Roman-Style Pizza Cooking Recipe – Focaccia Cooking Recipe

Pizza al Taglio with Porcini, Sausage, and Arugula Cooking Recipe – Pizza al taglio porcini, salsiccia e rucola Recipe

Roman-Style Pizza Cooking Recipe - Focaccia Cooking Recipe

Roman-Style Pizza Cooking Recipe - Focaccia Cooking Recipe 1

Roman- style pizza

We have Roman bakers of the 1950s to thank for inventing this method of making pizza on large baking sheets. It was a gimmick to expand their range of pizza on offer. Today pizza al taglio is sold in every bakery in Italy.

Makes one pizza to fit a 12 x 16 in. (30 x 40 cm) baking sheet

  • Preparation time: 8 minutes
  • Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. 5 oz. (600 g) pizza dough (i.e. 3 balls Neapolitan pizza dough)
  • 1¼ cups (300 ml) pizza sauce (i.e. 2 portions tomato sauce for pizza
  • 10 oz. (300 g) mozzarella, chopped (i.e. 2 portions mozzarella for pizza)
  • 1 chipolata or plain Toulouse sausage, cut into small pieces
  • 1 porcini, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup (50 g) arugula

Cooking Method

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), choosing the setting for combined top and bottom heating.
  • Flatten out the pizza dough by hand. Lightly oil the baking sheet. Place the flattened ball of dough on a floured counter and begin to make it larger (1). Place on the baking sheet and spread it out to cover the entire surface, creating a shallow rim (2).
  • Spread over the tomato sauce using a ladle or spoon (3).
  • Add the toppings in the following order: mozzarella, sausage (4), and porcini. Drizzle over the olive oil.
  • Bake the pizza on the lowest shelf of the oven.
  • On removal from the oven, decorate with arugula (5).
  • Cut into slices and serve immediately.

Focaccia Cooking Recipe

Focaccia is a bread dough enriched with olive oil, found under different names in every region of Italy. However, Genoese focaccia is by far the best known.

Genoese Focaccia

Roman-Style Pizza Cooking Recipe - Focaccia Cooking Recipe 2

Roman-Style Pizza Cooking Recipe - Focaccia Cooking Recipe 3

To fit a 12 x 16 in. (30×40 cm) baking sheet

  • Preparation time: 45 minutes
  • Rising time: 3 hours
  • Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 cups (1 lb. 5oz./600 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz./30 g) fresh yeast
  • 1 ½ cups (350 ml) water
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey
  • 1 tablespoon (½ oz./15 g) line salt + a little extra for baking sheet
  • 2/3 cup (140 ml) olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon (½ oz./15 g) kosher salt

Cooking Method

1. Dilute the yeast in ½ cup (100 ml) of the water at room temperature. Add the brown sugar and 1 cup (3 ½ oz./100 g) of the flour (1). Leave to rest for 1 hour.

2. Dissolve the fine salt in the remaining water.

3. Transfer the mixture to a food mixer fitted with a dough hook (or to a large bowl) (2), add the rest of the flour, the salted water, and 3 tablespoons (40 ml) of the olive oil. Turn on the mixer and knead for 10 to 15 minutes. Take the dough out of the mixer (3), form into a ball, place in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise for 1 hour.

4. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the olive oil onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with a little fine salt. Place the risen dough on the baking sheet coated with olive oil; spread it out evenly with your fingertips until the baking sheet is covered (4).

5. Mix the remaining olive oil (5 tablespoons/70 ml) with the same amount of water. Using a brush, glaze with one third of the olive oil and water mixture.

6. Leave to rise for 2 hours, covered with a damp cloth (5). Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

7. Make indentations all over the surface of the focaccia with your fingers (6). Sprinkle with the kosher salt and brush again with another third of the olive oil mixed with water. Check that the surface is well moistened, then bake the focaccia for 20 minutes.

8. On removal from the oven, lift the focaccia off the baking sheet (7) and place it on a cooling rack. Brush the surface with the remaining olive oil and water mixture one last time.

Roman-Style Pizza Cooking Recipe - Focaccia Cooking Recipe 4

 

