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Dinner in the South of Italy

Eggplants Parmigiana
Ingredients:
3 firm eggplants
1/2 lb. Mozzarella, sliced
1 small onion, finely sliced
basil leaves
1 clove garlic, crushed
6 tbs. Parmigiano
1/2 cup olive oil
flour
1/2 lb. ripe tomatoes
salt
pepper
1 pinch of sugar

Preparation:
Wash the eggplants. Remove the stems, and cut length-wise into slices not thicker than 1/4-in. Place the slices on a large platter, slightly on an angle. Sprinkle them with salt, place a weight on top, and let stand for about one hour.
In the meantime, brown the onion and the garlic in oil over a very low flame, and then add the tomatoes and let simmer for about 1/2 hour, stirring frequently. When this is done, pass through a sieve and add a pinch of salt.

Cut the Mozzarella into very thin slices and let them dry on a cloth. Chop the basil and mix it with Parmigiano.

Wash the salt off the eggplant and dry them. Dredge in flour and fry in very hot oil. Turn them to brown and when both side are done, lift them out and drain on a paper towel.

Pre-heat the oven to 375lF. Coat a deep baking dish with olive oil and put in a layer of eggplant.

Sprinkle with Parmigiano, pour on a layer of tomato sauce, and cover with slices of Mozzarella. Repeat this layering until all the ingredients have been used, and then cover with tomato sauce, sprinkle with more grated Parmigiano and bake for about 30 mins.

Fiore Sardo Cheese with Fava Beans Cream
Ingredients:
7 oz. Fiore Sardo cheese
10 oz. shelled fava beans
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1 shallot
1 tbsp. butter
3 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper

Preparation:
Boil the fava beans in abundant water. Mince the shallot and brown in a pan.
Drain the fava beans "al dente" and add to the shallots. Brown for a minute and then add the 2 cups of the vegetable broth. Once the broth has evaporated, add half of the heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste. If the fava beans dry up, add more broth.

Cut the Fiore Sardo cheese into thin slices. Remove the fava beans from the pan with a slotted spoon.
Drain the cooking broth in a sieve. Put the broth back in the pan and add the remaining cream. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly, further reducing the sauce.

Spoon the sauce in 1 or 4 oven proof dishes, then the fava beans, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the slices of Fiore Sardo cheese on top, and put under a broiler for several minutes until the cheese browns. Serve with Carasau bread.

Eggplant and Tomato Stew
Ingredients:
2 lbs. eggplant
8 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. onion, chopped
2 oz. green celery, chopped
1 lb. ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tsp. capers
basil leaves
2 tbs. vinegar
3 oz. green olives
salt

Preparation:
Slice and salt the eggplant. Place a weight over and let them drain for one hour to rid them of the bitter water. Next, wash, dry, and dice the eggplant and sauté in olive oil. Cook until tender but still crisp and set aside.

Sauté the onion and the green celery in 4 tbs. oil. When the mixture of onion and celery is golden brown, add the tomatoes, olives, capers, and let cook for 10 mins.

Combine the whole with the eggplants; add chopped basil and salt to taste. Toss and serve.

This dish can be served warm or cold (room temperature) and as an antipasto.
Caponata is also served in a sweet-and-sour version in which 1 tbs. raisins and 1 tbs. pine nuts are added to a dressing of 1 cup vinegar and 1 tbs. sugar, reduced by 1/3. Add dressing to caponata, toss well and serve.

Pork Loin with Garlic
Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless pork loin
4 cloves garlic
2 tbs. raisins
2 tbs. pine nuts
1 oz. capers
2 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tbs. parsley
salt and pepper

Preparation:
Slice the pork loin and flatten slightly with a wooden mallet. Chop 2 cloves of garlic very finely, mix with the raisins, pine nuts and capers. Place a small amount of this mix on each slice of pork and roll the slices of pork into braciola.
Tie with colorless string. Brown the remaining garlic in oil, and then remove it.

Add the pork braciola, brown on all sides, add tomatoes.
Add salt and pepper to taste and cook for 25 mins. over a low flame. Add parsley, remove from heat and serve.

Beef Pizzaiola
Ingredients:
1 lb. beef round
1 tsp. oregano
4 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs. parsley, chopped

Preparation:
Slice the beef into 1/2-in. thick slices. Brown the garlic in olive oil and remove when brown. Add the beef, brown on both sides, add tomatoes and oregano.
Bring to a simmer, then turn down the fire and cook for 15 mins. Remove from heat and add chopped parsley. Arrange in serving platter and serve.

Baba' with Rum
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 oz. yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter
4 tbs. raisins
For the syrup:
3 tbs. sugar
1/2 cup water
4 tbs. rum

Preparation:
Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm milk and 4 tbs. flour. Work into dough. Place dough in a bowl, cover, and let it stand in a warm place for 30 mins. or until it doubles in size.

Make a fontana on a pastry board with the remaining flour, a pinch of salt, the eggs, sugar, butter and fermented dough. Soak the raisins in lukewarm water, then squeeze out the excess water and add them to the dough.

Pour the mix in a large, buttered, sugar-dusted ring mold and let rise again, in a warm place, until it doubles in size (it should take approx. one hour). Bake at 375lF for 45 mins.

Prepare a syrup by dissolving the sugar in the water, over a low flame. Add the rum.
Unmold the baba while still warm. Soak with the rum syrup and serve.

Sicilian Cassata
Ingredients:
sponge cake
1 cup sugar
2 cups ricotta
4 oz. chocolate
2 cups mixed candied fruit
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbs. chestnut flour
4 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. powdered cinnamon
1 oz. Maraschino liqueur
1 tbs. pistachio nuts
1/2 cup apricot jelly
1/2 cup fondant
1 oz. orange-flower water
1 tbs. grated orange zest
4 tbs. raisins, soaked and squeezed
1 pinch of salt
2 tbs. pine nuts
3 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. walnuts, coarsely chopped
milk as needed

Preparation:
Line the bottom and sides of a 10-in. diameter cake mold with thin slices of sponge cake.

Dissolve the sugar in a small amount of water on a low heat. Sieve the Ricotta and mix it with the sugar. Cut the chocolate into small chunks and dice half of the candied fruit. Add them to the Ricotta together with the vanilla, cinnamon, liqueur and pistachio nuts.

Put the Ricotta in the mold, level off the top, cover with slices of sponge cake, and cool for several hours. Unmold on a dish before serving.
Spread the top with apricot jelly, cover with fondant dissolved in a little orange-flower water, and garnish with various types of candied fruit.

Buon appetito!

 

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