Bottega - Michael Chiarello [37]
The Importance of Small Details
How much does temperature matter? I would say that having food at the perfect temperature when it’s placed in front of you is critical and nonnegotiable. At Bottega, we warm all our plates (except for salad and dessert plates, which are chilled) so that your gnocchi is perfectly warm to the last bite, and your salad crisp and cool. You can do this in your home kitchen. Warming and chilling plates and glasses is a small touch that makes a big difference.
How about your chair? Is it comfortable? (At Bottega, our chairs are supremely comfortable thanks to the careful choices of my wife, Eileen.) You will spend some of the best moments of your life at the table, and my hope is your chair enhances the experience.
The cup that holds your coffee at Bottega is fine china, because I finally realized that my mother was right, and coffee does taste better from a china cup. We pull out the china at home as well; nothing contributes to a meal like the stories that come with serving pieces, silver, or decanters passed down through generations. If your grandmother’s china doesn’t match your color scheme, then throw out your color scheme. Story is the most important detail of all.
Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato-Bread Soup)
SERVES 6
This soup is the definition of Tuscan food, made from great tomatoes that aren’t cooked too long, mixed with old bread, and milled for texture. You won’t find versions like this in Southern Italy. I like the combination of fresh and canned tomatoes, but you can use all fresh if you like; just aim for about 6½ pounds of tomatoes. If you don’t have a food mill, by all means use your food processor, but for a true pappa al pomodoro a mill is key. This soup is all about the texture: the word velvety comes to mind, not because this soup is smooth but because the combination of good tomatoes and stale bread has a mouthfeel that’s rich and satisfying. It’s the most rustic food, and yet it doesn’t feel simple or rustic in your mouth. Darrell Corti, who calls himself a grocer, is actually a wine merchant and food expert and also one of the smartest guys I know. He makes a pappa al pomodoro even thicker than mine, and it’s like a breath of new air.
You can spoon this onto a plate as a sauce and top it with grilled sardines, fried calamari, or slices of grilled steak.
Wine Pairing: Sangiovese
5 pounds fresh Roma (plum) tomatoes
One 28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes
4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups diced crustless bread, preferably from a slightly stale country-style loaf
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh basil
Core each fresh tomato (see Chef’s Note, below), mark a shallow X in the opposite end, and blanch in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Transfer to cold water to cool briefly, then peel the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half, scoop out the seeds with your fingers, then chop. (I prefer to squish the pulp into a large bowl.) Drain, reserving the liquid in a bowl. Empty the pulp into another bowl. Open the can of tomatoes and drain, adding the liquid to the reserved fresh tomato liquid and the canned tomatoes to the fresh tomato pulp.
Heat a large stockpot over medium heat, add 1 cup of the olive oil, and sauté the garlic until golden and aromatic, about 30 seconds. Pay atten-tion because it colors quickly, and dark garlic can be bitter. Pour the tomato liquid into the pan and cook to reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and pulp and cook until they give off their juices, about 30 minutes. Add the bread and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring to break down the bread.
To get the best texture, pass the soup through a food mill; don’t expect it to be satin smooth but it should be even in consistency, with no lumps of bread. If you don’t have a food mill, whisk the soup until the bread