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By Debra C. Argen
Rome and Tuscany
This month in Cook’s Corner we tempt LuxuryWeb readers with enticing Italian recipes from Executive Chef Gaetano Costa of the Hotel Majestic Roma in Rome, Italy, www.hotelmajestic.com, and from Tuscan Chef Giovanna Decaro of Il Borgo di Villa Bossi-Pucci, www.toscanaitaly.com.
 Executive Chef Gaetano Costa of the Hotel Majestic Roma shares two of his favorite recipes with us. This energetic chef also stood still long enough in November 2004, for an interview with me with some translation assistance from Primo Maître, Andrea Lombardi. Read our articles on the Hotel Majestic Roma, www.hotelmajestic.com, in Hotels & Resorts, Restaurants, Restaurant Notes and Destinations.
Executive Chef Gaetano Costa is a personable, enthusiastic man, with an impressive career. He has been with the Hotel Majestic for 4 years, worked at the Aldrovandi Palace hotel, and attended a culinary school in Naples. He said that when he is not busy cooking at work, his favorite meal to eat is fish: all types of fish, from turbot, sea bass, tuna, red mullet and other typical Italian fish. Although he keeps in shape, his favorite desserts are semi-freddo, parfaits, chocolate tortes, soufflés and tiramisu!
Although some of the recipes we present each month are written in grams, we are including a conversion table into ounces to help our readers convert the measurements. Please note the conversions are as close as possible, but are not exact.
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Ounces
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Grams
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3.75
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100
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7
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200
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11
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300
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14.1
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400
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17.75
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500
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21
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600
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25
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700
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28.25
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800
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32
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900
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36
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1,000
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Executive Chef Gaetano Costa provided his recipes in Italian, which we in turn translated into English. We present the recipes to you in both languages. Buon appetito!
Candied Scampi in a Sweet Garlic Potato Mayonnaise
For 4 Persons:
Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Ingredients:
12 large scampi (shrimp)
1 150-gram potato
2 cloves garlic
100 grams mixed mesculun
2 egg yolks
100 milliliters extra virgin olive oil
salt and white pepper to taste
Method of preparation of Mayonnaise:
In a tureen beat the egg yolks with the cooked warm potato. Pour the olive oil in a steady stream. Season the mixture with salt, pepper to taste and garlic, which has been cooked in milk, (with the inner green part removed).
Once the mayonnaise is ready, spread it uniformly over the scampi tails, which have been placed on a baking sheet. Place it in the oven and cook for 8 minutes at approximately 175 C or 350 F. Serve on a bed of mixed greens or mesculun.
Garganelli with Rock Lobster and Eggplant
For 4 Persons
Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Ingredients:
320 grams Garganelli (a type of egg penne from Emilia Romagna region of Italy)
2 rock lobsters, approximately 400 – 500 grams each
1 eggplant, approximately 200 grams, diced
100 grams cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
3 branches lemon balm
1 scallion
1 clove garlic
½ leaf bay leaf
white pepper and salt to taste
5 ml extra virgin olive oil
Method of preparation:
In a frying pan lightly sauté the garlic and scallion until golden brown. Meanwhile cut the rock lobsters lengthwise and then place them face down into the pan, searing them. Add the bay leaf, and the tomatoes. Cook for approximately 5 minutes.
Cook the garganelli in salted boiling water. In the meantime, sauté the diced eggplant with extra virgin olive oil and lemon balm. Once the garganelli are cooked, drain them, and then sauté the pasta with the eggplant and lemon balm. Add the pasta and eggplant to the rock lobsters, sauté and serve.
The Italian Version:
Garganelli all’astice e melanzane
Dosi per 4 persone
Tempo di preparazione: 20 minuti circa
Ingredienti:
320 grammi Garbanelli
2 astici da 400-500 grammi caduna
1 melanzana da 200 grammi circa
100 grammi pomodori di pachino
3 rametti di melissa
1 scalogno
1 spicchio d’aglio bianco
½ foglia d’alloro
pepe bianco e sale quanto basta
5 ml olio extra vergine d’oliva
Procedimento:
In una padella fate rosolare dolcemente l’aglio e lo scalogno, nel frattempo tagliate gli astici a metá in senso longitudinale e adagiateli sul fondo della padella profumandoli con la ½ foglia d’alloro. Aggiungete I 100 grammi di pomodorini tagliati in 4 parti e lasciate cuocere il tutto per circa 5 minuti. Cucinate I garganelli in acqua abbondante e mantecatelli con la Melissa e le melanzane precedentemente tagliate a cubetti e saltate in padella.
Code di scampi glassate e candite in maionese di patate all’aglio dolce
Dosi per 4 persone
Tempo di preparazioni 20 minuti circa
Ingredienti:
12 scampi grandi
1 patata da 150 grammi circa
2 spicchi d’aglio
100 grammi di misticanza di erbette
2 rossi d’uovo
100 ml di olio extra vergine d’oliva
sale e pepe bianco
Per la preparazine della maionese:
In una terrina far montare I rossi d’uovo con le patate cotte e schiacciate a caldo. Versate l’olio d’oliva a fili fino ad esaurimento. Condire con sale, pepe e aglio cotto nel latte e private della sua anima.
Ottenuta la maionese, cospargetela uniformemente sulle code degli scampi che avrete sgusciato e disposto su una teglia da forno. Lasciate cucinare per 8 minuti circa a 175°C e serviteli su un bouquet di misticanza di erbette.
This year Carnival falls in February, and to celebrate those pre-Lent days of parties and feasts, Chef Giovanna Decaro of Il Borgo di Villa Bossi-Pucci, www.toscanaitaly.com, shares her recipe for Cenci, a delicious, crisp, deep-fried pastry that is enjoyed during the Carnival season. Read our articles on Il Borgo di Villa Bossi-Pucci and Tuscany in Hotels & Resorts, Restaurants, Restaurant Notes and Destinations.
Cenci at Carnival
4 Servings
Ingredients:
300 grams white flour
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
sprinkle baking soda
100 grams sugar
1 small glass Vin Santo
20 grams butter melted in
2-3 tablespoons hot milk
1 orange grated peel only
pinch salt
peanut oil and olive oil for frying
Method:
On a smooth work surface, place the flour. Make an indentation in the center of the flour and add the eggs and egg yolk; a sprinkle of baking soda, sugar, Vin Santo*, butter melted in 2-3 tablespoons of hot milk, the grated peel of 1 orange and a pinch of salt. Knead it all thoroughly, and then let it rest for about fifteen minutes. Flour hands if the dough starts to get sticky, and then roll it into a ball, cover it, and let it rest in a warm place for about 1 hour.
After 1 hour, knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, and then roll the dough with the rolling pin, (do not roll it out too thin.) Afterwards cut the dough into strips 5-6 cm wide with a sharp knife. Then cut the strips on a slant (in order to obtain lozenge shapes).
Deep-fry the Cenci in an abundant amount of very hot oil (¾ peanut oil, ¼ olive oil) for 2-3 minutes per side. If the temperature of the oil is right, the result of the Cenci will be nice and puffy with a golden color (which can be accentuated, if you desire, making them cook a little longer) with the edges a little darker. They are served hot or cold, sprinkled with sugar after they've been dried off on a sheet of kitchen paper.
Note: *Vin Santo Toscana di Caratello, 5-6 years old sweet dessert wine, made in the traditional way handed down by the peasant culture.
Chefs, grazie per tutti!
© February 2005. All rights reserved.
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