Bottega - Michael Chiarello [31]
Cauliflower Fritto
SERVES 6
This is a little different from our traditional fritto misto coating. Beer and sparkling water make the batter lighter and fluffier, which works well for the cauliflower or any cruciferous vegetable.
Beer Pairing: A toasty Italian ale or Anchor Steam
4 cups cauliflower florets (about ½ large head or 1½ pounds)
2 egg whites
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt, preferably gray salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
½ cup beer
½ cup sparkling water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Calabrian chile paste (see Resources), or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Corn, peanut, or canola oil for deep-frying
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the cauliflower until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or wire skimmer, transfer to a baking sheet to cool.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, glossy peaks form. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper; whisk to blend. In another bowl, mix the beer, sparkling water, olive oil, chile paste, and parsley. Add half of the liquid to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining liquid and whisk again until smooth. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter.
In a large, heavy pot, heat 3 inches of oil to 375°F on a deep-fat thermometer. When the oil is just about ready, add the cauliflower to the batter and gently toss until each floret is coated.
Add a batch of the battered cauliflower to the hot oil and cook until the florets turn a light to medium brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a wire skimmer, transfer to paper towels to drain. Continue frying until all the cauliflower has been cooked.
Chaper 4
Soups and Salads
Minestre E Insalate
I treat soup and salad as part of antipasti even though, in Italy, soup traditionally is served in place of risotto or pasta. At Bottega, this is what you eat while you decide on a main course.
Soup is a great first course for home cooks so you can save time to work on a killer second course like gnocchi or a whole roasted pig. Most soups let you do the prep work ahead of time, which makes life easier when you’re hosting.
Soup, for me personally, often means lunch or a simple supper with some salami, cheese, and bread. A bowl of my mother’s Calabrian meatball soup makes the rest of the day better. We never called it “Wedding Soup” when I was a kid; we called it “I’ve been a good boy soup,” because the brother who was in less trouble than usual was the one who’d try to talk my mom into making it.
Salads can embrace a wide variety of dishes; don’t limit yourself by thinking of salad as only leaves. Salads are a good place to step into new territory. If you treat Brussels sprouts as tiny cabbage heads and shave them, then toss them with fried Marcona almonds and sieved eggs, you have a salad like nothing you’ve tried before. I love that this salad is finely chopped, so each bite has a good mix of crunch and salt, egg and citrus without a leaf in sight.
Grilled radicchio is another salad that steps outside the box. The trick is to soak the radicchio in ice water, then get it on the grill when drained but still cold. I love to bite into the hot, grilled outer leaves while the inside is still fresh, crisp, and cool. Add my Tuna Conserva, which has been a part of my family’s life for generations, and some perfectly cooked potatoes, and you have a salad that’s traditional, satisfying, and still exciting.
Zuppa di Melone con Zeppole (Melon Soup with Zeppole)
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Marcona Almonds and Pecorino
Grilled Radicchio Salad with Tuna Conserva
Roasted Beet Salad with Blue Cheese Cream
Calabrian Wedding Soup (Pastina Soup with Tiny Meatballs)
Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato-Bread Soup)
Zuppa di Melone con Zeppole (Melon Soup with Zeppole)
SERVES 6 TO 8, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE SOUP CUPS
Salt makes the most of a perfect summer melon. The saltiness of the prosciutto and the Parmesan on the zeppole act as a trampoline,