Italian Grill - Mario Batali [16]
Divide the prosciutto among six plates, arranging it artfully.
Add the remaining figs, the arugula, parsley, and rosemary to the grilled figs, then add the olive oil and vinegar and mix gently with your hands, so as not to break up the figs. Arrange the fig salad on the prosciutto and serve immediately.
Wait until you can get really ripe fresh figs to make this—and then make it as many times as you can before the season is over. Italians would never grill figs (they’d just serve them fresh), but the grill caramelizes the natural sugars in the fruit and makes them even more luscious. I leave half of them ungrilled for a nice contrast.
ASPARAGUS
WRAPPED IN PANCETTA WITH CITRONETTE
SERVES 6
2 pounds large asparagus (12 to 18 stalks per pound)
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
Coarse sea salt
SNAP THE TOUGH BOTTOM STALKS off the asparagus. Unroll the slices of pancetta and lay them out on a work surface. Lay an asparagus spear on a slight diagonal across the bottom of one slice and roll it up, covering as much of the stalk as possible but leaving the tip visible. Place on a tray or small baking sheet and repeat with the remaining asparagus (if you are using jumbo asparagus, you may have a few slices of pancetta left over for another dish). Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (this rest will help the pancetta adhere to the asparagus).
Preheat a gas grill or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill.
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange zest, juice, and mustard. Continuing to whisk, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified and smooth. Season the citronette with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Place the asparagus on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until it is just tender and the pancetta is crisped, about 4 to 6 minutes. If the pancetta browns too much before the asparagus is cooked, move the spears to a cooler part of the grill.
Whisk the citronette again, and pour half of it onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with half of the chopped thyme and pile the asparagus on top. Drizzle with the remaining citronette and sprinkle with the remaining thyme. Serve with a small bowl of coarse sea salt for dipping.
A classic room-temperature antipasto, here with pancetta substituting for the traditional prosciutto, is transformed on the grill. You could stick with prosciutto, or even substitute really good bacon—not a double-smoked one, though, or the smokiness will overpower the asparagus.
GRILLED SCAMORZA
WITH OLIO PICCANTE
SERVES 6
Three 8- to 12-ounce scamorza, cut lengthwise in half
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
¼ cup slivered best-quality sun-dried tomatoes
½ cup Olio Piccante
1 bunch marjoram
PREHEAT A GAS GRILL or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill.
Brush the cut sides of the scamorza with olive oil. Rub the grill with an oil-soaked towel or use a basting brush to oil it. Place the scamorza cut side down on the hottest part of the grill and cook just until it is beginning to soften and color lightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully turn over and cook on the rounded side for a minute or two to warm the cheese.
Transfer to a platter, arranging the cheese cut side up. Sprinkle each one with a few slivers of sun-dried tomato and drizzle with a bit of the spicy oil. Scatter a few marjoram leaves over each cheese, and place the rest of the bunch in the center of the platter so your guests can pinch off a little more to sprinkle on as they like.
Grilling soft and semi-soft cheeses is an old Neapolitan tradition, one that hasn’t quite caught on yet with Americans. It might seem as if the cheese would just melt all over the grill, but it doesn’t—and it’s great: soft, not-quite-oozing cheese with a subtle smoky flavor.
OLIO PICCANTE
(SPICY OIL)
MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
2 cups