Insalata di Parma

This is a great salad for this time of year. It is very light & elegant, as well as celebrates some of the local/seasonal delicacies of Emilia. It is a wonderful starter to any dinner. This salad is all based on good ingredients so try to refrain from using imitations.

Serves 4

1 Head Radicchio, leaves pulled off and cut in half or 1/4 to resemble little boats
1 Head Belgian Endive, leaves pulled off to resemble little boats
4 slices of Prosciutto di Parma, very thin
1/4-1/2 Pomegranate, seeded
Pamigiano Reggiano Cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler
25yr Balsamic Vinegar or best quality available
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Coarse Cracked Black Pepper
Sea Salt

Method:
Lay a slice of prosciutto on each plate
Scatter the endive & radicchio on top
Sprinkle some of the pomegranate seeds on each plate
Sprinkle just a pinch of the salt on the greens
Sprinkle the plate with the cracked pepper
Scatter the Parmigiano Reggiano on each plate(5-7 pieces per plate)
Drizzle each plate with some of the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil
Serve Immediatley

Turtej cu la Cua alla Castagne con Sugo Fagiano

This is a great pasta to warm up the winter months with. It is hearty, yet light at the same time showing the great balance that Italian cuisine possesses. This is a great way to use leftover chestnuts from the open fire. Since the filling has a delicate flavor the sauce has to be just as delicate not to overwhelm the pasta. For that reason, I have used pheasant for the sauce. Duck, quail, squab or goose would be too strong in this case.

Serves 4

TT = to taste

For Pasta:
1.25 cup AP Flour
2/3 cup Chestnut or hazelnut Flour
2 lg eggs
pinch of salt
water if needed

Method:
Mix ingredients together
knead for 5-10 minutes
wrap in plastic and let rest for an hour
Roll out dough to second thinnest setting
cut dough into 2"x3" rectangles
place 1t of filling in the center of each rectangle
starting with the longer end facing North/South, pull the top left corner down and towards the middle
then do the same with the top right corner down towards the middle
then bring the left side down and towards the middle
then the right again for 3-4 times each total to have a braided shape
pinch and slightly stretch the bottom piece into a little tail about 1/2 inch long (cu la cua = with a tail).
Repeat with remaining pasta
Place the ravioli on a parchment lined sheet tray sprinkled with flour
Once they are all on, place sheet tray in freezer for 1 hour to dry and harden the ravioli

For Filling:
85g Roasted Peeled Chestnuts
100g Ricotta Cheese (preferably homemade - see recipe on this blog)
1 lg egg
1 sm. clove garlic minced
TT salt
TT cracked black pepper

Method:
Place all ingredients in a food processor
puree until smooth
taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary

For Sauce:
1 Pheasant around 3.5-4#, cut into 8 pieces(wings, breasts, legs, thighs)
1/2 yellow onion, sm dice
1 celery rib, sm dice
1/2 carrot, sm dice
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 sprig rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
1/2 cup red wine
1 qt chicken stock(preferably homemade ro low sodium)
2T Butter, unsalted
2T olive oil
TT salt
TT fresh ground black pepper

Method:
Heat butter and oil in dutch oven over med - med/high heat
season the pheasant with salt and pepper
sear the meat skin side down and all over until golden brown
add the onions, carrots, celery & garlic and saute until softened over medium heat
add thyme and rosemary and saute for one minute
add the red wine and reduce by 1/2
add the chicken stock and bring to a boil
lower heat to simmer, cover and braise for 1-2 hours(meat should be very tender
remove pheasant from the dutch oven and pick the meat from the bones
Save skin, bones & carcass for making stock.
Skim any fat that renders in the cooking liquid
return pheasant to dutch oven
simmer and reduce liquid by half
taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary
set aside and keep warm.

