Salve a tutti e Buon Natale! In questi giorni sono stata ospite e quindi non ho dato il meglio di me in cucina (!) ma volevo concludere il 2009 con due ricette tipiche della cucina piemontese delle Feste: non vi dico lo stato di delirio in cui versava la cucina quando ho finito questi due piatti... dovevano essere pronti per CHIERIOGGI la sera stessa e dovevo anche partire... ma ne è valsa la pena!
Good morning and Merry Christmas! In these days I was a guest so I couldn't give the best of me in kitchen (!) but let me conclude this year with two tipical recipes of Piedmont, my birth region: you can't imagine the state of delirium besetting the kitchen when I finished... I had to deliver the article to CHIERIOGGI the same evening and start packing to leave... but it was worth it!
BRASATO AL BAROLO/BEEF BRAISED IN BAROLO
Good morning and Merry Christmas! In these days I was a guest so I couldn't give the best of me in kitchen (!) but let me conclude this year with two tipical recipes of Piedmont, my birth region: you can't imagine the state of delirium besetting the kitchen when I finished... I had to deliver the article to CHIERIOGGI the same evening and start packing to leave... but it was worth it!
BRASATO AL BAROLO/BEEF BRAISED IN BAROLO
Fatevi dare dal vostro macellaio di fiducia un pezzo di carne (manzo o bue) per preparare il brasato, mettetelo in un contenitore e versatevi una bottiglia di Barolo (va bene anche un buon Nebbiolo); aggiungete una cipolla, una carota, un pezzo di sedano, tutto a tocchetti, uno spicchio d'aglio, 2 o 3 chiodi di garofano, un pezzo di cannella, un cucchiaino di pepe in grani, un rametto di rosmarino, una foglia di alloro. Lasciate a marinare almeno una notte. Dopo questo tempo togliete la carne dalla marinata, prendete le verdure con una schiumarola e mettetele a soffriggere con un pò di olio. Nel frattempo fate rosolare la carne con olio e burro rigirandola da ogni lato. Salate e pepate e aggiungete le verdure e il vino. Fate cuocere un'ora (mezz'ora in pentola a pressione) dopodichè toccate con una forchetta se è abbastanza tenera. Quando è cotta toglietela dal vino e lasciatela raffreddare poi tagliatela a fette. Passate le verdure e rimettetele nel sugo con un cucchiaio di farina e una noce di burro. Fate addensare e ponetevi la carne a fette facendola scaldare un pò. Disponete in ogni piatto una o due fettine di carne e copritele con la salsa. Servite con purè di patate o polenta.
Put the beef (bottom round or chuck) in a big pot and cover with a bottle of Barolo (you can also use a good Nebbiolo or another good full bodied red wine!); add in an onion, a carrot, a celery stalk, all cut in pieces, a clove of garlic, a piece of cinnamom, one bay leaf, 2 or 3 whole cloves, one tbspoon of peppercorns, one branch of rosemary. Let the meat marinate for a whole night (12 hours at least). After this time remove the beef from the marinate, pick the vegetables with a skimmer and brown a little with some olive oil.. In the meantime brown the beef in oil and butter turning it over from all sides. Add in salt, pepper, the marinate and the vegetables. Let cook for an hour (half an hour in pressure cooker if you want). When the beef is cooked remove it from the pot, let it cool down then cut in slices. Pick the vegs with a skimmer again then pass them with a food mill, add them in the sauce with a tbspoon of flour and some butter and let thicken over low heat; put the slices of beef in the sauce and heat for a while. Arrange 1 or 2 slices of beef on each plate and cover with the sauce. Serve with polenta or mashed potatoes.
Put the beef (bottom round or chuck) in a big pot and cover with a bottle of Barolo (you can also use a good Nebbiolo or another good full bodied red wine!); add in an onion, a carrot, a celery stalk, all cut in pieces, a clove of garlic, a piece of cinnamom, one bay leaf, 2 or 3 whole cloves, one tbspoon of peppercorns, one branch of rosemary. Let the meat marinate for a whole night (12 hours at least). After this time remove the beef from the marinate, pick the vegetables with a skimmer and brown a little with some olive oil.. In the meantime brown the beef in oil and butter turning it over from all sides. Add in salt, pepper, the marinate and the vegetables. Let cook for an hour (half an hour in pressure cooker if you want). When the beef is cooked remove it from the pot, let it cool down then cut in slices. Pick the vegs with a skimmer again then pass them with a food mill, add them in the sauce with a tbspoon of flour and some butter and let thicken over low heat; put the slices of beef in the sauce and heat for a while. Arrange 1 or 2 slices of beef on each plate and cover with the sauce. Serve with polenta or mashed potatoes.
