—FROM Under the Tuscan Sun
CHICKEN WITH OLIVES AND TOMATOES
CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, AND CHICKPEAS
QUAIL BRAISED WITH JUNIPER BERRIES AND PANCETTA
RABBIT WITH TOMATOES AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR
HONEY-GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH FENNEL
ROLLED VEAL SCALLOPS FILLED WITH ARTICHOKES
LITTLE VEAL MEATBALLS WITH ARTICHOKES AND CHERRY TOMATOES
ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH HERBS AND PANCETTA
BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR
RICH POLENTA PARMIGIANA WITH FUNGHI PORCINI
POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE AND FONTINA
ROLLED SOLE WITH FENNEL AND CITRUS
Although I’ve read many times that Tuscans are known as “bean eaters,” I’d say from my observations that Tuscans are more ardent meat eaters. Everyone I know cooks outside on a stone or brick grill, or on wrought-iron grills in the fireplace, where one of those slow-turning iron-spit contraptions whirrs, the skewer loaded. The old ones are spring wound, newer versions are electric. Pigeons, pork belly, guinea hen, liver, sausages, and hunks of lamb thread the skewer, a mix that is roasted over coals and then stripped off and onto a platter. The big bistecca, though, will be seared on a grill over a hotter flame.
“Fire!” Ed shouts as he comes up from the shed with a bundle of scopa, the dried brush from a type of heather called l’erica that is used to start the flames. “We need to see fire!” Soon everyone gathers around him and he spears scottaditi, the tiny lamb chops known as “finger-burners,” onto the grill. I easily acquiesce to his handling this manly art, and turn to other courses. At Piero and Ombretta’s annual Ferragosto party (August 15), Placido—seemingly effortlessly—grills about forty steaks. In winter, Ed and I like to cook a couple of veal chops in the fireplace at Bramasole, right where in times long past all the family’s food was cooked. We still have a dented and blackened copper polenta cauldron, though we’ve never used it. We hauled to the United States one of the wrought-iron grills sold at every Tuscan market so that we could make good use of coals in the fireplace on late autumn evenings. In Tuscany, cooking with fire is so prevalent that it amounts to a way of life.
Chickens usually are shoved into the bread oven after the pizza frenzy finishes and the temperature mellows. Gilda cooks three or four at a time, along with a couple of tarts. Several friends still have wood-fired stoves in their kitchens, along with a gas stove. At appliance stores, I’m cheered to see such an array of these bright blue and red stoves and to know that they are still incredibly popular. They’re used for a long-simmering ragù and ribs and for quick scaloppini. All winter the purring woodstove keeps the kitchen toasty. Instinctively, Domenica knows the temperature, as a mother does just by touching her child’s forehead.
The ease of live roasting and grilling carries over into other secondi. Tuscan meats and fish are simple. Veal scaloppini is done in four minutes. Sear and flip, squeeze of lemon, a few capers, and that’s that. Our own improvisations, such as veal chops stuffed with pistachios and rosemary, follow that lead. We learned—continue to learn—to rely on dynamic combinations of a few flavors, rather than elaborate preparations. Reduced balsamic vinegar and bay leaf enliven a beef tenderloin, sage and a cube of fontina tuck into a meatball, fennel and citrus roll inside a sole fillet, juniper berries and shallots shift quail into a higher realm, and almonds, raisins, and saffron transform a sea bass. Tuscans are minimalists: less often is more. “What’s in this?” we regularly ask a friend at dinner. Inevitably the recipe has only a few ingredients. “You don’t want a muddle,” Gilda explains.
As ever, the quality of the meat, fish, or fowl makes all the difference. Is the butcher one of your best friends?
Weighing down a splayed chicken with bricks seems so ancient. Did a Roman Emperor hatch the slogan “A Chicken Under Every Brick” to go along with the Bread and Circuses motif?
Brick morphed so naturally from the good earth. Add water and high heat—ecco fatto, it’s done—terracotta. And civilization starts to build in a big way. Any brick will do here. If you have a few handy, wash them, let them air-dry, and wrap them in aluminum foil. Or use a heavy pan of some sort, covering the bottom with foil.
Almost as easy as roast chicken, this has Tuscan flair and deep roots in the cuisine’s history. Our Tuscan friends don’t marinate the chicken, but the chicken is more succulent after its overnight immersion. Domenica’s Rosemary Potatoes go perfectly with this, as does Moris Farms Avvoltore from the Maremma.
SERVES 4
| 1 | CHICKEN, 3½ TO 4 POUNDS |
| 2 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| 1 | HANDFUL OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY CHOPPED |
| ZEST FROM 1 ORANGE | |
| ¼ | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ½ | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ¼ | CUP WHITE WINE |
FOR THE MARINADE
| 2 | TABLESPOONS RED WINE VINEGAR |
| ½ | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ½ | CUP WHITE WINE |
| SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE |
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Wash the chicken under cold running water and dry it. With poultry shears, remove the wingtips and any excess fat, and cut out the backbone. Put those aside for stock.
Combine the garlic and parsley in a small bowl with the zest, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the marinade ingredients. Lay the chicken flat, skin side up, on your work surface. Stuff the garlic mixture under the skin and place the chicken in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or, even better, overnight. Turn it two or three times.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heatproof cast-iron pan large enough to hold the chicken. I use a 14-inch cast-iron skillet. Place the chicken breast side up and weight it down with two clean bricks wrapped in foil. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, and then place the pan and bricks in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and turn the chicken over, cooking another 20 minutes or so, until crispy and richly browned, about 50 minutes total. Remove the chicken to a platter and cut into serving pieces. Deglaze the pan with the wine and pour the juices over the chicken.
This is the little black dress in a cook’s repertoire—always right.
Take Querciabella, Chianti Classico DOCG, a biodynamic wine, off the shelf for this olive-studded chicken.
SERVES 4
| 5 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | CHICKEN, 3 TO 4 POUNDS, CUT INTO 8 PIECES, DREDGED IN ABOUT ½ CUP FLOUR |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ½ | CUP RED WINE |
| 1 | CUP MIXED BLACK AND GREEN OLIVES, PITTED |
| 1 | HANDFUL OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, CHOPPED |
| 1 | CUP CHOPPED OVEN-ROASTED TOMATOES |
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the chicken pieces, 2 minutes on each side. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the wine, raise the heat to high for 1 minute, and then transfer everything to a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix the olives, parsley, and tomatoes, and pour this over the chicken. Bake uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces, turning the chicken once.
CHICKEN with ARTICHOKES, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, and CHICKPEAS
Stick a Post-it note on this recipe, and when in doubt, turn to it. The Mediterranean flavors transform “just chicken” into a memorable dinner.
Chickpeas are a late love of ours. Just a taste of chickpea fritters, which are a favorite Sicilian street food, and we were fans. Now we roast them for snacks, serve them with herbs and tomatoes as a cold salad, and adore them in this super-fast piatto unico, one-pot dinner.
