Eating Italy: A Chef's Culinary Adventure (46 page)

PECORINO FLAN
with
FAVA BEANS
and
ARTICHOKES

When I started doing culinary tours of Italy, I wanted to teach people how to make traditional Italian molded and unmolded dishes, such as flan, sformato, and tortino. This recipe became the blueprint. It’s as basic as can be: a straightforward custard of eggs, milk, and cheese that you can customize however you like. Cook some onions or leeks into it. Puree some carrots, peas, or fava beans and replace a little of the milk with the vegetable puree. Change the cheese from pecorino to Taleggio, Gorgonzola, or fontina. I use fava beans and pecorino because it’s a classic flavor combination that works. After looking through some old Italian cookbooks, I got the idea to toss in some shaved raw artichokes.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Pecorino Flan:

Unsalted butter, for greasing ramekins

⅔ cup (150 ml) whole milk

3¼ ounces (92 g) pecorino cheese, grated (⅞ cup), plus a few ounces for shaving over top

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

⅔ cup (150 ml) heavy cream

Fava Beans and Artichokes:

8 ounces (227 g) fava beans in the pods

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

1 cup (235 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 baby artichokes

¼ cup (15 g) chopped or chiffonade of fresh mint

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pecorino flan:
Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Butter eight 4-ounce (125-ml) ramekins and place in a roasting pan or deep baking dish. Set aside.

Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Use a stick blender or pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. With the blender running, add the eggs and egg yolk, and season with salt and pepper. Turn the blender to low speed, and with the machine running, blend in the cream just until incorporated. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Crack some black pepper over the mixture and stir slowly. Remove any skin that forms on the surface of the mixture, then carefully pour it into the ramekins to come up just under the lip. Pour hot water into the bottom of the pan to come at least halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake until set around the sides and still a little jiggly in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool, covered, in the water.

For the fava beans and artichokes:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the whole fava pods and blanch for 1 minute. Transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, pluck the favas from the pods, then pinch open the pale green skin on each bean and pop out the bright green favas into a bowl. You should have about ½ cup (90 g).

Add the oil and lemon juice to the bowl.

Trim off or peel any tough stems from the artichokes and snap off any dark green leaves so you are left with only tender green-yellow leaves and tender stems. Shave the artichokes on a mandoline, even an inexpensive handheld one, adding them to the fava beans as they are shaved. Stir to coat them in lemon juice. Add the mint, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.

For each plate, turn out a flan into the center of the plate. Spoon the fava bean mixture around each flan. Use a vegetable peeler to shave a few curls of pecorino cheese around each plate. Finish with a few grindings of fresh black pepper.

FAZZOLETTI
with
LAMB BREAST
and
PEA RAGÙ

In my cooking classes, I like to demonstrate techniques that apply to dozens of dishes. Braising is something that applies to every northern Italian ragù. You braise a big piece of meat, shred it, season it, and then serve it with polenta or pasta. When it comes to lamb, most people think of chops and loin, but lamb breast makes a fantastic ragù. It’s inexpensive and full of rich flavor. Spring peas add a shot of freshness to brighten up the ragù.
Fazzoletti
means “handkerchiefs;” you just toss the ragù and simple pasta squares together until the dish looks like little handkerchiefs folded over one another.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

1 bone-in lamb breast, 2 to 3 pounds (1 to 1.3 kg)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup (90 ml) olive oil, divided

½ medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped (⅔ cup/107 g)

1 medium-size carrot, finely chopped (⅔ cup/81 g)

1 large rib celery, finely chopped (⅔ cup/67 g)

1 garlic clove, smashed

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

2 cups (480 g) canned plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, cored and crushed by hand

1 cup (235 ml) white wine

8 ounces (227 g) Egg Pasta Dough (
page 282
), rolled into 2 sheets, each about
inch (1.5 mm) thick

1 cup (145 g) freshly shelled spring peas, from about 1 pound (450 g) pea pods

1 ounce (28 g) pecorino cheese, grated (⅓ cup) for garnish

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Season the lamb all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add the seasoned lamb, and cook until seared and well browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the breast, and sear the other side, 5 to 6 minutes.

Transfer the meat to a plate and add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, and bay leaf to the pan. Sweat the vegetables until they are tender but not browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and cook until they start to break down, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer until the liquid in the pan reduces in volume by about half, 10 to 15 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, cover, and braise in the oven until the meat is fall-apart tender, 2 to 2½ hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let the meat cool in the liquid until cool enough to handle. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and use tongs and a fork to shred the meat from the bones, silverskin, and fat, saving only the meat.

Remove and discard the rosemary stems, garlic, bay leaf, and any stray bones. Skim off any excess fat from the braising liquid and then pour the vegetables and braising liquid into a food processor. Puree briefly with short pulses to make a chunky, rustic puree. Return the puree and shredded meat to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Lay a pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface and trim the edges square. Cut the pasta into 3-inch (7.5-cm) squares. Repeat with the remaining pasta dough. You should get about forty squares total. Drop the pasta squares into the boiling water in batches if necessary to prevent overcrowding; quickly return the water to a boil, and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the ragù in a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add about 1 cup (235 ml) of pasta water, along with the fresh peas and remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) of olive oil, and cook until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the ragù, tossing for 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among plates and sprinkle with the pecorino.

SQUASH
and
FONTINA LASAGNETTA

Claudia’s grandmother, Nonna Anna, used to make lasagne without pasta. She roasted slices of squash, layered them with béchamel and blue cheese, and then baked the whole thing. I just ran with the idea, adding some pasta sheets to bulk up the dish, making a truffle béchamel, and using creamy fontina cheese. It’s a great fall dish that I serve in individual baking dishes as lasagnetta.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

1 medium-size butternut squash, about 2½ pounds (1.1 kg) total

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces (113 g) Egg Pasta Dough (
page 282
), rolled into 1 sheet, about
inch (1.5 mm) thick

5⅓ tablespoons (75 g) unsalted butter, sliced into pats, plus more for greasing the dishes or sheet

2 cups (475 ml) Truffle Béchamel (
page 281
)

2½ ounces (71 g) Parmesan cheese, grated (¾ cup)

12 ounces (340 g) fontina cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Prick the squash all over with the tip of a knife, and then microwave on high to make it easier to peel, 2 to 3 minutes. Peel and seed the squash and then slice it into rounds about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Toss the slices with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread flat on rimmed baking sheets and roast until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool in the pan.