Mediterranean Summer (32 page)

Rouille

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

How often does one get a handwritten recipe as a bonus when making a purchase at a restaurant supply store? It was quite a gesture when the Madame insisted on giving me her recipe for
rouille—
“rust”—when I bought, among many things, a mortar and pestle in her shop. This not-so-shy emulsified concoction is to Provençal cookery what tartar sauce is to the world of continental condiments. Traditionally served with fish soup, it is wonderful with fish, shellfish, or things from the grill like chicken and leg of lamb. I made my first few batches in the mortar, but don’t worry—a food processor works just fine.

½ cup (about 5) roughly chopped canned Spanish piquillo peppers

½ teaspoon minced garlic

¹
/
₈
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

¾ cup fresh bread crumbs

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pure olive oil

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Place the peppers, garlic, and hot pepper flakes in a food processor. Pulse to combine and break down the peppers. You may need to stop the machine to scrape the peppers from the side of the bowl so everything gets pureed evenly. Blend the bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon lukewarm water to combine and form into a thick and pasty mass. Break it up and add to the mixture in the food processor. Puree to a smooth consistency. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream to combine and create an emulsion. Season with salt.

Chef’s Tip:
Since raw garlic is being used, cut the garlic clove in half lengthwise before mincing. If there is a green germ inside, pull it out with the tip of a paring knife and discard. Removing it will make the raw garlic flavor less pungent.

The Original Spreadable Tuna Mousse

Spuma di Tonno

MAKES ABOUT
1½
CUPS

If I could bring anything to the world of gastronomy, this would be my first entry. The best testimonial was from
la Signora.
After her first taste it was one of the items she asked for on more than a few occasions. I learned to make it at Albergo del Sole in Maleo, Italy. The chef, Franco, made his with poached John Dory, and he suggested trying it with tuna in olive oil. Serve it as an hors d’oeuvre, snack, or first course. It is especially important to use good-quality tuna. A number are available from Europe: A’s Do Mar, Flott, Callipo, and Ortiz. Since there doesn’t seem to bea standard for retail tuna packing, I have specified the amount of drained tuna to use.

Serve the mousse with bread sticks, small toasts, croutons, crackers, or in celery stalks. It can be topped with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, thinly sliced radish, a few turns of coarsely ground black pepper, a pinch of toasted and ground fennel seeds or Basque espelette chili powder. For a first course, spread a liberal amount on a crouton and serve alongside a nice cluster of green beans in a vinaigrette. It also makes a great tuna sandwich.

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

10 ounces (about 2 cups) drained Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese tuna packed in oil

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and lemon juice. Break down the tuna in a food processor by pulsing first, then running, until it is evenly chopped but not pureed. Add the liquid seasonings and process until the mixture is smooth. After a few seconds, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate the tuna that didn’t get into the puree. With the machine running, add the butter, piece by piece, adding the next only after each is incorporated. Do not overmix. The butter needs to be blended with the tuna but not whipped to the point that it will melt because of the heat generated in the bowl. Add the cream while pulsing the machine, and as soon as it appears incorporated,
basta
—that’s it. This will take only a few seconds.

Transfer the mousse to a bowl or storage container and keep refrigerated. The mousse can be made up to 3 days before serving. Take it out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before serving to let it soften.

Wine Recommendation:
From Lombardy, a sparkling Franciacorta from Castellino or Bellavista

Marinated Chickpea and Arugula Salad

Insalata di Ceci e Ruchetta

MAKES 6 TO 8 FIRST-COURSE OR LUNCH SERVINGS

Except for the arugula, this is right out of the pantry. This classic southern Italian antipasto is a great accompaniment to tuna grilled or packed in oil; seafood; grilled leg of lamb, whether whole, cut into steaks, or as brochettes; or sliced prosciutto.

2 tablespoons minced red onion

¼ teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 medium carrot, grated

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

2 cups loosely packed arugula

In a small bowl, blend the onion, garlic, vinegar, salt, and hot pepper. Let rest for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to open up and evolve—or bloom. While whisking, add the olive oil in a steady stream. In another bowl, combine the chickpeas, carrot, and parsley. Add the dressing and mix gently so the chickpeas are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, tossing from time to time.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Toss the ingredients and adjust the seasoning. Just before serving, add the arugula and blend until the leaves are lightly coated. Serve
subito
(immediately)!

Entertaining Note:
If taking this to a picnic or a dinner party, place the marinated chickpeas in the bottom of a container that is more deep than wide. Add a layer of olive oil–packed tuna, cooked shrimp, or steamed and shelled mussels, and then the arugula. Keep chilled. Just before serving, toss from the bottom.

Wine Recommendation:
A southern white Fiano di Avellino from Mastroberardino or Feudi di San Gregorio

Shrimp, Summer Vegetable, and Rice Salad

Insalata di Riso con Gamberetti e Verdure

MAKES 8 TO 10 FIRST-COURSE OR LUNCH SERVINGS

In summer, rice salads are a great alternative to hot bowls of risotto, and there is certainly no shortage of ingredients that can go into them. Here the high ratio of vegetables and shrimp to the rice makes this a meal in itself, but it is also a great antipasto. Try other vegetables, as long as you have about 7 cups cooked. This recipe is perfect for entertaining since it can be made in advance.

1 cup (7 ounces) Arborio rice

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 pound thick or jumbo asparagus

2 to 3 medium (about 1 pound) leeks

1 pound fresh peas in pods or 1 cup frozen

3 medium (about 1 pound) zucchini

2 to 3 medium (about ½ pound) carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise

1 pound small (31–35 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined

1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest

½ cup roughly chopped Italian parsley

½ cup lightly packed torn fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1½ teaspoons fine sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Put the rice into a quart of boiling water and cook until tender but still slightly firm, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and then toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set aside. While the rice is cooking, prepare the vegetables, keeping each separate. Break the tough bottoms from the asparagus and then peel the fibrous outer green layer from the bottom 2 inches of each stalk. Trim the roots from the bottom of the leeks, then remove the tough outer leaves. Cut each crosswise into ¼-inch rounds. Rinse under cold water in a strainer to remove all of the sand. Shuck the peas if you’re using fresh ones.

Boil the zucchini in boiling salted water in a sauté pan large enough to hold them in a single layer until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet to cool, keeping the water boiling. Cook the other vegetables in the same water, cooking each just until tender: the asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes, the leeks for 2 to 3 minutes, the peas for 1 to 2 minutes, the carrots for 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer each to the baking sheet to cool after cooking. There should be enough water left in the pot to cook the shrimp. Adjust the heat to produce a slow boil and simmer the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes, or until opaque and slightly firm.

When the vegetables have cooled, cut the zucchini and carrots into 3/8-inch pieces and the asparagus into ½-inch slices. Place the rice, vegetables, lemon zest, parsley, and basil in a large mixing bowl. Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise and add to the bowl. Keep refrigerated. The salad can be made up to 6 hours before serving.

Take the salad out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving and make the dressing. Place the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the remaining olive oil. Add and toss with the salad just before serving. Adjust the seasoning, transfer to a platter, and serve.

Wine Recommendation:
A unique Ligurian white Pigato from Bruno or Lupi

Panzanella