Molto Gusto_ Easy Italian Cooking - Mario Batali [16]
Taste the leeks and add additional salt and/or pepper if necessary. Remove from the heat and serve warm or at room temperature. (The leeks can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.)
EGGPLANT
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup Pomì strained tomatoes
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Put the eggplant in a colander set on a plate, sprinkle generously with salt, and let stand for 20 minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Rinse the eggplant, drain, and pat dry. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil and spread on a baking sheet. Broil, stirring and turning the eggplant occasionally, until it is charred in spots and just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Meanwhile, bring the tomato sauce to a boil in a small saucepan and boil, stirring occasionally, until as thick as ketchup. Stir in the mint and red pepper flakes.
Add the tomato mixture to the eggplant, stirring well. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and serve warm or at room temperature. (The eggplant can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.)
Cheese
At Otto, the centerpiece of the antipasto station is the cheese. The arrangement is simple but important—and when serving cheese at home, the presentation helps lead your guests’ mind a bit. So always arrange the cheeses you are serving with a little style on a tray, or even on a board on your kitchen counter.
We serve apricot mostarda and black truffle honey with our cheese plates (see BRUSCHETTA & CHEESE). Other cheese condiments we love include amarena cherries (see Sources), membrillo (quince paste), pomegranate molasses, pear chutney, fig jam…the list goes on.
PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO is the undisputed king of cheeses, and its production is strictly regulated under D.O.C. laws: the cheese must have been made entirely in a restricted area that includes only the provinces of Parma, Modena, and Reggio-Emilia and parts of Bologna and Mantova. The rind of true Parmigiano is always imprinted all over with the term “Parmigiano-Reggiano,” verifying its authenticity. Some Parmigiano enthusiasts claim to prefer cheeses made in the late spring and summer months, when the animals’ feed is fresh grass and wheat. I like all of them, but I do prefer a younger cheese for eating unadorned or with balsamic vinegar and an older cheese for grating over my pasta and risotto.
PECORINO ROMANO, the familiar firm sheep’s-milk cheese, is named for the original Romans who made and ate so much of it, but today it is produced not necessarily in or near Rome—it is now made in Maremma, Sardegna, parts of Abruzzo, and in Lazio. When young and recently opened, pecorino romano is an excellent table cheese, often paired with fresh pears or figs. When aged, its saltiness makes it almost exclusively a grating cheese. It is indispensable in pasta dishes such as bucatini all’amatriciana and rigatoni cacio e pepe, but it is also excellent as the saline component in many vegetable dishes, especially when paired with guanciale as the cooking fat.
PECORINO DI FOSSA, an aged sheep’s-milk cheese produced in Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche, has a rich, earthy flavor. Often wrapped in the leaves of chestnut or walnut trees, the cheese is aged in caves (fosse) for a minimum of 3 months. It is traditionally unearthed and celebrated on the Feast of Santa Caterina in late November. It is most often grated over pasta, but it can also be enjoyed on its own. I love it with its soulmate, black truffles, served in the form of honey (see BRUSCHETTA & CHEESE).
TUADA is an unusual Tuscan pecorino, in that we cannot be sure from the label if there is