Arrosto con Bacche di Ginepro e Foglie di Alloro (Roast Pork with Juniper Berries and Bay)

by chefbikeski Posted on May 29, 2011
pork with juniper and bay culinary bike tours italy
Arrosto con Bacche di Ginepro e Foglie di Alloro

Emilia-Romagna is one of the four regions in Northeastern Italy we visit during our culinary biking and walking tours. Located on the fertile southern bank of the Po River, this region is home to some of Italy’s most famous specialties: Prosciutto di Parma, balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. However, there are many more delicious dishes that await our discovery as we visit this region!

This recipe is based on January Pork, a recipe included in Lynne Rosetto Kaspers’ classic book on the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna, The Splendid Table. She attributes the origins of this recipe to the tenant farmers and laborers of this region that survived on what they could produce on their small farms, or trade for. The family pig was one of the few sources of meat available to them, and the majority of it was cured to preserve it, as they lived off of it for much of the year. The pig was traditionally killed in January, just prior to or after a local saint’s day such as January 17, Saint Anthony’s day. The ribs and the loin were the only parts of the pig not preserved, and were eaten immediately. This January Pork would be a special treat, the only time of year the family would enjoy fresh pork.

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Bay, cloves and juniper berries

The spice combination used in the marinade is rather unique, but I encourage you all to develop your own. One I may try next, based on some of the dishes I am cooking from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, uses cloves and cinnamon. I can certainly imagine the pig farmers from Friuli roasting their pork in a similar fashion!

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Pork in marinade

In her wonderful book, The Zuni Cafe Cookbook, Judy Rodgers urges her readers to add your salt “early”. Several of her signature dishes require this early salting in order to be successful. She first learned this technique when working in the kitchens of France. Contrary to popular belief, early salting does not result in dried out food. Yes, it does first draw moisture from the cells, but eventually reverse osmosis occurs, and the moisture is drawn back into the cells, bringing along for the ride salt and any other aromatics that you have included. So using salt in a marinade helps bring the other flavors into the food. I’ve used this technique in this recipe.

roasted pork cycling tours dolomites
Roasted pork with bay

Arrosto con Bacche di Ginepro e Foglie di Alloro

Serves 6-8

30 juniper berries
3 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, finely grated with a microplane
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 5-pound pork roast, bone-in
3 bay leaves

Begin the day before you plan to serve the pork:

Using a spice grinder (I use an old, retired coffee grinder), finely grind the juniper berries, cloves and peppercorns into a powder. Transfer to a small bowl, and combine with the grated garlic, salt and olive oil.

Place the pork roast on a sheet pan, bone side down. Brush the meat on all sides (you can skip the bone side) with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove the roast from the refrigerator an hour before you are planning to roast it, to allow it to warm a bit. Preheat oven to 350°.

Roast the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 135°. This will leave the meat still slightly pink, which I prefer. Keep it in longer if you prefer your pork cooked more. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

I would suggest a nice Valpolicella to accompany this, such as the Zeni Valpolicella Ripasso. Or if you are in the mood for a big one, an Amarone could fit the bill!

Posted in Fitness, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Pork, Trentino Food, Uncategorized, Valpolicella, Wine Pairings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Orzo e Fagioli

by chefbikeski Posted on May 23, 2011
Orzo e Fagioli

A while ago I did a post on the very familiar Italian soup, Pasta e Fagioli. Here is an interesting variation, hailing from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. This is Orzo e Fagioli, or Minestra di Orzo e Fasio, a barley and bean soup. Recall that, in Italy, orzo is not the small pasta we know in the US, but is the grain barley. Barley is one of the most important grains in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is the most popular soup found in Friuli, and also popular in Venezia Giulia, but Jota dominates there, a bean and sauerkraut soup. The Friuli version calls for pancetta; in Trieste you will find smoked pork or smoked lard used rather than pancetta. I used bacon – all are delicious!

Scarlet Runner Beans

I’ve taken a few liberties with the multiple recipes I read for this soup. First of all, I used a local bacon rather than a poor version of pancetta. I also browned the vegetables first, before cooking the beans. I used chicken stock rather than water, to add a bit of protein and a little meat flavor. Finally, I cooked the barley separately, and store the bean base and the barley in individual containers until I am ready to eat the soup. I find starches kept in the soup for a day or so take on a mushy, unappetizing texture. And according to Fred Plotkin in his recipe for this soup in La Terra Fortunata, the barley will take on a bitter taste if it is reheated more than once. I haven’t experimented with this, as the soup was too good to waste!

