sauté. Serve the Cacciatora alongside boiled potatoes or over steaming polenta. Substituting rabbit here is also very successful. This recipe was given to me by Riccardo Rimondi, linguist and Ferrara historian. His trick of skinning and seasoning the chicken not only reduces fat but adds flavor. His suggestions for improving the chicken before it goes into the pot are invaluable for all chicken recipes. (see box, Second Courses).
[Serves 4 to 6]
3½-pound frying or roasting chicken (organic free-range preferred), skinned and cut into 8 pieces
1 large clove garlic, minced
3-inch sprig fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 medium Italian sweet frying peppers, or 3 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch triangles
2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch triangles
1 medium vine-ripened tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or ½ cup drained canned tomatoes
½ cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Method Working Ahead: For the best flavor, season the chicken pieces 24 hours before cooking and refrigerate them, lightly covered. The finished Cacciatora mellows nicely when cooked 1 day ahead. Undercook it by about 10 minutes and rewarm gently in a covered sauté pan or in a 350°F oven in a covered oven-to-table dish.
Seasoning the Chicken: Rinse and dry the chicken pieces. Combine the garlic, rosemary, and salt, either in a mortar and pestle or a food processer, and crush into a paste. Rub the paste into the chicken pieces, pile them on a platter, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Wipe off the paste before browning, but reserve it in the marinating dish.
Browning the Chicken: Heat the oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Take about 25 minutes to slowly brown the chicken pieces until golden on all sides. Lower the heat if necessary. Occasionally slip a wooden spatula under the pieces to keep them from sticking. Sprinkle the chicken with freshly ground pepper as it browns. Remove the pieces to a platter.
Finishing the Dish: Pour off all but a thin film of fat. Add the peppers and onions to the pan, and cook over medium heat until the onion begins to color. Take care not to burn the brown glaze on the bottom of the pan. Put the chicken back in the pan, and dab the reserved seasoning paste over it and add the tomatoes. Use two spatulas to tumble the chicken pieces with the vegetables. Sprinkle in the wine. Cook about 20 minutes over medium heat, at a gentle bubble, until the wine has evaporated. As the wine cooks off, scrape up the brown glaze on the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan and cook 20 more minutes over medium-low heat, or until the chicken is tender. Turn the pieces two or three times to check for sticking. Taste for salt and pepper before serving.
Suggestions Wine: A lively red from Bosco Eliceo in Ferrara province is traditional with the Cacciatora. Or drink a Merlot from Lombardy or Trentino—Alto Adige, or a young Sangiovese di Romagna or of Umbria.
Menu: Serve with fresh-cooked Polenta or Baked Polenta and, if desired, Ferrara’s Coppia bread. Begin the meal with a few slices of salami or coppa and Balsamic Vegetables. Make dessert fresh pears or peaches with Fresh Squaquerone Cheese.
Old Hen Sunday
In Romagna’s countryside, Carnival begins with Old Hen Sunday, the Sunday before Lent. Tradition and superstition dictate that farmers and their families must eat the oldest hen in the barnyard that day to ensure good prices from the poultry buyer for the coming year. This is not as great a sacrifice as it may sound. The aged chicken can be tough and dry, but it is inevitably full of good flavor. Braising it with local wild mushrooms and a handful of olives is one of the many ways to begin the feasting of this boisterous holiday. By midnight of Fat Tuesday, two days later, every scrap of meat must be gone from the house. Ash Wednesday brings sobriety and denial.
From the fantasy land of plenty, Cucagna, birds eating out of hand and hens laying thirty eggs a day. Bolognese artist Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, 1703.
Casa di Risparmio, Bologna
Pollo di Carnevale
This is the best kind of Romagna country food—chicken braised with wild mushrooms, herbs, vegetables, and olives. Although originally made in Romagna with a vintage barnyard hen, in the United States the dish is best prepared with a younger fryer or roaster. A free-range, organically fed chicken comes closest to the taste of Emilia-Romagna’s home-raised poultry.
[Serves 6 to 8]
4- to 4½-pound frying or roasting chicken (organic free-range preferred), cut into 8 pieces
1 quart water
½ cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons (about ¼ ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
¾ cup hot water
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 large fresh sage leaves, or 8 whole dried sage leaves
2 ounces pancetta, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1 small carrot, minced
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
¾ cup dry white wine
1½ cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
1 tablespoon imported Italian tomato paste
1/3 cup black Ligurian or Niçoise olives
1/3 cup green Italian or Greek olives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method Working Ahead: The chicken can be cooked and served the same day, but mellowing the cooked chicken overnight in the refrigerator only makes it better the next day. Cut short the initial cooking time by about 10 minutes so reheating does not overcook the meat.
Preparing the Chicken and Mushrooms: Trim all the fat from the chicken. If desired, the skin can be removed. In a large bowl combine the quart of water and the vinegar. Add the chicken pieces and soak about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, rid the porcini of sand by rinsing the pieces under cold running water. If they are small, drop them into a small bowl of cold water and swish them around a second. Let the particles settle to the bottom, and immediately scoop up the mushrooms. Repeat twice more. Then combine the rinsed mushrooms with the hot water, and let them soak while you brown the chicken.
Cooking the Chicken: Pat the chicken pieces dry. Heat the oil in a large, heavy nonaluminum sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. Take 20 minutes to slowly brown the chicken pieces on all sides, along with the sage leaves. Take care not to burn the crusty bits on the bottom of the pan. Remove the chicken and sage to a platter. Pour away all the fat in the pan. Set the heat at medium, and stir in the pancetta, onion, carrot, and parsley. Sauté, stirring frequently, 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Then stir in the garlic and drained mushrooms (reserving their liquid), and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Slip the chicken back into the pan. Line a sieve with a paper towel, and strain the mushroom liquid over the chicken. Cook at a gentle bubble, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula, 8 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated.
Pour the wine over the chicken and take 8 to 10 minutes to simmer it down as above, turning the pieces every so often. Now add ½ cup of the stock and slowly bubble 8 minutes, or until there is only a fine film of moisture at the bottom of the pan. Stir in the remaining 1 cup stock and the tomato paste. Finish cooking the chicken, uncovered, in the sauté pan, bubbling the liquid gently 10 minutes, or until the sauce is rich in flavor and slightly thickened. Skim off any fat. Add the olives and cook 3 minutes, or just long enough to heat through. Taste the sauce for seasoning.
Serving: Have a shallow serving bowl heating in a low oven. Mound the chicken in the bowl, moistening it with its sauce. Serve hot.
Suggestions Wine: A soft and full red Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva, a Barbarossa di Bertinoro, or a Salice Salentino Rosso from Apulia.
Menu: For a classic Romagnolo Sunday dinner, begin with a Platter of Cured Meats, then have cappelletti in broth, using one of the recipes in Pastas. Serve the chicken with carrots and green beans or with Garlic-Sautéed Cabbage. Finish the meal with Nonna’s Jam Tart. For a simpler menu, begin with a few slices of salami. Accompany the chicken with freshly made Polenta or boiled potatoes. End the meal with fresh fruits and unshelled nuts, accompanied by glasses of dry Marsala.
Cook’s Notes Reading Poultry Labels: Depending upon where you live and how your market labels poultry, a 4-pound chicken at one end of the meat case can be labeled “roaster” with the usual high price tag, while another 4-pound chicken down the aisle is marked “fryer” and priced lower. There is no difference between the two, so do save money and buy the fryer.
Selecting Olives: The small green olives from the Gard area of southern France are particularly fine in this dish. They resemble some of the locally cured olives found in Romagna. Ligurian and Niçoise black olives packed with herbs, oil, and brine are found in specialty food stores. The flavors of both types of olives should be mild, buttery, and not overly salty.
Pollo al Forno con Aceto Balsamico
In Modena and Reggio cooks rub garlic and fresh rosemary into a chicken before roasting. At the table, the dish is finished with a few spoonfuls of the family’s own balsamic vinegar. I do not exaggerate in saying that few sauces, no matter how intricate, can equal the distinction of a great balsamic. And few dishes equal the simple elegance of this one.
[Serves 4 to 6]
4- to 4½-pound frying or roasting chicken (organic free-range preferred)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 large clove garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
8 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 to 4 tablespoons artisan-made tradizionale balsamic vinegar, or a high-quality commercial balsamic blended with ½ teaspoon brown sugar
Method Working Ahead: Season the chicken and refrigerate 24 hours before cooking. Although leftovers are excellent, the chicken is best eaten hot from the oven.
Seasoning the Chicken: Rinse the chicken under cold running water. Dry it thoroughly inside and out. Set it on a dinner plate. Mince together the rosemary leaves and garlic in the salt. Rub the olive oil over the chicken, then rub in the herb mixture. Sprinkle with pepper. Put two rosemary sprigs in the bird’s cavity, and refrigerate 24 hours, lightly covered with plastic wrap. Keep the remaining rosemary sprigs for garnishing.
Roasting the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Truss the chicken if desired. Rub into the chicken any of the seasoning that might have fallen onto the dinner plate. Use a small heavy roasting pan, and place the chicken in it breast side down. Roast 20 to 25 minutes per pound (about 1¼ to 1¾ hours), or until a thermometer tucked into the thickest part of the thigh or leg reads 170°F. Baste every 15 minutes or so with the pan juices. During the last 30 minutes of roasting, turn the chicken over to brown the breast. If the chicken is not deep golden brown when the cooking time is up, turn the heat to 475°F and brown it about 10 minutes, turning once.
Finishing with Balsamic and Serving: Transfer the chicken to a heated serving platter. Present it whole, drizzled with the balsamic vinegar, and carve at the table. Or use poultry shears to cut it into eight pieces in the kitchen. Spoon the balsamic vinegar over them, and scatter with the remaining rosemary sprigs. Serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: Drink Bologna’s Cabernet Sauvignon Colli Bolognesi, a Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva, or a fine Amarone Reciota della Valpolicella from the Veneto.
