Stinco di Maiale

BRAISED PORK SHANKS

Most cooks are familiar with osso buco, a dish made with veal or beef shanks. In Tuscany, a land where the pig is king, a simplified version of osso buco is made with pork and given a different name. This recipe uses the classic technique of slow-cooking a lean, inexpensive cut of meat in liquid until tender.

SERVES 4

2 pork shanks, about 1 pound each, cut into 2-inch-thick crosswise slices

4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¹/2-inch-thick rounds

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the shanks and put them in a heavy pot with cold water to cover. Bring the liquid to a low boil, decrease the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1¹/2 hours. Add the carrots, onions, potatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are fork-tender. Transfer to a warmed platter and serve.

Involtini di Maiale

PORK ROLLS STUFFED WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

In the modern kitchen, these cutlets are made with veal or chicken breasts, but pork is absolutely divine and more economical. In this past, this dish would have been made with thin slices of boneless pork shoulder, and the rolls would have been braised in plenty of liquid to tenderize it. Wrapping the meat with pancetta helps keep it moist.

SERVES 4

8 ounces spinach, steamed and finely chopped

¹/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 pound boneless pork loin, sliced into 8 pieces

8 thin slices pancetta

¹/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

In a medium bowl, combine the spinach and ricotta and stir to blend. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Set aside.

Place a slice of pork between 2 pieces of parchment paper, and roll with a rolling pin until flattened to an even thickness, about ¹/8 inch. Repeat to flatten the remaining slices.

Spread a thin layer of the spinach mixture on top of a slice of pork, leaving a ¹/4-inch border. Roll it and wrap with a slice of pancetta, then fasten with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining pork, filling, and pancetta.

In a large, heavy sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and sear the rolls for about 2 minutes on each side. Add the wine and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer briskly for 7 to 8 minutes, turning the rolls once or twice to heat them through. Serve at once.

Cinghiale e Carciofi in Umido

WILD BOAR AND ARTICHOKES

The hunting season for wild boar begins on the first weekend in November, but we won’t be eating fresh boar for another week, as it needs to age for several days before cooking. During the rest of the year, frozen boar is available; the freezing process actually helps to tenderize the meat. In any case, this lean meat needs to be braised to make it truly tender.

SERVES 8

¹/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

4 pounds wild boar (cinghiale), cut into serving-size pieces

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine

¹/4 cup minced fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons dried juniper berries

2 to 2¹/2 cups meat stock, heated

8 large artichokes, trimmed into hearts and cut into eighths

2 large fennel bulbs, cored and thinly sliced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a Dutch oven or heatproof casserole, heat ¹/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 4 to 5 muinutes, or until the onion is golden. Add the boar and sauté until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes on each side.

Add the garlic and wine and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook to reduce the liquid by half, then decrease the heat to a simmer. Add the stock, rosemary, and juniper berries, cover, and cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender, adding additional stock if needed to keep the meat moist.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the remaining ¹/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet and add the artichokes. Sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, or until softened. Add the fennel and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the vegetable mixture to the pot with the meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Fegatelli alla Fiorentina

FLORENTINE PORK LIVERS

This dish was a winter delicacy in medieval times, when pork livers were available at the time of the annual slaughtering of pigs. Today, these little morsels are found in Tuscan butcher shops year round, ready for roasting or grilling. Here is how to make them yourself, though you will probably need to ask your butcher to order the caul fat, the lacy membrane that will hold the liver in shape and keep it moist.

SERVES 6

1 pound pork livers

6 ounces caul fat

¹/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram

1 teaspoon fennel flowers or seeds

Pinch of ground cloves

2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup dry red wine

1 bay leaf

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil an 8-inch-square baking dish.

Cut the pork livers into 2-inch cubes and set aside. Rinse the caul fat and cut it into 6 -inch-square pieces. Set aside in cold water.

