Biba's Northern Italian Cooking - Biba Caggiano [65]
ROASTED POTATO BALLS
Patatine Arrosto
These potatoes are beautiful to look at and delicious to eat.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
8 large Idaho potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Using a melon baller, scoop potatoes into balls. Fill a large saucepan half full with salted water. Bring water to a boil. Add potato balls and boil 1 minute. Drain on paper towels.
Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter foams, add drained potatoes, rosemary and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning frequently. When potatoes are golden, remove garlic and fresh rosemary, if using. Serve immediately.
POTATO CAKE
Pinza di Patate
This is a different but delicious way to serve potatoes.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
8 large Idaho potatoes
3 eggs
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Butter an 8-inch-round cake pan with a removable bottom.
Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full with water. Add potatoes. Bring to a boil. Boil gently until potatoes are tender. Peel and mash potatoes while hot.
Beat 3 eggs with salt in a large bowl. Beat in melted butter and oil. Add mashed potatoes, Parmesan cheese and flour; mix well.
Put potato mixture into buttered pan and smooth top with a spatula. Brush top with beaten egg yolk. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden. Unmold potato cake and place on a warm platter. Serve immediately.
Salads
am always mystified when people ask me how much garlic or how many herbs I put in my salad dressing. I suppose the false notion that Italian salad dressing should contain every possible herb and seasoning started with the television commercials that advertise bottled or packaged dressing. Nothing could be simpler, tastier and less complicated than an Italian salad dressing. There is never any discussion among Italians on how to dress a salad. It is and always has been a combination of salt, olive oil and wine vinegar. But if you prefer, pepper can be added and lemon juice can replace vinegar.
Often my students want to know exactly how much oil and vinegar to put in a dressing. The amount will depend on the quantity and kind of salad. As a general rule, be generous with olive oil but stingy with vinegar. Don’t forget to taste the dressing before adding it to your salad. I can give you as many proportions of salad dressing as there are salads. But, ultimately, you have to decide. Basically it is the same concept that guides all Italian cooking, whether you come from Veneto or Sicily. The best and freshest ingredients should stand on their own merits. A green or mixed salad needs only excellent olive oil and good wine vinegar to be outstanding.
Salad in Italy is never served before the first course. It is always served after the main course. There are at least two reasons for this. Salad is meant to clean and refresh the palate for cheese, fruit or dessert that follows. Another reason is that the sharpness of the vinegar used in salad dressing would destroy the taste of wine served with the main course.
The salad that follows an important meal should be kept simple. A green salad, or a mixed salad containing tomatoes, carrots, and radishes would be appropriate. Or you could serve a single-vegetable salad using asparagus or string beans. A salad made with mixed cooked vegetables is too substantial to serve with a special meal. Instead, serve it with cheese or eggs to make a light family lunch or supper.
The abundant harvests of spring and summer, with string beans, tomatoes and asparagus bring joy and color to your salads and table. Fall and winter vegetables such as fennel and cauliflower will help you create