Menu: Traditionally Tortellini in Broth Villa Gaidello is served at special dinners. Priest’s Soup or Modena’s Spiced Soup of Spinach and Cheese is lighter and excellent before the chicken. In Modena style, have Torta Barozzi for dessert, or the old-style Frozen Zuppa Inglese.
Cook’s Notes Balsamic Vinegar: For information on tradizionale and commercial vinegars, see A guide to Ingredients.
Variation with Capon: Even more festive than chicken is a 6- to 7-pound capon. Double the seasoning and the amount of vinegar. Season the capon as described for chicken. Roast it breast down at 325°F 20 to 25 minutes per pound, or until a thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 170°F. Turn the breast up during the last 30 minutes of roasting. Baste frequently with pan juices. Carve the capon as you would a turkey, then spoon the balsamic vinegar over it and serve.
Variation in Romagna: Rigging a new fishing boat is often celebrated with roast chicken made just like this one, but served without the balsamic vinegar.
Just a Few Drops of Balsamico
The little town of Spilamberto, near Modena, is home to the oldest of Modena and Reggio’s three balsamic vinegar consortiums. The Consorteria dell’Aceto Balsamico is the spiritual mother to Modena and Reggio’s organizations. Every year the Consorteria evaluates over a thousand of members’ vinegars until one is singled out. On June 24, the festival of Saint John the Baptist, the highest honor a balsamic vinegar artisan can receive is awarded in Spilamberto. Before visiting a Spilamberto tasting, I dined with three men whose families had been making the vinegar for generations. As plates of vegetable fritters arrived, one of my hosts took a small silver flask bearing his family crest from his pocket. Removing the medicine-dropper top, he offered some of his private balsamico for my pleasure. With only a few drops of the brown liquid, that simple fritter became unforgettable. With each new course I waited in silent but eager anticipation, hoping he would again offer the special condiment. I was not disappointed. The final pleasure was droplets of the vinegar over small crocks of caramelized baked custard.
Cappone Natalizio
Since capon replaced swan and peacock as a favorite on 16th-century banquet tables, it gradually became the meat of holidays, especially Christmas. The original version of this dish from 19th-century Reggio had the capon turning on a spit over an open fire. In my version, the fire becomes an oven. I have remained true to the rest of the recipe, however, including flavoring the capon with sweet wine and prosciutto. Tucking a piece of prosciutto into the bird’s cavity has been common practice since at least the days of Lucrezia Borgia. To eat the kind of roast capon gracing the table today in the region, substitute another ½ cup white wine for the Marsala.
[Serves 6 to 8]
6- to 7-pound capon (organic free-range preferred)
½ lemon
Salt and freshly black ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3-ounce piece of Prosciutto di Parma, coarsely chopped
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup dry Marsala wine
Method Working Ahead: Season the capon 24 hours before roasting.
Seasoning the Capon: Rinse the bird under cold running water. Pat it dry and trim away all visible fat. Rub it inside and out with the lemon half, gradually squeezing out the juice. Then sprinkle the cavity and all of the bird’s skin with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Tuck the prosciutto into the cavity. Set the bird on a platter, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Roasting the Capon: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Truss the capon if desired. Lay the bird, breast side down, in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to accommodate it. Roast 25 minutes to the pound (2½ to 3 hours), or until an instant-reading thermometer tucked into the thickest part of the thigh reads 170°F.
After the first hour, begin basting the capon with a third of the white wine. After 20 minutes, add another third. Wait another 20 minutes and baste the capon with the last of the white wine. Then begin basting with the Marsala, using a third at a time. Baste the capon every 20 minutes with the Marsala and spoonfuls of its own pan juices. If the juices threaten to dry or burn, add a little water to the pan. During the last 30 minutes of roasting, turn the bird over to brown the breast area.
Serving: Warm a serving platter in a low oven. Carve the capon by slicing the breast meat into thick pieces and dividing the leg meat into three or four pieces. Arrange the pieces on the platter. Skim the fat from the pan juices and pour the juices over the capon. Scatter the prosciutto pieces from the cavity over the sliced meat, and serve hot.
Suggestions Wine: An elegant red Amarone Recioto della Valpolicella of the Veneto, or Tuscany’s Rosso di Montalcino.
Menu: At Christmas, serve after Tortellini (or cappelletti) in Broth Villa Gaidello. Accompaniments should be steamed broccoli or green beans, and Sweet-and-Sour Onions or Sweet Fennel Jewish Style. Have Frozen Zuppa Inglese or Duchess of Parma Torte. Serve the capon in the style of the 16th century by presenting it atop a platter of Tagliatelle with Caramelized Oranges and Almonds. Finish the meal in the spirit of the period with either Chocolate Christmas Spice Cake or Marie Louise’s Crescents. For lighter dining, begin with Fresh Pears with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Balsamic Vinegar, serve the capon with the above-mentioned vegetables, and finish the meal with Strawberries in Red Wine.
Cook’s Notes Substituting Turkey: Leaner turkey is a fine stand-in for capon. The cooking time is shortened to 15 to 18 minutes to the pound.
Peacock being served at a 16th-century Ferrara court banquet
Il Collectionista, Milan
Quaglie in Tegame
Pan-roasting keeps quail moist. Gentle cooking with browned nubbins of onion, herbs, and pancetta gives this dish its distinctive flavor. Be sure the herbs are fresh, as dried ones do not achieve the same effect. Some Parma cooks deglaze the pan with cream or a tomato sauce; both are worth doing. The recipe is good, too, with breast of pheasant, wild duck, dove, or pigeon, and it doubles easily. Eating quail with the fingers, one dainty bit at a time, is a simple but sensual pleasure not to be missed.
[Serves 6]
6 whole quail (about 22 ounces)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce pancetta, minced
3 tablespoons minced onion
4 cloves garlic, sliced paper-thin
2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
8 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons grappa or brandy
¼ cup Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
2 tablespoons dry white wine
¼ cup water
Sprigs of parsley, marjoram, and basil for garnish
Method Working Ahead: The quail can be cooked 1 hour or so ahead, up to the point of adding the white wine to the pan. Cool and cover, keeping them at room temperature. Reheat the quail over medium-low, raising the heat to medium and adding a bit of water to the pan if scorching threatens.
Cooking the Quail: Have a platter warming in a low oven. Trim away the dark skin around the necks and the rear cavities. Rinse and pat dry inside and out.
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the quail, placing them on their sides, and take 8 to 10 minutes to slowly sauté them to golden brown on all but one side. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper as they cook. Turn the birds carefully with wooden spatulas. Hold back the quail as you pour off all the fat. Now add the pancetta and onion, and cook over medium heat, 5 minutes, or until the onion is golden and the fourth side of the birds has browned.
Sprinkle the garlic and herbs over the quail. Stir in the grappa or brandy and the stock. Cook about 3 minutes, uncovered, over medium heat as you scrape up the brown glaze from the bottom of the pan. Now turn the heat to low, cover the pan tightly, and cook 10 minutes. Add the wine, turning the quail to moisten them. Pile all the herbs and pancetta on top of the birds. Cover the pan snugly and cook another 10 to 15 minutes, or until a leg moves easily in its socket and the breasts give only a little when pressed. Add the ¼ cup water to the pan after about 5 minutes of cooking.
Serving: Pile the quail on the warm platter, spooning herbs, pancetta, and any cooking juices over each one. Tuck bouquets of fresh herbs here and there, and serve.
Suggestions Wine: From the Trentino-Alto Adige, drink a lively young red St. Magdalener, or have the bigger red of Apulia, Salice Salentino Rosso.
Menu: The quail is light enough to follow Tagliatelle with Light Veal Ragù, Tagliarini with Fresh Figs Franco Rossi, or Fresh Garlic Soup Brisighella. Serve Sweet Fennel Jewish Style with the quail. Dessert could be fresh pears with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or Marie Louise’s Crescents.
Coniglio di Giovanna
Perhaps the most succulent rabbit I have ever eaten was made by Giovanna, the cook at Villa Gaidello. Moistened with bastings of wine, lemon, and butter, the meat crisps to a deep golden brown while sealing in every bit of its juices. For those who need to forgo butter, it can be replaced with olive oil. The flavors will change, but the dish is still irresistible.
[Serves 2 to 4]
2½- to 2¾-pound rabbit, in one piece
1 large clove garlic, split
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, or 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-inch sprig fresh rosemary, or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
¼ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 or 4 sprigs fresh rosemary for garnish
Method Working Ahead: The rabbit is best roasted and eaten almost immediately. It will hold, lightly covered with foil, in a turned-off oven about 15 minutes while the rest of the meal is readied.
Roasting the Rabbit: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Rinse and dry the rabbit thoroughly. Rub it all over with the split garlic, and reserve the garlic. Slather the entire surface of the rabbit with the butter or olive oil. Place in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the reserved garlic and the rosemary to the pan. Roast the rabbit 30 minutes. Pour the wine and lemon juice over it, baste with pan juices, and cover loosely with foil. Roast 1 hour. Every 15 minutes, give the rabbit a quarter turn and baste with the pan juices. Turn the heat up to 450°F and uncover the rabbit. Roast another 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Baste often with the pan juices and turn once or twice for even coloring.
Serving: Have a serving platter warming in a low oven. Use poultry shears to cut the rabbit into serving pieces. Arrange on the platter and garnish with sprigs of rosemary. Drizzle the rabbit with its pan juices, if desired.
Suggestions Wine: A white big in character and body, like a Gavi dei Gavi or Arneis di Roero from Piemonte, or a red Dolcetto d’Alba.
Menu: Serve as at Villa Gaidello, accompanied by wedges of steamed red and yellow peppers. Or with Paola Bini’s Potato Salad. Garlic Sautéed Cabbage, or Basil and Onion Mashed Potatoes make good side dishes. As a first course have the Villa’s Parsley Pasta with Tomato and Peas or small bowls of Priest’s Soup. A fine old-style Modena dessert is Crumbling Cake or Cinnamon and Clove Custard.
Cook’s Notes A Whole Rabbit: Special order through your butcher or market.
Doubling: The recipe doubles easily with 2 rabbits. Make sure the roasting pan is large enough to hold them without touching so the meat can brown easily.