Roman-Style Pizza Cooking Recipe - Focaccia Cooking Recipe 5

Roman-Style Pizza Cooking Recipe - Focaccia Cooking Recipe 6

Roman-Style Pizza Cooking Recipe - Focaccia Cooking Recipe 7

Roman-Style Pizza Cooking Recipe - Focaccia Cooking Recipe 8

Preserves: Method of Preparation

Preserves Method of Preparation

Preserves: Method of Preparation

  • Only use ingredients that are very fresh, in perfect condition, andnottoo ripe.
  • Wash, wipe dry,and trim carefully.
  • Wash the jars with boiling water before adding the ingredients.
  • The jars must be perfectly clean and dry. Always use new seals or lids for each new batch.
  • Do not fill the jars to the brim—leave ⅓ to ⅔ in. (1 to 2 cm).
  • Remove any air bubbles by firmly pressing the contents down to the bottom of the jar.
  • If the contents leak in the upside-down position, wipe with a clean, damp cloth.
  • Label thejars with thedate of preparation and the contents and keep in a cool, dry place away from the light.
  • Wait at least 2 months before sampling your preserves; do not keep longer than 1 year (except salted anchovies).
  • Once opened, the jars must be kept cool and the contents consumed as soon as possible.
  • To sterilize thejars and vacuum-seal the contents, place in a pan and stabilize them with a cloth or piece of card.
  • Cover the jars with water to come about 1 to 2 in. (2 to 5 cm) above the lid and bring to a boil.
  • Allow 20 to 60 minutes cooking time, depending on the size of the jars (20 minutes for jars up to ½ lb. [250 g], 30 minutes for jars up to 1 lb. [500 g], 45 minutes for jars up to 2 lb. [1 kg], and 60 minutes for jars up to 3 lb. [1.5 kg]).
  • Let the jars cool in this water. If the sterilization process has happened correctly, the lid will be slightly depressed.
  • Remove the jars from the water and wipe them dry carefully before storing them.
  • Jellies and preserves in vinegar do not require sterilization.
  • For preserved vegetables it is always necessary to boil the vegetables in an acidulated solution. This is to avoid contamination from botulism. The solution must contain a ratio of at least ⅔ vinegar to water (or the juice of 3 lemons for 4 cups/1 liter water). Salt is also important for the preserving process. The cooking time will vary, depending on the size of the pieces of vegetables, but it is preferable to leave them al dente, because they will continue to “cook” during the preserving process. Vegetables prepared in this way can be kept in this same solution, or removed and dried well, before being covered with olive oil to preserve them.
  • When opening jars of preserves, discard any contents that do not seem to have vacuum-sealed successfully, appear to have deteriorated, or give off an unpleasant smell.
  • Add a few spoonfuls of soybean oil to your preserves in olive oil to prevent them from solidifying in the refrigerator.

Asparagus with Buttered Eggs and Parmesan Cooking Recipe | Asparagi al Parmigiano Recipe

Asparagus with Buttered Eggs and Parmesan Cooking Recipe Asparagi al Parmigiano Recipe

Asparagus with Buttered Eggs and Parmesan Cooking Recipe | Asparagi al Parmigiano Recipe

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. (1.5 kg) green asparagus
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ stick (2 oz./60 g) butter
  • Grated Parmesan
  • Salt

Asparagus with Buttered Eggs and Parmesan Cooking Recipe Asparagi al Parmigiano Recipe 1

Cooking Method

  • Clean the asparagus. Stand them upright in a bunch in a saucepan with salted cold water reaching halfway up the stalks.
  • Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • During this time, cook the eggs in a skillet in butter.
  • When the asparagus is cooked, drain on a paper towel or a clean cloth, then place in a dish.
  • Sprinkle the asparagus with grated Parmesan. Arrange the eggs on top (their heat will melt the cheese) and serve.

Suggested food/wine match

  • Cavallerl, Rampaneto—Terre di Franciacorta DOC

Chef’s note

Once the asparagus is cooked, you can layer it with butter and Parmesan and bake in the oven.

Risotto Alla Milanese Cooking Recipe

Risotto Alla Milanese Cooking Recipe

Risotto Alia Milanese Cooking Recipe

As for all the best-known Italian recipes, the recipe for risotto alia Milanese has been protected by a municipal designation (Denominazioni Comunali: De.Co.) of the city of Milan since 2007.

Serves 6

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 14-18 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 oz. (30 g) beef marrow
  • ⅔ stick (2 ⅔ oz./75 g) butter
  • 2 ⅔ cups (1 lb. 4 oz./550 g) risotto rice
    (such as arborio)
  • 10 cups (2.5 liters) hot beef stock
  • 1 pinch (2 g) saffron threads or powder
  • ⅓ cup (2 oz./60 g) grated Grana Padano cheese
  • Salt

Risotto Alia Milanese Cooking Recipe 1

Cooking Method

  • Peel and chop the onion finely.
  • Chop the beef marrow.
  • Melt 3 ½ tablespoons (1 ¾ oz./50 g) of the butter and the beef marrow in a heavy-bottom pan.
  • Add the onion and let it brown over low heat.
  • Add the rice and stir so that all the grains absorb the flavor of the other ingredients evenly, then leave to brown lightly over medium heat.
  • Increase the heat and mix in the stock (a ladle at a time) by stirring the rice with a wooden spoon, gently and frequently.
  • As the liquid is absorbed, add more stock until the rice is cooked: 14 to 18 minutes, depending on the rice used.
  • The cooking time is calculated from the moment the mixture returns to a boil after the first ladle of stock is added.
  • The rice should be al dente.
  • If you are using powdered saffron, add it at the end of the cooking time to preserve its fragrance.
  • If using saffron threads, mix them in a little stock and add two thirds of the way through the cooking process.
  • Once the cooking is complete, turn off the heat, add the rest of the butter, and stir with a wooden spoon until it has melted.
  • Add the Grana Padano and stir again gently to prevent the grains of rice breaking.
  • Add salt if necessary.
  • The risotto should be slightly liquid, all’onda (i.e. wet), with the grains well separated but forming a creamy, homogenous whole.
  • For best results, never cook more than 7 to 8 servings of risotto at a time.
  • Serve the risotto on warmed plates.
  • Provide guests with spoons and extra grated Grana Padano.

Suggested food/wine match

  • Ca’del Bosco, Curtefranca Rosso—Terre di Franciacorta DOC

Chef’s note

The risotto should be served as soon as it is ready. It should be the guests who wait for the risotto, never the other way round!