Ragu di Turchia Bolognese

The recipe, Ragu Bolognese, has graced this blog on more than one occasion.  I first made a Pappardelle with Spicy Lamb Ragu back in 2012 using a recipe from a cookbook by Josh Wesson, a renown wine expert. A few years later, in 2016, I made another recipe, Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, based on a recipe out of the Eataly cookbook. This second recipe brought me closer - in fact, very close, to the original dish. 

However, if one wants the authentic dish, then one has to travel to Bologna, a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. This region is considered the culinary capital; and, the city of Bologna is often considered the home of this pasta dish. After all, it is Ragu Bolognese. The association between the city and the dish is so strong that the Bologna Delegation of the Italian Academy of Cuisine patented the recipe with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce in 1982. 

While the patented recipe can be found online for anyone to enjoy, I decided to make my own twist to this famous dish. The original Ragu Bolognese calls for the use of beef (as in the patented recipe) and pork. My beautiful Angel does not eat beef or pork, but I wanted to make this dish for her. She eats turkey, so I substituted the ground turkey (a mixture of 85% meat, 15% fat) for the beef. I also dispensed with the pancetta (and, for that reason, I relied upon a ground turkey mixture with a higher fat content). Finally, the authentic (and patented) recipe calls for "a little broth." My guess is that a little broth means a little beef broth. Once again, to make this dish for my Angel, I used a little turkey stock.

These changes pushed this dish outside the scope of an authentic, traditional Ragu Bolognese. While it may not be authentic, the thing about this dish is that it has evolved as it has traveled beyond the borders of the region. Recipes in other regions of Italy have substituted pork for beef, even going so far as to use small meatballs as called for recipes in Abruzzo or Calabria. And, then there are the variations on the pasta used to make the dish. Perhaps that discussion is best left for another post at a later time. 

RAGU DI TURCHIA BOLOGNESE

Recipe adapted from Travel Emilia Romagna

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2/3 pound of ground turkey (preferably at least 85%/15%)
• 3/4 cup carrots, diced
• 3/4 cup celery stalk, diced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 5 3/4 cups of tomato sauce or peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 glass of dry white wine
• 1/2 glass of whole milk
• A little turkey stock
  
• Extra virgin olive oil or butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 glass of cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Begin sautéing the ingredients. First dice then chop the pancetta with a mezzaluna knife. The melt in a terracotta or aluminum thick pan of about 7 inches deep. Combine 3 tablespoons of oil or 1/4 cup of butter and the finely chopped vegetables and let them gook gently. Add the minced meet and mix well with a ladle until it is cooked and it "sizzles."

2. Continue cooking the mixture. Pour in the wine and stir gently until the alcohol is completely evaporated.  Add in the passata or peeled tomatoes, cover and simmer slowly for about 2 hours, adding broth when necessary, then add the milk at the end to counteract the acidity of the tomato. Season with salt. In the end, when the sauce is ready, according to Bolognese use, add the cream if it is to season dry pasta. For tagliatelle, use as is.

ENJOY!

Arista-Style Turkey with Tuscan Chestnut Stuffing (Savage Boleks' Thanksgiving 2021)

It is interesting how a decision to depart from a tradition could, itself, turn into a tradition.  Nearly two years ago, I decided to try prepare a Christmas dinner that was different than what the traditional Italian holiday meal that my family has prepared for more than fifty years. I prepared a turkey in the style of a Tuscan pork roast. That experience gave rise to a blog post, Turkey in the Arista Style with Tuscan Bread Stuffing. My beautiful Angel loved the meal so much, both the turkey and the stuffing, that I have made the dish a few times since that holiday dinner. And, now, it has officially become the traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the Savage Boleks. 