In a small bowl, combine the parsley, marjoram, fennel flowers, cloves, and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

In a large, heavy sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the liver cubes and sear quickly on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss with the herb mixture to coat evenly. Wrap each piece of liver in a square of caul fat and secure it with a toothpick. Place the wrapped liver cubes in the prepared baking dish. Add the wine and bay leaf to the remaining herb mixture and pour over the livers.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the caul has rendered its fat and dissolves. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Coniglio con i Funghi

RABBIT AND MUSHROOMS

Rabbits, as we know, multiply quickly, and for this reason they were a staple in the peasant farm kitchen. This lean meat needs braising, or as here, it may be roasted as long as some fatty ingredient such as pancetta is added to keep it moist. This is lovely served over polenta.

SERVES 4

1 rabbit, about 2 pounds, cut into serving pieces

3 cups dry white wine

1 sprig rosemary

2 cloves garlic

5 dried juniper berries

¹/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

2 cups chicken stock, heated

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the rabbit in a nonreactive container and add the wine, rosemary, garlic, and juniper berries. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, or 2 hours to overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer the rabbit to a sieve set over a bowl and drain, reserving the marinade.

In a large, heavy sauté pan, heat the olive oil, and brown the rabbit for about 2 minutes on each side. Add the mushrooms and sauté until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the strained marinade and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock, cover, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the rabbit is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Trippa alla Fiorentina

FLORENTINE TRIPE

Today trippa and lampredotto are popular Florentine street food and a delicacy at home, though in the past they were considered food for the poor. Tripe is the inner lining of the first of a cow’s four stomachs, while lampredotto comes from the fourth stomach. The tripe most commonly found in the States, which resembles a honeycomb and comes from the second stomach, can be used in this recipe.

Miriam Serni Casalini has written much about Tuscan kitchen wisdom in her book Il Buglione, and trippa is one of her specialties. Nowadays she adds a tablespoon of butter and a sprinkle of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to richen the dish. Trippa is also delicious as a sandwich with salsa verde (a green sauce made with parsley, capers, garlic, and anchovies).

SERVES 4

1 pound tripe, cut into thin strips

¹/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the tripe in a medium saucepan, cover, and cook over low heat until it has dried, about 15 minutes. Rinse at once in cold water and let drain.

In a heavy, medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and cook the onion until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tripe, and decrease the heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the tripe is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Polpettone

MEAT LOAF

My friend Lina Mazzetti often makes this meat loaf with a carrot in the center so that cut slices have a piece of the vegetable. The carrot should be peeled, then boiled in salted water for about 5 minutes and cooled before shaping the meat around it.

SERVES 6 TO 8

¹/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

¹/2 cup finely chopped onion

¹/3 cup finely chopped carrot

¹/3 cup finely chopped celery

1¹/2 pounds mixed lean ground meats (beef, veal, and/or pork)

3 fresh Italian-style pork sausages (about 8 ounces), casings removed

2 large eggs, beaten

¹/2 cup fine dried bread crumbs

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for seasoning

Flour for dredging

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups meat stock, heated

4 boiling potatoes, peeled and diced

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium skillet, heat ¹/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat, and sauté the onion, carrot, and celery for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the onion is golden brown. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the ground meats, sausage meat, eggs, bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and the 2 teaspoons salt. Add the sautéed vegetables and mix well. Shape it into an oblong loaf, compact well, and gently dredge it in flour.

In a Dutch oven or large ovenproof casserole, heat the remaining ¹/4 cup olive oil. Carefully transfer the meat roll to the pan and brown on all sides, turning gently, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the wine to the pan, stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook to reduce the liquid slightly. Add the stock, the potatoes, and the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley to the liquid in the pan. Cover and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into slices and serve with the sauce spooned over.

Piccione Farcito allo Spiedo

SKEWERED STUFFED SQUAB

Other small birds can be used for this recipe, such as quail or Cornish hens or even chicken, but the cooking time will need to be adjusted. When done, an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh and not touching bone will register 165°F, or the juices will run clear when the thigh is pierced with a knife. If you don’t have a rotisserie, simply use metal skewers and turn the birds on the grill every 10 minutes.

