Cucina DiBella

Cherry Jam Tart

Cherry Jam Tart is a classic dessert of the Lazio region.  The countryside surrounding Rome grows an abundance of morello cherries, which are a kind of sour cherry.  The cherries are often preserved by making jam, and the jam is then used as a filling for a tart.  With the dark red, almost garnet color of the cherries peeking out from behind the latticework of the pie, this is a dessert that will definitely impress whoever you make it for.

The real beauty of this pie, however, is that it can be as easy or as time consuming as you want.  With cherries being out of season, I chose to use store-bought jam rather than make my own.  I will probably try this again in the summer with home-made jam, as I'm sure it tastes even better.  This time of year though, the quality of fruit that I would find, if any, would likely negate any benefits of making your own.  You could also cheat even further and use a store-bought pie crust.  This I would have to argue against though.  The crust that I made was super simple, you likely have all of the ingredients on hand already, and it came out way better than a store-bought crust would.  I did overcook mine a little based on the recipe that I was following, but I made the necessary time adjustments below.  Enjoy!

 

Cherry Jam Tart

Adapted from Roman Bookshelf

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, plus extra for an egg wash

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

24 ounces black cherry or sour cherry jam

Process:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Using a stand mixer, mix together the butter and sugar.
3. Add the milk, egg and vanilla extract.  Mix to incorporate.
4. Add the baking powder.  Slowly add the flour, mixing in 1/2 cup at a time until fully incorporated and it forms a dough.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out in a circle about 1/4 inch thick.  Drape the dough over a 9 inch pie pan and press down to cover the bottom of the pan.  Use a knife to cut off any excess dough that falls over the sides of the pan and set it aside. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of the pie shell.
6. Pour the jam into the pie shell and spread evenly.
7. Roll out the excess dough and cut strips that are 1/2 inch wide.  Place the strips over the top of the pie in a lattice shape.  Press down with the tines of a fork all the way around the pie to secure the strips of dough onto the pie shell so that they will stay in place.
8. Brush the pie crust lightly with an egg wash.
9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool before eating.

Ryan's rating of Cherry Jam Tart - 5.

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Saltimbocca is one of the most classic dishes in Italy.  Made with thinly slices pieces of veal or chicken and topped with prosciutto, it is a close relative of the Chicken Scaloppini Bolognese from a few weeks ago.  So if you really enjoyed that dish and have already made it several times (Mom, I'm looking at you), this dish will be a great alternate to add to your recipe collection. 

Generally, this recipe is made with veal, but like in the past, I used chicken instead.  Aside from changing the cooking time a little, this substitution did little to change the recipe.  The prosciutto (which we've seen before) and the sage work wonderfully with the chicken.  Now, in researching this dish I also found some varying accounts on how it is actually cooked.  Some recipes claim that saltimbocca is rolled up and secured with toothpicks, while others claim that rolling it makes this dish a rollatini, and should instead be cooked flat with the sage and prosciutto pinned to it to keep them in place.  So, I decided to try it both ways.  Though I enjoy the rolled up version, it is much simpler to cook the flat pieces.  Give it a shot and decide for yourself!

Option 1 - Leave the chicken flat

 
Option 2 - Roll the chicken

Sorry for the crappy pictures. My photographer was out last night.

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Adapted from Food Network

-Serves 4-

Ingredients:

4 thin slices of chicken

4 slices prosciutto   

4 fresh sage leaves

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons white wine

1/4 cup chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Process:

1. On each piece of chicken, place a slice of prosciutto.  Place a sage leaf in the middle of each piece of chicken.  If cooking the saltimbocca flat, thread a toothpick through the chicken, prosciutto, and sage to pin them together.  If rolling the saltimbocco, roll the chicken up and secure with a toothpick (again, thread it through rather than just piercing the saltimbocca so that you can easily brown it). 
2. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add the chicken.  For the flat pieces: cook the chicken prosciutto side down first to crisp up the ham.  Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until done, depending on thickness. Remove to a plate.  For the rolled pieces: cook about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown all over.  Move to a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until cooked all the way through.
3. After removing the chicken from the pan, add the wine to deglaze.  Scrape all of the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Add the chicken broth and last tablespoon of butter.  Let simmer for several minutes to thicken.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Put the chicken on a serving plate and pour the sauce over top.  Serve hot.

