Chef Mario Batalis 3 Saltimbocca Recipe Variations

From Denny: We like Mario Batali at our house. He is always enthusiastic about whatever he does and he does it well because he has a high personal standard of excellence. He is also more user friendly than most chefs, possessing an abundance of people skills. Mario is a natural as a teacher of great food.

He spent a lot of time exploring his ancestors' Italy, learning the language and the regional foods. He traveled, sampled and even worked for some small Italian kitchens just to learn the very old traditional recipes. Here he shares with us a very simple dish that is both a succulent and elegant meal fine enough to serve to guests for that special occasion.

Take a look at the variations you can do with this dish. Also, did you know that sage is great for easing toxin headaches? As winter ends, it's a good idea to include some sage into your diet as your body begins to naturally detox from the winter season. Chef Batali talks a bit about Italian culture and the language in the origin of the recipe's name. For a guy who received his original degree in Economics, he sure is bubbling over with information on just one recipe!

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Saltimbocca alla Romana

From: Chef Mario Batali

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 8 pork cutlets (about 2 ounces each)
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 8 slices prosciutto di Parma
• Flour for dusting
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Lemon wedges


DIRECTIONS

Using a meat mallet, pound each pork slice to about 1/8-inch thick. Place 1 sage leaf and 1 slice of prosciutto on each pork cutlet and fold over to form a sandwich, with the meat inside the prosciutto. Pound lightly with the meat mallet, then secure with toothpicks.

In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat until it foams and subsides. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the cutlets lightly in the flour. Add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.

Pour the wine into the pan and bring to a boil, stirring with wooden spoon to dislodge the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Return the cutlets to the pan just to reheat, then transfer to plates, pour the sauce over, and serve immediately, with lemon wedges.





Scallopa al Pizzaiolo

From: Chef Mario Batali

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound pork loin, cut into 4 pieces 1/2-inch thick
• 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 2 cups basic tomato sauce
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 rounds of 2 inches each
• 2 bunches fresh oregano leaves, stems removed, to yield 1 cup


DIRECTIONS

In a shallow bowl, mix flour with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge pork pieces in flour mixture and set aside. In a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Shake excess flour from meat and place pieces in pan. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove pork pieces and pour out oil.

Add 1/2 cup water to pan and deglaze, scraping lightly with a wooden spoon to loosen brown bits. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Replace pork in pan and coat with sauce. Place 2 pieces fresh mozzarella over each piece of pork and place pan in oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove pan from oven.

Place pork on platter, surround with sauce, sprinkle with fresh oregano and serve.





Pork Saltimbocca

From: Chef Mario Batali

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound pork loin, cut into 8 equal thin slices by your butcher
• 4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
• 8 sage leaves
• 4 tablespoons flour, seasoned with salt and pepper,
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons sweet butter plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 cup marsala wine (sweet)
• 1/2 cup basic tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup basic chicken stock
• 1/4 pound domestic mushrooms, quartered
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup


DIRECTIONS

Lay 4 thin slices of pork on counter and season with salt and pepper. Place 1 slice prosciutto di Parma in center of each and 2 sage leaves over the prosciutto. Dust edges of 4 pieces with flour. Place 4 remaining pieces of pork over 4 on counter. Massage the edges together so they stick together and set aside.

Flour outsides and place into bread crumbs, patting so the crumbs adhere. In a 12- to 14-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons sweet butter until bubbling over medium heat. Place 4 pork "sandwiches" in pan and cook slowly until golden brown. Turn and cook other side the same. Remove pork carefully and set aside in warm place. Turn heat to high and add marsala, tomato sauce, chicken stock and domestic mushrooms. Bring to boil and reduce by half. Add remaining sweet butter and 4 pork "sandwiches."

Simmer 10 minutes, add chopped parsley and serve.



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Video and Recipes: Authentic Italian Dishes - Quick Tasty Bacon Pasta, Chocolate Bread Parfait

From Denny: This is a simple peasant dish that would be wonderful for breakfast, brunch or dinner when you want a quick savory meal! It's an easy meal to whip up quickly when you have relatives visiting from out of town on the holidays and don't want to feel overwhelmed.