SERVES 6

6 squabs

Extra-virgin olive oil for coating, plus oil for basting

Sea salt for sprinkling

3 slices country-style bread (3 ounces), crusts removed

¹/2 cup whole milk

4 Italian-style pork sausages

5 ounces pancetta, diced

3 tablespoons raisins

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

2 large egg yolks, beaten

A few gratings of nutmeg

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 onions, cut into wedges

Prepare a medium-hot indirect fire in a charcoal grill fitted with a rotisserie. Coat the squabs with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

Tear the bread into pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the milk and let stand for 10 minutes, or until softened. Remove the casings from half of the sausages. Add the sausage meat, pancetta, raisins, and pine nuts to the bowl with the bread and milk. Add the egg yolks and mix well. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Stuff one-sixth of the meat mixture into the body cavity of each squab. Close the openings with toothpicks.

Cut the remaining sausages into 2-inch lengths. Skewer the squabs crosswise, inserting the spit just under the wings and alternating each bird with a piece of sausage and a wedge of onion. Grill the pigeons over the indirect fire for about 30 minutes, or until they test done, basting them periodically with olive oil, if needed.

Pollo Arrosto al Vin Santo

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH VIN SANTO SAUCE

Vin santo is a Tuscan dessert wine made with dried grapes. Marsala makes a good substitute, or you can use a good dry white wine. Adjust the cooking time according to the size of chicken you use. When the chicken is done, an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh and not touching bone will register 165°F, or the juices will run clear when a thigh is pierced with a knife.

SERVES 6

3 tablespoons aromatic herbs minced with salt, or your preferred combination of fresh herbs

1 clove garlic, minced

1 chicken, about 3 pounds

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups vin santo or sweet Marsala wine

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a small roasting pan or heatproof casserole.

In a small bowl, combine the herb mixture with the garlic. Loosen the skin of the breast of the chicken and spread the herb mixture under the skin. Rub the chicken all over with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on its side in the prepared pan and roast for 15 minutes, then turn and roast on the second side for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken onto its back and roast for 30 minutes, or until the chicken tests done.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Set the roasting pan over medium heat and add the wine, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and cook to reduce the liquid by half. Drizzle the pan sauce over the roasted chicken and serve at once.

Peposo di Guanciale

STEWED PEPPERY BEEF CHEEKS

Recipes with once-exotic spices such as peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves are traditionally Florentine or Sienese, as those cities were involved in the Renaissance spice trade. Food writer Kyle Phillips dates peposo back to the time when Florence’s Duomo was being built and the tile makers would stew tough cuts of meat in their kilns. Often made with beef shank or other lean stewing meat, I love this version made with beef cheeks.

SERVES 6 TO 8

¹/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 pounds beef cheeks, cubed

1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine

3 tablespoons black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a Dutch oven or large heatproof casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the onion is golden brown. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides. Add the wine and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves.

Cover and bake for at least 20 minutes, then decrease the heat to 275°F and cook for at least 1 hour, or until very tender. Season to taste with salt. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

TUSCAN BUTCHER

The colorful and charismatic Dario Cecchini is known to Italians and foreigners alike as the “poet butcher of Panzano in Chianti.” He is renowned for his dramatic interpretations of Dante and his favorite songs, but most of all for his passion for his profession. Above all, Dario is interested in respecting the 250-year Cecchini family tradition of the art of meat cutting, evident in his choice of quality meat and products for his butcher shop, the joyful Antica Macelleria.

“Everyone comes into the shop to buy the prime cuts,” he said to me a few years ago. “The loin, the steak, the rump of the cow, the pig, or the lamb are in high demand. What about the rest of the animal?” This was the question that inspired his restaurant, Solociccia (“Only Meat”), a place where the “rest of the animal” finds a privileged place at the table. Rather than taking meat for granted, he elevates all parts of it in traditional ways. Here you will find beef shins filled with their own marrow and braised for hours; tenerumi (beef knee) with a salad of fresh vegetables; and chopped meats coaxed into savory meatballs speared with rosemary. These and all the other offerings at Dario’s restaurant exalt humble ingredients in the best traditions of Tuscan cuisine. In Dario’s words, “In a correct world, we should try to use everything wisely. When someone wastes, someone else suffers.”