Refer to the pantry section for information on chickpeas. You can simmer them in light stock with onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, or just cook them in water and season afterward. Cooking chickpeas yourself yields a much better texture than you’ll find in the soft and viscous canned ones. Artichokes partner well with the ceci. Although fresh artichokes are a primary passion, in this recipe I opt for the convenience of canned or frozen ones. If you’re using sun-dried tomatoes in dry form, plump them for a half hour in wine or olive oil.
This hearty stew calls for a big wine, such as Tenuta Sette Ponti, IGT, Crognolo. All the Sette Ponti wines are terrific.
SERVES 6
| 5 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | YELLOW ONION, CHOPPED |
| 3 | CHICKEN BREASTS, HALVED, SKIN ON |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ½ | CUP RED WINE |
| ¼ | CUP CHOPPED FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY |
| 2 | CUPS COOKED CHICKPEAS |
| 2 | 14-OUNCE CANS WATER-PACKED ARTICHOKE HEARTS, DRAINED |
| ½ | CUP SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, SLIVERED, OR 1 CUP SLICED OVEN-ROASTED TOMATOES |
| ¼ | CUP FRESH THYME OR FRESH MARJORAM LEAVES OR 2 TABLESPOONS DRIED |
| ½ | CUP BLACK OR GREEN OLIVES, PITTED |
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Over medium-low heat, in a large, enameled ovenproof pot with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sauté the onion, and after about 3 minutes, remove it to a medium bowl. Season the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, raise the heat to medium-high, and brown the chicken for 3 minutes per side. Add the wine, bring it quickly to a boil, and then turn the heat off immediately.
Combine the onion with the parsley, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, and olives. Spread the combined vegetables over the chicken, and bake, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces, turning the chicken once. Serve right from the pot or transfer to a platter.
My father was a bird hunter, and our cook, Willie Bell, often was lost in a cloud of tiny feathers as she plucked a mound of quail. The drooping little heads all fell in the same direction. I wouldn’t eat them, even after she smothered them with cream and pepper. With more equanimity, I’ve met them in Tuscany in a new guise.
The quail are excellent served with polenta, a parallel to Southern baked grits.
We first tried Arnaldo Caprai’s Sagrantino di Montefalco over twenty years ago and have been loving it ever since.
SERVES 6
| 12 | QUAIL, PREPARED FOR COOKING |
| ½ | CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, FOR DREDGING |
| ¼ | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ¼ | CUP BALSAMIC VINEGAR, OR MORE IF NEEDED |
| 2 | SHALLOTS, MINCED |
| 12 | STRIPS OF PANCETTA |
| 8 | SPRIGS OF THYME |
| 1 | TABLESPOON BLACK PEPPERCORNS, CRUSHED |
| 1 | TABLESPOON JUNIPER BERRIES, LEFT WHOLE |
| 1 | RED WINE, IF NEEDED |
Preheat the oven to 250°F.
In a paper bag, dredge the quail in the flour. In a large, heavy ovenproof pan with a tight-fitting lid, quickly brown the quail in the olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Pour in the balsamic vinegar. Cover the quail with the shallots, then the strips of pancetta. Sprinkle with the thyme, peppercorns, and juniper berries. Roast, covered, for 2 hours, turning the quail over after about 1½ hours. Moisten now and then with a little red wine or more balsamic vinegar if they look dry. After 2 hours, check for tenderness. Continue to roast for another half hour if the quail are plump. They should be succulent and almost falling apart.
We used to order un bel coniglio ripieno, a nice stuffed rabbit, for Sunday pranzo from Patrizia’s rosticceria, which no longer exists. We still miss her, but fortunately, she gave us the recipe for her boneless stuffed rabbit. If your boning skills are rusty (or, like mine, nonexistent), you’ll probably need to order a boned rabbit. This dish is especially attractive for a buffet supper; you can slice the whole thing so guests can easily serve themselves.
SERVES 6
| 1 | 3½-POUND RABBIT, BONED |
| 8 | OUNCES GROUND TURKEY |
| 8 | OUNCES GROUND PORK |
| 8 | OUNCES GROUND CHICKEN |
| 1 | EGG |
| ½ | CUP (2 OUNCES) GRATED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO |
| 1 | HANDFUL OF BREADCRUMBS |
| 2 | GARLIC CLOVES |
| MINCED A FEW SPRIGS OF ROSEMARY AND SAGE, MINCED | |
| 1 | SMALL BLACK OR WHITE TRUFFLE, MINCED, OR WHITE TRUFFLE PASTE (OPTIONAL, BUT GOOD) |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| 1 | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ENOUGH WHOLE MILK TO MOISTEN THE STUFFING, ½ CUP AT MOST | |
| 3 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ¼ | CUP WHITE WINE, PLUS MORE IF NEEDED |
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Wash and dry the rabbit. Lay it flat on a work surface. With a wooden spoon, combine well the turkey, pork, chicken, and egg in a large bowl. Work in the Parmigiano, breadcrumbs, garlic, herbs, truffle, and most of the salt and pepper. Moisten the stuffing with just enough milk to hold together.
Spread the stuffing on the rabbit, fold in the sides, and sew it with cooking thread or tie it with kitchen twine. Salt and pepper the outside. Wrap in a cheesecloth, tying each end with string. Place the stuffed rabbit in an oven pan, douse it with the olive oil and wine, and cook for 1½ hours. During the cooking, rotate the rabbit two or three times, basting it with the sauce that forms; if necessary, add more wine.
Allow the rabbit to come to room temperature. Cut away the cheesecloth. Slice the rabbit, arrange overlapping slices on a platter, and drizzle with the cooking juices.
Coniglio (rabbit) and lepre (hare) are staples of the Tuscan repertoire. Cooks in the country raise their own; hunters are pleased to bring home the wild lepre. At the Saturday market, we used to see a farm woman with three or four fluffy bunnies looking up from an old Alitalia flight bag. Now, in the butcher’s case, they’re more remote, clean and lean, ruddy pink, and it’s no longer necessary to leave a bit of fur on the tail to prove it’s not cat. Unappetizing as this note is, the rabbit, simmered in thick tomato sauce with herbs, is intensely savory. The recipe also works with chicken.
We like all of the Montecucco wines. For the richly flavorful rabbit, we recommend the Perazzeta, Licurgo Montecucco Rosso Riserva.
SERVES 4
| 1 | RABBIT, 2½ TO 3 POUNDS, CUT INTO SERVING PIECES |
| ½ | CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR |
| ¼ | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | LARGE YELLOW ONION, CHOPPED |
| 3 to 4 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| 8 to 10 | TOMATOES OR 1 28-OUNCE CAN OF WHOLE TOMATOES, CHOPPED |
| ½ | TEASPOON TURMERIC |
| ½ | TEASPOON MINCED FRESH ROSEMARY OR ¼ TEASPOON DRIED |
| ½ | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ½ | TEASPOON FENNEL SEEDS, TOASTED |
| 5 | TABLESPOONS BALSAMIC VINEGAR |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS RED WINE VINEGAR |
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a paper bag, dredge the rabbit in the flour. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the pieces in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Arrange them in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, and on medium-low heat, cook the onion and garlic 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, rosemary, salt, pepper, and fennel seeds. Stir in both vinegars and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the rabbit.