Yet, a turkey in the arista style is itself a departure from tradition in another sense. Since the dawn of the thirteenth century, an arista has always been a pork roast. That roast evolved over time to what it is today: a mass of porcine goodness covered in a rub consisting primarily of rosemary and garlic, along with other ingredients, such as lemon, cloves and/or fennel seeds. While recipes change, the one constant is that the protein used in an arista comes from some part of a pig, either a roast or the loin. The use of a turkey is a break from that tradition. Yet, it is a good break. The reason is simple: much like pork, turkey meat provides a tableau upon which all of the flavors used in the rub come together to provide a culinary image of Tuscan flavors.  If pork is the other white meat, then turkey is the other, other white meat.

The arista-style turkey is just the beginning of this new Savage-Bolek tradition. Another important aspect is the stuffing and, because I make so much of it, the dressing. (As you may know, it is stuffing if it is stuffed in the bird; it is dressing if it is baked alongside the bird.) This stuffing is a culinary mélange of Tuscan flavors and aromas. It begins with the bread, which is focaccia. The bread is cut up and toasted until the moisture is removed. One then adds in diced pancetta (or, if that person is me cooking for my beautiful Angel, diced turkey bacon), along with diced turkey heart, liver and gizzard (that is, all of the giblets in the package provided with the turkey). This step is followed by the addition of the traditional elements of a stuffing, namely, diced onion, celery and carrots. Finally, just before the liquid (turkey stock) is added, one adds a heaping 1/4 cup of rosemary, sage and the chestnuts. after the liquid is added, the ingredients are mixed well, left to marry for an hour and then stuffed into the bird or placed in a dish to be baked.

This stuffing or dressing is perhaps the best stuffing that I have ever made. One does not have to take my word for it, my beautiful Angel has made similar proclamations. This stuffing or dressing pairs perfectly with the ingredients used to make the arista-style turkey. There are major connections in terms of flavor, with the use of turkey bacon and rosemary. Yet, the stuffing or dressing adds to the flavors of the turkey with the use of sage and chestnuts. 

The recipe set forth below is not the same recipe that I used back in 2019. I have made some modifications based upon my subsequent efforts to make this dish. The two major changes are as follows: (1) I have incorporated the juice from the zested lemons into the marinade, as a way to utilize all of the ingredients; (2) I increased the amount of times that I baste the turkey with the juices and butter from once every hour to once every 40 minutes; and (3) I added an uncovered/covered/uncovered sequence to roasting the bird. While this additional work extends the cooking time a little, it is definitely worth it if you are trying to get crispy, brown skin on  the bird. 

ARISTA-STYLE TURKEY

WITH TUSCAN CHESTNUT STUFFING

Turkey recipe adapted from Reinhardt Hess & Sabine Salzer, 

Regional Italian Cuisine, pp. 148-49

Tuscan Bread Stuffing Recipe adapted from Tasting Table

Serves many

Ingredients (for the turkey):

1 whole turkey (about 12 pounds)

4 lemons, zested and juiced

8 to 10 sprigs of rosemary

10 cloves of garlic

4 teaspoons of fennel seeds

4 pinches of ground cloves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

1 stick of unsalted butter

Ingredients (for the stuffing):

1 1/2 pounds ciabatta bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

8 ounces pancetta, small dice

1 package turkey liver and gizzards (from 1 large turkey)

2 medium carrots, peeled and small dice

2 celery stalks, small dice

1 large yellow onion, small dice

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 cups turkey stock + 2 cups of turkey stock

1 cup roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 cup minced sage

1/4 cup minced rosemary

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Prepare the turkey.  Rinse the turkey well.  Pat the turkey dry.  Separate the skin from the turkey so that you can apply the rub directly onto the meat. Combine the lemon zest, rosemary, fennel seeds, ground cloves, garlic, salt and black pepper into a small bowl.  Mix well. Juice the lemons and pour into a separate bowl.  Whisk in olive oil with the lemon juice and then add it to the small bowl with the dry ingredients to create a paste. Add additional olive oil, if necessary, to create that paste.  Continue to mix.  Once the paste has the desired consistency, apply it to all parts of the turkey, including under the skin.  Reserve some of the rub for basting. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

