Undisputed protagonists of this region are cheeses and cured meats, and then the many meat dishes, from lamb with cheese and ova to the famous arrosticini, grilled sheep meat skewers, or sheep “alla callara”, a typical speciality of transhumance, cooked in copper pots than once called “callare” or “cotturi”. For fish lovers, on the other hand, there is brodetto, a soup with Adriatic fish and tomatoes, available in many different shades depending on the area. The tradition of fresh pasta is rich and varied, from the inevitable maccheroni alla chitarra, seasoned with lamb ragout, to sagne and beans, a sort of soup with remote origins.
Here are three delicious dishes you can try to make yourself, at home.
CROSTINI CON SCAMORZA
| INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
-8 slices home bread -Whole milk -2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil -200 gr smoked scamorza cheese –Salt and pepper to taste |
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HOW TO PREPARE IT
Pour a drizzle of oil into the pan to grease the bottom and sides. Arrange the slices of bread and moisten them slightly with a little bit of milk.
Arrange thin slices of smoked scamorza cheese on top of the slices of bread.
Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and put in a preheated hot oven at 180 ° C.
Cook until the bread is golden and the cheese partially melted. Serve very hot.
PALLOTTE CACIO E OVA
| INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
-4 eggs -120 g grated cheese between Pecorino, Parmesan and Grana -1 sprig parsley -1 clove garlic –salt and pepper to taste -70 g stale bread, not too finely grated -2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil -500 ml tomato puree -frying oil |
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HOW TO PREPARE IT
Pour the oil into a saucepan, add half a clove of garlic and as soon as it is slightly golden add the tomato puree.
Season with salt, pour half a glass of water and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Remove the garlic.
In a bowl add the eggs, cheese, parsley and half a clove of finely chopped garlic, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and mix well with a fork. Knead the mixture with your hands to better compact. It must be mushy but at the same time workable by hand. Form some balls of the desired size and arrange them on a tray. Bring plenty of frying oil to the right temperature and cook the cheese and egg balls until golden brown.
Drain and place it on kitchen paper. (You can also eat them without cooking them in the sauce but to make them very soft, swollen and delicate they must be immersed in the sauce) Bring the sauce to a boil and if it is too thick, add a little water. When the sauce boils, add the cheese and the cheese and bread balls and cook for about 15/20 minutes. They will have to absorb the sauce and make it tastier.
Serve the pallotte cacio e ov’ and hot, with slices of homemade bread.
CICERCHIATA
| INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
-2 eggs -3 tbsp icing sugar -150 to 200g of 00 flour -200g honey -confetti to decorate -4 tbsp vegetable oil |
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HOW TO PREPARE IT
First mix the eggs, sugar, four tablespoons of oil with as much flour as you need to have a soft dough, starting with 150 g up to a maximum of 200 g.
Continue to knead until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes covered.
After half an hour, take the dough, cut it in two and roll out each half into a long thin rope. Cut the ropes into small pieces, the size of a chickpea.
Heat abundant oil for frying and dip the pieces of dough in until golden brown. Remove the cooked pieces of dough with a slotted spoon and place them on kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.
Now melt the honey in a large pan with rather high sides and, when it is hot and fluid, add the fried dough and move the pan gently so to completely covered them with honey.
Transfer the cicerchiata to the serving tray and decorate with coloured sugar sprinkles.
BUON APPETITO!