Serving & garnish:
parmigiano reggiano
sage leaves fried in butter until crispy if desired

Method:
Bring 6 qts of water and a 1/4 cup of salt to a boil
drop the pasta in batches and cook for 4-5 minutes
Heat the pheasant sauce over medium heat
Once pasta is ready, drop the pasta into the sauce and cook for 1 extra minute.
Be careful when tossing the sauce and pasta together so you don't break or tear the ravioli.
Transfer pasta with sauce to individual plates.
Garnish with shaved or grated parmigiano reggiano and a few fried sage leaves
Serve immediately

Linguine con Granchio

This has to be one of my all time favorite pasta dishes. It is so simple, so fresh, & so flavorful. It is perfect for this time of year when you want to feel like you can eat lighter after all the hearty dishes that winter usually brings. This also calls for one of my favorite citrus fruits, buddha hand. It is from SE Asia, and is in season from late November - January. It isn't necessarily Italian, yet Italy has many citrus fruits that we don't even have available in the U.S.

Serves 4

TT = to taste

1# Linguine
2 King Crab Legs(3/4# each), Meat Picked of Shell
6 Cloves of Garlic, Sliced paper thin
2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2T Butter
1/4 cup White Wine
TT sea salt
TT chili Flakes
TT Buddha Hand, freshly grated (You can substitute lemon if you cannot find buddha hand)
Flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method:
Bring 6 qts of water and a handful of salt to a boil
Add the pasta to the water
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat
add the garlic cloves and saute for a minute
add the chili flakes and the white wine
add the butter and the crab and heat through
Once pasta is a minute from al dente, remove from the water and add to the sauce & toss together for last minute while cooking
add a little pasta water to pan if needed to loosen the sauce
add the grated buddha hand and parsley and toss
Transfer pasta to serving plates
add a last drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil if desired
serve immediately

Salumi Misti

Here is a variety of the different types of salumi(cured meats) that I make. They are great to make during the fall and keep well over the cold winter months.

Bresaola - Cured beef tenderloin with fall spices from Piemonte
Salame Trentino - Salame from NE Italy flavored with garlic, beer & caraway
Salame al'Alba - Salame from Piemonte flavored with nebbiolo wine, fall spices & truffles
Finocchiona - Tuscan salame flavored with fennel pollen, fennel seeds, chianti, peppercorns & garlic
Duck Prosciutto - Cured duck breast in a similar style of prosciutto with salt, sugar, herbs & spices
Coppa - Spicy cured pork shoulder
Pancetta - Un-smoked cured rolled pork belly flavored with herbs & spices

Not Pictured:
Nduja - Spicy smoked spreadable salame from Calabria(Southern Italy)
Lardo Colonnata - Cured pork fat back with rosemary, juniper, garlic & other spices

Anatra con Zucca e Vin Santo

This is a very simple looking & tasting dish, that has a lot of attention to detail in order to make it truly special. Reminiscent of Northern Italian cooking, we incorporate some of my favorite flavors of the holiday season. If you can't find vin santo or it's not in your budget, there are plenty of other dessert wines you could use such as: jorge ordonez, marsala, etc.

TT = to taste

Serves 4

For Duck & Sauce:
4 Duck Breasts, scored
2T Duck Fat
2 cloves garlic,
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 cup Duck Stock, or Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Vin Santo
1T Butter, unsalted
TT Salt
TT black pepper

Method:
Heat duck fat in large skillet over med low heat
season duck breasts with salt & pepper
place breasts in pans skin side down
cook low and slow until fat renders and skin crisps, about 15 minutes
once rendered properly turn up heat to med high to crisp skin
turn over and remove duck from heat
baste the duck with the fat
remove duck from pan after a minute or so after it was flipped
allow duck to rest for 5-10 minutes
remove excess fat in pan and save leaving 1T of fat left in the pan
Add the garlic clove & rosemary and return to stove over medium heat
add vin santo and reduce by half
add duck stuck and reduce until sauce consistency (50-80%)
add the butter and season with salt if needed
By the time the sauce is complete, the duck shall have finished resting