2.  Prepare the stuffing.  Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lay out the bread on a baking sheet and bake until dry, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Transfer the bread to a huge bowl.  While the bread is baking, heat the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often until the pancetta is crispy and the fat has rendered, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to the bowl with the bread.  Drain the fat into a separate bowl. Add back 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fat to the pan and add the liver and gizzards.  Cook the ingredients, turning as needed until golden and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes for the liver and 8 to 10 minutes for the gizzard.  Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop, then add to the stuffing bowl.

3.  Continue to prepare the stuffing.  Add a little more of the pancetta fat back to the pan.  Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan.  Sweat the ingredients until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.  Transfer the vegetables to the stuffing bowl.   Add the butter to the pan and cook until it begins to brown and has a nutty aroma.  6 to 8 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the cream to warm through.  Add the butter mixture to the stuffing bowl with the remaining ingredients (namely, the turkey stock).  Using your hands, mix the stuffing to incorporate.  Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. 

4.  Prepare to roast the turkey.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Stuff the turkey's cavities with the stuffing, and place the remaining stuffing in a baking dish.  Roast the turkey for about 3 hours or until the turkey's internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. I roast the turkey uncovered for about the first hour and twenty minutes, cover the bird for the next hour and twenty minutes, and then leave the bird uncovered for the rest of the time. Baste the turkey approximately every 40 minutes with melted butter that has some of the rub mixed into it.  Once the turkey reaches that temperature, remove the turkey from the oven and cover it.  Place the baking dish full of dressing in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes, or until the dressing begins to crisp on the surface.  Remove the stuffing and set on the stove to cool.

5.  Prepare the au jus.  Drain the liquid from the roasting pan into a separator.  Pour the juices into a pot, along with 2 cups of the turkey stock. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary.  Bring to a boil under medium high heat and reduce to a simmer.  Allow to simmer until you are ready to serve. 

6.  Finish the dish.  Spoon the stuffing and dressing into a serving bowls (one for the stuffing and another for the dressing).  Slice the turkey and place on a serving dish.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Sweet Pepper and White Bean Soup

Mario Batali introduces a recipe for sweet pepper and white bean soup in words that are seemingly quintessential Mario: "The creamy bass notes of white beans play perfectly against the high-hat brightness of the peppers' sweet acidity, extending the spectrum of flavor to the perimeter of yum."

The thing about Mario Batali is that he is exactly on point when it comes to this recipe.  The white beans have a creamy note that fulfills the base of this dish.  I expected the beans to do this, so it is not a great surprise.  What shocked me is the range of those red bell peppers.  I have always known that bell peppers are sometimes called "sweet peppers," because, quite frankly, most other peppers are considered "hot peppers."  However, the red peppers provided an unexpected, yet completely welcomed, sweetness that did, in fact, elevate the soup to levels that I did not expect.

The one thing that Mario left out about the recipe is its versatility.  I made this recipe for my beautiful Angel, who is no fan of pancetta and does not eat chicken.  I substituted turkey bacon for the pancetta and vegetable stock for the chicken stock.  The only difference was the color, which became a more deep red (due to the vegetable stock).  I am sure that other substitutions could be made, such as different beans or even the use of chickpeas in the place of the beans.

In the end, my soup differed from Mario's recipe.  The vegetable stock and turkey bacon provide different flavors than chicken stock and pancetta.  However, Mario's description is still appropriate because the main stars of this soup -- the sweet pepper and white beans -- still perform flawlessly, providing the sweetness and creamy bass notes as Mario suggests.

