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Polpette di melanzane
by
Frank Fariello
Calificación: 4.0
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%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20cooking%20of%20Puglia,%20the%20region%20that%20encompasses%20the%20'heel'%20of%20the%20Italian%20peninsula%20on%20the%20Adriatic%20Sea,%20deserves%20to%20be%20much%20better%20known.%20It%20practically%20defines%20the%20Mediterranean%20diet,%20with%20a%20strong%20focus%20on%20simply%20prepared%20fruits%20of%20the%20sea%20and%20fresh%20produce%20like%20fava%20beans,%20cime%20di%20rape%20and%20eggplant.%20Puglia%20produces%20some%20of%20the%20best%20olive%20oil%20in%20Italy,%20of%20the%20deep%20green,%20fruity%20kind,%20which%20is%20used%20with%20abandon%20in%20the%20region's%20dishes.%20And%20it%20has%20its%20own%20rustic%20fresh%20pastas,%20made%20with%20semolina%20flour%20and%20water%E2%80%94no%20eggs%E2%80%94that%20come%20two%20typical%20shapes:%20orecchiette,%20concave%20little%20rounds%20of%20pasta%20called%20literally%20'little%20ears'%20and%20cavatelli,%20which%20are%20short%20strips%20of%20pasta%20curled%20(or,%20literally,%20'scooped%20out')%20into%20little%20cylinders.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20have%20a%20special%20fondness%20for%20Puglian%20cooking,%20since%20my%20paternal%20grandfather%20was%20from%20Grumo%20Appula,%20a%20small%20town%20not%20far%20from%20the%20regional%20capital%20of%20Bari.%20But%20my%20knowledge%20of%20the%20cooking%20is%20fairly%20slight.%20Angelina%20did%20all%20the%20cooking%20in%20her%20household,%20and%20she%20was%20from%20neighboring%20Campania.%20I%20did%20get%20to%20know%20a%20few%20dishes,%20including%20orecchiette%20con%20le%20cime%20di%20rape,%20which,%20together%20with%20the%20tiella%20pugliese,%20is%20probably%20the%20best%20known%20dish%20of%20the%20region.%20Angelina%20would%20also%20make%20some%20dishes,%20like%20baked%20chicken%20or%20lamb%20with%20potatoes,%20that%20are%20common%20to%20both%20regions.%20And%20one%20of%20my%20great%20aunts%20would%20make%20a%20wonderful%20calzone%20pugliese,%20a%20kind%20of%20onion%20pie.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20recently%20picked%20up%20a%20lovely%20small%20cookbook%20called%20Puglia:%20A%20Culinary%20Memoire%20by%20Maria%20Pignatelli%20Ferrante,%20originally%20published%20in%20Italian%20as%20La%20Cucina%20delle%20Murge.%20It%20is%20part%20of%20an%20ongoing%20series%20of%20cookbooks,%20each%20featuring%20a%20different%20Italian%20regional%20cuisine%20published%20by%20Oronzo%20Editions.%20One%20recipe%20that%20immediately%20caught%20my%20eye%20was%20polpette%20di%20melanzane,%20or%20eggplant%20'meatballs'.%20It%20is%20made%20almost%20exactly%20like%20classic%20meatballs%20but%20substituting%20the%20flesh%20of%20a%20roasted%20eggplant%20for%20the%20meat%E2%80%94a%20brilliant%20idea,%20given%20the%20'meaty'%20taste%20and%20texture%20of%20eggplant.%20Like%20so%20many%20dishes%20of%20the%20cucina%20povera,%20it%20was%20no%20doubt%20born%20from%20necessity,%20with%20incidentally%20delicious%20results.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIngredients%20(for%204%20servings)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDirections%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ERoast%20the%20eggplant,%20whole%20and%20unpeeled,%20in%20a%20hot%20(200%C2%B0C/400%C2%B0F)%20oven%20for%2015-20%20minutes.%20Remove%20the%20eggplant%20from%20the%20oven%20and%20let%20it%20cool%20a%20bit.%20Skin%20the%20eggplant%20and%20place%20the%20flesh%20into%20a%20food%20processor.%20(If%20you%20find%20the%20flesh%20is%20watery,%20gently%20squeeze%20out%20the%20excess%20liquid%20with%20some%20paper%20towels.)%20Add%20the%20remaining%20ingredients%20(other%20than%20the%20bread%20crumbs)%20and%20process%20until%20well%20amalgamated%20and%20fairly%20smooth.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThen,%20spoonful%20by%20spoonful,%20and%20using%20the%20pulse%20function%20on%20your%20processor,%20mix%20in%20bread%20crumbs%20until%20the%20mixture%20holds%20together%20into%20a%20soft%20but%20workable%20paste.%20(Use%20only%20as%20much%20as%20you%20need,%20no%20more.)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETake%20a%20bit%20of%20the%20mixture%20at%20a%20time,%20form%20little%20'meatballs'.%20Shallow%20fry%20the%20meatballs%20in%20olive%20oil,%20or%20a%20mixture%20of%20olive%20oil%20and%20vegetable%20oil,%20until%20golden%20brown%20on%20all%20sides.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EYou%20can%20serve%20your%20polpette%20as%20is,%20either%20hot%20or%20at%20room%20temperature.%20Served%20this%20way,%20they%20make%20a%20great%20antipasto%20or%20snack.%20In%20the%20alternative,%20you%20can%20simmer%20them%20in%20a%20simple%20sugo%20di%20pomodoro%20(tomato%20sauce)%20made%20with%20a%20soffritto%20of%20onion%20and%20garlic%20for%20a%20vegetarian%20secondo.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFor%20this%20evening's%20dinner,%20I%20made%20a%20vegetarian%20version%20of%20another%20popular%20Puglian%20dish,%20orecchiette%20con%20le%20polpette,%20dressing%20the%20pasta%20with%20the%20sauce,%20topped%20with%20the%20polpette%20and%20some%20grated%20cheese.%20It%20was,%20if%20I%20say%20so%20myself,%20perfectly%20delightful.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}