Orzo e Fagioli

Serves

Fagioli and Orzo

1 pound dried beans, such as borlotti (cranberry) or cannellini
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 ounces pancetta or bacon
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken, beef or vegetable broth
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 cup pearled barley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, parsley, basil, rosemary, sage

Cooked beans, remove bay leaves and puree

Rinse the beans, place in a large bowl and add enough water to cover by a couple of inches. Allow to soak overnight. If in a hurry, you can place the beans in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to soak for 2 hours.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the pancetta or bacon, onion, carrots and celery. Saute until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the beans from the soaking liquid, and place in the pot with the vegetables. Add 5 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaves and the dried rosemary. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until the beans are soft, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending upon the size of the beans. The length of time will vary significantly, depending on the type, size and age of the bean. If you are keeping some or all of the beans whole, you will want them to still be firm enough to hold together, so some firmness is desirable here.

While the beans are cooking, place the barley in a medium bowl and cover the barley with water. Allow to soak for 1 hour, then drain.

Cooked barley

Place the soaked barley in a medium saucepan and cover with the remaining chicken broth. Cook until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt.

Remove the beans from the heat. Search through the beans for the bay leaves and remove. Using an immersion blender, puree the beans slightly – you want about 1/4 of them to be pureed.

Transfer to a smaller pot the soup you will be serving immediately. Add some barley – roughly estimate the percentage, if you are serving half of the soup, add half of the barley. Add some of the chopped herbs. Warm and serve in warmed bowls. Top with a a drizzle of olive oil, and serve.

Save the remaining bean soup base and barley in two separate containers. Combine and heat through just before serving.

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Farro con gli Asparagi

by chefbikeski Posted on May 19, 2011
Farro con gli Asparagi

Farro, or spelt as it is often called in the US is a species of wheat, and an important staple in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval times. It is a hybrid that originated from a domestic wheat, such as emmer, and wild goat grass.  In the Middle Ages, it was cultivated in Switzerland, Germany and Tyrol, the southern part of Tyrol now being part of Italy. Spelt was introduced to the US in the late 19th century, soon to be replaced by bread wheat. The rise of organic farming has created a resurgence in popularity of this wheat, as it requires fewer fertilizers to grow than other varieties.

I have heard many claim that spelt and farro are different grains, but according to the International Plant Genetics Resources Institute, they are. They surely seem quite identical to me, based on what I’ve been able to find.

Also contributing to the re-introduction of farro or spelt is a renewed interest in the multiple health benefits of whole grains. Spelt contains 57.9% carbohydrates, 17% protein and 3.0% fat. It is also a great source of B vitamins such as niacin and thiamine, and minerals such as iron and magnesium.

Roasted Asparagus

Risotto is a classic dish from all the regions we visit in Northeastern Italy. This time of year, with the wonderful white asparagus beginning to appear, an asparagus risotto would be a perfect dish to showcase this vegetable. In the Veneto, the white asparagus of Bassano del Grappa is renowned for its delicate flavor, and the quality of this hard-to-obtain product is protected with its’ own DOP status. But Friuli-Venezia Giulia is also home to an area that boasts a white asparagus of similar quality, one of the most celebrated crops in Friuli. The town of Tavagnacco honors its’ prized product every spring with the Festa degli Asparagi. Recent years have seen a market increase in the quantity and quality/ the white asparagus is now the most popular vegetable crop in this region, with 250 hectares and about 150 companies cultivating nearly 1M kg annually of the product. Even with this increase in production, there is still not enough available to meet the demand for the product within the Friuli-Venezia Giulia itself, but it is exported nonetheless.

I’ve presented a couple of risotto recipes already on this blog, so I decided to mix things up a bit and experiment with other options. Also, I didn’t have any decent risotto rice, but had spelt! The result was not creamy like a risotto, but quite nice all the same! If you prefer to use rice, the recipe will work for that as well, and will probably cook more quickly, requiring less liquid. I may try pre-soaking the farro or spelt next time I try this, to cut down on the cooking time. I also love roasted asparagus, so I’ve substituted the usual blanched asparagus used in the classic asparagus risotto recipe with oven roasted.

