A Little Italian Cookbook by Anna Del Conte.pdf

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introduction

No part of this publication may he

reproduced or transmitted in any form

or by means, electronic or mechanical,

photocopying, recording or any information

and retrieval system, without permission in

writing from The Appletree Press Ltd.

To represent the wealth and variety of Italian cooking, I have

chosen recipes to typify the cuisines of each region. They vary from

the rich, dark Beef Braised in Barolo wine, from Piedmont, to the

Sicilian Pasta with Fresh Sardines, redolent of the fresh aromas of

the Mediterranean. They are all traditional dishes, all still made in

their place of origin, though in as many variations as there are

cooks. These are my versions, and I hope they will inspire you to try

them in your own kitchen. Start by following the recipes precisely,

then once you have learned how to cook all'Italiana, you can add

your own personal touch.

A word on ingredients. The secret of Italian cooking lies in

making the best possible use of first-class foodstuffs, with very few

added sauces or garnishes. For this reason I advise you to buy only

the best ingredients and, whenever possible, Italian products

rather than local substitutes.

A note on measures

All ingredients are given in imperial, metric and American measures.

Although the difference between versions is small, you should use

the same kind of measure throughout any one recipe. In the volume

measurements given for American readers, a tablespoon is level

and a cup is equal to 8 fluid ounces.

All the recipes are for 4 persons unless otherwise stated.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Del Conte, Anna

A Little Italian cookbook

I. Food: Italian dishes — Recipes

I. Title

64 I .5945

ISBN: 0-86281-240-2

First published in the United States in 1990 by

Chronicle Books. 275 Fifth Street San Francisco,

California 94103.

ISBN: 0-87701-754-9

9 8 7 6 5 4 3

First published in 1990 by

The Appletree Press Ltd, 19-21 Alfred Street.

Belfast BT2 8DL. Text© Anna del Conte, 1990.

Illustrations © Carl Melagan, 1990.

7uppa dila Pdvese

This nourishing consomme comes from Pavia, in southern

Lombardy. The soup is said to have earned royal approval when, in

1525, a local woman served it to Francis 1 of France after the battle

of Pavia against Charles V.

3 /4 pints/1 litre/4 cups homemade stock

2 oz/50g/ 'A cup butter

4 slices good-quality white bread

4 eggs

4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring the stock to simmering point. Heat the butter in a large frying

pan. Remove the crusts from the bread slices and cut slices in half.

When the butter is very hot, slip in the bread and fry until golden

brown on both sides.

Put two pieces of the bread into each of four heated soup bowls

and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese. Gently crack the eggs on

top of the bread, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the

remaining cheese. Slowly pour over the simmering stock, being

careful not to break the egg yolks. Serve immediately.

Kisi e Bisi

Rice and peas is the most aristocratic of rice dishes; it was served

every year at the Doge's banquets on 25 April, on the feast of San

Marco, when the first young peas, grown on the islands of the

Venetian lagoon, appear in the market.

Risi e Bisi is served as a soup. It should be runny enough to be

eaten with a spoon.

1/2 small onion, very finely chopped

2 oz/50 g/ 'A cup butter .

2 tbsp chopped parsley, preferably flat-leaved

10 oz/ 300 g/ I 1/4 cup fresh peas, shelled weight, or frozen

petits pois, thawed

I 3/4 pt/1 litre/4 cups homemade stock

12 oz/350 g/ I 1/2 cups Italian rice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Put the onion and half the butter in a heavy saucepan and saute

until the onion is pale golden and soft. Mix in the peas and half the

parsley and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes if you are using fresh

peas, I to 2 minutes if using frozen. Add a few tablespoons of stock

if necessary.

Meanwhile bring the stock to the boil. Pour the stock over the

peas, bring the stock to the boil again and mix in the rice. Cover the

pan and cook, over a low heat, until the rice is cooked, stirring

occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat

and mix in the remaining butter, the rest of the parsley and the

Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve immediately.

Risotto dila Milanese

Risotto with saffron is the only risotto that in Italy is served as an

accompaniment. It is eaten with ossobuco (see page 50) and with

breaded veal chops. It is also delicious on its own as a first course. If

you cannot find beef marrow, use unsmoked streaky bacon. For a

real risotto you must use Italian rice.

/ 3 /4 pints/1 litre/4 cups homemade meat stock or 2 bouillon

cubes dissolved in the same amount of water

1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1 oz/25 g/2 tbsp beef marrow

2 oz/ 50 g/6 tbsp butter

12 oz/350 g/11/2 cups arborio rice, or other Italian rice

3 fl oz/7S ml/ 1/2 cup dry red wine

tsp powdered saffron or 2 pinches saffron strands

salt and pepper

2 oz/50 g/ I/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the stock to a low simmering point and keep it simmering. Put

the shallot, beef marrow and I oz / 25 g/2 tbsp of the butter in a

saucepan, sauté until the shallot is soft and translucent, and then

add the rice. Cook, stirring, until the rice is well coated with fat,

about I to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, boil for 2 minutes, stirring

constantly, and then pour in 7 fl oz/ 200 ml/ 1/4 cup of stock. Cook

at a steady simmer until nearly all the stock has been absorbed and

then add another 7 fl oz of stock, and so on. About halfway through

the cooking (risotto takes about 25 to 30 minutes to cook) add the

saffron dissolved in a little stock. When the rice is ready - it should

be soft and creamy, not mushy or runny - taste and adjust the

seasoning.

Remove from the heat and mix in the rest of the butter and 2

tablespoons of the cheese. Serve immediately, handing round the

rest of the cheese separately.

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