Giovanna
Giovanna is retired now. I remember how shy she was during my first visit to Villa Gaidello. Her kitchen was in a corner of the 18th-century hay barn, now converted into the Villa’s simple dining rooms. A few electric lights and a gas stove were the only additions to that kitchen in 200 years. Giovanna seemed to like it that way. As she cooked, her timidness fell away, but her eyes were always sad. I do not know what troubles kept that wounded look there. But if that was her dark side, her food was the light. It transcended a mere “good meal,” often touching the heart. One night, tortellini from Giovanna’s kitchen brought me to tears, rekindling an overwhelming sense of oneness with my own Italian heritage. And this rabbit, eaten on a bright Sunday afternoon when the hay barn was full of noisy families out for a spring jaunt, hushed my boisterousness for a moment. When people speak of soul food, I remember Giovanna’s shy smile and those meals at Villa Gaidello.
Coniglio all’ Aceto Balsamico alla Moda
Estense
This recipe is at once homey and regal. It takes rabbit stew from the realm of everyday Modenese family cooking to a dish of nobility. It was inspired by the banquet dishes of the Este dukes, who held court in Modena from the end of the 16th century to the mid-1800s. Like so many court dishes of those times, the rabbit is flavored in several stages, creating superb depth of taste. But its final seasoning is its most important: balsamic vinegar is spooned over the cooked rabbit. In the days of the Este dukes, it would have been from the royal vinegar attics, the rarest of balsamics. Today artisan-made balsamico gives a splendid finish to the dish.
This recipe was originally done with rabbit, and I strongly urge you to try it that way. But chicken thighs and legs are also excellent here. The fact that it benefits from being cooked a day ahead makes the dish ideal for parties and important dinners. Credit for its interpretation goes to three Modenese: Italo Pedroni and Franca Prampolini of Osteria di Rubiara, and balsamic vinegar authority Renato Bergonzini.
[Serves 7 to 8]
Rabbit and Marinade
4 to 4½ pounds rabbit, each cut into 8 to 10 pieces
4 cups dry white wine
7 tablespoons wine vinegar
Tomato Sauce
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 stalk celery with leaves, minced
14- to 16-ounce can tomatoes with their liquid, or 1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
Aglione Seasoning
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 heaping teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
¼ teaspoon salt
For Braising
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
6 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
5 tablespoons artisan-made tradizionale balsamic vinegar, or 4 tablespoons top-quality commercial balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 teaspoon brown sugar
Method Working Ahead: The tomato sauce can be made 1 day before the rabbit is cooked. At the same time start marinating the rabbit, which needs 12 to 24 hours of steeping before cooking. The rabbit can be cooked 1 day before serving. Do not add the balsamic vinegar. Simply cool the dish, cover, and refrigerate it. Reheat the rabbit, covered, over moderate heat. Add the balsamico, cook for only a few seconds, and serve.
Marinating the Rabbit: Twelve to 24 hours before cooking, place the rabbit pieces in a large stainless steel bowl. Add the 4 cups wine and 7 tablespoons wine vinegar. The pieces should be covered with liquid. If necessary, add a little more wine. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Making the Tomato Sauce: Heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the minced onion and celery, and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are a rich golden brown. Then stir in the tomatoes and cook at a lively bubble 5 minutes, or until thickened. Set aside.
Making the Aglione: Pile the minced garlic, rosemary, and salt on a cutting board. Mince until very fine. Or mash to a paste in a mortar and pestle.
Braising the Rabbit: Drain the meat (reserving the marinade), and pat the pieces dry. Heat the 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Arrange the rabbit pieces in the pan so they barely touch. Take about 20 minutes to slowly brown on all sides over medium heat. Occasionally slip a wooden spatula under the pieces to keep them from sticking. Sprinkle with a little freshly ground black pepper as they cook. Once the rabbit pieces are a deep, rich golden brown on all sides, sprinkle with the aglione. Cook another minute, or until aromatic. Pour in 2 cups of the reserved marinade plus the 1 cup white wine. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Leave the pan uncovered and let the liquid bubble slowly 30 minutes. Adjust the heat if necessary. Remove the rabbit pieces to a platter.
Turn the heat up so the liquid boils. Continue boiling, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula, until the wine has totally evaporated. There should be a brown glaze on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce and the 1 cup of stock. Add the rabbit to the pan, turning the pieces to coat them with the sauce. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the parsley over the meat. Adjust the heat so the sauce bubbles only occasionally. Cover the pan tightly and cook over low heat 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rabbit is tender when pierced with a knife. Turn the pieces every so often. If the rabbit is particularly resilient, cook it longer, adding water to the pan if necessary. Once the meat is tender, uncover and continue cooking slowly another 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Take care not to overcook the rabbit. Stir in the balsamic vinegar just before serving.
Serving: Have a heated serving platter ready. Spoon the rabbit onto the platter, moistening it with all the sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons parsley, and serve.
Suggestions Wine: The fresh, grapey red made by Italo Pedroni and drunk with this dish rarely leaves his back garden, much less Italy. The Piedmont’s Dolcetto d’Alba, a Merlot from Friuli, or a Grave del Friuli are also good with the rabbit.
Menu: As a first course, have Modena’s Spiced Soup of Spinach and Cheese, made without egg, or Almond Spice Broth. Serve either boiled or Oven-Roasted Potatoes with the rabbit. Dessert could be in true Este tradition with Lucrezia Borgia’s Sweet Tagliarini Tart of Ferrara, or Frozen Zuppa Inglese.
Cook’s Notes Substituting Chicken: Eight large chicken thighs and drumsticks can be substituted for the rabbit. Remove the skin before marinating. Cooking time may be about 10 minutes shorter in the final simmering.
Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegars vary greatly in style and quality. See A guide to Ingredients for information on selecting the best examples.
Rabbit Roasted with Sweet Fennel
Coniglio al Forno con Finocchio
Roasted onion and fennel bring out the best in rabbit, and make a main dish that cooks in a single roasting pan. The crushed fennel seeds seasoning the rabbit are not traditional in Emilia-Romagna, but they boost the flavor of our milder fennel, bringing it close to the wild fennels used in Italy.
[Serve 4 to 5]
2½- to 2¾-pound rabbit, cut into 8 pieces
1 large clove garlic
1½-inch sprig fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bulbs fresh fennel, cored and cut into 1½-inch wedges
1 large onion, cut into 1½-inch wedges
3 ounces pancetta, minced
3 cloves garlic, split
1 teaspoon fennel seed, coarsely ground
½ cup coarsely chopped fennel leaves
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup dry white wine
Pan Sauce
¼ cup dry white wine
½ cup Quick Stock
Method Working Ahead: The rabbit tastes best when seasoned 1 day ahead, leave it to mellow in the refrigerator overnight. The dish is best served shortly after roasting.
Seasoning the Rabbit: The night before cooking, rinse and dry the rabbit pieces. Use a mortar and pestle or food processor to make a paste of the large garlic clove, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Rub it over the rabbit pieces. Put them on a plate, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Cooking the Rabbit: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a low-sided roasting pan large enough to hold the rabbit in a single layer, with spaces for the vegetables. Arrange the pieces in the pan. Dab the rabbit pieces with any seasoning rub that may have been left on the plate. Scatter the fennel, onion, pancetta, garlic pieces, fennel seed, and half the fennel tops over the rabbit. Sprinkle with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 30 minutes, basting often with the pan juices. Then pour in the wine and roast 1 hour. Baste often, turning the pieces occasionally. Add a little water to the pan if the juices threaten to burn.
Raise the heat to 450°F and cook 15 minutes, or until the rabbit is flecked golden brown. Turn the rabbit and vegetable pieces, and roast another 15 minutes, or until golden, basting once with the pan juices.
Serving: Transfer the rabbit and vegetables to a heated platter, and keep them warm in the turned-off oven with the door open. Quickly make a pan sauce by setting the roasting pan over two burners turned to high. Add the wine and stock. Scrape up the brown glaze from the bottom of the roasting pan as the liquids boil down by about half in 3 to 5 minutes. Scatter the remaining fennel leaves over the rabbit. Pour the sauce into a little sauceboat, and pass it along with the rabbit.
Suggestions Wine: A white or red Rapitalà from Sicily, a Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva, or a Cabernet Sauvignon from the hills of Friuli or Bologna.
Menu: Begin with Tagliarini with Lemon Anchovy Sauce or Tagliarini with Fresh Figs Franco Rossi. Have a simple dessert of Sweet Cornmeal Biscuits or an elegant Frozen Hazelnut Zabaione with Chocolate Marsala Sauce. For lighter dining, dispense with the first course and serve the rabbit with boiled potatoes. Have Caramelized Almond Tart for a special dessert.
Cook’s Notes Substituting Chicken: Use 2½ to 3 pounds skinned large chicken drumsticks and thighs instead of the rabbit. Follow the recipe as written.
Costolette di Vitello con Porcini
In Parma, at trattoria Il Vecchio Molinetto, large slices of fresh porcini mushrooms are slipped into pockets cut in these thick chops. Lacking the wild mushrooms in their fresh state, I use dried ones to make a great-tasting pan sauce. The secret of succulent veal chops is a quick searing on both sides, then a slow sauté until the chops are just blushed with pink inside.
[Serves 4]
3 tablespoons (½ ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
2/3 cup hot water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Four 1-inch-thick loin veal chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup minced onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
¼ cup dry white wine
1/3 cup Meat Essences, or ½ cup Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
Method Working Ahead: The veal is best eaten right after it is cooked. Measure and chop the other ingredients early in the day; keep them covered at room temperature.
Soaking the Porcini: Rinse the mushroom pieces under cold running water to rid them of sand. If the pieces are small, drop them into a small bowl of cold water, swish them around, and let the particles settle. Immediately scoop up the pieces. Repeat twice more. Soak the rinsed mushrooms in the hot water 30 minutes, or until softened. Then lift them out of the liquid and coarsely chop. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with a paper towel, and set aside 3 tablespoons for the pan sauce. (The rest can be frozen for later use.)
