RECIPES

Ragu Bolognese

½ lb tagliatelle
4 Tbs unsalted butter
½ medium yellow onion – fine chop
1 carrot – fine chop
1 celery – fine chop
¼ lb pancetta – thinly sliced and cut into strips
2 Tbs olive oil
½ lb ground pork
½ lb ground beef
½ lb ground veal
½ cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dry thyme
1 cup (3-4) plum tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
a smidgen of salt, pepper, and nutmeg (a smidgen is a bit less than a pinch)

Over medium-high heat, in a 12” skillet, sauté onion, carrot and celery in butter until the vegetables are opaque, but not soft, 2-3 minutes. Add panchetta to the pan and sauté 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

In a separate sauté pan heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté beef, pork and veal with the bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg 3-5 minutes until the meat is browned. Add the meat to the vegetables and pancetta and return the skillet to medium-high heat.

Add tomatoes and wine to the skillet, and simmer for 30 – 45 minutes.

Add cream, simmer 5 minutes.

Traditionally this thick and rich ragu would be placed in a mound on the top center of a plate of cooked tagliatelle.



Lobster Risotto

2 medium lobster tails (aprox. 1 lb.)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
6 Tbs. butter
½ cup chopped onion
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup brandy
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. chopped chives
5 cups low-sodium chicken stock

Remove the lobster from the shells. Cut into bite-sized pieces. In a medium sauté pan melt 2 Tbs. of butter and add the thyme. Sauté the lobster "meat" for 2 – 3 minutes. Do not over cook. Remove from pan and set aside. The lobster “meat” should be still slightly opaque in the center.

In a medium saucepan bring the chicken stock up to a boil, and then lower to a simmer. Keep hot over low heat. As the stock is added to the rice be sure to lower the flame under the stock.

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. of butter until it begins to foam. Add the onion and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes until opaque. Add the rice and stir to coat with butter and onion. Add the brandy and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, 2 – 3 minutes. Add a ½ cup of warm stock and stir until almost completely absorbed. Continue to add stock a ½ cup at a time stirring until almost completely absorbed before adding the next ½ cup. Stir constantly and cook until rice is tender but still al dente, firm to the bite, approximately 20 – 25 minutes. I usually reserve a ½ cup of stock. When the rice is done add the lobster meat and heat through. Remove the rice from the heat and stir in the last 2 Tbs. of butter, Parmesan cheese, and chives. You can add the reserved ½ cup of stock to thin and cream the risotto, if needed.

Garnish with chopped chives. Serve immediately.

Fonduta

3 Tbs unsalted butter
3 Tbs unbleached flour
½ cup white wine
1 cup whole milk
1 Lb diced Fontina cheese

15 – 20 crostini
Fresh vegetable of choice

Thinly slice a crusty Italian or French loaf of bread and lay out slices on a cookie sheet. Drizzle the bread with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of grated Parmesan cheese, dry oregano and garlic powder. Toast the crostini, little toasts, under the broiler. Cut your vegetable of choice into bite size pieces.

In a small saucepan make a roux with the butter and flour – blend together over medium high heat until the flour just starts to brown. Add the wine and stir until thickened by the roux. Add the milk and stir until thickened, and then add the diced Fontina cheese until completely melted. Dip the crostini and vegetables in the fonduta as an appetizer or light snack.


Risotto Milanese

There are some regional recipes that I like to “tweak” just a bit to satisfy my individual taste buds; and there are recipes I develop using ingredients that are traditional to a particular region of Italy. But, there are some traditional regional recipes that you just don’t fool with, and one of them is Risotto alla Milanese.

(serves 4 as a primo piatto) (first course)
1 cup Arborio rice
4 cups homemade chicken stock
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
¼ cup chopped yellow onion
pinch of saffron threads
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the chicken stock in a separate saucepan to be added warm to the rice. Simmer, do not boil the stock. Over medium heat combine 2 Tbs. of butter and the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan. Saute the onion until opaque, 2 -3 minutes. Add the saffron threads. Add the rice and stir to absorb all of the butter and oil, “toasting” the rice gently. Add the white wine and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Begin adding a ½ cup of warm stock at a time, stirring constantly to avoid sticking, until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the next ½ cup of stock and continue this process until all but a ½ cup of stock remains. Add 1 Tbs. of butter and the grated Parmesan cheese to the rice. Turn the mixture gently combining the rice, butter and cheese. Stir in the remaining ½ cup of stock to a creamy consistency and serve immediately.

My little twist: Most recipes will tell you to add the butter and cheese last, when all the stock has been added. I think that adding the remaining ½ cup of stock last, adds a nice creamy consistency right before serving.

I love to add my favorite combination of ingredients to the traditional Milanese recipe – chicken and asparagus, or perhaps zucchini and yellow bell pepper that has been sautéed in olive oil. I fold in my additional ingredients right before the butter and grated Parmesan.

To celebrate the traditions of Lombardia, I add a ½ pound of cleaned and boiled crawfish and a ½ pound of oyster mushroom tops, sautéed in butter, with a teaspoon of fresh thyme: Risotto alla Certosina.



Baccala alla Vicentina con Polenta

1 lb codfish filet
¼ cup flour
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 anchovy filets – chopped
½ cup sliced yellow onion
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ cup dry white wine
¾ cup whole milk
3 Tbs. chopped Italian parsley

Thinly slice the codfish filets across the grain. Dredge the codfish in flour. Over medium high heat combine the butter and oil in a 12” sauté pan. Add the chopped anchovy filets and break up the pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 – 5 minutes. Add the codfish filets and sauté no more than 2 minutes per side. Add the cinnamon. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping all the bits off the bottom of the pan, and reduce by half. Add the whole milk and parsley, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Do not let the milk come to a boil.

Prepare the polenta by bringing 2 cups of water and 1 Tbs. of butter to a boil. Add ½ cup of fine polenta (corn meal) a little at a time to boiling water and stir to avoid lumps. When all the polenta has been added and has thickened, add ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese and a ¼ cup of grated Asiago cheese. Serve the baccala over the cheese polenta.

Serves four as an antipasto, or two as a main course.