Roast the rabbit, uncovered, for about 35 minutes. Midway through the cooking, turn over the pieces once. Check for doneness by cutting into a piece, as you would chicken.
The tenderest, leanest pork is the tenderloin. One serves two hungry people and loves partnerships with many ingredients. In short, second to chicken breast, it’s the most versatile meat. Fennel, which especially pairs well with pork, grows all over our land. Whether its local popularity first came from its aphrodisiacal powers or its curative uses for eye problems, I don’t know. I like its feathery foliage and its mythic connections. Prometheus is said to have brought the first fire to humans inside the thick, hollow stalk.
SERVES 4
| 1 | TABLESPOON FENNEL SEEDS |
| 1 | TABLESPOON MINCED FRESH ROSEMARY OR 1½ TEASPOONS DRIED |
| ½ | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| 2 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS HONEY (LAVENDER OR ACACIA, IF AVAILABLE) |
| 2 | PORK TENDERLOINS, 1 POUND EACH |
| 2 | FENNEL BULBS, FRONDS RESERVED |
| ¼ | CUP WHITE WINE |
| ½ | CUP (2 OUNCES) GRATED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO OR PECORINO |
| ½ | CUP (4 OUNCES) MASCARPONE |
| ½ | CUP FRESH COARSE BREADCRUMBS, CRISPED IN EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ROSEMARY WANDS, FOR GARNISH |
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a mortar or food processor, crush the fennel seeds. In a small bowl, combine them with the rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic. Reserve a teaspoon of this mixture for the fennel bulbs. Combine the rest with the honey, and spread this on the pork. Place in a shallow 8 × 12-inch parchment-lined pan. Roast in the oven until the pork is faintly pink in the middle, 20 minutes per pound, or to 145°F internal temperature, or to your desired state of doneness. Set the pork aside and cover to keep warm.
Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
While the meat roasts, cut the fennel bulbs in ½-inch slices. Toss out the tough root end and reserve the fronds for garnish. Steam the fennel for about 10 minutes, until cooked but not soft. Transfer it to an oiled 7 × 10-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix the reserved fennel-rosemary mixture with the wine, Parmigiano, and mascarpone. Spread this over the fennel and top with the breadcrumbs. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes, until slightly browned and bubbling.
Slice the pork and arrange it on a large platter and spoon the fennel around it. Garnish the tenderloins with fennel leaves and with wands of fresh rosemary.
Arista (accent on the ár-) is king of the pork roasts in Tuscany. Usually, the roast is simply seasoned and roasted in the oven—plain but mighty! Giusi throws on a small glass of brandy near the end of cooking time.
Ed’s favorite pork loin elaborates on the classic. With a sharp knife, he makes a big pocket in a primo center-cut loin, and then brines it for 2 hours. Meanwhile, he assembles his odori, breadcrumbs, and herbs. His quantities are improvised, but with these ingredients, you can’t go wrong. Sometimes he pours on a small glass of vin santo near the end of roasting. That’s it—the glory of Saturday night dinner with good friends. This debuts with grace at a major feast, too.
We’re lucky to have Avignonesi vineyards near Cortona. With the arista we like their fabulous DOC Cortona Merlot, Desiderio.
SERVES 6
| 1 | BONELESS PORK LOIN, ABOUT 3 POUNDS |
| 1 | YELLOW ONION, MINCED |
| 1 | CUP FRESH BREADCRUMBS, CRISPED IN 2 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ½ | CUP (2 OUNCES) GRATED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO |
| 7 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ¼ | CUP RED WINE |
| ½ | CUP TORN BASIL LEAVES |
| ½ | CUP FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, MINCED |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS FRESH THYME OR 1 TABLESPOON DRIED |
| 3 | TABLESPOONS MINCED FRESH ROSEMARY OR 1½ TEASPOONS DRIED |
| 3 | TABLESPOONS FENNEL SEEDS |
| 3 | GARLIC CLOVES |
| MINCED ZEST OF 1 LEMON | |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
If you’re brining the pork, use a sharp knife to make a pocket in the pork loin before immersing it (see this page). If you are skipping the brining, cut the pocket just before stuffing.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
When you’re almost ready to cook the pork loin, combine in a medium bowl the onion, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, 5 tablespoons of the olive oil, the red wine, basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Stuff half of the mixture in the pocket you’ve sliced, and tie the loin with kitchen twine in four or five places. Over medium-high heat, in a heavy 8-quart Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté the pork 4 minutes on each side, or until browned. Top it with the stuffing mixture. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for 55 to 65 minutes. The internal temperature should be 150°F and the top stuffing crispy brown. Allow the roast to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
The famous paintings of Piero della Francesca are not the only reason to go to Sansepolcro. Da Ventura, an old-style trattoria, serves three meats from a cart: pork with a crunchy crust, a beef stew, and this tasty whole veal shank, stinco di vitello. Your butcher may have to order this cut, which is ossobuco left whole. This is our number one house favorite—fall-off-your-chair tasty and so very easy. Our friend Riccardo Baracchi’s Ardito, made from syrah and cabernet sauvignon grapes, is a perfect choice for this meltingly tender vitello.
SERVES 6
| 1 | VEAL SHANK, ABOUT 3 POUNDS |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | TABLESPOON FRESH THYME LEAVES OR 1½ TEASPOONS DRIED |
| 1 | TABLESPOON MINCED FRESH ROSEMARY OR 1½ TEASPOONS DRIED |
| 4 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| 1 | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ½ | CUP WATER |
| ½ | CUP WHITE WINE |
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
In an 8-quart enameled casserole with a lid, over medium heat, brown the shank all over in the olive oil for about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let it cool enough so that you can pat the herbs, garlic, and seasonings onto the meat. Return it to the pot, cover, and slow-roast for 1½ hours. Gently turn the meat and pour the water over it. Continue to roast for 30 more minutes, and then pour the wine over it. Roast for 1 hour more (3 hours total). The meat will have shrunk away from the bone somewhat and will almost fall off. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve whole on a platter and pull off pieces with a large fork. Serve the pan juices in a separate bowl or douse the veal all at once.
Artichokes add architectural emphasis to a garden. The artichokes that we forget to pick become dry and then transform into brilliant blue thistles, nice to mix with wildflowers.
In Italian, veal scallops that are filled and rolled are said to resemble uccellini, little birds. Serve the veal “birds” whole, or for a nicer presentation, remove the strings, slice each rolled scallop into 1½-inch-thick pieces, and arrange in a fan shape on individual plates. For this recipe, open a full-bodied merlot, perhaps Vignalta’s Colli Euganei Rosso Gemola (with 25 percent Cabernet Franc), a wine from the area southwest of Venice, near where the fourteenth-century poet Petrarch lived at the end of his life. I think a verse of his poetry melted into the grapes.
