Orecchiette with Pork Belly Sausage and Spring Vegetables

         

          Visitors to Puglia elude Bari. They might of heard that Bari is unsafe, that no one should ever go into the old part of town dubbed "Bari Vecchio". For the food lover, the most seductive part of Bari Vecchio is the "Quartiere delle Orecchiette." It is two short alleys lined with women seated outside their houses making Orecchiette, the way their mothers and grandmothers made it. And its not to be overlooked.

          If I had an Italian Grandmother from Puglia, and she were to come to visit me in California, then I would like to fancy that this is a dish that she would cook for me. You see... Italian food is all about using the abundance around you. And California has a profuseness amount of produce to choose from. The humble beginnings of Orecchiette or “Little Ears” started during medieval times. The peasants only consumed pasta twice a year, Christmas and Easter. The nobles would allow them to sweep up the burnt wheat “Farina Arsa” from the floor of the mill, and they would mix this with pure flour to stretch the dough. Orecchiette was created during this time. And the rare flour to America “Farina Arsa” is still used in parts of Puglia.

           My Interpretation is roused by the bounty of green vegetables we gather in the spring from the farmers markets in southern California along with the Orecchiette which is the star of the show. They pair so perfect with sausage and chopped rapini because of their similarity in size. 

           While dining at a local dim sum restaurant in Orange County we were introduced to Pea Tendrils sauteed in garlic. And when I say introduced I mean the use of cooking the pea tendrils with the stems on. You see in all of the fine dining and fussy restaurants i have worked in, we would take the leaves off the stem. It is so natural and unpretentious to leave them on the stem. That was my Italian minded motive to serve them with this shape of pasta. ENJOY !!!

The digital video is designed for you to work through the dish on your handheld media device. 

For the Semolina Pasta Dough you will need:

4 1/4 Cups of Fancy Durum Wheat Flour (Semolina)

1 1/4 Cups of Water

          

         Combine the semolina flour and water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Turn off the mixer and remove the paddle attachment, and replace it with the dough hook on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a flour dusted work surface and knead for 20 to 25 minutes until smooth and silky. Wrap in plastic and let sit for 1 hour in the refrigerator. 

         Roll the pasta into thin logs. Cut with a knife into like size small pieces. With the back of the knife press the dough into the cutting board and smear the dough which will create the desired tearing effect on the surface. Wrap around your thumb and pinch.  

You will also need for this recipe:

1 1/4 # of Pork Shoulder Butt

1/1/4 # of Pork Belly

2 Calabrian Chilis

1 Tablespoon of Salt

1 Tablespoon of Sugar

1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon of Black Peppercorns

2 each Calabrian Chili’s (Tutto Calabria Brand) or you 

can use 1 each Red Fresno Chili

12 garlic cloves

1 Sweet Onion

1 Carrot

1 medium sized Fennel

3 Pieces of Green Onion

1 tablespoon of fresh mint

4 tablespoons of Butter

1 to 2 cups of chicken stock

1/4 pound of pea tenrils

Brioche or Challah for Breadcrumbs

Finishing Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A chunk of Parmesan

1 Meyer Lemon or Regular Lemon

1 cup of sugar snaps sliced

1/2 pound of fresh fava beans

Dungeness Crab Chitarra

I am not going to write you out a precise recipe for this dish, because there really is none. This is all techniqueYou can't go out and buy a can of crab from the store and toss it with pasta either. That won't work. If you've done that your missing the point. There are probably more steps than you are used to accomplish this dish.              First off catching a whole crab would be the first step. You have the luxury of going to 99 ranch market and picking out your crabs. And If you think about it... the ingredients are very simple. Pasta, crab, chili, scallion, a little lemon and olive oil. Topped with breadcrumbs. Now let me break it down for you. Lets breath romance and a little soul into the dish. So when your friends come over you will have something to talk about.             The most key ingredient in and pasta dish is and always will be the pasta. Americans are used to overcooked soggy noodles covered in sauce. To the point where the noodles are second to the sauce. A good friend and a Roman Italian took me under his wing when i was a young cook and asked me too cook him a plate of Al dente ( To the tooth) spaghetti with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil. He had me sit down and taste it with him. He told me this was his favorite way to eat pasta. It then dawned on me that the exaggeration was given to me to impress the importance to me the Italian appreciation and pleasure of the pure noodle. And then it dawned on me. Not to focus on the sauce. But to focus on the noodle. And the flour that makes that noodle. For this recipe I use Chitarra. Or.... Guitar Strings. A sheet of pasta is literally pressed through a handheld wood machine made up of guitar strings. The result is a square noodle similar to spaghetti. It is made up of semolina and water. I use Abruzzo Rustico brand for this and you can find it from whole foods.               The rest is very simple. We buy fresh dungeness crab. Cut off the legs and poach them for 3 to 5 minutes in hot water. Then crack the meat out of them. Crack open the heads and steam them. Then scrape out the heads and puree the crab essence in a blender. I like to add a little sea urchin into the mix with the crab head essence. It helps thicken the sauce and give it a sweet oceanic flavor. The we make a stock out of onion, leek and all the crab shells. The stock is reduced down until it has a deep rich flavor. Slice a little red fresno chili and scallions. Chop some garlic. Cut a lemon in half. And have a bottle of good quality olive oil and a nub of butter on hand. I also have a calabrian chili paste from Tutto Calabria on hand that you can buy on amazon.               The breadcrumbs are actually called Pan Gratada. Pan gratada was use by the peasants because they could not afford Parmesan Cheese. It is basically flavored bread crumbs. Tear some rustic bread. Pan fry it in EVOO until crispy and golden brown on all sides. Add in chopped garlic, anchovies and lightly brown the garlic. Finish with a little chili flake, lemon zest, salt, pepper and parsley. Process until you have course breadcrumbs and then return to the pan to fry and get crispy. Cool on a flat plate so they don't steam.              Cook the pasta until "Al dente." Remember !!! You want to finish the very slightly toothsome pasta in the sauce. The Italian term is "To Drag" it in the sauce. Meanwhile In a saute pan fry a little garlic and chili in olive oil. Add the white part of the scallion and sweat. Add your crab stock and butter. Fold in the crab, a little squeeze of lemon. Gently toss and finish the pasta in the sauce. At this time add your crab head essence. You can always add a little pasta water if the pan is to dry. Add your green scallion, a little olive oil, Top with some breadcrumbs... And Enjoy !!!