Cooking the Chops: Have a serving platter warming in a low oven. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Take 3 to 4 minutes to quickly brown the veal chops on both sides, sprinkling them with the salt, pepper, and minced onion as you turn them. Periodically slip a wooden spatula under each chop to keep it from sticking.
Once the chops are golden brown, lower the heat to medium-low and cook 8 to 12 minutes, turning once. Check for doneness at 8 minutes. Take care not to overcook them, or the veal will dry out. The interior of the chops should be blushed with pink and they should give a little when pressed with your finger. (Rare chops feel soft; well done, firm.) Once they are done, remove the chops to the heated platter and keep warm.
Making the Sauce and Serving: Spoon off all but about 2 tablespoons fat from the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high, and add the mushrooms and garlic. Stir and sauté 1 minute. Add the reserved mushroom liquid, and boil it down to nothing in about 2 minutes. Then turn the heat to high, stir in the wine, and boil it hard as you scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the wine has evaporated (in about 1 minute), stir in the Meat Essences or stock. Bubble 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice and cook just a few seconds, then pull the pan from the heat. Blend in the butter, and spoon the sauce over the chops. Serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: A Barbera or Gutturnio from Piacenza’s Colli Piacentini, a Rosso Armentano of Romagna, or Tuscany’s Chianti Classico Riserva.
Menu: Before the veal, have Garlic Crostini with Pancetta, Valentino’s Pizza, or Tagliatelle with Balsamic Radicchio. Accompany the veal with Sweet Peas Parma, Oven-Roasted Radicchio, steamed asparagus, or Green Beans with Balsamic Pesto. Ugo Falavigna’s Apple Cream Tart or Marie Louise’s Crescents from Parma give the meal a fine finish.
Pan-Fried Veal Chops with Tomato Marsala Sauce
Costolette all’Emiliana
The pan-fried veal chop or cutlet with its golden crisp coating of bread crumbs and topping of cheese is an Italian favorite found throughout Emilia-Romagna. When the chop with its elegant long, curving rib bone appears on its own, it is in the Milanese style. When topped with prosciutto and/or Parmigiano-Reggiano, and possibly a pan sauce, it becomes the specialty of Emilia’s and Romagna’s cooks.
This lightened rendition is adapted from two similar dishes, one from Modena and the other from Bologna. Usually the chop is pounded, breaded, fried in butter, and then cooked in a butter-rich sauce. The Modenese often add Marsala and tomato. The Bolognese use only tomato and shavings of local truffle.
My version has the breaded chop cooked in oil, drained well on paper towels, and then topped with a quick, light pan sauce of Marsala and tomato. The chop keeps its crispness, while a single tablespoon of butter finishing the sauce gives a much more buttery taste than you might expect. The result is lighter, yet still robust and satisfying.
[Serves 4]
Veal
4 veal rib chops (with rib bone if possible), cut 1 inch thick, chine and feather bones trimmed away
2 eggs
12/3 cups dried bread crumbs (homemade preferred), ground very fine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Pan Sauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup minced onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
¼ cup dry Marsala
1 cup well-drained canned tomatoes, crushed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 ounces Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved into furls with a vegetable peeler
Method Working Ahead: The veal chops can be pounded up to 8 hours before cooking. Refrigerate them, covered, until shortly before cooking. This dish is best eaten immediately after cooking. To make short work of the cooking, measure and chop all the ingredients ahead.
Preparing the Veal: Trim away all fat from the chops and their bones. Make sure the bones are trimmed clean. Trim the chops so you are left with the large lean oval of meat. This is the eye of the rib, attached to the rib bone, or on its own in a boneless chop. Save any meat scraps for ragù sauces or the stockpot.
Using a meat pounder, pound the meat to half its original thickness, about ½ inch thick. Take care not to pull it away from the bone. Keep the chop from curling while cooking by lightly scoring a crosshatch pattern into one side of each chop: three long, very shallow cuts across the full width of the chop, and another three perpendicular to it. Unless you will be cooking the chops right away, set them on a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Cooking the Chops: Have a platter large enough to hold the chops in a single layer warming in a low oven, along with four dinner plates. Cover a cookie sheet with a triple thickness of paper towels for draining the fried chops. Beat the eggs in a shallow soup dish, and spread the bread crumbs on a platter. Remove the chops from the refrigerator, and lightly sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.
In a sauté pan large enough to hold the chops in a single layer, heat the two oils over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes. Do not allow them to smoke. Test the temperature by dropping in a pinch of bread crumbs. If they sizzle and slowly begin to brown, the oil is ready. Dip the chops, one at a time, in the egg, letting any excess drip off. Then dip them in the crumbs, shaking off any excess. Slip the chops into the pan, making sure they do not overlap. Cook 2 to 2½ minutes on one side, or until a rich golden brown. Do not cook to dark brown, or the chops may dry out. Turn and cook to golden brown on the second side, about 2 minutes. Remove the chops from the pan, and drain them on both sides on the paper towels. Set them on the platter in the oven.
Making the Sauce and Serving: Immediately pour all the fat out of the pan, and wipe it clean with a thick wad of paper towels. Add the 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the onion and quickly stir until golden. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in the stock and cook down a minute or so to a moist glaze on the bottom of the pan. Then add the Marsala and cook down the same way. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer, stirring constantly, for 10 seconds, or until thick. Swirl in the butter, letting it melt only to a cream. Remove the pan from the heat.
Place a veal chop on each heated dinner plate. Nap each chop with spoonfuls of the pan sauce, scraping the last bit of it from the pan. Divide the cheese among the chops, heaping the furls on top of the sauce. Serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: A soft red Merlot from the Colli Bolognesi, or a light-bodied Merlot from the Aquilea area of Friuli.
Menu: Serve in traditional style after a first course of Tagliarini with Lemon Anchovy Sauce or Linguine with Braised Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar. Accompany the chops with steamed green beans or Oven-Roasted Radicchio. Have Home-Style Jam Cake or Riccardo Rimondi’s Spanish Sponge Cake filled with raspberry jam for dessert. For lighter dining, begin with the “Little” Spring Soup from the 17th Century before the veal with steamed potatoes, and make dessert Baked Pears with Fresh Grape Syrup.
Cook’s Notes Extra-Fine Bread Crumbs: Grind bread crumbs for a few seconds in a blender, reducing them to the texture of fine sand.
Lemon Roast Veal with Rosemary
Vitello al Forno
Scented with lemon and herbs, this veal roast gains extra succulence from a fine mincing of pancetta. Tucked into slits in the roast, it flavors and moistens the meat as it cooks. Some Emilia-Romagna cooks baste the veal with milk, but I prefer the equally traditional basting of white wine and the unusual finishing touch of fresh lemon, a favorite trick of a Modena friend. Moist veal is guaranteed by taking the meat only to the rosy stage. In Italy it would be more well done, a style that is delicious there but turns dry when done with most American veal.
[Serves 6 to 8]
3 to 4 pounds boneless loin of veal
2 ounces pancetta, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
¼ cup minced Italian parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-inch sprig fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
2/3 cup dry white wine
½ cup Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
Rosemary sprigs for garnish
Method Working Ahead: For the best flavor, season the roast with the pancetta mixture 1 day ahead. Refrigerate it, lightly covered, until about 1 hour before roasting. The roast is best eaten as soon as cooking is completed.
Seasoning the Veal: Mince together the pancetta, garlic, and parsley. Turn into a bowl, stirring in 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Using a paring knife, make 15 or 16 deep slits into the roast, over its entire surface. Using your fingers, stuff the seasoning mixture into each slit. Set the roast on a platter, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 24 hours.
Roasting the Veal: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub the veal with the olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Set it in a shallow roasting pan with the rosemary. The roast will take about 25 minutes to the pound (1¼ to 1¾ hours). Roast 20 minutes, then pour half the wine over the meat, basting with the pan juices. Continue roasting, basting and adding small amounts of wine, until an instant-reading thermometer inserted in the meat’s center reads 150°F. Remove the roast to a warm platter and keep warm.
Making the Sauce: Skim the fat from the pan juices. Set the roasting pan on a burner over high heat. Bring the juices to a boil, stirring in the stock. Boil, scraping up the brown glaze in the pan with a wooden spatula, 2 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly and is full-flavored. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Serving: Keep the sauce warm as you carve the meat into ¼-inch-thick slices. Garnish the platter with a few sprigs of rosemary, and pass the sauce separately.
Suggestions Wine: A red Barbera from the Colli Bolognesi, a Barbera from Piemonte’s Monferrato area, or a Barbera of Lombardia’s Oltrepò Pavese. A young red Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc from Friuli is also good with the veal.
Menu: The veal is excellent after any light first course made without lemon or balsamic vinegar. Have Tagliatelle with Caramelized Onion and Fresh Herbs, Fresh Garlic Soup Brisighella, or Priest’s Soup. Accompany the veal with Green Beans Bolognese, Basil and Onion Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Winter Endives, or steamed broccoli. Finish the meal with Baked Pears with Fresh Grape Syrup or Torta Barozzi.
Basil and Balsamic Veal Scallops
Scaloppine di Vitello a Basilico e Aceto Balsamico
Fresh basil and balsamic vinegar are an unbeatable seasoning for a sauté of veal, chicken, pork, or seafood. This recipe was inspired by vinegar expert Renato Bergonzini and is a Modenese favorite. Make it for a quick supper or for a menu where you need a fast-cooking main dish. The basil must be fresh (dried cannot be substituted here) and the balsamic vinegar a richly flavored one. In dishes like this, boneless pork loin is often substituted for veal.
[Serves 4]
1 pound veal scallops, or 1 pound top round of veal or boneless veal loin in a single piece, trimmed of fat
About 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour (organic stone-ground preferred)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ tablespoons commercial balsamic vinegar blended with 1/3 teaspoon brown sugar, or 2 teaspoons artisan-made tradizionale balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
½ cup Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
1 tablespoon shredded fresh basil leaves for garnish
Method Working Ahead: The veal can be pounded and all ingredients measured up to 2 hours ahead. Keep the veal covered and stored in the refrigerator. Cook the veal just before serving.