SERVES 8
FOR THE FILLING
| 10 | SMALL ARTICHOKES, PRICKLY TOPS CUT OFF |
| ¼ | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ½ | RED ONION, MINCED |
| 2 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| ¾ | CUP FRESH BREADCRUMBS, TOASTED |
| 3 | TABLESPOONS MASCARPONE |
| 1 | EGG, BEATEN |
| 8 | VEAL SCALLOPS, ABOUT 2 POUNDS TOTAL |
| ¼ | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ½ | CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, FOR DREDGING |
| ¾ | CUP RED WINE |
| ¾ | CUP CHICKEN STOCK |
| 1 | CUP (8 OUNCES) MASCARPONE |
Make the filling. Steam the artichokes until a leaf pulls away easily, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the artichokes and let them cool. Strip off the outer leaves until you reach the palest green ones. Leave these soft leaves but remove the thistle. Chop the artichokes coarsely.
In a large skillet over low heat, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic for 2 minutes, then add the artichoke pieces and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the breadcrumbs and cook 2 minutes. Remove from the heat to a medium bowl. When the mixture is cool, add 3 tablespoons of mascarpone and the egg. Stir well.
Have your butcher pound the veal scallops quite thin, or flatten them between layers of plastic wrap, using a meat pounder. Lay out the veal pieces on a work surface and divide the artichoke mixture among them. Spread the filling, roll up each scallop, and tie with string.
Over medium heat, add the oil to the skillet. Pat the veal rolls with flour and sauté them for about5 minutes, turning once. When browned, test for doneness by cutting into the veal. It should have a streak of pink inside. Remove the veal rolls to a plate and cover them.
Add the wine and chicken stock to the pan and boil vigorously for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Remove from the heat, and stir in the 1 cup mascarpone, allowing it to melt gently into the liquid. Spoon some sauce on top and proceed to the table.
Spring causes arti-choke madness all over Italy, especially in Rome. As a break from their best-loved carciofi alla giudia (a Roman legacy from the Jewish ghetto), I ordered polpettine one April night, when dining outside at Matricianella, a small trattoria near Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina. I’ve been making it ever since. When Ed grills slabs of crusty polenta, as they did that night in Rome, we consider this to be the perfect Sunday-night supper—quick, one pan, delicious. When forming the polpettine, flatten each one so that it looks like a slightly crushed Ping-Pong ball.
SERVES 4
| 2 | LARGE SLICES OF RUSTIC BREAD |
| 1 | CUP WHOLE MILK |
| ½ | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| A FEW GRATINGS OF NUTMEG | |
| 4 | TABLESPOONS MINCED FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY |
| 3 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| 1 | EGG |
| 1 | POUND GROUND VEAL |
| ½ | CUP (2 OUNCES) GRATED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO |
| 3 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 6 | ARTICHOKE HEARTS, STEAMED AND QUARTERED, OR 1 14-OUNCE CAN WATER-PACKED ARTICHOKE HEARTS |
| 25 | CHERRY TOMATOES |
| ¼ | CUP WHITE WINE |
| 4 | TABLESPOONS TOMATO SAUCE |
| 1 | TABLESPOON FRESH THYME OR 1½ TEASPOONS DRIED |
In a large bowl, soak the bread in the milk, and then break apart the bread with two forks. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, parsley, and garlic. Blend well. Stir in the egg, then the veal and Parmigiano, and combine well.
Heat the olive oil in a 14-inch skillet over medium heat. With damp hands, roll the mixture into small balls, flatten slightly, add to the pan, and brown them 3 minutes on each side, or until almost cooked through. Remove to a large bowl.
Add the artichokes, tomatoes, wine, tomato sauce, and thyme to the pan. Toss to combine. Turn the heat to high for a minute, and then lower it immediately. Return the meatballs to the pan, mixing them in with a wide spatula. Cook on medium for about 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes are plumped.
The Tuscan way with oven-cooked ribs—low and slow—results in deep flavor and fall-off-the-bone meat. We always choose this during the olive harvest and serve the ribs with Polenta Parmigiana to family and friends who pick olives with us. They’ve all earned a rich and savory feast and lots of big-mouthed wine, such as Baracchi’s Smeriglio Syrah.
SERVES 6
| 5 | POUNDS BEEF SHORT RIBS, APPROXIMATELY ¾ POUND EACH |
| 1 | CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, FOR DREDGING |
| 1½ | TEASPOONS SALT |
| 1 | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| 7 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | YELLOW ONION, CHOPPED |
| 2 | CARROTS, CHOPPED |
| 2 | CELERY STALKS, CHOPPED |
| 3 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| ½ | BOTTLE RED WINE |
| 16 | TOMATOES OR 2 28-OUNCE CANS WHOLE TOMATOES, CHOPPED |
| 10 | SPRIGS OF THYME |
| 2 | CUPS BEEF STOCK |
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a paper bag, dredge the ribs in the flour and season with the salt and pepper. Over medium heat, place 5 tablespoons of the olive oil in an 8-quart enameled casserole with a lid. Brown the ribs on all sides, in batches if necessary, 7 or 8 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the casserole, and sauté for 3 minutes over medium-low heat, until the vegetables are coated with oil and beginning to soften. Add the wine, turn the heat up to high, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice. Add the ribs, the thyme, and stock. Bring the pot back to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 hours or until the meat is meltingly tender.
Mario Ponticelli owns Trattoria Etrusca, in Cortona—a few tables inside and a few tables outside. We’ve eaten what he’s served, either way. This is his ossobuco. To hers, my friend Franca adds green olives. Italians prize the marrow as much as the meat. I love the dash of fresh green taste that gremolata adds. Choose big, meaty ossibuchi.
The ossobuco calls for a splurge—Castiglione Vietti, DOCG, Barolo.
SERVES 4
| 4 | PIECES OSSOBUCO, ABOUT 9 OUNCES EACH, TIED WITH KITCHEN TWINE |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ¼ | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | YELLOW ONION, FINELY CHOPPED |
| 1 | CARROT, FINELY CHOPPED |
| 1 | CELERY STALK, FINELY CHOPPED |
| 3 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| 8 | TOMATOES OR 1 28-OUNCE CAN WHOLE TOMATOES, JUICE INCLUDED, CHOPPED |
| ½ | TEASPOON FRESH THYME LEAVES OR ¼ TEASPOON DRIED |
| ½ | TEASPOON FRESH OREGANO LEAVES OR ¼ TEASPOON DRIED |
FOR THE GREMOLATA
| 1 | HANDFUL OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, CHOPPED |
| ZEST OF 1 LEMON | |
| ZEST OF 1 ORANGE | |
| 5 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Season both sides of the ossobuco with the salt and pepper. In an 8-quart, enameled casserole with a lid, over medium-high heat, brown the meat in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the meat, turn the heat to medium low, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, thyme, and oregano. Add the ossobuco, cover, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1½ hours or until the meat is tender—actually falling off the bone.