For Squash:
1 small butternut squash, split in half & seeds removed
1 cinnamon stick, broke in half
3T butter
TT Nutmeg, freshly grated
TT Cinnamon stick, freshly grated
TT salt

Method:
preheat oven to 350F
place squash in roasting pan, cut side up
place 1.5T of butter in each dug out spot of the butternut squash
place 1/2 cinnamon stick on top of the butter
season cut side with salt
pour 1-2 cups of water into the roasting pan
cover pan with aluminum foil
place in over for 1 hour or until squash is fall apart tender
remove cinnamon stick
scoop out flesh along with the butter & put into food processor
season with a little fresh cinnamon & nutmeg as well as salt if needed
puree until very smooth
set aside and keep warm

Finish Plating:
Spoon some of the butternut squash puree on the plate.
slice the duck and plate over the puree
spoon sauce over and around the plate
serve immediately

Insalata Emiliana

This is a recipe that uses some very decadent ingredients from Emilia Romagna to make a very simple yet luxurious salad. If you don't have homemade bread, you can always use any well made country loaf as a substitute.

TT = to taste

Serves 4

6 cups mesclun mix greens
4 slices prosciutto di parma
12 fresh figs, quarterd
1/8# parmigiano reggiano
4T 25yr Balsamic Vinegar, or best possible quality
2 cups homemade or store bought bread cut into 1/2"-1" croutons
Extra virgin olive oil
TT salt
TT coarse ground black pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 400F
toss croutons with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
sprinkle with a pinch of salt
toast in the oven until golden brown (5-10mins)
toss greens with the vinegar and a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
season with salt and pepper
lay a slice of prosciutto down on the plate
divide salad evenly among the plates
garnish with croutons & figs
use a vegetable peeler and shave off thin slices of the parmigiano reggiano on top of the salad
serve immediately

Vitello alla Valle d'Aosta

This is a refined take on a classic dish from this region. Traditionally this recipe calls for a veal chop that is topped with fontina(the most notable cheese of the Aosta Valley) and served with polenta. Instead I take a fresh seasonal approach to it by sitting the chop on top of a grilled corn puree.

TT = to taste

Serves 2-4 people

Corn Puree:
2 ears of sweet corn
1/4 cup cream
TT salt

Method:
Pull back husks leaving them intact, and remove silks
cover corn back up with husks and place in water for an hour
Preheat gas or charcoal grill on high
place corn in the husk on grill and char all over until corn is tender and has a little charring going on, NOT A LOT
remove from grill and discard the husks
cut corn of the cob and place in small sauce pan
add cream and then simmer med low on stove for 20-30 mins until corn is super tender and there is only a slight amount of cream left
transfer mixture to a blender season with salt and puree until smooth
strain through chinois or fine strainer
taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary
cove & set aside
reheat over low heat on the stove while the chop is resting

Veal chop:
2 Veal Rib Chops, about 1-1.5# each
1/4-1/2# fontina cheese, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, not peeled, pounded once with hand
4 lg. sprigs of thyme
3T butter
TT coarse salt
TT coarse pepper

Method:
Remove veal from refrigerator and allow to temper for half hour
Preheat cast iron pan on high
season veal chops with salt & papper
add 3T of canola or grapeseed oil to pan once smoking
turn on broiler
sear veal chops on one side until very well caramelized
turn over and sear for 10 seconds
turn off heat on stove
top veal chops with fontina cheese
add butter and garlic cloves & transfer to broiler
cook for 5 more mins or so until veal has reached med rare and cheese is caramelizing
remove from broiler and add fresh thyme to pan
baste the top of the chops with the brown butter
remove chops from cast iron pan and set on a plate to rest for 10-15 mins
while resting reheat the corn puree on med low heat until warm
stir occasionally so puree doesn't scorch
place a little of the warm puree on each serving plate
place the veal chop on each plate and serve immediately