Preparing the Scallops: Check that your butcher or market cuts the scallops across the grain from a piece of veal free of connective tissue, like the top round or loin. If cut with the grain, the scallops will shrink in cooking. To cut them yourself, slice the veal across the grain into ¼- to ½-inch-thick pieces. Pound with a meat pounder to about 1/8 inch thick.
Cooking the Scallops: Warm a serving platter in a low oven. Spread the flour on another platter for dredging the meat. Heat the oil and butter in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Decide how many scallops will fit in the pan without touching. Dip those in the flour, dusting off any excess. Quickly brown the meat, taking only 20 to 30 seconds per side. Using a wooden spatula, transfer the scallops to the platter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep warm in the oven. Sauté the rest of the veal in batches, flouring the pieces just before they go into the pan. If necessary, add a little more oil to the pan. Keep the heat low enough so as not to burn the particles. Hold the meat in the warm oven.
Making the Sauce and Serving: Stir half of the commercial balsamic vinegar, if you are using it, and the 3 tablespoons basil into the sauté pan. Cook a few seconds, then stir in the stock and cook at a lively bubble 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the veal scallops. Sprinkle with the remaining commercial balsamic, or with all of the artisan-made balsamic if that is what you’re using, and the shredded basil. Serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: From the Veneto, a young red Valpolicella Classico, or try a Santa Maddalena from Trentino-Alto Adige.
Menu: Begin with Modena’s Spiced Soup of Spinach and Cheese. Have Oven-Roasted Potatoes and steamed green beans with the veal. Make dessert Modena Rice Pudding.
Cook’s Notes Balsamic Vinegar: See A guide to Ingredients for information on balsamic vinegars.
Costolette in Graticola
Grilled veal is the simplest and most satisfying kind of food. The irresistible aroma of meats grilling over a wood fire greets you in many Romagna restaurants, especially those in the hills near Verucchio. There, Ristorante Zanni has an old waist-high hearth as its grill. Chops of veal, pork, and the local castrato lamb turn brown and crusty over the hot coals while the fire warms the whole dining room. Make these chops as at Zanni, with either sage or rosemary. The recipe doubles easily.
[Serves 4]
4 veal loin or rib chops, cut 1 inch thick (about 1¾ pounds)
2 large cloves garlic, split
18 fresh sage leaves, or 4 or 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Generous pinch of black pepper
Salt to taste
Fresh sage or rosemary sprigs for garnish (optional)
Method Working Ahead: The veal is best flavored with the garlic, herbs, and oil about 24 hours ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator. Serve the veal hot from the grill or stove-top.
Flavoring the Veal: Trim the chops of excess fat. Cut three shallow notches into the outer edge of the meat of each chop to keep it from curling in cooking. Place the chops in a shallow dish that holds them comfortably. Rub all the meat’s surfaces with the split cloves of garlic. Then crush and rub the sage or rosemary into the meat, on all sides. Sprinkle the chops with the oil and pepper, slathering the oil over the meat. Tuck the garlic pieces and herb leaves among the chops, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate about 24 hours.
Cooking the Veal: Cook the chops over a charcoal grill, preferably using real wood charcoal, or use a stove-top grill or a sauté pan. Discard the garlic pieces before grilling.
Grilling over Charcoal: Heat the charcoal until a gray ash forms. Set the grill about 4 inches from the coals. Lift the chops from their dish, keeping the herbs on them, and set them on the hot grill. Quickly brown on both sides, lightly salting the chops before turning. Then slow down the cooking by covering the grill or by raising the rack several inches away from the fire. Cook a total of 10 minutes (including browning time), or until the chops are almost firm when pressed with the finger. If you have any doubt about doneness, make a small slit into the meat; it should be faintly blushed with pink.
Stove-top Grilling: Heat a gridded skillet or stove-top grill over medium-high heat. Brush the grill lightly with olive oil. Lift the chops from their dish, keeping the herbs on them. Take 2 to 4 minutes to quickly brown them on both sides, lightly salting the chops before turning. Immediately turn the heat to low and cook the chops 3 minutes per side, or until they are almost firm when pressed with a finger. Make sure the herbs are getting crisp without burning. If you have any doubt about doneness, check by making a small slit in the meat. It should be faintly blushed with pink.
“Grilling” in a Sauté Pan: Film the bottom of a 12-inch sauté pan with a little olive oil. Heat it over medium-high heat. Lift the veal chops from their dish, keeping the herbs on them. Take 2 to 3 minutes to quickly brown the chops on both sides, lightly salting them before turning. Lower the heat to low, and cook the chops about 3 minutes to a side, or until slightly firm when pressed. They should be faintly blushed with pink inside. Make sure the herbs are crisped but not burned.
Serving: Remove the chops to a platter and serve immediately. Garnish them with the grilled bits of herbs, and sprigs of fresh herbs if desired.
Suggestions Wine: A young, medium-bodied red Sangiovese di Romagna or a soft red Barbera d’Alba or d’Asti from the Piedmont.
Menu: Have the chops as part of a traditional Romagna country dinner. Begin with a few slices of good salami and Piadina flatbread. Have more Piadina with the veal chops and Oven-Roasted Potatoes, Garlic-Sautéed Cabbage, or Salad of Mixed Greens and Fennel. Enjoy Nonna’s Jam Tart or Sweet Cornmeal Biscuits with fresh fruit for dessert. A traditional pasta course is small portions of tagliatelle with Country-Style Ragù.
Cook’s Notes Using Lamb or Pork: Use loin or rib chops cut ¾ to 1 inch thick. Flavor and grill exactly as described above. Rosemary tends to be traditional with lamb, while either herb often flavors pork.
The people of Romagna (Romagnoli in Italian), have a reputation for obstinacy and independence, for a keen critical eye and for openhearted hospitality. Their own poets call them arrogant and passionate, sloppy and kind, majestic and loving a practical joke. Writer Candido Bonvicini says, “Their dialect is wrought with roses, but teems with scorpions.” And yet, doors are always open to passersby. Several of my Emilian friends say the people of Emilia will greet you with honest pleasure and warmth, and treat you well. But once you are gone, they will not think about you again. When you return, they will sincerely delight in having you back. A Romagnolo friend says all that is true of the people of Romagna, with one important difference. He says, “We will worry and wonder why you have not returned.”
In Romagna, food is often more immediate, and flavors more primal than in Emilia. It has been said Romagnoli eat Homerian meals of food straight from the earth and the fire, washing them down with strong wine. Their wine is the red Sangiovese . Some say the Sangiovese stains the throat, labeling forever those who love it. It is part of their identity. The wine can be rough and aggressive. It can also be soft and velvety, almost seductive. Sangiovese always warms. Even at its most elegant, and it can achieve elegance, there is earthiness and vigor. White Albana is the other side of Romagna’s nature. Even at its driest, this wine has a sweet nature; it is soft and winning. In its old sweet style, Albana is golden with scents of fruit trees in full blossom. The wine makers around Bertinoro say a glass of Albana and a May afternoon of watching spring come to Romagna’s plain is the heaven of the Romagnoli.
Polpette d’Artusi alla Villa Gaidello
In Italy small meatballs are usually pan-fried and eaten as an antipasto, with or without sauce. But in this festive dish from Villa Gaidello, the larger meat patties are a second course. Their unique flavor comes from a blend of beef chicken, cheese, herbs, pancetta, pine nuts, and currants. The dish is finished with a sweet/tart pan sauce of caramelized balsamic vinegar and garnished with small onions glazed to a golden turn.
Villa Gaidello’s creator, Paola Bini, explained that her family adapted this recipe from one by 19th-century cookbook author Pellegrino Artusi. The dish brings the tastes of another era to menus. Its long list of ingredients may appear daunting, but the patties go together quickly and can be prepared a day ahead.
[Serves 4 to 6]
Meat Patties
1 medium onion, quartered
¾ cup (3 ounces) Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, in chunks
1/3 cup tightly packed Italian parsley leaves
1 small clove garlic
1 large chicken thigh, skinned, boned, and cut into chunks
6 ounces lean pancetta, coarsely chopped
10 ounces lean ground chuck or sirloin beef
1/3 cup currants, soaked 10 minutes in hot water and drained
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
¼ cup dried bread crumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon imported Italian tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Glazed Onions (Optional)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 pearl onions, boiled 10 minutes and peeled
½ teaspoon sugar
¾ cup Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
1/3 cup high-quality commercial balsamic vinegar
Sauce
¾ cup Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup high-quality commercial balsamic vinegar, or 3 tablespoons artisan-made tradizionale balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method Working Ahead: The meat mixture can be blended and refrigerated up to 24 hours before cooking. You can cook the meat patties and sauté the onions up to the point of preparing the sauce. Hold the patties and onions at room temperature up to 2 hours. Reheat, and make the sauce shortly before serving.
Preparing the Patties: Finely chop the onion, cheese, parsley, and garlic in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, using rapid on/off pulses. Add the chicken thigh and pancetta. Process until finely ground but not puréed. Turn into a medium bowl. Using a wooden spoon, blend in the beef, currants, pine nuts, bread crumbs, egg, tomato paste, cinnamon, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cloves. Shape the patties with wet hands to form 1½-inch-diameter balls. Flatten them to about ¾ inch thick by gently pressing the balls with the palm of your hand.
Cooking the Patties: Line a cookie sheet with a triple thickness of paper towels. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Arrange half the patties in the pan so they do not touch. Slowly brown on both sides, taking about 15 minutes. Turn them gently with two wooden spatulas, taking care not to break them. Drain them on the towels, and repeat with the remaining patties. Then pour off all the fat from the pan, but do not wash it.
Glazing the Onions: Use another skillet to sauté the onions. Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet. Sauté the onions over medium heat 5 minutes, or until they begin to color. Shake the pan as you sprinkle them with the ½ teaspoon sugar, and cook over medium heat 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Increase the heat to high, stir in the stock, and boil 3 minutes, or until reduced to almost nothing. Add the commercial balsamic vinegar and boil 1 minute. (If you are using artisan-made balsamic, add all of it in the next step.) Set aside.
