HotmailCelebrate food from ‘the foot of the mountains’
Chef Roberto Donna shares favorite dishes and homegrown ingredients from Italy’s Piedmont region. Check out his recipes
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Torino-born chef Roberto Donna owns Galileo, an upscale Italian restaurant based in Washington, D.C., that specializes in Piedmont regional dishes. At his restaurant, chef Donna adheres to a philosophy of food that started in the region — the slow food movement. It snubs its nose at fast dining and is dedicated to the use of authentic ingredients. The daily dishes are made with natural and homemade ingredients, which are often made from scratch. And the restaurant's menu continuously changes with the flavors and seasons of Piedmont. Chef Donna visited “Today” in Torino to share some special foods from this area of Italy.
History of the Bagna Cauda recipe
My summer vacations were spent with my grandparents in the country side of Asti. My grandparents were vegetable gardeners, and during the day I would help them in the field. In the evening, my grandmother would leave the field an hour before my grandfather and I to prepare bagna cauda in the courtyard on a wood burning stove. We would handpick some perfectly ripe peppers, roast them on the charcoal and dip them in my grandmother's sauce.
I remember this well, because one of these summer evenings was the first time that I drank a little too much chilled “Barbera” red wine, hence, my first hangover.
Today, when I return to my grandparents' home, I still have the good fortune of enjoying my grandmother's bagna cauda. At 85 years old, she continues to prepare it in the same manner!
INGREDIENTS
Wash and clean the anchovies, removing all bones.
Clean and thinly slice the garlic cloves.
Heat olive oil and butter in a terracotta pot; when the oil is hot add the anchovies and garlic. Continue to heat over a very low heat until the anchovies melt.
Serve in a terracotta pot over a very small flame in order to keep the bagna cauda hot while it is being enjoyed.
In Piedmont we serve this dish with:
- Roasted peppers
- Roasted onions
- Jerusalem artichokes, thinly sliced — allow them to warm up for a few minutes inside the bagna cauda
- Boiled artichokes
- Thin slices of white truffles
- Peppers marinated with vinegar
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INGREDIENTS
Cut the fatback or bacon (rinded) into thin pieces and make incisions in the meat with the tip of a sharp knife. Stuff the fat inside, then tie with string.
Place the butter and oil in a casserole and melt, then brown the meat on all sides. Add the chopped herbs and garlic, then season with salt and freshly ground pepper, a pinch of cinnamon and a clove. Let it simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the meat and set aside. Place the vegetable mince in the casserole and sweat for a few minutes. Add back the meat and pour a bottle of Barolo wine on top, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for at least three hours. If it dries out, add some meat stock.
When it is tender, remove it from the casserole, untie it, slice it and place the slices overlapping on a serving dish with the cooking juice on top.
Typically served with mashed potatoes.
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