Brasato al Midollo

BRAISED BEEF WITH MARROW AND SHALLOTS

Dario Cecchini, the legendary butcher of Panzano in Chianti, offered me this recipe, which, he explained, is povera only in the sense that the shank is an inexpensive cut of meat. Long, slow cooking transforms it into a superbly flavorful dish. Ask your butcher to butterfly the meat, remove the bone, and saw it in half lengthwise to make the marrow easier to remove. Save the bone halves in the freezer for making stock.

SERVES 6 TO 8

1 whole beef shank (about 8 pounds), boned and butterflied, bone sawed in half lengthwise and reserved

2 tablespoons sea salt

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Leaves from 3 sprigs rosemary, plus 3 whole sprigs

1¹/2 pounds medium shallots

¹/4 cup olive oil

1¹/2 cups vin santo or dry white wine

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the meat on a cutting board, cut side up. Scoop the marrow from the reserved bone halves and distribute it on one half of the meat. Sprinkle the rosemary leaves over the marrow. Roll the meat into a log, and tie tightly in at least 4 places with kitchen string.

Place the meat in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a lid. Add the rosemary sprigs and scatter the shallots over and around the meat. Drizzle the olive oil over the meat and shallots. Cover and roast for 1¹/2 hours. Uncover and pour the wine over the meat. Using tongs, turn the meat over in the pot and replace the lid. Roast for another hour.

Remove the pot from the oven and turn the meat over again. Baste with the pan juices and return to the oven, uncovered. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender and browned. Remove from the oven, transfer the meat to a cutting board, and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to a warmed serving platter. Pour the pan juices into a gravy separator or pitcher and let the fat rise to the top. Pour or spoon off the fat, reserving the pan juices.

Remove the strings from the meat and cut the meat into ¹/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices on the serving platter with the shallots, and pour some of the pan juices over all. Serve with the remaining pan juices on the side.

 

Totani Ripieni

STUFFED SQUID

Totani are members of the squid family that resemble common squid, or calamari, and are interchangeable with them in recipes. The small ones are very tender and quick to prepare. You can buy squid already cleaned, or clean them yourself (see the note at the end of the recipe). Here, they are stuffed with a simple filling that can be enhanced with minced clams or mussels and capers. These are delicious served over pasta.

SERVES 4

1 pound small totani or calamari, cleaned (see note), tentacles reserved

6 slices dry or day-old country-style bread, soaked in water and squeezed

¹/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 large egg, beaten

3 cloves garlic, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

¹/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

2 cups tomato puree

Rinse the totani and pat dry.

In a medium bowl, combine the bread, parsley, egg, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the mixture into the tubes of the totani and close them with a toothpick.

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the stuffed totani and sear on both sides. Add the tomato and the reserved tentacles, and decrease the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 11/2 hours, or until tender, adding water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper, and divide among shallow soup bowls. Serve at once.

NOTE: To clean squid, gently twist the head (in the center of the squid) to remove it, taking care not to break the ink sac. Cut off and reserve the tentacles, removing the beak in the center. Remove the clear cartilage quill and discard. Rinse well inside and out.

Tegamaccio di Pesce

FRESHWATER FISH STEW

Tegamaccio is a term used for slow-cooked dishes (a tegame is a stew pot). It often refers to the pork stews made at hog-butchering time and incorporating the animal’s blood. It may also be used for stewed eel dishes. At Lago di Chiusi, not far from my farm in Montepulciano, a type of cacciucco, or fish stew, of lake fish, is traditional. In the past, snails and frogs were also added.

SERVES 8

2 pounds freshwater fish (such as perch, carp, eel, or pike), cleaned

¹/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 peperoncino (dried red pepper), halved lengthwise, or pinch of red pepper flakes

1 cup dry red wine

¹/2 cup red wine vinegar

8 ounces ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

If the fish are small, leave them whole; cut larger fish into pieces of equal size so the cooking time will be about the same.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and sauté the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and peperoncino. Add the fish, wine, vinegar, tomatoes, salt, and thyme. Decrease the heat, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the fish is tender. Serve in warmed soup bowls.