Finishing and Serving: Have a serving platter warming in a low oven. Put the meatball sauté pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the ¾ cup stock, and let it boil as you scrape up the brown bits in the pan. Cook 5 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by two thirds. Stir in the 2 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup commercial vinegar (artisan-made vinegar is added in a few moments). Cook at a slow bubble 2 minutes to thicken slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs and simmer over medium-low heat about 5 minutes to heat through. Turn them once to heat evenly. Rewarm the onions. If you are using artisan-made vinegar, stir it into the meat patty sauce just before transferring them to the heated platter. Spoon the meatballs onto the warm platter, and arrange the onions around them. Serve hot.
Suggestions Wine: A Recioto della Valpolicella Amarone from the Veneto, or a Merlot from Colli Bolognesi.
Menu: Serve “Little” Spring Soup from the 17th Century or Priest’s Soup in small quantities before, and a green salad after. Modena Crumbling Cake with sweet wine for dunking is a perfect finish. For a buffet, have Mousse of Mortadella, Valentino’s Pizza, and Garlic Crostini with Pancetta as antipasti. Serve the meat patties with a green salad. Sweet Cornmeal Biscuits with grapes is a fine dessert.
Seventeenth-century Bolognese banquet procession honoring the Swiss guard. Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, 1699.
Casa di Risparmio, Bologna
Grilled Beef with Balsamic Glaze
Manzo alla Brace
As soon as spring weather warms, country trattorie and restaurants set out tables anywhere with a breeze and a little sun. At Osteria di Rubbiara outside Modena, the dining room is a grassy yard surrounded by the grain fields of the Po River plain. Scents of fresh-cut wheat mingle with the bouquet of tortellini in homemade broth. Next door are the Osteria’s little grocery store, and inside dining rooms. Outbuildings house one of the area’s most respected collections of artisan-made balsamic vinegars, the work of owner Italo Pedroni.
This crusty grilled beef basted with balsamic vinegar was inspired by a Pedroni dish. Blending a little brown sugar with a commercial balsamic brings it close to the character of the young artisan-made vinegars often cooked into dishes. If you have an older artisan-made tradizionale balsamic vinegar, drizzle a tablespoon over the finished beef at the table. Save the grilled beef for eating outdoors when it can be cooked over charcoal or over the especially fragrant fire made from hardwoods.
[Serves 6 to 8]
Marinade
Eight 3-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, or 3 tablespoons dried rosemary leaves
14 fresh sage leaves, or 14 dried whole sage leaves
4 large cloves garlic
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup dry red wine
3 pounds boneless beef chuck ribs (rib lifters), or boned chuck blade roast cut into chunks 1½ inches thick and about 4 inches long
Glaze
6 tablespoons commercial balsamic vinegar
1½ tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon commercial balsamic vinegar blended with ½ teaspoon brown sugar, or 2 tablespoons artisan-made tradizionale balsamic vinegar
Bouquet of fresh sage and rosemary sprigs for garnish
Method Working Ahead: For the best flavor, start marinating the meat 24 hours ahead. The beef is best eaten hot off the grill. Once trimmed of fat, the leftovers make a fine salad: Dress with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, mounding the slices on a salad of mixed greens. Garnish with thin slices of red onion and Balsamic Vegetables.
Marinating the Meat: Do use fresh herbs if at all possible. Strip the rosemary leaves off their sprigs and mince them together with the sage and garlic. Blend with the olive oil and wine, and toss with the meat in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Lightly cover, and refrigerate 16 to 24 hours.
Cooking the Meat: For fine flavor, use the hot embers of a hardwood fire (oak, ash, nut, and fruitwoods are typically Italian) or the more available charcoal grill fired with real wood charcoal. These cuts of beef are best kept rare to medium-rare.
Grilling over Charcoal: Light the grill, using real wood charcoal if possible. As the coals burn to a coating of gray ash, set the meat on a platter at room temperature. Stir the 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 1½ tablespoons brown sugar into the marinade left in the bowl. When the coals are ready, spread them out and top with another thin layer of unlit charcoal. Set the grill in place, letting it heat about 5 minutes. Place the meat pieces toward the center of the grill. When one side has browned, spoon marinade over the pieces and turn them to get crusty brown on the other side. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Continue basting. Once the meat is well browned, adjust the vents to lower the heat and cover the grill. Cook 5 to 10 minutes for rare, or 15 to 20 minutes for medium-rare, basting two or three times. Rare meat is barely firm when pressed with a finger; medium-rare is blushed with pink and just firm.
Grilling over Hardwood Embers: This is usually an open campfire. Have stones piled around the fire so a metal grill can be set about 6 inches above the red-hot embers. Brown the meat as directed above, adding a few small pieces of wood to the fire if it threatens to die. Instead of covering the charcoal grill to finish cooking the meat, tent a large piece of aluminum foil over the meat pieces to reflect heat back onto them. Cook, basting two or three times. Five minutes is all that is needed for rare meat, but do test it by pressing with your finger as described above. Six to 9 minutes produces medium-rare.
Serving: Transfer the meat from the grill to a heated platter, and cut it across the grain into diagonal ¼-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle the slices with the remaining balsamic vinegar, and serve hot. Garnish with herb sprigs if desired.
Suggestions Wine: At the Osteria everyone drinks the local Lambrusco, which is dry, grapey, and refreshing. On this side of the ocean, pour a bigger Dolcetto d’Alba from the Piedmont, or a medium-bodied Chianti Classico from Tuscany.
Menu: Although also seasoned with balsamic vinegar, Paola Bini’s Potato Salad is perfect summer food with the meat. Make dessert fresh peaches and melon, or shales of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese with pears.
Cook’s Notes Other Meats: Instead of beef, use chunks cut from the loin end of a leg of lamb, pork tenderloin, or boned chicken thighs.
Agnello alle Olive
This is a company dish in Romagna and here in the United States. Cook it ahead, rewarm it for serving, and still have lamb that carves into moist, rosy slices. The technique of roasting with a small amount of liquid in a deep pot on top of the stove dates back to the days when ovens were scarce in many Emilia-Romagna homes. Flavors concentrate and intensify with this method of cooking, producing a pan sauce so rich in flavor that it rarely needs any further reduction.
[Serves 4 to 6]
Two 3-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, or 2 generous teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
1 large clove garlic
6- to 7-pound leg of lamb, trimmed of fat
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt
½ medium red onion, chopped
2/3 cup dry red wine
½ cup well-drained canned tomatoes
3 tablespoons dry red wine
½ cup small black Ligurian or Niçoise olives, unpitted
½ cup Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock (optional)
Method Working Ahead: For the best flavor, season the lamb with the garlic and rosemary 24 hours before cooking. Once cooked, the lamb can be cooled and held at room temperature, uncovered, about 2 hours. Rewarm over medium-low heat, taking care not to cook it beyond an internal temperature of 140°F.
Seasoning the Lamb: Strip the rosemary leaves from the sprigs into a mortar. Add the garlic, and crush to a paste. To make the lamb fit snugly in the pot, have the butcher trim away the sirloin end of the piece up to the thick part of the leg. Set aside the sirloin end for another use. The shank bone should be cracked and tucked under the thick part of the leg, making a compact piece of meat of more or less even thickness. Final weight is about 5 pounds.
Use a paring knife to cut small slits in the leg of lamb. Fill them with the crushed herbs. Set the lamb on a plate, sprinkle it with pepper, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours.
Cooking the Lamb: Select a heavy 4- to 5-quart saucepan large enough to hold the meat very snugly. Heat the oil in it over medium heat. Add the meat, salting it lightly, and take about 1 hour to slowly brown it on all sides. Turn the meat with wooden spatulas, lowering the heat if necessary to keep it from scorching. Add the red onion to the meat and brown it, still turning the meat so that it is crusty on all sides. Pour in the 2/3 cup wine and the tomatoes. Bring the liquid to the slowest of bubbles. Cover lightly with foil, but do not seal the foil to the pot. Cook over low heat 2 hours. Turn the lamb frequently as it cooks, basting it with the juices. At the end of 2 hours the sauce should be only a thick film at the bottom of the pan. Stir in the 3 tablespoons wine and the olives. Slowly bubble, uncovered, another 30 to 45 minutes. The lamb should reach an internal temperature of 140°F when tested with an instant-reading thermometer. Add the ½ cup broth if the pan juices threaten to dry up.
Serving: Have a serving platter warming in a low oven. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, and carve it into 1/8- to ¼-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices on the platter, and moisten them with the little bit of pan sauce. Spoon the black olives over the meat. Serve hot.
Suggestions Wine: A soft red Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva, a Merlot from Trentino—Alto Adige, or Tuscany’s Tignanello.
Menu: Begin the meal with Garlic Crostini with Pancetta and Balsamic Vegetables. Serve boiled potatoes or Creamy Polenta with the lamb. Have as dessert Baked Pears with Fresh Grape Syrup or Caramelized Almond Tart.
Cook’s Notes Romagna is famous for its castrato, the meat of neutered young rams that grow plump grazing on the area’s rich grass. Unlike mutton, castrato is not strong-tasting. It combines the delicacy of lamb with the full flavor of beef. Although lighter in character, American lamb can stand in for castrato in dishes like this one.
Lamb, Garlic, and Potato Roast
Agnello al Forno con Aglio e Patate
Roast lamb, garlic, and potatoes together until all are crusty and tender, and you have a favorite dish from the farmlands of Ferrara and Ravenna. Rubbing the lamb with sage and garlic and letting it rest overnight imparts depth. The real secret of its lovely taste, though, is the anchovies: just enough for body, not enough for anyone to identify. Spring in Piacenza brings a dish almost the duplicate of this one, with loin or leg of kid replacing the lamb. It is a delicious substitution, and a traditional one at Easter time.