In a small bowl, mix the parsley, lemon and orange zests, and garlic to make the gremolata. Top the ossobuco with gremolata and serve.
Whether he’s cooking porcini, slabs of pancetta, or pigeons, Placido remains perfectly at ease. When he mans several grills at the annual Ferragosto party, Lina sings as he’s enveloped in smoke, and everyone dances on the terrace. We all arrive with our steaks in hand and turn them over to the maestro.
First, we’ve been to Claudio’s macelleria and have asked for the same kind of steak that Plari buys for himself. Behind the counter, Antonella selects a hefty hunk and whacks off excess fat. We walk out with gargantuan steaks from those huge white cows called Chianina, for the Val di Chiana where they’re raised.
While a steak is on the grill, Plari bastes it with a wand of rosemary dipped in oil. Tuscans like their steak al sangue, bloody, so grilling time here is approximate. After the steak is lifted from its oil bath, dip slices of bread into the oil, and grill them for quick bruschette.
SERVES 1 OR 2
| 1 | BIG, THICK T-BONE STEAK |
| 3 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ½ | TEASPOON SALT, OR TO TASTE |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER, OR TO TASTE |
| ½ | TEASPOON FRESH ROSEMARY, PLUS WANDS FOR BASTING |
| 1 | GARLIC CLOVE, MINCED (OPTIONAL—PLARI DOES NOT USE IT) |
Heat the grill. Cut gashes in the strip of fat on the outside of the steak so that it doesn’t curl up in the heat. In a shallow pan (large enough to hold the steak), combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic.
Place the steak on the hot grill. Do not touch it for at least 2 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. While the steak is grilling, baste it with a rosemary wand dipped in the olive oil bath. Remove the steak from the grill and quickly dip in the oil bath on both sides, sprinkling on more salt and pepper. Serve warm and garnish with the rosemary wands.
The name “finger-burners,” scottaditi, makes sense when you pick up these delectable small chops right off the grill. They also can be pan-roasted quickly over high heat in the kitchen. To save time, ask the butcher to cut the racks into individual chops.
I suggest Lisini’s Rosso di Montalcino with the scottaditi.
SERVES 4
| 2 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ⅓ | CUP RED WINE |
| 1 | TABLESPOON FRESH THYME LEAVES OR 1½ TEASPOONS DRIED |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| 1 | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| 16 | LAMB LOIN CHOPS, FROM 2 RACKS OF LAMB |
In a deep glass container with a lid, mix the olive oil, wine, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the chops and shake well. Cover and refrigerate for 5 hours, shaking once in a while.
Heat a grill, if using. Remove the chops and discard the marinade. Grill the chops over a hot fire or a strong flame, about a minute or so on each side. They should be well browned on both sides and pink inside. (If you’re using a stovetop grill pan, over medium-high heat, cook the chops for 2 minutes on each side—the meat will be pink inside, and at 2½ minutes, slightly pink.) Cut into a chop to check for how you like it.
Serve while finger-burning hot!
THE PECORINO OF PIENZA
The drive from Cortona to Montepulciano, especially if you detour to sublime Montechiello, is one of the most evocative in Tuscany. Then, toward Pienza, the terraced hillsides of grapes give way to a different landscape, where wheat fields stretch as far as the eye can see. At harvest the round bales stud the golden, rolling hills. Goaded by Sardinian shepherds, sheep move in clumps, the lambs cavorting outside the herd. Looking at a black lamb in the wildflowers, I never think scottaditi, or slow-roasted leg of lamb, but, as we drive by, I often say, “Pecorino in the making,” for this is prime territory for that revered ewe-milk cheese. Fresh and creamy or semi-stagionata (aged three or four months) or stagionata (aged about a year, until hard and flaky like Parmigiano)—all are locally loved. Cheese shops line the main street of the noble renaissance town of Pienza. You can taste pecorinos wrapped in walnut leaves or straw, dusted with ashes, coated with red pepper or concentrated tomato paste, studded with truffles, drenched in wine, or just plain. They’ve been aged on shelves in a cantina, or in terracotta vats, or in fosse, caves or pits. Vacuum-wrapped, the cheeses travel home happily, to be brought out with a glass of something essentially Tuscan on an evening when you’re reliving the drive through the blissful Tuscan countryside.
The butcher can prepare the meat for you. All you do is make gashes for herbs and pancetta, then slide it into the oven. While the lamb cooks, prepare involtini di melanzane. Eggplant is the classic Mediterranean combination with lamb. You can add some potatoes and carrots that have been tossed with olive oil to the lamb for the last hour of cooking, basting them a couple of times. Of the many roast lambs I have tried, this one is divine—flavorful savory juices and succulent tender lamb.
The Cortona syrah, Tenimento d’Alessandro, Il Bosco, will be perfection with the lamb.
SERVES 8
| 1 | BONELESS LEG OF LAMB, ABOUT 4 POUNDS |
| ¼ | POUND PANCETTA OR BACON, FINELY CHOPPED |
| 8 to 10 | FRESH SAGE LEAVES, TORN |
| 1 | TABLESPOON MINCED FRESH ROSEMARY OR 1½ TEASPOONS DRIED EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| 6 | TABLESPOONS (¾ STICK) UNSALTED BUTTER |
| 4 | GARLIC CLOVES, CHOPPED |
| ½ | CUP WHITE WINE VINEGAR |
| ½ | CUP WHITE WINE |
| FRESH MINT SPRIGS OR ROSEMARY WANDS |
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Using a sharp knife, cut 2-inch slits into the lamb. In a small bowl, mix the pancetta with most of the sage and rosemary. Stuff this into the slits and into any folds or crevices. Brush the lamb with olive oil, season with the salt and pepper, and place it in a roasting pan with the butter, garlic, and any remaining stuffing mixture.
Heat the vinegar and white wine to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir and pour into the roasting pan.
Roast the lamb for 1½ hours for rare (140°F internal temperature) or 2 hours for pink (165°F). Turn the lamb over after 45 minutes. During the roasting, moisten occasionally with the sauce from the bottom of the pan. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
Garnish with the mint or rosemary.
The night before my daughter flies out of Florence, she always wants her favorite steak at Ristorante Parione, on the street of the same name. The chef told Ed not to use prized balsamic for this, but to use one “good enough.”
With this dish, my daughter recommends Amarone, her favorite wine. Some are stratospheric in price. Try the Corte Sant’Alda Amarone della Valpolicella.
SERVES 6
FOR THE SAUCE
| 4 | SHALLOTS, MINCED |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 2 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| ½ | TEASPOON SALT |
| ¼ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ½ | CUP BALSAMIC VINEGAR |
| ½ | CUP RED WINE |
| 1 | BAY LEAF |
| 6 | 6-OUNCE FILETS OF BEEF TENDERLOIN (2¼-POUND TENDERLOIN CUT INTO 6 PIECES) |
| ½ | TEASPOON SALT |
| ¼ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
Make the sauce. In a small pan over medium heat, sauté the shallots in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper in the last minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, red wine, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the vinegar-wine sauce is concentrated and thickened.