Ryan's rating of Saltimbocca alla Romana - N/A.  Ryan didn't have any of this last night, so I'll have to update this with his rating tomorrow after he has some of the leftovers!

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Finding a first course to cook from Lazio was really a no-brainer.  This region is home to some of the most well known and hearty pasta dishes out there.  One example is Spaghetti alla Carbonara.  Here, while still hot, an egg, cheese and pancetta mixture is added to the pasta.  The heat of the pasta actually cook the eggs.  Another example, Pasta Puttanesca, uses capers, anchovies, olives and some heat from red pepper flakes.  Many say that the name actually means "street-walkers' pasta" because it is a meal that prostitutes could make quickly and inexpensively.

For my meal however, I chose to make Spaghetti all'Amatriciana mostly because it was a pasta dish that I had never tried before.  It seems pretty straightforward when looking at the ingredients, and I had my worries that it was going to be rather flavorless.  Like usual though, I was not let down.  The pancetta (I used turkey bacon to cut down on some of the fat) blends with the other ingredients in the sauce and gives off a delicious flavor.  At the same time you're hit by the heat from the red pepper flakes.  Personally I am not a huge fan of pasta dishes as a main course, but this is something that I could easily eat as my meal (and did, both last night and for lunch today!).

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Adapted from Food Network

-Serves 4 as a first course-

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/3 pound pancetta (or bacon or turkey bacon), cut into small pieces

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar (red wine or white)

8 ounces plain tomato sauce

1/2 pound spaghetti

Process:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the pancetta or bacon and let cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the onion and cook until soft, about 6-7 more minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water.  Cook to al dente.
4. When the onion is soft, add the red pepper flakes and the parsley.  Next, add the vinegar and tomato sauce.  Take 1/4 cup of the water from the pasta (the starchiness of the water will help to create the sauce) and add to the pancetta sauce.  Simmer the sauce for several minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
5. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and mix with the sauce.  Serve warm with fresh parmigiano reggiano sprinkled on top.

Ryan's rating of Spaghetti all'Amatriciana - 4.5. He said I lost that 1/2 a point for using turkey bacon. Lame.

Roman Style Artichokes

I have to apologize for a lack of posts last week.  I was presenting a workshop at a conference for work, so I wasn't able to cook or post very much.  I'm back now though! The conference went well and now i can go back to avoiding public speaking and spending my free time cooking. So, on we go to the Lazio region!

Though I'm sad to leave Le Marche behind, Lazio is an exciting place to move on to.  Most well known for Rome, Lazio is a vibrant region in and of itself.  One of the ingredients that is common to Italian cooking in general, and particularly to the Lazio region, is artichoke.  I must admit, I'm a bit of a beginner when it comes to artichokes.  My mom used to cook them whole when I was younger and we would scrape the tender meat off of the bottom of the leaves with our teeth, and I've had some great artichoke dips, but I've never had much exposure to artichoke hearts nor have I cooked them myself. This recipe for Roman Style Artichokes, or Carciufi alla Romana, seemed straightforward enough that as a novice I could make a solid attempt.  And I know what you're thinking after looking at this recipe, "Mint, seriously?" I thought the same thing, but trust me, it works.

Roman Style Artichokes

Adapted from Food Network

-Serves 4 as an antipasto-

Ingredients:

2 artichokes

juice of a lemon

1 packed tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

3 packed tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup white wine

pinch of salt

Process:

1. Prep the artichokes by removing the hard outer leaves, cutting the dark green off of the base of the artichoke, cutting it in half and removing the choke.  Once prepped, place immediately into a bowl of water mixed with the lemon juice.  Artichokes discolor very easily, so work quickly.
2. Bring the water to a boil.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the mint, parsley, garlic, and 1 tablespoon olive oil together.  Put some of the mixture into each artichoke half in the cavity where the choke was removed.  In a pan with steep sides, place the artichoke halves close together so that they help stand each other up. 
3. Into the same pan, add the remaining olive oil, wine, and boiling water.  The liquid should be just covering the artichokes. Be sure to pour the liquid between the artichokes and let the liquid level rise rather than pouring it directly onto the artichokes.  This will help keep the herbs inside the artichokes.   
4. Cover the pot and simmer for about 1 hour.  Serve hot.

Ryan's rating of Roman Style Artichokes - 3.5.