Archive

ITALIAN RECIPES

Cheese dishes

Cheese Fondue - Fonduta

Ingredients:

1 pound (400 g) moderately well seasoned Fontina (real fontina, of the sort that comes in a wheel,
not the plastic-wrapped industrial surrogate one sometimes sees).
4 egg yolks
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
Pepper
A finely shaved white truffle (optional)

Preparation:

Dice or finely slice the fontina and marinate it in the milk for 4-5 hours. Once it has soaked, fill the bottom of a double boiler with water, but not so much that the water reaches the top half, and set it to heat.

Combine the butter, egg yolks, cheese, and some of the milk in the top half of the double boiler, and when the water in the bottom half boils, set it over the steam and whip the contents energetically with a whisk.

The total cooking time will be about a half hour, during which the cheese will melt, forming strings, and then thicken again.
At this precise moment, remove it from the fire and serve it hot, with a grating of pepper, or, better yet, finely sliced white truffle. In either case, provide your diners with cubed bread and fondue forks with which to dip the bread in the fondue.
Serves 4.

Sformato di Riso - Rice Flan

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (150 g) rice
1/2 (25 g) cup grated Parmigiano
4 teaspoons butter
About 2 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Cook the rice in the milk, adding the butter and salting the mixture when the rice is half cooked; stir in the remaining ingredients when it is done.
Put the rice in a well buttered smooth-sided ring mold, and steam it just until it sets, for if steamed longer, it will toughen (you can also set the mold in a pan of water and slip everything into a 360 F (180 C) oven until the rice sets).
Unmold the rice onto a platter and fill the well with stewed giblets.
Serves 5.

Provolone Cheese Ball Recipe

Ingredients:

2/5 pound (180 g) sharp provolone
6 ounces (150 g) day-old bread (a piece of a loaf rather than slices) or breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
4-5 eggs, depending upon their size
Oil for frying
A little flour
A pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Creamy tomato sauce (see below link)

Preparation:

Grate the cheese and the bread. Mince the parsley. Put the breadcrumbs through a strainer to insure that there are no large pieces, and combine them in a bowl with the cheese and the parsley; season the mixture with a pinch of nutmeg, a grind of pepper, and a little salt, keeping in mind that the cheese is also salty. Next, mix in three eggs.
The mixture will be fairly stiff; turn it out onto a floured counter top and divide it into 2-3 equal parts.

Roll them under your palms to make snakes the diameter of your thumb, and cut the snakes into 1 1/4-inch (3 cm) lengths. Roll the pieces between your palms to make balls, flatten them so they are about a half-inch thick, and flour them.
While you are preparing the balls set your oil to heat on the stove; it should be quite hot but not smoking.

Beat the remaining eggs in a bowl; dredge your cheese balls in the egg, and fry them in the hot oil for a couple of minutes, or until golden. Drain them on absorbent paper and serve them hot, with creamy tomato sauce for those who want it.
Serves 4.

Sicilian Cheese Pie - Scacciata

Ingredients:

About 1 4/5 pounds (800 g) freshly risen bread dough (either make your own or buy it from your baker)
1/2 pound (250 g) mild Caciocavallo or Provolone, cut into thin strips
1/4 pound (100 g) very fresh rendered lard
3 ounces (75 g) salted anchovy filets, rinsed and boned
3 ripe plum tomatoes, blached, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips
An onion, thinly sliced
10 black olives, pitted
Salt and pepper to taste
A 10-inch (25 cm) diameter cake or pie pan

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 380 F (190 C).
Briefly knead the dough and divide it into two pieces, one somewhat larger than the other. Roll the larger one out and use it to line the pan.
Lay the strips of cheese over the dough, followed by the tomatoes, anchovies, and olives. Lay the sliced onion over all, dot it with half the lard, and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Roll out the second piece of dough and use it to cover the pie, tamping down the edges with a fork so they stick.
Dot the top of the pie with the remaining lard, make a few holes in the crust with a fork to let the steam escape, and bake the scacciata for about 40 minutes. Serve it hot.
Serves 6.

Buon appetito!

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