Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [213]
Ahead-of-time note It is fortunate, considering the long cooking time, that tripe tastes still better the day after it is cooked. It can even be prepared several days in advance and refrigerated in a tightly sealed container. Reheat over the stove, with the lid on slightly ajar, until the tripe is hot again. Replenish the cooking liquid if it becomes insufficient with 2 or 3 tablespoons of water. When preparing it ahead of time, swirl in the fresh butter and grated Parmesan only after reheating, just before serving.
Tripe with Beans Variation
For 6 servings
To the ingredients in the preceding recipe for tripe, add:
1½ pounds fresh cranberry beans, unshelled weight, OR ¾ cup dried cranberry or white cannellini beans, soaked and cooked, with their liquid, OR 2¼ cups drained canned cranberry or white cannellini beans
1. If using fresh beans: Shell them, wash them in cold water, and put them in a pot with enough water to cover by about 1½ inches. Do not add salt. Bring the beans to a very slow boil, then cover the pot. If the beans are very fresh, they will cook in about 45 minutes; if not, they may take up to 1½ hours. Taste to make sure. When completely tender, turn off the heat, letting them rest in the covered pot in their liquid. You can begin to cook the beans when you begin to cook the tripe.
If using cooked dried beans: Set them aside in their liquid and proceed to the next step.
If using drained canned beans: Proceed to the next step.
2. Follow the directions for making baked tripe as given in the preceding recipe, stopping short of swirling in the butter and grated cheese after the tripe is cooked.
3. When the tripe is fully cooked, but while it is still in the pot, put in the beans. If using cooked fresh or dried beans, add ½ cup of their cooking liquid; if using drained canned beans, add ¼ cup water. Keep the pot over the stove with the lid on slightly ajar, bring to a steady simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, turning all the ingredients over from time to time.
4. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the grated Parmesan as in the preceding recipe, transfer to a warm bowl, and serve at once.
Ahead-of-time note The comments appended to the tripe recipe apply here. As in that recipe, swirl in the fresh butter and the grated cheese only after reheating, just before serving.
VEGETABLES
Braised Artichokes and Peas
For 4 to 6 servings
2 large globe artichokes OR 3 to 4 medium size
½ lemon
2 tablespoons chopped onion
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic chopped very fine
2 pounds fresh unshelled peas OR 1 ten-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1. Trim the artichokes of all their tough parts. As you work, rub the cut artichoke with the lemon to keep it from turning black.
2. Cut each trimmed artichoke lengthwise into 4 equal sections. Remove the soft, curling leaves with prickly tips at the base, and cut away the fuzzy “choke” beneath them.
Detach the stems, but do not discard them, because they can be as good to eat as the heart if they are properly trimmed. Pare away their dark green rind to expose the pale and tender core, then split them in half lengthwise, or if very thick, into 4 parts.
Cut the artichoke sections lengthwise into wedges about 1 inch thick at their broadest point, and squeeze lemon juice over all the cut parts to protect them against discoloration.
3. Choose a heavy-bottomed or enameled cast-iron pot just large enough to accommodate all the ingredients, put in the chopped onion and olive oil, turn on the heat to medium high, cook and stir the onion until it becomes colored a very pale gold, then add the garlic. Cook the garlic until it becomes colored a light gold, then put in the artichoke wedges, ⅓ cup water, adjust heat to cook at a steady