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Fresh Cavatelli with Eggs and Bacon

Chef shares authentic, regional tastes of Italy in her new cookbook

Makes: 6 servings

In times past in poor regions like Molise, when meat was scarce, eggs were an available and affordable source of protein; a dish of pasta dressed with eggs combined the nutrients of two staple foods for a meal that was naturally nutritious and sustaining. I love these pastas sauced with eggs, and tasty versions can be found all over Italy, especially in Abruzzo, Molise and Lazio (Rome), where the most famous dish of this type, spaghetti alla carbonara, originated. This Molisano version is particularly appealing, with cavatelli, scrambled eggs and bacon, and with grated Fontina Val d’Aosta tossed in at the end — a bit out of region, but absolutely delicious here. In Molise they would use grated pecorino, of course, and it is lovely that way, too.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta pot
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces slab or thick-cut bacon, cut in 1/2 -inch pieces
• 5 large eggs
• 1 batch (1 1/2 pounds) fresh cavatelli (recipe below) or 1 pound dried pasta
• 2 cups shredded Fontina Val d’Aosta

DIRECTIONS

Fill the large pot with salted water (at least 6 quarts water with 1 tablespoon salt), and heat to a boil.

Pour the olive oil into the skillet, and set it over medium-high heat. Drop in the butter, let it melt, then scatter in the bacon pieces. Cook the bacon, stirring and tossing the pieces, for 5 minutes or so, until they’re crisp and caramelized. (If the bacon rendered lots of fat, you can pour off half the fat in the pan.)

Beat the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl until well blended.

When the water is at a rolling boil, drop in the cavatelli, stir, and return the water to a boil. Cook the cavatelli 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Lift them from the pot, drain briefly and spill them into the skillet.

Over medium heat, toss the cavatelli with the bacon pieces, coating the pasta with the oil, butter and bacon fat, too. Pour the beaten eggs all over the pasta, stirring and tumbling them together; keep scraping the coagulating egg from the sides and bottom of the pan, and incorporate it in with the wet eggs. Cook for a minute or two, just until all the egg is lightly cooked and custardy and evenly scrambled into the cavatelli.

Turn off the heat, scatter the shredded Fontina over the eggs and pasta, and toss thoroughly to blend in the cheese as it melts.

Serve immediately.



From Denny: She even provided a recipe to make your own fresh pasta.

Fresh Cavatelli

From: "Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy" by Lidia Bastianich

Makes: about 1 1/2 pounds, or 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound fine durum-wheat flour (about 3 1/4 cups), plus more as needed
• 1 1/4 cups very cold water, plus more as needed

DIRECTIONS

Put the flour in the bowl of the food processor, and process for a few seconds, to aerate. With the food processor running, pour in the water through the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds, until a dough forms and gathers on the blade. If the dough does not gather on the blade or process easily, it is too wet or dry. Feel the dough, then work in more flour or cold water, in small amounts, using the processor or kneading by hand.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface, and knead by hand for a minute, until it’s smooth, soft and stretchy. Press it into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for at least 1/2 hour. (You can refrigerate the dough for up to a day, or freeze for a month or more. Defrost in the refrigerator, and return to room temperature before rolling.)

To form the cavatelli, lightly flour your work surface. Pinch off golf-ball-sized pieces of dough and roll them out under your palms into long ropes about the thickness of a pencil. Cut the ropes into 1-inch segments or short cylinders; keep pieces in front of you, horizontally (left to right). Flour your hands, especially the tips of the three middle fingers of your right hand unless you are left-handed. Hold these fingertips tightly together, and press them into one of the cut segments, and gently roll forward.

As your fingertips make indentations in the segment, roll it toward you more so the dough both lengthens and curls around the fingertips. As the curl is complete, lift your fingers up quickly, so the dough segment drops off. It should now resemble a short concave shell — or a hollowed-out boat or canoe — with the impression of your fingers in the hollows and along the edges.

Adjust the pressure of your fingers as needed — if the dough cylinders are not lengthening and forming a hollow, press harder. If they’re just flattening beneath your fingers, press a bit more gently. Once you get up to speed, you should be able to roll the cavatelli with a quick downward flick of your fingertips.

Sprinkle the finished cavatelli liberally with flour, and spread them out in a single layer on floured baking sheets. Leave them uncovered, to air dry at room temperature, until ready to cook. (Or freeze the cavatelli on the sheets until hard, and pack them in airtight plastic bags.)



From Denny: Now that you have seen the video, you see how beautiful that bread looks soaked in chocolate to the point you might think it started off as chocolate bread, wow! Another winner of an easy recipe from Lidia!

Chocolate bread parfait (pane di cioccolato al cucchiaio)

Chef shares authentic, regional tastes of Italy in her new cookbook

From: "Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy" by Lidia Bastianich
Makes: 6 servings

This recalls for me the chocolate-and-bread sandwiches that sometimes were my lunch, and always a special treat. And it is another inventive way surplus is used in Umbrian cuisine, with leftover country bread serving as the foundation of an elegant layered dessert. Though it is soaked with chocolate and espresso sauce and buried in whipped cream, the bread doesn’t disintegrate, and provides a pleasing textural contrast in every heavenly spoonful.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 8 ounces country-style white bread, crusts removed
• 1/2 cup freshly brewed espresso
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
• 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS

Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl set in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. When the chocolate begins to melt, stir until completely smooth. Keep it warm, over the water, off the heat.

