THE SOUTH ITALY KITCHEN
Equipment
Visiting a home kitchen in the south is often a trip through history, as copper pots, vintage pasta-making tools, and other heirlooms mingle with contemporary items. You don’t need two-hundred-year-old implements to cook the recipes here—though if you have some, know that I am extremely jealous.
The arsenal of tools is basic and practical, much like the cuisine itself, so you’ll be able to cook in the style of the south no matter where you are. A handful of recipes call for special equipment—a ferretto (see this page), a thin metal rod, for forming filjie and carrati (see this page), for example—but most can be adapted; wherever possible, I have provided alternatives for special equipment. But here are a few things you do need.
Pots, Pans, and Skillets
Use pots, pans, and skillets made with thicker materials to ensure consistent cooking temperatures and to avoid “hot spots” where food sticks and scorches. You’ll need a cast iron pan or 100 percent metal pan without any nonstick coating for making Focaccia Pugliese (this page) to create the “fried” effect on the bottom of the dough.
Finish pasta dishes in their sauces in a pan at least 2 to 3 inches deep. You’ll need the extra height to facilitate tossing and swirling the pasta as it cooks. A heavy sauté pan with medium-high straight sides about 8 inches deep and a tight-fitting lid works best for braising meats. Choose a pan size that allows the ingredients to fit snugly and cook closely together.
Containers
You’ll need small or medium glass jars for storing Verdure Sott’Olio (this page) and nonreactive containers for soaking beans and legumes for many of the soup recipes. Use a glass container with a cover for Olive Salate (this page). Large jars will come in handy for Limoncello (this page), Nucillo (this page), Rich Simple Syrup (this page), and almost every recipe in the Liquori e Cocktail chapter.
Baking
Baking dishes and pans come in various shapes, sizes, and materials. If you don’t have the size recommended in the recipe, you can certainly use a smaller or larger vessel, but be aware that doing so may affect cooking time, so adjust accordingly.
For making bread, pizza, and pastries, weighing ingredients is a crucial step to success. Cup measures can vary significantly, and different flours have slightly differing weights per cup, so using a digital scale with metric units is the only foolproof method for ensuring you achieve the intended results.
You’ll need small, medium, and large bowls, preferably glass, stainless steel, or plastic, for mixing doughs, Lievito Madre (this page), Friselle Biga (this page) and Pigna Biga (this page).
For the best results with pizza and bread, I highly recommend investing in a pizza stone. Inverted baking sheets make a good substitute. In either case, preheat the stone or baking sheet in the oven for at least 45 minutes before you bake. If you don’t have a pizza peel you can improvise one with a flat, thin wooden board or a rimless baking sheet. I give detailed instructions for how to do so in the Note on this page.
A dough scraper (also known as a bench scraper) is useful when handling and transferring dough. It also works wonders for cleaning your work surface and for dividing dough into segments. You can also use it for incising a loaf before baking it, as for Pane di Matera (this page). It’s also a handy tool for scraping up flour from your work surface after making fresh pasta.
Baking sheets come in different sizes, the most versatile being a half sheet (13 × 18 inches). These recipes were developed and tested using half-sheet pans, but any size should work. Always line baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
Pasta-Making Tools
You’ll need a broad work surface, ideally wood, for making and shaping fresh pasta. Most of the pasta in this book is shaped by hand, but filjie and carrati (see this page) use a ferretto, a thin rod. If you don’t have one, you can improvise with a metal skewer or even a knitting needle.
Frying
In the south, most home cooks use a deep skillet, cast-iron pan, or Dutch oven instead of a deep fryer. I recommend using a pot at least 6 inches deep to help reduce the risk of spillage and splashing. Heavier materials guarantee more stable temperatures, and therefore more consistent results. Manage oil temperatures with a sturdy thermometer that can measure at least up to 400°F. It should clip to the side of the pan without touching the bottom. Use long tongs, a spider, or a metal frying basket to keep your distance from the hot oil.
Mixers
Most stand mixers come with whisk, paddle, and dough hook attachments. The latter is a great tool for kneading less hydrated and tougher dough and for long-duration mixing. I suggest using a mixer with a dough hook or paddle for making all the doughs in the Pane, Focaccia, e Pizza chapter. If you don’t have a stand mixer, I have provided instructions for mixing by hand (this page). Several dessert recipes require a handheld mixer.
Graters
Use a grater with very small “punched” (protruding) holes for grating Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and other hard cheeses to achieve a fine and powdery grate. Cheese grated to that consistency melts faster and more evenly and is less likely to clump. A coarser grate is best for ricotta salata in Candele con ’Nduja (this page).
Cocktail Tools
Use a jigger or small graduated liquid measures for measuring spirits. There are a few well-stocked online outlets for cocktail tools in a range of prices listed in the resources section (this page).
