The Italian Cook Book Part 9

78

LAMB WITH PEAS

(Agnello ai piselli)

Take a piece of lamb from the hind side, lard it with two cloves of garlic cut in little strips and with some sprigs of rosemary. Chop fine a piece of lard and a slice of corned beef. Put the lamb on the fire with this hash and a little oil and let it brown after seasoning with salt and pepper. When it is browned add a piece of b.u.t.ter, some tomato sauce, or tomato paste dissolved in water or soup stock and complete the cooking. Take away the lamb, put the peas in the gravy, and when they have simmered a little and are cooked put back the lamb and serve.

79

SHOULDER OF LAMB

(Spalla d'agnello)

Cut the meat of a shoulder of lamb in small pieces, or squares. Chop two small onions, brown them with a piece of b.u.t.ter and when they are browned put the meat and season with salt and pepper. Wait until the meat begins to brown and then add another piece of b.u.t.ter dipped in flour. Mix the whole and complete the cooking with soup stock or water with bouillon cubes poured in little by little.

80

BREAST OF VEAL STEWED

(Stufatino di petto di vitella)

Break a piece of breast of veal leaving all its bones.

Make a hash with garlic, parsley, celery and carrot; add oil, pepper and salt and put on the fire with the meat. Turn it over often, and when it begins to brown, sprinkle over a pinch of flour and a little tomato sauce or tomato paste diluted in water. Complete the cooking with broth or water. Finally add a piece of b.u.t.ter and pieces of celery cut in big pieces which must have been before half cooked in water and browned in b.u.t.ter. Care must be taken to keep the saucepan always covered, in this as in other stews.

81

VEAL WITH GRAVY

(Vitella in guazzetto)

First take about one pound of veal and tie it well. Then cover the bottom of the saucepan with some thin slices of corned beef and a piece of b.u.t.ter. Over this place half a lemon cut in four thin slices from which the skin and the seeds must be removed. Over all this put the veal which must be well browned on all sides, but care must be taken not to burn it on account of the small quant.i.ty of liquid. Afterward, remove the superfluous fat and pour over a cup of hot milk, that has boiled.

Cover the saucepan and complete the cooking. Before serving rub the gravy through a sieve.

82

TRIPE WITH GRAVY

Boil some tripe in water and when it is boiled, cut it in strips, one quarter of an inch wide and wipe it well with a cloth. Then put it in a saucepan with b.u.t.ter, and when this is melted, add some brown stock or good tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper, cook thoroughly and add a pinch of grated cheese before taking from the saucepan.

83

VEAL LIVER IN GRAVY

(Fegato di vitella al sugo)

Chop fine a scallion or an onion, make it brown in oil and b.u.t.ter, and when it has taken a dark red color, throw in the liver cut in thin slices. When half cooked season with salt, pepper and a pinch of chopped parsley. Make it simmer on a low fire so that the gravy remains, and serve in its gravy, squeezing over some lemon juice when sent to the table.

In this and in similar cases, when using scallions or onions, some advise putting these in a cloth after being chopped and dip them in cold water squeezing them dry after.

84

MUTTON CUTLETS AND FILET OF VEAL

(Braciuole di castrato e filetto di vitella)

Put in saucepan a slice of ham, some b.u.t.ter, a little bunch composed of carrot, celery and stems of parsley and over this some whole cutlets of mutton seasoned with salt and pepper. Make them brown on both sides, add another piece of b.u.t.ter, if necessary, and add to the cutlets some chicken giblets, sweetbreads and fresh or dry mushrooms (the latter softened in water), all cut in pieces. When all this begins to brown, pour some soup stock and let it simmer on a low fire. Sprinkle a little flour and finally pour a winegla.s.s (or half a tumbler) of white wine leaving it boil a little more. When ready to serve remove the ham and the greens, rub the gravy through a sieve and remove the superfluous fat.

85

TENDERLOIN WITH MARSALA

(Filetto al marsala)

Roll a piece of the tenderloin, tie it and, if it is about two pounds, put it on the fire with a middle-sized onion cut in thin slices, some thin slices of ham and a piece of b.u.t.ter, seasoning but moderately with salt and pepper. When it is browned from all sides and the onion is consumed, sprinkle a pinch of flour, let this take color and then pour some soup stock or water. Make it simmer on a low fire, then rub the gravy through a sieve, skim off the fat and with this and half a small tumbler of Marsala or Sherry wine put it back on the fire to simmer again. Serve with the gravy neither too liquid nor too thick.

The filet can also be larded with bacon and cooked in b.u.t.ter and Marsala only.

86

MEAT GENOVESE

(Carne alla Genovese)

Take thick slices of good lean veal, weighing about a pound, beat it and flatten it well. Beat three or four eggs, season them with salt and pepper, a pinch of grated cheese and some chopped parsley. Fry the eggs in b.u.t.ter in the form of an omelet about the size of the meat over which it will be laid, cutting it where it overlaps and putting the pieces where it lacks so as to cover the meat entirely. After that roll tight the meat together with the omelet and tie it with thread. Then sprinkle some flour over it and put it in a saucepan with a piece of b.u.t.ter, seasoning with salt and pepper. When it is well browned on all sides, pour some soup stock to complete the cooking and serve it in its gravy which will be thick enough on account of the flour.

87

RICE PUDDING WITH GIBLETS

(Sfornato di riso con rigoglie)

Make a good brown stock (see No. 13) and use the same for the rice as well as for the giblets. To these add some thin slices of ham and brown them first in b.u.t.ter, seasoned moderately with salt and pepper, completing the cooking with brown stock. A taste of mushrooms will be found useful.

Brown the rice equally in b.u.t.ter, then complete the cooking with hot water. Drain and put the brown stock, adding grated cheese and two beaten eggs, when the rice has cooled a little.

Take a smooth mold, round or oval, grease it evenly with b.u.t.ter, cover the bottom with b.u.t.tered paper and place in it the rice to harden it in the oven. When taken from the mold pour over the gravy from the giblets, slightly thickened with a pinch of flour and serve with the giblets around, seeing that there is plenty of gravy for them.

88