Slice the bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and lay them flat in one layer, close together, on the tray or baking sheet.

Pour the warm espresso into a spouted measuring cup, stir in the rum and sugar until sugar dissolves, then stir in half the melted chocolate. Pour the sauce all over the bread slices, then flip them over and turn them on the tray, to make sure all the surfaces are coated. Let the bread absorb the sauce for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, whip the cream until soft peaks form, by hand or with an electric mixer.

To assemble the parfaits: Break the bread into 1-inch pieces. Use half the pieces to make the bottom parfait layer in the six serving glasses, dropping an equal amount of chocolatey bread into each. Scrape up some of the unabsorbed chocolate sauce that remains on the baking sheet, and drizzle a bit over the bread layers. Next, drop a layer of whipped cream in the glasses, using up half the cream. Top the cream layer with toasted almonds, using half the nuts.

Repeat the layering sequence: Drop more soaked bread into each glass, drizzle over it the chocolate sauce from the tray and the remaining melted chocolate. Dollop another layer of whipped cream in the glasses, using it all up, and sprinkle the remaining almonds on top of each parfait.

This dessert is best when served immediately while the melted chocolate is still warm and runny. - You got that rights, Lidia! :)

3 Recipes and Video: Giadas Healthier Turkey Osso Buco For Sunday Dinner

From Denny: Giada is one of those few chefs that cooks healthy without sacrificing taste or texture. She also manages to figure out that fine line between what is easy to cook at home and what the family will actually enjoy. This is her interesting idea for a Sunday dinner.

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Turkey osso buco with parsley and rosemary gremolata

From: Chef Giada De Laurentiis

Makes: 6-8 servings

Here's an osso buco everyone will love, even if they aren't big fans of veal. Consider this as the centerpiece of a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal; you'll get both dark and light meat without having to cook a whole turkey. Using a gremolata to spark up the flavor of a long-cooked dish like this one is a very traditional Italian touch that makes a huge difference in the finished dish.

INGREDIENTS

Turkey osso buco with parsley

• 1 half-breast of turkey (cut into 4 pieces, preferably by the butcher)
• 2 turkey thighs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 whole cloves

Rosemary gremolata

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pat the turkey pieces dry with paper towels to ensure even browning. Season the turkey with salt and pepper then dredge the pieces in the flour, shaking off any excess.

In a heavy roasting pan large enough to fit the turkey pieces in a single layer, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the turkey and cook until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the turkey to a plate and reserve.

To the same pan, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Season vegetables with salt and cook until they are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Return the turkey to the pan. Add enough chicken broth to come two thirds up the sides of the turkey pieces. Add the herb sprigs, bay leaf, and cloves to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover the pan tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Braise until the turkey is fork-tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes hours, turning the pieces after 1 hour.

When the turkey is just about done, combine the chopped parsley, lemon zest, garlic, minced rosemary, and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and cut in thick slices , then arrange the slices in shallow serving bowls. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper and ladle some over each serving. Sprinkle each piece of turkey with a large pinch of gremolata. Serve immediately.

***

Prosciutto mozzarella pinwheels

From: Giada De Laurentiis

Serves: 6-8

From Giada: I usually make this in one big log because it is so impressive when it comes out of the oven and you cut it into slices, but if the kids are helping put this together, why not make it as 4 individual rolls? That way everyone can stuff and roll their own selections. Let an adult cut the hot rolls, as the yummy molten cheese retains a lot of heat.

INGREDIENTS

• Flour, for dusting
• 1 pound purchased pizza dough
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 7 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 1 cup coarsely chopped baby spinach (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 F and position a rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pizza dough into a 12 to 14-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella over the dough. Arrange the prosciutto over the cheese in a single layer.

Sprinkle with the chopped spinach, then top with the remaining cheese.

Roll the dough into a thin cylinder, gently tucking in the ends. Brush the entire roll with the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place the dough, seam-side down, on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Cool the roll for 3 for 4 minutes, then use a serrated knife to cut it into 3/4-inch slices.

***

Tuscan mushrooms

From: Giada De Laurentiis

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

From Giada: If you think stuffed mushrooms are bland, you'll find these a welcome change of pace — the flavors are quite robust. These are equally good right out of the oven or at room temperature and a nice hors d'ouevre option for non meat-eaters.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup diced jarred roasted red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup diced pitted green olives
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano
• 2 scallions, white parts only, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound white button mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a medium bowl mix together the roasted red bell peppers, olives, cheese, scallions, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, arrange the mushrooms, gill side up. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities, mounding it slightly. Bake until the mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter, sprinkle with chopped basil, and serve.