Season the tenderloins with the remaining salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the tenderloins in the olive oil 2 minutes on each side for al sangue, rare.
Remove the bay leaf from the balsamic sauce and spoon it over the filets of beef.
RICH POLENTA PARMIGINIA with FUNGHI PORCINI
This is an extravagant take on traditional Italian polenta. I’ve served this amplified version to Italians and they’ve loved it.
This recipe calls for only 2 ounces of dried porcini. A little bit holds a lot of flavor. Instead of dried porcini, you can use 2 cups of any wild mushrooms.
If fresh porcini are available, chop two or three good-sized ones into large dice and sauté them with the garlic. Instead of the mushroom water listed in the recipe, use 1 cup of white wine quickly brought to a boil, then added to the tomato mixture. Spoon this sauce over the polenta or serve it as a pasta sauce.
Fresh porcini are at their finest simply brushed with olive oil and grilled, a dish that is as substantial as steak.
Leftover polenta is delizioso when cubed, fried, and served as croutons on salad.
SERVES 10
| 2 | CUPS POLENTA |
| 3 | CUPS COLD WATER |
| 3 to 4 | CUPS WATER, FOR BOILING |
| 1 | TABLESPOON SALT |
| 1 | TABLESPOON PEPPER |
| ½ | CUP (1 STICK) UNSALTED BUTTER |
| 1 | CUP (4 OUNCES) GRATED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO |
FOR THE PORCINI SAUCE
| 5 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | TABLESPOON FRESH THYME LEAVES OR 1½ TEASPOONS DRIED |
| 1 | TABLESPOON MINCED FRESH ROSEMARY OR 1½ TEASPOONS DRIED |
| 1 | CUP TOMATO SAUCE (⅓ RECIPE) |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| 1 | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| 2 | OUNCES DRIED PORCINI, RECONSTITUTED |
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Soak the polenta in the cold water for 10 minutes. In a stockpot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil and stir in the soaked polenta. Let it come to a boil again, then turn down the heat immediately and stir for 15 minutes over gentle heat that is strong enough to keep slow, big bubbles plopping to the surface. Stir in the salt and pepper, butter, and Parmigiano. When the butter has melted, add the last cup of water if the polenta is too thick. Remove from the heat. Stir well and pour polenta into a large buttered baking dish. Bake for about 15 minutes to finish the cooking.
Make the sauce. In a medium saucepan over low heat, cook the garlic in the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the thyme, rosemary, tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Remove the mushrooms from the water and squeeze dry but don’t chop them. Strain the mushroom water through cheesecloth and add 1 cup of it to the tomato mixture. Add the mushrooms and raise the heat to a simmer until thick and savory, about 20 minutes.
Spoon the sauce over the polenta.
In winter, the local fresh pasta shop sells polenta with chopped walnuts, a simple but interesting accompaniment to roasts or chicken. With the addition of sausages and a grand salad, a down-home meal is ready, pronto. Use either this traditional polenta or the rich version (this page). Regular cornmeal is ground too fine; choose an Italian polenta, which will have a medium-coarse texture.
SERVES 8
| 2 | CUPS COLD WATER |
| 4 | CUPS WATER, FOR BOILING |
| 2 | CUPS POLENTA |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | CUP GRATED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO |
| EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, FOR THE PAN | |
| 6 | ITALIAN SAUSAGES, COOKED AND SLICED, PAN JUICES RESERVED |
| ½ | CUP WALNUTS, CHOPPED AND TOASTED |
| 16 | OUNCES THINLY SLICED FONTINA |
| SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE |
Soak the polenta in the cold water for 10 minutes. In a stockpot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the soaked polenta to the pot, stirring well, then lower the heat to a simmer. Add the salt and keep stirring. Big bubbles will rise to the top and pop. As the polenta thickens and absorbs the water, continue adding water. Take care to stir deeply so the polenta doesn’t stick. After 20 minutes, stir in the Parmigiano. The texture should be thick and creamy. If it seems dense, don’t hesitate to add additional water; some grinds are more absorbent.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Oil a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
Mix the sausage slices and walnuts into the polenta. The consistency should be that of a creamy cake batter. Pour half of the polenta into the baking dish. Arrange the fontina slices over the polenta. Season with salt and pepper. Pour on the rest of the polenta, then add any pan juices from the sausages. Bake for 20 minutes to heat through and melt the cheese.
Frittatas are enormously popular in Tuscany. Not that you encounter them on menus—they show up more on the kitchen table, when the family is watching a soccer game, or when someone has found a handful of wild asparagus, or when there’s a little leftover pasta and can’t we do something with it?
Use a cast-iron skillet and take it right to the table. Serve with tomato sauce.
SERVES 2
| 1 | YELLOW ONION, FINELY CHOPPED |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ¼ | CUP WHOLE MILK |
| 6 | EGGS, BEATEN |
| 1 | CUP LEFTOVER PASTA |
| ½ | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ½ | CUP (2 OUNCES) GRATED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO |
| 1 | LARGE TOMATO, SLICED |
| 1 | HANDFUL OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, CHOPPED |
Preheat the broiler. In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion in the oil until translucent, about 2 minutes. In a bowl, beat the milk into the eggs. Stir the pasta, seasonings, and cheese into the eggs, and pour into the pan. Arrange the tomato slices on top of the egg mixture, and cook over medium-low heat until semi-set, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Run the frittata under the broiler for 1 minute. Keep an eye on it so the top doesn’t scorch.
Ed went on a quest to duplicate, exactly, the eggplant Parmigiana Giusi sometimes brings over as a surprise.
SERVES 8
| 2 | MEDIUM EGGPLANTS, SLICED ¼ INCH THICK |
| ⅓ | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT, OR TO TASTE |
| 3 | CUPS TOMATO SAUCE |
| 1 | HANDFUL OF BASIL LEAVES, TORN |
| 1 | CUP (4 OUNCES) GRATED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO |
| 2 | CUPS (8 OUNCES) SHREDDED MOZZARELLA |
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the eggplant slices on 2 parchment-lined sheet pans. Brush them with the olive oil, salt them, and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until fork tender. Spoon some tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Add one-third of the eggplant, then a layer of tomato sauce, a few basil leaves, a third of the Parmigiano, and a third of the mozzarella. Add another two layers of eggplant, sauce, basil, and cheeses, finishing with mozzarella on top. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is browned and bubbling.
The most important ingredient in fritto misto is the person selling the fish. Fresh is the word for all fish, of course. Ask for a variety of seafood—all cleaned and ready to go. Small fish should have their innards removed but otherwise be left whole. Fish such as sole and cod should be filleted and cut into 3-inch chunks.
Fritto misto is surprisingly light because it’s fried quickly. You might want to fry a few zucchini, potato sticks, and carrots, too. As an antipasto, this serves 10 to 12.