Just a word of caution when using store-bought chicken broth for a risotto – make sure it is low- or sodium-free. I just made some using College Inn broth, and the result was much too salty, even for me who is not shy about using the stuff! I didn’t add any to the dish, but just the continually reduction of cup after cup of the stock during the process of making risotto concentrates the sodium, making the product too salty.

Ingredients

Farro con gli Asparagi

Serves 4-6

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 stalks celery, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2 cup farro
1 cup dry white wine
8-12 cups chicken stock
1 cup grated grana cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs; parsley, chives, basil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Peel the asparagus, starting from 1 1/2 inches below the tip and extending to the opposite end. Place the spears on a sheet pan, drizzle with some of the olive oil and season with salt. Roast in the oven until tender. Remove and allow to cool. Cut off the tips, and cut the stems into 1 inch pieces.

Place the stock in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat. Keep warm.

Sauteing farro and vegetables

Heat the remaining oil and the butter in another pan, add the onion and celery and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Add the farro. Stir for about 1 minute, and then stir in a ladleful of the stock. Cook, adding the stock a ladleful at a time, for about 45 minutes until the spelt is tender and all the stock has been used.

Finishing risotto on stove

Season with salt to taste, stir in the roasted asparagus, the cheese (reserve some for garnish) and herbs. Serve.

 

To pair with this dish, I would suggest the white wine I used in the preparation – a crisp, clean Cantaruzzi Pinot Grigio from the Grave region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Posted in Asparagus, Fitness, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Pinot Grigio, Risotto, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, Veneto Food, Wine Pairings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Farmer’s Market Pasta – Whole Wheat Pasta with Poached Egg and Spring Greens

by chefbikeski Posted on May 17, 2011
farmer's market pasta luxury villas in italy
Farmer’s Market Pasta

Here is a recipe which I must describe as ‘Italian inspired’, rather than a strict interpretation of a traditional regional Italian dish. When we are on one of our Italiaoutdoors culinary adventures in Italy, we learn about the regional dishes, but our real inspiration is the wonderful local, seasonal produce we discover. The inspiration here is the same – the first visit of the year to the Newburyport Farmer’s Market. Various mixed spring greens, a couple of wonderful fresh eggs, and a homemade whole wheat pasta were the spoils. Now, what to do with them?

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Fresh ingredients from Farmer’s Market

I have always enjoyed poached eggs with greens for breakfast, and earlier had posted a recipe here that topped buckwheat polenta with greens and a poached egg. I also had a conversation recently with someone who had described the standard American version of spaghetti alla carbonara to some Italians during a recent trip to Italy – they were pretty horrified by her description, something more akin to an alfredo sauce, with lots of cream. The traditional carbonara ingredients are eggs, bacon or pancetta (or guanciale), and cheese. Some nice spring greens would be a perfect addition here. And so this recipe evolved.

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Sauteing greens, garlic and pancetta

For those who are interested as I am in where these dishes came from – spaghetti alla carbonara is a typical Roman dish, hailing from the middle of the 20th century. There are anecdotes that attribute the name and the origin of this dish to woodcutters from Abruzzo who, while cutting wood for charcoal, would cook their pasta with eggs and cheese over a wood fire. The name carbonara supposedly derives from the Italian carbonaro, or charcoal burner. However, there is not any evidence of this dish being in existence prior to the Second World War. During and immediately following this devastating war, the local population was facing severe food shortages and the powdered eggs and bacon that were standard issue for the American troops were widely used for bartering. The Italians would use the acquired eggs and bacon as a sauce for their dried pasta, and it became quite popular with the American troops stationed there, who brought it home with them after the war. It is now a standard of Italian-American cuisine here in the states. I suspect that the dish has improved a bit with the addition of fresh eggs!

A quick lesson on blanching the greens. If you are using a very ‘light’ textured green, such as arugula, blanching is not necessary – you can just saute it. For greens that are a bit more dense, blanching will tenderize the greens, making them a little more palatable. But this step is not absolutely necessary, and if you don’t mind the texture, just saute your greens until they are as you like them!

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Greens blanching – NO LID!