The recipes suggest specific glassware for each drink, but if you don’t have it, you don’t have to run out and buy it. You can use shot glasses or short tumblers for serving any of the digestivi.
Ingredients
Use the best-quality ingredients you can afford. Many of the recipes are incredibly simple, making inferior products very conspicuous. Look for produce and protein at their peak of freshness and flavor. Farmers’ markets and community supported agriculture (CSA) organizations are good places to start. Choosing your ingredients based on freshness, seasonality, and market availability is a way to personalize the recipes in this book; this approach to shopping perfectly mirrors the cuisine of the south.
There are some items that will be an essential part of your south-style repertoire. Many are staples that are easy to track down whether you live in Naples, Italy, or Naples, Florida, while others don’t yet have wide distribution in the States. I have included some online resources for specialty items on this page.
Anchovies
In spite of the south’s expansive coastline, its people have historically relied on salt- or oil-cured fish, since it is less perishable than its fresh counterpart. When choosing anchovies, I recommend the salt-packed variety over those packed in oil. Their flavor and subtlety are far superior. Salted anchovies are available at Italian specialty stores, and there are instructions for cleaning them on this page; you can find the oil-packed kind at supermarkets, but choose your source carefully to avoid being stuck with fish packed in rancid oil.
Black Pepper
Once an exotic spice available to only the wealthiest, black pepper is now cheap and ubiquitous. It’s included in nearly every savory recipe. When a recipe calls for black pepper, use whole peppercorns and coarsely grind them fresh for each use.
Bread Crumbs
Bread crumbs are a staple in kitchens of the south and are typically made from stale good-quality bread. I call for a number of different types of bread crumbs, all of which can easily be made at home and are engineered to have much more flavor than any store-bought variety.
Eggs
Unless otherwise stated, my recipes call for large eggs. I recommend using farm-fresh organic eggs whenever possible.
Fennel Pollen
Fennel pollen beautifully complements the taste of pork and enhances the flavors in Capocollo ai Funghi (this page). It is available at specialty shops and via mail order (see Resources, this page). You can substitute finely ground dried fennel seeds (grind them as you need them).
Flour
Use organic farina di semola (durum wheat flour) for making fresh pastas like orecchiette (see this page) and raschiatelli (see this page).
The bread and pizza recipes call for bread flour and all-purpose flour, both of which are widely available in supermarkets. Pane di Matera uses farina di semola rimacinata (fancy durum flour), which is sold in specialty shops and online. There is naturally some variation between bags of flour, even those of the same brand, which means flours will absorb water at different rates. For best results, use the freshest flour you can find. For a deep dive into what makes these flours different from one another and adapted to either pizza or bread, read the feature on this page.
Lard
Use good-quality lard from ethically raised pigs.
Oil
Unless otherwise noted, always use extra-virgin olive oil (see this page), whether for rending pancetta fat, cooking vegetables, or dressing a salad. For frying, use any neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed, canola, peanut, or corn.
Pasta
For the dried pasta recipes, use only high-quality slow-dried bronze-extruded durum wheat pasta. It has excellent structure and flavor, and is a key ingredient in a dish. High-end brands like Pastificio dei Campi, Benedetto Cavalieri, Mancini, Pastificio Felicetti, and Setaro are worth the $8 to $10 splurge.
In each dish, I specify a pasta shape and give suggestions on how to mix and match condiments. The dried pasta arsenal of the south includes spaghetti, ziti, and paccheri.
Peperoncino
The southern palate isn’t afraid of a little heat and employs peperoncino, a mild to moderate-strength chile, as a staple. I use a lot of dried peperoncino here—market stalls sell it from hanging strands—but you can use red pepper flakes for mild heat or fresh Thai bird’s eye chile for a more piquant effect.
Salt
Always use sea salt, unless otherwise noted.
Tomatoes
Use canned whole tomatoes rather than crushed. The latter tend to be made with scraps and are therefore of inferior quality. Many canned tomato brands imply that their Italian origins are shorthand for quality, but not all Italian brands use quality tomatoes. When purchasing tomatoes declaring “Made in Italy” on the label, it pays to be skeptical of what’s in the can or jar. The resources section (this page) lists suggested retailers for tracking down great-quality Italian products via mail order. Don’t overlook American brands like Bianco DiNapoli, which are organic and hand-selected to ensure maximum quality.
Vinegar
Use only good-quality vinegar for recipes like Scapece alla Gallipolina (this page). Poor-quality vinegars lack subtly and balance, and will ruin your dish.
I will reference these pages throughout the book so you can look at them as needed. With the basics I’ve laid out here and what you already have at home, you’re ready to reproduce these recipes, no matter how close or far from the Italian south you are!