[Serves 6 to 8]
3½- to 4-pound shank end leg of lamb or boneless shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons. extra-virgin olive oil
6 large fresh sage leaves, or 6 dried whole sage leaves
4 canned anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
8 large cloves garlic, halved
3 tablespoons. red wine vinegar
1½ cups dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 pounds red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
Method Working Ahead: The lamb should be marinated overnight, but do not cook it more than 2 hours ahead. Hold the cooked lamb, uncovered, at room temperature. (Refrigerating changes the quality of the dish, leaving it still good but tasting “reheated.”) Rewarm the finished dish in a 350°F oven about 30 minutes.
Seasoning the Lamb: In a glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the lamb with the first quantity of garlic, onion, olive oil, sage leaves, and anchovies. Toss, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 16 to 24 hours.
Cooking the Lamb: Total cooking time will be about 2½ hours. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat a large heavy metal roasting pan in the oven about 20 minutes. Turn the lamb pieces and their marinade into the hot pan, spreading them so they do not touch. Brown the meat on all sides in the oven, turning the pieces once or twice with wooden spatulas; this will take 20 to 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350°F. Stir the eight halved garlic cloves, vinegar, and half the white wine into the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 45 minutes, basting the meat twice with the pan juices. Add the potatoes and the rest of the wine. Turn the potatoes to coat them with the pan juices. Lightly cover the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Continue basting often with the pan juices as it roasts another 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife. The meat should be equally tender. If it is not, continue cooking, covered, another 20 minutes. Warm a serving platter.
Final Browning and Serving: Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler, setting a rack so the roasting pan is about 3 inches from the flame. Slip the pan under the broiler and cook, turning the pieces and basting with the pan juices, 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are browned. Mound the lamb and potatoes onto the warmed platter, and serve hot.
Suggestions Wine: The big, flavors of this dish are set off by a red Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva, a Barbarossa from Romagna, the Piemonte’s Nebbiolo d’Alba, or Campania’s red Taurasi.
Menu: For a traditional menu, begin with Priest’s Soup or Modena’s Spiced Soup of Spinach and Cheese, made without eggs. Follow the lamb with a green salad, and then Ugo Falavigna’s Apple Cream Tart or Cardinal d’Este’s Tart. For lighter dining, begin with Fresh Pears with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Balsamic Vinegar. Follow the lamb with Meringues of the Dark Lake.
From the fantasy land of plenty, Cucagna, a table always laden with everyone’s favorite foods, by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, 1703
Casa di Risparmio, Bologna
Braised Pork Ribs with Polenta
Puntine di Maiale con Polenta
Mounding tender chunks of pork ribs over steaming polenta is a winter specialty from Ferrara. Tomato, olives, and basil add especially rich flavors to the meaty ribs. A thick beef chuck blade roast can be substituted with great success. With either meat, this dish evokes snug evenings in Ferrara farmhouses, when everyone gathers around the big kitchen table for hours of good talk and good food. Serve this on the first really cold night of winter, if possible in front of an open fire.
The Ferrarese claim that their pleasure in polenta comes from their proximity to the cornmeal-loving Veneto region. Just across the Po River, the Veneto is a long stone’s throw from downtown Ferrara. Polenta with braisings like this one, often made with salt cod instead of pork, are eaten all across the Veneto plain.
[Serves 6 to 8]
5 pounds lean country-style pork spareribs (cut from blade end of pork loin) or beef chuck blade pot roast
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
4 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
2 large California bay laurel leaves
1 large clove garlic
Generous pinch of ground cloves
Generous pinch of ground cinnamon
Generous pinch of ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry red wine
Two 14- to 16-ounce cans tomatoes, with their liquid
½ cup small Ligurian or Niçoise black olives, pitted
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 1½ teaspoons dried basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 recipe Creamy Polenta
Method Working Ahead: The pork or beef can be cooked 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate overnight. Gently reheat before serving. A little water or broth may be needed to moisten the meat.
Browning the Meat: Trim excess fat from the meat. If pork is in one piece, separate into pieces by cutting between the ribs. If you are using the beef roast, cut it into pieces about 1½ inches long and 1 inch thick. Heat the oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat in a single layer. Take about 20 minutes to brown it slowly, until dark brown and crusty on all sides. Remove the meat to a platter.
Braising: Keep the heat at medium as you stir in the onion and parsley. Cook 10 minutes, or until golden brown, taking care not to burn the brown glaze in the bottom of the pan. Stir frequently. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, and spices. Return the meat to the pan, turning to coat it with the vegetables and seasonings. Pour in the wine, adjusting the heat so it bubbles slowly. As the wine cooks down over 10 to 15 minutes, use a wooden spatula to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Break up the tomatoes as you add them to the pan. Stir in the olives, and bring the mixture to a very slow bubble over low heat. Cover tightly and cook over low heat 1 hour. Add the basil, cover, and cook at a gentle bubble another 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce before serving.
Serving: Spoon over the hot polenta on a heated serving platter. Serve at once.
Suggestions Wine: This dish takes to a quaffing wine—generous in fruit, soft, and easy to drink. In Emilia-Romagna it would be a Barbera dei Colli Bolognesi di Monte San Pietro, or a Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva. From other parts of Italy drink a fruity Piemontese Gattinara, a Merlot from the Veneto, or a Salice Salentino Rosso of Apulia.
Menu: For lighter dining, let the meat and polenta stand on their own, followed by a dessert of fresh pears and grapes. For a fuller menu, serve small portions of Oven-Glazed Porcini before the pork. Have Baked Pears with Fresh Grape Syrup for dessert.
From the fantasy land of plenty, Cucagna, the mountain of cheeses, by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, 1703
Casa di Risparmio, Bologna
A Baked Pie of Polenta and Country Ragù
Polenta Pasticciata
Layering slices of polenta with meat ragù and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese creates a lasagne-style casserole that is family food throughout Emilia-Romagna. The dish is ultimately practical, needing almost no last-minute effort. The polenta and ragù are best made ahead, and the assembled pie can wait a day before baking.
[Serves 6 to 8]
1 recipe Country-Style Ragù
Olive oil
1 recipe Polenta, cooled in two oiled loaf pans
1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method Working Ahead: The polenta should be made at least 3 hours ahead so that it can be cool enough for slicing. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, 1 day. The ragù can be made and frozen up to a month in advance. The assembled dish can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking. Bring it close to room temperature before baking.
Assembling the Pie: Bring the ragù close to room temperature. Use olive oil to grease the bottom and sides of a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Cut the polenta into ¼- to ½-inch-thick slices. Spread a few spoonfuls of ragù over the bottom of the baking dish. Then entirely cover the bottom of the dish with a single layer of polenta slices. Spread half the ragù over the polenta, and sprinkle with ¼ cup of the cheese.
Add another layer of polenta, covering the ragù completely. Top with the rest of the ragù and another ¼ cup of the cheese. Finish the casserole with a final layer of polenta slices to cover the ragù. (There may be a few slices left over.) Spread about 1 tablespoon olive oil over the polenta, and then sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cover the casserole with foil. Refrigerate if working ahead.
Baking and Serving: Preheat the oven to 350°F. The pie should be close to room temperature. Set it on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours, covered, or until a knife inserted in the center of the casserole and left there about 30 seconds comes out quite warm. Once the casserole is heated through, uncover and bake another 5 minutes. The cheese topping should be melted but not leathery or dark brown. Cut the pie into squares, and serve on warmed dinner plates.
Suggestions Wine: A generous, quaffable red like a fine Sangiovese di Romagna, a Barbarossa from Bertinoro, Tuscany’s Rosso di Montalcino, a young fruity Chianti Montalbano, or a young Rossese di Dolceacqua from Liguria.
Menu: The pie is a one-dish meal, needing only a light antipasto, a salad, and dessert. Begin with small portions of Grilled Winter Endives, or a few slices of coppa served with Marinated Baby Onions. Have the Salad of Mixed Greens and Fennel with the pie or after it, then dessert of Ugo Falavigna’s Apple Cream Tart or Caramelized Almond Tart.
Cook’s Notes Variations: For polenta casseroles with a variety of fillings, including meatless ones, see the main polenta recipe in Vegetable Side Dishes.
Arrosto con Bacche di Ginepro e Foglie di Alloro
Juniper berries and bay leaves bring soft spicy flavors to pork. In the days when the laborers and tenant farmers of Emilia-Romagna ate only what they could grow or barter for, fresh pork was a January treat. The family pig began its metamorphosis into salami, prosciutto, and other cured meats before or after a local January saint’s day. In Piacenza, for instance, it was Saint Anthony’s day, January 17. Almost every bit of pork was preserved in some way or other to sustain the family through the coming year. But the loin and ribs were set aside for immediate eating. Seasonings for this roast change from one part of the region to the other, but in the countryside old-timers still consider roast pork January’s feast.
[Serves 6 to 8]
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 juniper berries
1 large clove garlic
1 whole clove
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4-pound boneless center loin of pork
Salt
1 large California bay laurel leaf
2/3 cup dry white wine
½ cup Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock (optional)
Method Working Ahead: The pork must be marinated overnight, but do serve it right after roasting is completed.
Seasoning the Pork: Combine the olive oil, juniper berries, garlic, clove, and pepper in a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Set the pork in a dish large enough to hold it snugly, and rub the entire surface with the spice mixture. Lightly cover the meat with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 18 to 24 hours.
Roasting: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Transfer the pork, with its marinade, to a shallow roasting pan. Spoon any remaining marinade over the pork. Sprinkle the meat lightly with salt, and set the bay leaf atop the meat. Roast 1 hour and 50 minutes, or until an instant-reading thermometer inserted in the roast’s center reads 150°F. (Today’s lean pork dries out if cooked beyond about 155°F. At 150°F the meat is safe, juicy, and barely blushed with rose pink.) As the meat cooks, baste it frequently with the pan juices and the wine. Add the wine in thirds: The first third goes over the pork after about 30 minutes of cooking. Add another third after 20 minutes. The last addition is poured over the meat after another 10 minutes. Add a little water if the pan juices threaten to burn.
Serving: Have a warm serving platter ready. Once the meat is done, remove it to the platter and keep warm. Degrease the pan juices and keep them hot. If the pan juices are skimpy, set the pan over high heat and stir in the broth. Simmer the juices as you scrape up the brown bits. Taste for seasoning and keep warm. Thinly slice the pork and arrange it on the warm platter. Moisten with the pan juices, and serve hot.