FLAN DI CARDI/CARDOONS FLAN
Pulite bene 300gr di cardi (per 6-7 flan), togliete i filamenti e cuoceteli in acqua salata e latte finchè si ammorbidiscono; quando sono morbidi scolateli bene, tagliateli a dadini e fateli rosolare in una padella con olio, uno spicchio d'aglio e mezza cipolla a fettine per 5-10 minuti. Preparate la besciamella con 2 cucchiai di farina e 40gr di burro; fate tostare mescolando per qualche istante finchè non avrete ottenuto una crema indi aggiungete 600ml di latte tiepido girando bene per evitare grumi. Cuocete finchè non si addensa, unite sale e noce moscata. Frullate i cardi insieme alla cipolla e aggiungete alla besciamella, mescolate bene. Unite 60gr di Parmigiano grattugiato e due rossi d'uovo. Montate gli albumi a neve e aggiungeteli al composto mescolando con delicatezza. Imburrate e infarinate gli stampi per i flan e riempiteli per due terzi. Metteteli a bagnomaria in forno a 180° per circa 30 minuti. Controllate la cottura con la lama di un coltello; se è asciutta sono cotti. Capovolgeteli sul piatto da portata e versate sopra un cucchiaio di fonduta o di bagna cauda. (Per la cottura dovreste provare una cottura normale... ho dovuto allungare il tempo di cottura perchè erano sempre troppo molli. Magari il bagnomaria li inumidiva troppo.)
Clean well 300gr of cardoons (or thistles!! don't really know which is the different), remove the filaments and cut in pieces; let them cook in salted water and milk until soften then drain well. Cut the cardoons into cubes and brown in a pan with oil, a clove of garlic and half onion cut in slices; cook for 5-10 minutes. Prepare a bechamel with 2 tbspoon of flour and 40gr of butter: cook briefly, stirring well until it becomes a cream; then add in 600ml of warm milk stirring very well to avoid lumps. Cook until it thickens, add salt and nutmeg. Blend the cardoons, add bechamel and mix well. Add 60gr of grated Parmesan and 2 yolks. Whip the egg whites and add in the compound mixing gently. Grease with butter and flour the molds for flan and fill them two thirds. Put them in the oven (180°) and bake in water bath for 30 minutes. Check the cooking with the blade of a knife: if it's dry the flan is cooked. Invert on a plate and pour with FONDUTA or BAGNA CAUDA. (now read the recipes on wikipedia, next time I'll give you mine!).
(baking in water bath I had to lenghten cooking time because flan were too soft: next time I'll try a normal cookin in the oven!!)
Clean well 300gr of cardoons (or thistles!! don't really know which is the different), remove the filaments and cut in pieces; let them cook in salted water and milk until soften then drain well. Cut the cardoons into cubes and brown in a pan with oil, a clove of garlic and half onion cut in slices; cook for 5-10 minutes. Prepare a bechamel with 2 tbspoon of flour and 40gr of butter: cook briefly, stirring well until it becomes a cream; then add in 600ml of warm milk stirring very well to avoid lumps. Cook until it thickens, add salt and nutmeg. Blend the cardoons, add bechamel and mix well. Add 60gr of grated Parmesan and 2 yolks. Whip the egg whites and add in the compound mixing gently. Grease with butter and flour the molds for flan and fill them two thirds. Put them in the oven (180°) and bake in water bath for 30 minutes. Check the cooking with the blade of a knife: if it's dry the flan is cooked. Invert on a plate and pour with FONDUTA or BAGNA CAUDA. (now read the recipes on wikipedia, next time I'll give you mine!).
(baking in water bath I had to lenghten cooking time because flan were too soft: next time I'll try a normal cookin in the oven!!)