To blanch, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt to the water. Immerse the greens in the boiling water; the water will usually briefly stop boiling when the cold greens are added – bring the pot back to a boil WITHOUT placing the lid on the pot. The lid will trap enzymes that are released during the blanching, and the greens will turn a grayish green. If you allow the enzymes to escape, the greens will be a wonderful vibrant green. Cook the greens just until tender. Immediately remove from the boiling water and submerge them in a ice water bath. This halts the cooking process. When cool, remove from the ice bath and squeeze out at much water as possible.

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Ice water bath

Blanching is usually done to all vegetables prior to freezing, as this process destroys/releases the aforementioned enzymes, which cause vegetables and fruits to ripen and then rot. Vegetables that have been blanched will be fresher looking and better tasting after a period of freezing than vegetable that have not.

Farmer’s Market Pasta – Whole Wheat Pasta with Poached Eggs and Spring Greens

Serves 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2  slices pancetta
2 cups blanched spring greens, chopped (see blanching instructions above)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
4 fresh eggs
1 cup freshly grated grana, asiago stravecchio, or other hard aged cheese

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Turn heat to low, just high enough to barely maintain a simmer; you should see bubble rising, but the water should not be moving too much.

Place the olive oil in a large saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until just beginning to brown. Add the greens and garlic and cook just until heated through. Remove from heat.

Add salt to the boiling water in the large pot. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta, and add to the saute pan with the greens and garlic.

Carefully break the four eggs, one at a time, into the saucepan with the barely simmering water. If you wish, you can break the eggs into a small bowl or teacup and slowly lower it into the water using the bowl or cup. The goal here is to not break the yolk! Cook the eggs in the simmering water for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and place on a plate with a paper towel on top to absorb some of the excess water.

Place the saute pan with the greens and the pasta back on the burner over medium high heat. Combine until heated through; if the mixture seems a bit dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Add the grated cheese, reserving a bit for the final garnish. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the pasta in four preheated bowls. Top each with a poached egg. Season each egg with a bit of salt and pepper, and garnish with the remaining grated cheese.

A nice wine pairing here would be a great Soave, or, if you are a fan of red, the nice, light bodied Tai Rosso Rezzadore wine I just reviewed in my last post, from the Colli Berici DOC.

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Wine Tasting: Rezzadore Tai Rosso 2008

by chefbikeski Posted on May 14, 2011

tai rosso wine bike tours italy

This family of winemakers has occupied Villa Rezzadore for many centuries. It is located right near to La Rocca Pisana, a famous villa designed by Scamozzi, a student of Palladio. The renovated cellar is located in the estates’ old barn. The surrounding area is very typical of the Colli Berici, with soil of marine origin, and later volcanic, which gives great freshness and flavor to the wines. Red grapes have traditionally flourished here, but as of late the white grape Garganega has also done well here.
The Tai Rosso wine I’m reviewing here is made from an indigenous variety that we don’t see here in the states. This variety, Tocai Rosso, dates back at least 700 years in this region. It became an official DOC wine in the Colli Berici in 1973.

It is not related to the Tocai grape produced in Friuli or Hungary; most experts believe that it is more likely related to the Sardinian Cannonau or Spanish Aragona “granacha”, or Granache. In this region, it will appear either as a single varietal wine (such as this), or occasionally blended with Garganega.

After an initial selection during the harvest, the grapes undergo a second, more rigorous selection in the cellar before moving on to the first pressing and maceration on the skins for about 10 days. After pressing and fermentation, it is aged for about 6 months in steel, then bottled and aged for another 3 months before selling.

Colli Berici DOC

This is a rather light red wine, quite different from the heavy reds that most of us here in the US are accustomed to. While I would not recommend this to go with a juicy big steak or something very rich and meaty, it is a very nice, light red that can be an elegant accompaniment to the right dish. So often here in the US we get caught in the ‘big red’ trap. In Italy, there is more of an appreciation of the diversity available in the genre, and I think more attention paid to selecting the appropriate wine/food pairing.

This wine is quite affordable, I paid about $12 a bottle. So when I review a wine like this, I appreciate it for what it is, rather than comparing it to a 20 year old Amarone. They both have their attributes, and we are better off for having both on our list to choose from! The Tai Rosso has a very fruity nose and palate, with flavors of wild strawberry and cherry. It is quite lively, but not overly intense. It would go wonderfully with a lighter, warm weather lunch – a grilled chicken salad or a pasta with fresh cheese. I would pair this with my Penne with Peas, Bacon, Ricotta and Mint, for example.

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