Eating Italy: A Chef's Culinary Adventure (36 page)

1 quince, peeled

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

8 ounces (2 sticks/227 g) unsalted butter

20 small leaves fresh sage

Put enough oil into a Dutch oven to coat the bottom and heat over medium-high heat. Pat the duck dry and season with salt and pepper. Sear the duck in the hot oil until nicely browned all over, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and add the onion, celery, and carrot, sweating the vegetables until soft but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the duck back to the pot, along with the sachet and wine. Bring to a simmer, and then cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the duck is almost tender enough to fall off the bone, 30 to 40 minutes.

Transfer the duck to a platter, and when cool enough to handle, pick the meat and skin from the bones, discarding the bones. Meanwhile, strain the braising liquid, reserving the liquid and vegetables separately. Grind the vegetables and picked meat and skin on the small (⅛-inch/3-mm) die of a meat grinder or pulse in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in ¼ cup of the Parmesan, ground cookies, raisins, and egg. Season with salt and pepper, and then use immediately or spoon the filling into a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Lay a pasta sheet on a lightly floured surface and trim the short edges square. Cut the pasta in half lengthwise to make two long sheets, each about 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide. Pipe the filling in ¾-inch (2-cm)-diameter balls in a row down the length of each sheet, placing each ball near one edge of each sheet and leaving a 1½-inch (3.75-cm) margin around each ball. Spritz the dough lightly with water and fold it over the filling, long edge to long edge. Gently press around each ball of filling to eliminate air pockets. Using a 2½-inch (6-cm) round pasta or cookie cutter, cut out a series of half-moons, placing the cutter off center so the folded edge of the pasta bisects the equator of the cutter. Roll each half-moon from the folded edge to the cut edge to prop up the filling, and then pinch the pasta on each side of the filling to make “wings.” The finished pasta should resemble a piece of wrapped candy. Repeat with the remaining pasta dough and filling. Transfer the casoncelli to parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate for up to 1 hour or freeze until solid; transfer to resealable plastic bags and freeze for up to 1 week. You should have about one hundred casoncelli.

Put the whole peeled quince in a small saucepan with the reserved duck braising liquid, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until a fork slides easily in and out of the quince, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the liquid, and when cool enough to handle, cut lengthwise into quarters and remove the core. Cut the quince into small cubes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the casoncelli in batches if necessary to prevent crowding, and cook until tender yet firm, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the casoncelli to warm pasta plates, arranging ten to twelve upright in a tight circular pattern in the center of each plate.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and sage in a sauté pan over medium heat, and cook until the sage is lightly browned, the butter turns golden, and the milk solids lightly brown on the bottom of the pan, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the quince and remove from the heat.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the remaining Parmesan over each plate of casoncelli and spoon the quince and brown butter mixture over and around the pasta. Garnish with one or two fried sage leaves.

PHEASANT LASAGNA

In Leffe, the trees are jam-packed with birds. Travelers stay in the area to go birding and to hunt small game like pheasant, partridge, quail, dove, and guinea hen. In this lasagna, I like pheasant best. It’s such a rich-tasting dark-meat bird. But almost any bird will work, even chicken. The best part is the pasta dough that hangs over the edge of the dish and gets crispy in the oven. How often do you get to enjoy crispy pasta? With creamy porcini béchamel and hearty pheasant ragù, this lasagna makes a great fall dish.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

1 pheasant (2 to 3 pounds/1 to 1.3 kg)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon (15 ml) grapeseed oil

1 medium-size carrot, chopped 0/2 cup/61 g)

1 medium-size rib celery, chopped (½ cup/51 g)

½ medium-size yellow onion, chopped (½ cup/80 g)

1 cup (240 g) canned plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, cored and crushed by hand

2 to 3 cups (500 to 750 ml) white wine, or as needed

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

Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

1 quart (1 L) Porcini Béchamel (
page 281
)

8¾ ounces (250 g) Parmesan cheese, grated (2½ cups)