Suggestions Wine: A soft red Dolcetto d’Alba from Piemonte, a red Bonarda of Piacenza, or the Trentino—Alto Adige region’s red Teroldego Rotaliano.
Menu: Serve Almond Spice Broth or Soup of Porcini Mushrooms as a first course. Accompany the pork with Basil and Onion Mashed Potatoes and Garlic-Sautéed Cabbage, Sweet Fennel Jewish Style, or steamed broccoli. Make dessert fresh pears and grapes with unshelled nuts for cracking, Paola Bini’s Sweet Ravioli, or Nonna’s Jam Tart.
From the fantasy land of plenty, Cucagna, dogs tied with strings of sausage and children born painlessly, as mothers dance and sing, by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, 1703
Casa di Risparmio, Bologna
Cotechino in Galera
Although cotechino sausage is found throughout the north of Italy, Modena claims it as its own. Rolling up cotechino in a big, thin slice of beef and simmering it in local wine makes an old-style Modena dish that everyone loves to call “Imprisoned Cotechino.” It is traditionally served with mashed potatoes to sop up all the pan sauce.
[Serves 6 to 8]
3 quarts water
1½ pounds uncooked cotechino sausage
2 pounds beef top round steak, cut 1¼ to 1½ inches thick, about 6 inches wide by 10 inches long
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large California bay laurel leaf
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bottle Bardolino or other light-bodied red wine
3 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
Method Working Ahead: The cotechino sausage can be half-cooked 1 day before wrapping it in the beef. The finished dish mellows nicely if undercooked a little, then refrigerated overnight, covered. Gently rewarm it the next day for serving.
Preparing the Cotechino: Bring the water to a gentle bubble in a 4-quart saucepan. Pierce the sausage in several places with a fork, and slip it into the water. Adjust the heat until the water quivers but does not bubble. Cook the cotechino 30 minutes, or until an instant-reading thermometer inserted into its center reads 120°F. Drain the sausage and set it aside to cool while you prepare its beef wrapping.
Wrapping the Cotechino: Butterfly the round steak along its long side, opening it up like a book. Season the inside with pepper and a tablespoon of the minced onion. Cut away the skin from the cotechino, and place the sausage on the beef. Roll it up, encasing the sausage completely in the beef with only its ends showing. Using cotton string, secure the roast by tying it at 1-inch intervals.
Cooking and Serving: Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan that will hold the meat snugly. Take about 35 minutes to brown the meat slowly over medium heat, until deep golden brown on three sides. Add the remaining onion and the bay leaf as you brown the last side. Remove the meat from the pan. Add the garlic and wine to the pan and bring to a gentle bubble. Scrape up the brown glaze from the bottom of the pan. Keep the pan uncovered as you boil off three quarters of the wine, taking about 15 minutes. Then add the meat and stock, bringing them to a gentle bubble again. Partially cover the pan. Cook over low heat 2 hours, or until an instant-reading thermometer inserted into the center of the cotechino reads 170°F. (If you are cooking this ahead, cool the meat in the liquid. Refrigerate, and lift the hardened fat from the surface before reheating.) Have a serving platter warming in a low oven. When you are ready to serve, skim the fat from the sauce. Transfer the cotechino to a heated platter and keep warm. Concentrate the sauce’s flavors by boiling it, uncovered, 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Once the sauce is reduced, return the meat to the pan. Bubble gently 20 minutes, covered, if the meat is cold. Warm only about 5 minutes if the meat is hot. Trim away the string, and cut into slices between ¼ and ½ inch thick. Overlap the slices on a heated platter, and moisten with the sauce. Pass the remaining sauce separately.
Suggestions Wine: Modena’s dry, fruity Lambrusco is drunk with the cotechino. From other parts of Italy, have a fuller red like Tuscany’s Montescudaio, Sicily’s red Rapitalà, or “La Monella” from Braida di Giacomo Bologna.
Menu: Serve with Baked Polenta or fresh Polenta. Keep to the Modena theme with an antipasto of Balsamic Vegetables served with a few slices of salami, or small portions of Salad of Tart Greens with Prosciutto and Warm Balsamic Dressing. For dessert, serve fresh pears with chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano or Modena Crumbling Cake.
Cook’s Notes Cotechino: For information how to buy and use cotechino, see A guide to Ingredients.
Zampone Nobile
The Modenese mark festive holidays and family celebrations with their legendary balsamic vinegar and their famed zampone sausage. Slices of the sausage are served over mashed potatoes or braised lentils. Their final seasoning is a drizzle of the best of balsamic vinegars. You could also serve the zampone and vinegar as Modenese aristocrats did years ago: with a zabaione custard, flavored with balsamic vinegar. According to Renato Bergonzini, “Old families exalted zabaione with spoonfuls of their best balsamic vinegars. Zampone and balsamic vinegar delight us Modenese—our two most extraordinary foods married on a single plate.”
[Serves 8 to 10]
1 zampone sausage (6 to 8 pounds)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (artisan-made tradizionale is preferred, but a fine commercial vinegar can be used)
Potato Purée
5 pounds red-skinned potatoes
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, or more to taste
About 1½ cups milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Zabaione Custard with Balsamic Vinegar
8 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 to 3 tablespoons artisan-made tradizionale balsamic vinegar or fine commercial balsamic vinegar
Method Working Ahead: The Modenese have a practical and easy way of preparing zampone ahead. The zampone is prepared early in the day, but undercooked by about 30 minutes. Still in its cooking water, the sausage is refrigerated or put outside in the winter cold. An hour and a half before serving, it is slowly brought to a bubble over medium heat. Then the temperature is lowered, and the sausage is poached in water that is barely quivering 15 to 20 minutes to heat it through. The potato purée (or braised lentils) can be made 24 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered, in a shallow baking dish. Reheat, covered with foil, 30 minutes in a 350°F oven. The zabaione custard must be made shortly before serving.
Preparing the Zampone: Plan on cooking the zampone between 18 and 20 minutes per pound for a 7- to 8-pound sausage, about 25 minutes per pound for 4 to 6 pounds. Rinse and dry the zampone. Using a needle, pierce the skin in about ten places. Wrap it tightly in cheesecloth or a kitchen towel, and secure it by tying it with cotton string at 1½-inch intervals down the length of the sausage.
Cooking the Zampone: Use a fish poacher long enough to hold the zampone or a stockpot tall enough to immerse the sausage. Fill the pot with water and bring it to a lively bubble. Slip in the zampone and adjust the heat so the water bubbles every 20 seconds or so. If the top of the sausage protrudes above the top of the pot, cover the pot with foil and seal it to the edges. Poach 18 to 25 minutes per pound (about 2 hours), or until an instant-reading thermometer inserted into the sausage’s center reads 160°F.
Making the Potato Purée: While the zampone is cooking (or a day ahead), boil the potatoes in a 6-quart pot, 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender. Peel them, and pass them through a food mill fitted with the fine blade into a large metal bowl. (Do not use a food processor, as it makes gummy mashed potatoes.) While the potatoes are still hot, blend in the butter and milk. Use enough milk to create a thick but creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper. If you will be serving the potatoes within an hour or so, keep them warm by setting the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally with a spatula. If preparing 24 hours ahead, butter a 2½-quart baking dish. Spread the purée in the dish, cover with foil, and refrigerate. Reheat, covered, 30 minutes in a 350°F oven.
Making the Zabaione: Fill a 3-quart saucepan a third full with water. Bring it to a lively bubble over medium heat. In a large metal bowl, beat together the yolks and the sugar. (Use 2 tablespoons sugar for tradizionale vinegar, 3 tablespoons for commercial balsamic.) If you are using commercial vinegar, beat in half of it now. Set the bowl over the bubbling water, taking care that it does not touch the water. Whisk the custard 3 to 5 minutes. It should be foamy, but thick enough to leave a trail at the bottom of the bowl. Lift the bowl from the water, and beat in all the tradizionale vinegar or the remaining half of the commercial. Immediately turn the custard into a serving bowl, and serve warm.
Serving: Have a serving platter warming in a low oven. Remove the cooked zampone from the pot by hooking a large fork under the string and lifting the sausage to a cutting board. Carefully remove the string and cheesecloth. Slice half the zampone into ¼- to ½-inch-thick rounds. Spoon the hot potato purée onto the warm platter. Arrange the uncut portion of the sausage and the slices on the potatoes. If you are not serving the zabaione, drizzle the sausage with a few drops of balsamic vinegar, and serve hot. If you are serving the zabaione, omit the drops of balsamic. Pass the warm zabaione in a sauceboat. Only a spoonful of the custard is used on each serving. (Although the skin is vital to the sausage’s juiciness, many diners trim it away, concentrating on the meat stuffing.)
Suggestions Wine: In Modena, Lambrusco’s grapey acidity cuts the zampone’s richness and lightens its impact. From other parts of Italy, drink a red Freisa Secco or “La Monella” Braida di Giacomo Bologna from Piemonte, the Lombardia region’s lively and fizzy red Sangue di Giuda, or a young Valpolicella Classico from the Veneto.
Menu: Before the zampone, offer nothing more than a cup of homemade broth with a few tiny pastas. Instead of the potatoes, zampone could be served with Lentils Modena Style. With either lentils or potatoes, serve Spiced Spinach with Almonds. A traditional dessert is Modena Crumbling Cake for dipping into sweet wine, or Home-Style Jam Cake.
Cook’s Notes Zampone: Modena’s zampone are not imported into the United States as of this writing. American-made ones range in size from 3 to 8 pounds, depending upon their producer. Check the size before ordering. Also check if the sausage is precooked, since then it needs only heating in water rather than the cooking described above. If zampone is unobtainable, substitute one or two cotechino sausages. See A guide to Ingredients for information on buying zampone. If substituting cotechino, see A guide to Ingredients.
Balsamic Vinegar: For information on commercial and artisan-made vinegars, see A guide to Ingredients.
Treviso radicchio in the Bologna marketplace