A crisp sauvignon blanc, such as Venica & Venica’s Ronco de Cerò, pairs well.
SERVES 6
| 5 | CUPS PEANUT OR SUNFLOWER OIL, FOR FRYING |
| 1 | CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| 1 | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| 4 | POUNDS MIXED SEAFOOD (SQUID, SCALLOPS, SHRIMP, PRAWNS, FISH), CLEANED AND SHELLED OR FILLETED LEMON WEDGES |
In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil to 350°F.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the seafood, shaking off any excess flour. Fry in batches until crisp and golden, about 30 seconds per side for the shrimp and a few seconds less for the scallops. Depending on the size of the chunks of fish, they will take about a minute. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
If you happen to go to the Tuscan coast, locate the tiny town of Bibbona, then search for the pine forest and the stretch of beach where the restaurant La Pineta is located. Maybe it looks like a beach shack, but inside you find a dignified elegant dining room presided over by owner Luciano Zazzeri and his twin sons. You’re seated so close to the sea that a wave could roll into your lap. The catch of the day came out of these waters just this morning. Luciano used to be a fisherman, but now that he has all the guidebooks raving, he leaves the sea to his friends and cousins in Cecina.
Baking a fish in salt crust is about as much fun as you can have in the kitchen. Don’t expect a salty fish—the briny crust seals in juices and only slightly penetrates. If sustainable sea bass isn’t available, try red snapper.
Bring to the table a Ronchi di Manzano, a Friulano white.
SERVES 6 TO 8
| 1 | LARGE SEA BASS, 3½ TO 4 POUNDS, OR 2 TWO-POUND FISH, CLEANED AND PREPARED FOR COOKING |
| 1 | LEMON, THINLY SLICED |
| A FEW SPRIGS OF THYME, PLUS A TEASPOON OR SO OF LEAVES | |
| 3 or 4 | FRESH ROSEMARY WANDS |
| JUICE OF 2 LEMONS | |
| 5 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| 1 | HANDFUL OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, CHOPPED |
| 3 to 5 | POUNDS COARSE SALT |
| ½ | CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR |
| 2 | EGG WHITES |
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Dry the fish well and stuff the inside with slices of lemon, rosemary, and a few sprigs of thyme. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice with the olive oil and brush the fish all over, keeping half of the oil mixture for later. Season the fish on both sides with the pepper and half of the parsley and thyme leaves. To the remaining olive oil and lemon mixture, add the rest of the thyme and parsley.
Layer the bottom of a baking dish large enough for the fish with an inch of salt. Place the fish on top, then mix the rest of the salt with the flour, egg whites, and just enough water to make a snowy moist mixture. Spread this over the fish, completely covering and smoothing it with a knife.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until the salt looks toasted. Present the fish at the table, cracking or sawing into the hard crust, just for the fun of the display, then take it back to the kitchen. In a small pan over low heat, warm the reserved olive oil and lemon mixture. Remove the salt from the fish and discard it, then peel away the skin. Take off the top layer of the fish, extract the bone, and remove the rest to a platter for serving. Pour on the warm sauce. Serve immediately.
After a lunch at La Pineta, on the beach in Bibbona, we were interested in seeing where the catch came from. Chef/owner Luciano Zazzeri directed us to a riverside dock in Cecina, where he once plied his boat and where fourteen of his friends and cousins still dock. Early the next day we arrived as the men were unloading their nets. Papero Di Donato showed us his catch and told us how he fillets and prepares fish. His daily lunch could not be simpler. “Where’s the best place to eat in Cecina?” I asked him. He answered, “My house.”
I wonder if Papero would allow a variation, which we were served the next day at a seaside restaurant farther down the coast: to the fish—we had spigola, sea bass—the cook added some cubed boiled potatoes and a few olives, along with the cherry tomatoes. But here is Papero’s daily pranzo.
Use what’s fresh—sole, flounder, perch, or salmon.
SERVES 1
| EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, FOR A SKILLET THAT FITS THE FISH FILLET | |
| 2 | GARLIC CLOVES, CRUSHED WITH A KNIFE BLADE SALT TO TASTE |
| 1 | FISH FILLET SPLASH OF WHITE WINE |
| 5 | CHERRY TOMATOES |
| SOME FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, CHOPPED |
Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-low heat and then add the garlic. Let the garlic infuse the oil for 2 minutes, then remove the cloves. Salt the fish lightly, turn up the heat to medium, and place the fish in the skillet. Add the splash of wine. Cover the skillet and cook until the fish is firm and flaky, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking for 1 or 2 minutes more, or longer, depending on the thickness of the fish. Don’t turn it during cooking. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Every summer we harvest the wild fennel flowers, dry them, and keep them all year to sprinkle on oven-roasted potatoes. Fennel has many virtues. Baked, it couldn’t be better. You simply cut three or four fennel bulbs into eighths, steam them until barely tender, spread them in a well-oiled baking dish, drizzle with more olive oil, and add a sprinkling of Parmigiano. Then, run the dish into the oven for 20 minutes at 350°F. I first discovered a version of this in the Florence airport restaurant!
A salad of thinly sliced fennel, minced shallot, blood orange sections, and crisp pungent lettuces lightens a dinner with a substantial meat course. Fennel also marries well with fish, as we see here.
Ever since we visited the Villa Matilde vineyard north of Naples, we’ve poured their wines. Their DOCG Greco di Tufo seems to hold a few rays of that southern sun.
SERVES 6
| 1 | FENNEL BULB, TOUGH OUTER PARTS DISCARDED, DICED |
| 3 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | TEASPOON FENNEL FLOWERS OR CRUSHED FENNEL SEEDS |
| 1 | GARLIC CLOVE, MINCED |
| 1 | ORANGE, PEELED, SECTIONED, AND DICED |
| 1 | JUICE AND ZEST OF 1 ORANGE AND 1 LEMON |
| 1 | CUP FRESH BREADCRUMBS, TOASTED |
| 6 | FILLETS OF SOLE |
| ½ | CUP WHITE WINE |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS FENNEL FRONDS OR FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, CHOPPED |
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, sauté the diced fennel in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until barely tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the fennel flowers or seeds, then the garlic, just for a final minute. Stir in the orange sections, the citrus zest (reserving some for garnish), and O cup of the breadcrumbs. Remove from the stove.
Top each fish fillet with a layer of the fennel mixture. Gently roll up the fillets and secure them with toothpicks. Arrange the rolls in a 6 × 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ cup of the wine, and sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the sole has white edges and the crumbs are browned.
In a small saucepan, combine the juices of the lemon and orange along with the remaining ¼ cup wine. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and let the sauce reduce for 10 minutes.
Remove the fish to a platter and stir the juices from the baking dish into the citrus juice mixture. Spoon the sauce on top of the fish and garnish with the remaining zests and the fennel fronds.
