Bottega - Michael Chiarello [25]
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup grated pecorino cheese
2 tablespoons minced Preserved Meyer Lemons, or 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Peanut, corn, or canola oil for deep-frying
Coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
FOR THE FISHERMAN’S SAUCE: Heat a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion gives off its liquid, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture cook for about 6 minutes; do not brown.
Add the anchovies, bay leaf, and capers and cook over medium-low heat until the anchovies have melted into the onion, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. When you add the tomatoes, the onion will stop cooking, so taste and be sure it’s completely tender first. Add the passata and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, but be careful about adding more salt, because even soaked anchovies bring salt to the sauce. Return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Once it’s cool, you can refrigerate it for up to 5 days. At this point, you can also freeze it or hot-water process it, according to manufacturer’s instructions for your canning jars.
FOR THE CALABRIAN MAYO: With a hand-held mixer or whisk, beat the egg yolks with the 1 tablespoon lemon juice until frothy. Gradually beat in the olive oil just a few drops at a time until the mixture begins to emulsify, then beat in the remaining oil in a steady stream. Beat in 1 teaspoon of the chile paste, then taste and decide if you’d like more. Blend in the garlic, add the salt, and season with pepper. Set aside. If covered and refrigerated this keeps for 2 days.
FOR THE POLPETTINI: With your fingers, coat the swordfish pieces with 1 cup of the salsa verde. Heat a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat, add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and when the oil is hot, add the coated swordfish pieces. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent the fish from sticking. When the fish is cooked halfway through, after about 4 minutes, use a metal spatula to lift each piece and turn it, cooking the other side for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread the pieces out to cool. When cool enough to handle, transfer the fish to a large bowl and squash the fish with your hands, but don’t overdo it. You still want to see some distinct fish pieces. Add the 1 beaten egg, the bread crumbs, chile paste, salt, pepper, cheese, lemon, and the remaining 1 cup salsa verde and stir with your hands or a spoon until well blended. Divide the fish mixture into chunks the size of a golf ball and roll into balls. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
While the fish chills, set up a dredging station, pouring the flour, the remaining 3 eggs, and panko into separate shallow containers. Beat the eggs lightly. Dip each fish ball first in the flour, then the egg, and finally the panko and set on a platter.
In a large, heavy pot, heat 3 inches of oil to 375°F on a deep-fat thermometer. Cook 6 to 8 polpettini at a time for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they’re a deep golden brown. Using a wire skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Spoon the fisherman’s sauce onto individual plates, add 3 or 4 piping hot polpettini, top with salsa verde, use a pastry bag or a squeeze bottle to place a few ribbons of Calabrian mayo over the top, drizzle olive oil around the plate, and finish with a sprinkling of parsley.
Budini di Pecorino Fulvi with Oven-Roasted Rapini
SERVES 6
This dish starts with a food that is sometimes viewed as humble and elevates it to a higher plane. Pecorino is a “low-cotton” food, meaning it’s what you eat when you’re not dressed in your finest clothing. But made into a cream-laden pudding, it’s black-tie worthy, and the salty, satiny budino set against the rapini is an ideal contrast.
Wine Pairing: Vermentino
BUDINI
Butter for preparing soufflé cups
3 cups 1-inch cubes pugliese bread (about