Remove the pheasant innards, rinse inside and out, and pat dry. Cut the legs from the body and then season all the pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add the pheasant legs and body in batches if necessary to prevent crowding, and sear until browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Add the carrot, celery, and onion to the pan, and cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, along with the browned pheasant legs and enough wine to barely cover the ingredients (you won’t use all of the wine here). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pheasant body and enough wine to come about three-quarters of the way up the body. Cook until all the meat is fall-apart tender, another 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the meat to a platter and, when cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and skin. Shred the meat. Strain the vegetables, and return the braising liquid to the pan. Boil the liquid over high heat until reduced in volume by about half, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pass the vegetables through a food mill or potato ricer or coarsely puree them in a food processor. When the braising liquid is reduced, stir in the shredded meat and pureed vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm over low heat or cool and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Lay a pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface, trim the edges so they are square, and cut the sheet into two 17-inch (43-cm) lengths and one 13-inch (33-cm) length. Repeat with the remaining pasta, but cut that sheet into three 13-inch (33-cm) lengths.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and fill a large bowl with ice water. Drop in the pasta in batches to prevent overcrowding, quickly return to a boil, and blanch for 20 seconds. Transfer the pasta to the ice water to stop the cooking. Lay the pieces of pasta flat on kitchen towels and pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Coat a 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23-cm) baking dish with butter. Arrange the two 17-inch (43-cm) lengths of pasta in the buttered dish, leaving a little hanging over the top of the dish. Spread about 1⅓ cups (360 ml) of porcini béchamel over the pasta and then about the same amount of pheasant
ragù.
Sprinkle with ¾ cup (75 g) Parmesan. Lay down another layer of pasta, a layer of béchamel, a layer of ragù, and a layer of Parmesan. Top with a final layer of pasta, the remaining béchamel, and the remaining Parmesan. Bake until golden and crispy on the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.

MILK-BRAISED PORK CHEEKS
with
PORCINI POLENTA

Pork cheeks are a seriously under-utilized part of the pig. The jowls are cured for guanciale, but you don’t see much else done with the cheeks. This recipe fixes that. I braise the cheeks in my favorite braising liquid: milk. It’s a classic Italian technique. The protein and fat in the milk add incredible richness to the meat and keeps it moist. When the meat is tender, the caramelized milk and juices become the sauce. Don’t worry if the liquid looks curdled when you open the pot. A quick puree transforms the hot mess into a silky sauce you can ladle over the pork cheeks and porcini polenta.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

2½ pounds (1.1 kg) pork cheeks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon (15 ml) grapeseed or olive oil

2 cups (475 ml) whole milk

1 orange

1 small sprig rosemary

1 small garlic clove

3 peppercorns

About ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups (1 L) Porcini Polenta (
page 281
)

1 tablespoon (4 g) chopped mixed herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme) for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Remove the silverskin and any large fat deposits from the pork cheeks so you’re left with mostly meat. Pat the cleaned cheeks dry and season all over with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large, deep ovenproof sauté pan or Dutch oven over high heat. When hot, add the cheeks and sear until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, working in batches and transferring the cheeks to a plate as they are seared. The pork will leave a dark film (fond) on the bottom of the pan, which is exactly what you want. After all the cheeks have a nice dark brown sear and have been removed from the pan, add the milk to the pan and scrape up the brown bits. Simmer for a minute, then lower the heat to low.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from half of the orange in strips, removing as little of the bitter white pith as possible. Finely julienne the orange zest and set aside. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice from the un-zested half over a strainer into the pan. Drop the juiced orange half into the pan. (Eat the other orange half or save for another use.) Tie up the rosemary, garlic, and peppercorns in cheesecloth or a clean coffee filter and drop that into the pan. Return the seared cheeks to the pan and bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender to the touch but not falling apart, 2 to 2½ hours.

Remove the cheeks from the pan, cover, and let cool. At this point, the cheeks can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Remove the orange rind and sachet from the braising liquid and transfer the liquid to a blender, scraping in as much of the clumpy milk solids as possible. Buzz until the mixture is blended and light brown in color. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. The sauce can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days (makes about 3 cups/750 ml sauce).

Meanwhile, put the julienned orange zest in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat (this is the first blanching). As soon as the water boils, drain the hot water and cover the peels again with fresh cold water. Repeat the process so the peels are blanched three times, then pat them dry and slice into very thin strips. Put the strips in an airtight container and add olive oil to cover. The orange strips can be kept covered at room temperature for 3 days.

Preheat a grill or griddle to medium-high heat. Rub a little oil on the grill or griddle, then grill or sear the pork cheeks just until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Bring the braising liquid to a gentle simmer over low heat.

Spoon about 1 cup (235 ml) polenta on each plate. Top with four to five pork cheeks and a spoonful of sauce. Garnish with the orange zest and mixed herbs.

PORCINI RAVIOLI
with
TALEGGIO
and
BURRO FUSO

Twice a year, mushroom foragers flock to the hills around “
le cinque terre della valgandino
.” Porcinis are everywhere! You’ll need a mushroom hunting license, just as you would get a license for hunting animals. Be careful if you go out foraging. It’s shocking how many people die from foraging on steep hillsides and falling over the cliffs in the dark, early morning hours. This straightforward ravioli is my homage to a local passion for mushrooms. The twist is putting pieces of Taleggio cheese right over the mushroom filling. When you cook the ravioli, the Taleggio melts into the mushrooms, creating a beautiful creamy filling. Melted butter infused with fresh thyme is all the sauce you need.