SWEET PEPPER AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Recipe adapted from America Farm to Table by Mario Batali at pg. 73

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (homemade or low sodium-store bought)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice

4 fresh sage leaves

1/4 pound pancetta or bacon, cut into 1/4 inch dice

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

3 red bell peppers, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch dice

2 (15 ounce) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Saute the pancetta, onions and peppers.   In a medium pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil.  In a Dutch oven, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until almost smoking.  Add the onion, sage and pancetta.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the onion is slightly browned.  Mix in the tomato paste and the bell peppers and continue to cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes more.  

2.  Make the soup.  Add the boiling chicken stock to the Dutch oven and return to a boil.  Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  In small batches, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, then pour into the pot in which you heated the stock.  Add the white beans and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  

3.  Serve the soup.  Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly cracked pepper.

ENJOY!  

Risotto dei Maiali che Cercano i Tartufi

After having made Seafood Risotto and Risotto dello Zafferano con il Calamaro ed i Pettini, I decided to make a risotto with meat.  A lot of meat. This recipe includes two types of pork: pancetta and rubbed black forest bacon.  However, the meat is balanced by the use of mushrooms and sage.  

Finally, I decided to use truffles.  Well, not actual truffles, because those sell for about $100 a pound.  Instead, I used a little truffle oil, which provides the hint of that earthy ingredient.  

For me, this recipe represents the first time that I let my creativity go wild.  As I made this recipe, I pictured pigs hunting through the forest for mushrooms and the elusive truffle.  You can taste the truffle, but you cannot find it.  This picture led to the name -- "Risotto dei Maiali che Cerchano i Tarfufi" -- roughly translates as the Risotto of Pigs Hunting Truffles.

RISOTTO DEI MAIALI CHE CERCHANO I TARTUFI
Serves 2-3
A Chef Bolek Original

Ingredients:
1/4 pound of pancetta, diced
1/3 pound of black forest bacon, diced
1 package of dried porcini mushrooms (rehydrated, with mushroom liqueur reserved)
1 cup of arborio rice
3 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of white wine (I used Orvieto, a very good Umbrian wine)
1 package of sage
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 clove shallots, diced
1/2 medium-sized sweet onion, diced
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Truffle oil

Directions:

1.  Rehydrate the porcini mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms and set aside.  Strain the liquid and reserve it for use later.

2.  Combine the chicken stock and reserved mushroom liquor in a pot on high.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Then add the crushed red pepper and a few sage leaves.  Stir and heat until it is very warm but do not let it boil.  

3.  Heat a medium sized pot on medium.  Add pancetta and saute for about four to five minutes. You want to cook the pancetta for a while to draw out the fat, which will help to cook the rest of the risotto.  Stir occasionally to avoid burning the pancetta. After the fat is drawn out, which takes about 5 minutes, add the onion, shallots and garlic.  Saute these ingredients for about 4-5 minutes, allowing them to sweat and to mix the flavors with the pancetta.  Stir occasionally to avoid anything from burning.

4.  Now, add the arborio rice.  Stir the rice to make sure that it is coated with the pancetta, onion, shallot, and garlic.  All of the rice should be covered.  You should mix it only for only about a minute or so.  Then, add 1 cup of white wine.  Allow the wine to be absorbed by the rice, stirring occasionally to ensure that it does not burn on the bottom of the pot.

5.  Once the wine is almost absorbed (but not entirely), add about a cup of the chicken stock/mushroom liquor to the rice and continue to stir occasionally.  Once this liquid is absorbed by the rice, add another cup.  Continue to add the stock/liqueur until the arborio rice is al dente (tender but not too crisp). 

6.  When the arborio rice is becoming tender, heat a separate pan on high.  Add the bacon and begin to saute the bacon.  After 3-4 minutes, add the mushrooms and sage.  Continue to cook the bacon, mushrooms and sage for another 3-4 minutes. 

7.  When the arborio rice is al dente and the bacon is cooked through, combine the bacon/mushroom/sage mixture with the arborio rice and stir it very well.  Drizzle olive oil infused with truffles over the risotto and mix it again very well.  Plate it by spooning a large amount into a bowl.

ENJOY!