Polpo all ’Elbana

OCTOPUS FROM ELBA ISLAND

Baby octopus are popular along the coast of Tuscany, and are found in abundance on the islands. You can buy them cleaned or clean them yourself, reserving the ink sac to make black risotto or pasta to serve with the octopus. Leftovers can be made into a seafood salad by combining with cooked potatoes and other cooked seafood such as calamari and shrimp.

SERVES 4

¹/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

¹/2 onion, finely chopped

1¹/2 cups dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

¹/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 peperoncino (dried red pepper), or pinch of red pepper flakes

3 pounds octopus, cleaned (see note) and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons salt-cured capers, rinsed

1 cup green olives

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and sauté the carrot, celery, and onion for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is golden. Add the wine, lemon juice, parsley, and peperoncino. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the octopus, decrease the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 11/2 hours, or until the octopus is easily pierced with a knife. Drain any remaining liquid and add the garlic, capers, and olives. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve at once.

NOTE: To clean an octopus, rinse the octopus well. Make a circular cut around the beak with a paring knife, and remove the ink sac and internal organs. Rinse the cavity well.

Baccalà in Zimino

SALTED COD WITH GREENS

Baccalà is salted codfish, widely found in the Mediterranean. In dried form, it is called stoccafisso, or stockfish. Both versions must be soaked in cold water for at least 24 hours. Baccalà needs the water frequently changed to remove the salt as it dissolves, and is sometimes left to soak under a slow stream of water. In zimino denotes fish (cod, eel, or squid) cooked with olive oil and greens, usually spinach or Swiss chard.

SERVES 6

1 pound salted cod

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

Pinch of pepper flakes

¹/2 cup tomato sauce

1 pound spinach or Swiss chard, coarsely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Soak the salt cod in cold water for 24 hours, draining and adding fresh water every 4 to 6 hours. Drain well. Cut the softened cod into 2-inch chunks and set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, and sauté the carrot, celery, and onion for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the pepper flakes and tomato sauce and heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chard and cook for about 5 minutes, or until wilted. Decrease the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the cod is fork-tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with parsley, and serve at once.

Triglie alla Livornese

MULLET WITH GARLIC, PARSLEY, AND TOMATOES

Red mullet is a lovely fish, but it is not widely available in the United States. Other white-fleshed fish can be substituted, such as sole, snapper, sea bass, or halibut.

SERVES 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound mullet or other white-fleshed fish fillets

1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

¹/2 onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh bay leaf, or ¹/2 dried bay leaf

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped,

¹/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, and sauté the carrot, celery, and onion for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the parsley, garlic, bay leaf, and tomatoes, and decrease the heat to medium.

Season the flour with salt and pepper, and dredge the fillets to coat well. Add the fillets and cook until golden, about 3 minutes on each side, turning very gently with a spatula to avoid breaking them. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Brustico

GRILLED FRESHWATER FISH

The shores of Lago di Chiusi in southern Tuscany were once the hub of an ancient Etruscan settlement. Traces of Sangiovese grapes, wheat, and olives have been found in the Etruscan tombs here, evidence of the diet of twenty-five hundred years ago. Freshwater fish from the lake were surely part of that diet as well, probably cooked over an open fire, as in this recipe.

Enrico Agostinelli at Ristorante Pesce d’Oro illustrates a time-honored method of cooking whole royal perch and pike from Lago di Chiusi over a hot fire built with the dried canes that grow at the edge of the lake. The outside of the uncleaned fish is burned black over the fast, hot fire, which cooks the delicate flesh slowly and sweetly inside. After the fish has cooled, the blackened scales are scraped off, the organs are removed, and the meat is filleted. The fillets are served at room temperature, drizzled with fresh extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, and parsley. My version, updated to be made at home, uses whole fish that have been cleaned and scaled before grilling.

SERVES 6

6 whole perch, about 6 ounces each, cleaned

Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Juice of ¹/2 lemon, plus 1¹/2 lemons, quartered

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill using small pieces of fast-burning wood or charcoal. Place the fish on the grill, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until charred. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.

Using a knife, cut the fish in half lengthwise and remove the backbone.

Place on a serving platter and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and parsley. Serve with lemon quarters.