If you look on a topographical map of Italy, you’ll see that the Apennines form a sturdy and well-articulated spine, splitting the country in two. On the eastern side, the mountains slope to wide, fertile plains that end in the Tyrrhenian, the Tuscan part of the Mediterranean Sea. There’s no such landscape on the western side of the Apennines, where mountains and sea have a more intimate relationship. Up and down the Adriatic coast, you’ll find that everyone who has a stockpot has a recipe for brodetto.
For any fish stew, buy what’s fresh. If the recipe calls for flounder and there’s no flounder and the hake looks good, then buy hake. Traditionally, cooks use thirteen different kinds of seafood.
Serve the brodetto in a bowl over bruschetta or spaghetti. Pour a red, such as Dei’s Rosso di Montalcino, or a spirited white, such as Panizzi’s Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
SERVES 6
| 2 | SHALLOTS, MINCED |
| ¼ | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 4 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| 4 to 5 | SAFFRON THREADS, SOAKED FOR 1 HOUR IN 1 TABLESPOON TEPID WATER |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| 25 | CHERRY TOMATOES, HALVED |
| 2 | CUPS WHITE WINE |
| ½ | POUND COD FILLET, CUT INTO 1-INCH PIECES |
| 1 | POUND SHRIMP, PEELED AND CLEANED |
| 8 | OUNCES SMALL SEA SCALLOPS |
| 8 | OUNCES FLOUNDER FILLET, CUT INTO 1-INCH PIECES |
| 1 | HANDFUL OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, CHOPPED |
In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, soften the shallots in the olive oil for 2 or 3 minutes, and then stir in the garlic, saffron, saffron water, salt, pepper, and tomatoes. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil, and immediately lower the heat to a simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until well blended.
Raise the heat to medium and add the cod, which takes a little longer than the other seafood. Cook for 3 minutes, turning once, and then add the shrimp, scallops, and flounder. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, or until all the seafood is done. Add the parsley just before serving.
This recipe comes from Franca Dotti, a Milanese who now runs The Catering Company of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Franca first sent it to Ed with this note: “Non ti mando le quantità, perchè, da buona italiana, faccio tutto ad occhio,” which means, “I didn’t send you the amounts because, as a good Italian, I do it all by eye.”
Start this early in the morning to serve at night. Serve it right out of the fridge in summer or reheat during colder months.
Vietti Roero Arneis from Piemonte is a great wine partner here. The grape variety arneis means “little rascal,” a feisty partner to this exotic fish.
SERVES 4 TO 6
| ¼ | CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| 1½ | POUNDS SEA BASS, SNAPPER, AMBERJACK, OR OTHER FIRM WHITE FISH FILLET, CUT INTO 2- TO 3-INCH CHUNKS |
| 4 to 6 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | YELLOW OR RED ONION, VERY THINLY SLICED |
| 3 | TABLESPOONS BALSAMIC OR RED WINE VINEGAR |
| 3 | GARLIC CLOVES, THINLY SLICED |
| 4 to 5 | SAFFRON THREADS, SOAKED FOR 1 HOUR IN 1 TABLESPOON TEPID WATER |
| 1 | FENNEL BULB, THINLY SLICED AND LIGHTLY BLANCHED |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS RAISINS |
| 5 | DRIED APRICOTS, SLICED |
| ½ | CUP ALMONDS OR HAZELNUTS, HALVED AND TOASTED |
| ½ | CUP MIXED GREEN AND BLACK OLIVES |
| 3 | BAY LEAVES |
Combine the flour with the salt and pepper in a large bowl, and lightly dredge the pieces of fish. In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown the fish in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, about 2 minutes per side or until barely cooked through. Add a little more oil if needed. Remove and drain the fish on paper towels.
Add the remaining 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the same pan, and adjust the heat to low. Cook the onion until soft and starting to color, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, garlic, saffron, and saffron water. Remove from the heat.
Arrange the fish in a large glass baking dish. Add the fennel slices, raisins, apricots, nuts, olives, and bay leaves. Pour the hot vinegar and onion mixture over everything, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, turning the fish a couple of times.
PRAWNS and CHERRY TOMATOS with PURÉE of CANNELLINI
Villa La Massa, one of the premier hotels in Italy, is located just outside Florence. Head chef Andrea Quagliarella gave me this recipe. The unusual pairing reminds me of the Southern classic, shrimp and grits.
With this, try the well-structured and delightful sauvignon from Sanct Valentin.
SERVES 6
| 20 | LARGE PRAWNS, SHELLED |
| 20 | MEDIUM SHRIMP, SHELLED |
| ¼ | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| 6 | CHERRY TOMATOES, QUARTERED |
| 8 to 10 | SPRIGS OF FRESH THYME |
| 1 | POUND CANNELLINI BEANS, COOKED AND WELL SEASONED, ½ CUP OF COOKING WATER RESERVED |
| PEPPER TO TASTE |
In a medium skillet over medium heat, sauté the prawns and shrimp in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes or until pink. Remove from the heat and season with the salt.
In a small bowl, mix the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and most of the thyme. Purée the beans with enough cooking water (up to ½ cup) to form a light cream. Pour it into soup plates. Add the prawns, shrimp, and tomatoes. Drizzle the plates with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and grind some pepper on top. Garnish with remaining thyme.
This recipe travels happily between my kitchens in Tuscany and in North Carolina. Any summer table definitely will be enlivened by its presence. I prefer wild-caught shrimp. For maximum flavor, let the shrimp marinate overnight in the fridge.
SERVES 6 TO 8
| 1½ | POUNDS MEDIUM SHRIMP, PEELED AND CLEANED |
| 2 | TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| ½ | GARLIC CLOVE, MINCED |
FOR THE MARINADE
| ¼ | CUP TARRAGON VINEGAR |
| 1 | CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL |
| 1 | TABLESPOON GOOD MUSTARD |
| 2 | GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED |
| 1 | TEASPOON SALT |
| ½ | TEASPOON PEPPER |
| ¼ | TEASPOON PAPRIKA SPLASH OF HOT SAUCE SPRIGS OF THYME |
| 1 | GREEN BELL PEPPER, CHOPPED |
| 3 | SHALLOTS, MINCED |
| 2 | CELERY STALKS, FINELY CHOPPED ENOUGH ARUGULA TO FILL A PLATTER |
| 1 | TABLESPOON EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AVOCADO AND MANGO, SLICED, FOR GARNISH LEMON WEDGES |
| 1 | HANDFUL OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, CHOPPED |
In a 12-inch skillet, over medium heat, sauté the shrimp in the olive oil and garlic for about 3 minutes, turning once, until no longer gray—sunrise pink!
Mix everything for the marinade in a large glass container. Add the shrimp. Cover, shake, and marinate the mixture in the fridge up to 24 hours, turning over the container now and then.
Remove the shrimp from the marinade and arrange them on a platter of arugula that has been moistened with the olive oil. Garnish as you like, with avocado and mango (both of which have been moistened with a little of the marinade) and wedges of lemon. Scatter the parsley over the salad and serve.