Shortrib Ravioli with Chicken Liver Toscani and Balsamic Brown Butter

   

This is one of my favorite meat filled raviolis. And it is for the die hard cook. Not for the amateur food critic and bloggers that grace our restaurant dining tables. Or the so called foodies who are an experts on everything but nothing. Yes my friends this recipe is intended for a real cook. I dare you to try it. What I love most about the filling is the fact that all of the braising vegetables are incorporated into the filling. And the only liquid used is red wine and water. The Italians use water in much of their soups and braising liquids to keep the flavor of what they are cooking pure. You don't need to add a rich stock to the braise because you don't want the filling to be gelatinous and wet which will make the pasta dough wet. You just want to keep the integrity of the rich short rib. The second thing I love about this recipe is the fact that the sauce is thickened with a chicken liver puree fortified with pancetta, thyme, onions, capers, balsamic vinegar and sherry vinegar. Don't let the chicken liver puree mislead you. It holds up to but doesn't overpower the rich short rib ravioli and lends a rich flavor to the sauce.


Makes about 60 ravioli


Short Rib Filling


3   TBLS of extra virgin olive oil             In a large, ovenproof skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over
1   White Onion, small dice                      medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and and lower the heat
1/2 Celery stalk, cut into small dice          to medium, cook until soft and barely browned around the 
2   Pounds of Boneless beef shortrib,       edges. Take out the vegetables and transfer to a plate. Increase
     trimmed and cut into large chunks      the heat to high and add the seasoned room temperature short
2   cups of red wine                                 ribs. Working in batches and not crowding the pan. Brown the
1   cup of hand torn San Marzano,          meat on all sides. Add back the vegetables and add the wine.
     tomatoes                                             Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a
1   tsp of fresh rosemary, chopped           simmer. Stir in the tomatoes and rosemary. Allow the mixture
1  recipe of my Basic Pasta Dough,        to come to a boil. If you need to add water to barely cover then 
    see "Peas of Mind" Post                      do so. 
    Kosher Salt and Black Pepper             note: I also love to add about one cup of portobello mushroom
                                                                with the vegetables. It gives a nice texture and depth to the mix.


Chicken Liver Toscani

1    pound chicken liver, cleaned                           

2    tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 pound pancetta, small dice

3/4 cup finely diced white onion

2    teaspoons thyme

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

      splash sherry vinegar

1/4 pound unsalted butter, 

      cut into small cubes and slightly softened

season the livers with salt and pepper on both sides

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl the olive oil into the pan and wait another minute. Carefully place the livers in the pan without crowding them (you may have to do this in batches.) Sear the livers on the first side for a minute or two until they are nicely caramelized. Turn them over, and cook one more minute until they are just medium rare. Transfer them to a platter or baking sheet.

Return the pan to the stove, lower the heat to medium and add the pancetta. Cook about 4 minutes stirring often until the pancetta is just starting to crisp. Add the onions and thyme, season with salt and pepper and cook another 4-5 minutes until the pancetta is crispy but still tender and the onions are translucent and just starting to color. Transfer the onions and pancetta to a platter or baking sheet to cool.

Chop 1/3 of the livers and add to a large bowl with 1/3 of the onions. Place the rest of the onions, pancetta and liver in the bowl of a food processor.

Return the pan to the stove over low heat and add the vinegar. Reduce the vinegar to a glaze and then pour it into the food processor (using a rubber spatula to scrape all of it in.) Puree the livers and then add the butter little by little to the food processor pulsing all the time until it’s completely incorporated. Transfer the puree to the large bowl and fold in the chopped liver and remaining onions and pancetta. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and a splash of sherry vinegar if you like.

To make the ravioli

Using a pasta machine, roll out the dough on the 2nd thinnest setting. I use the Atlas Mercado pasta roller and find that for raviolis i like to roll it out to the 2nd to last setting. If the pasta is too thin then it will tear. To thick and it takes over the filling. You will have to adjust to your pasta machine. Lay a sheet of pasta on a floured work surface. Place 1 tablespoon of the chilled beef filling about 2 inches apart form each other. Brush the pasta with an egg wash. Lay another sheet of pasta over top. Gently with the palms of your hand. Press around each filling to push out the air and compact the filling. Cut with your favorite ravioli cutter. Make sure to lay the raviolis on a heavily floured plate or they will stick. I also like to stick them in the freezer about 45 minutes before i use them. This firms up the pasta but does not freeze the filling. So you end up with a nice al dente pasta and a hot luscious filling. 

To Finish the Dish 

Drop your raviolis in boiling salted water. I like to cook about 10 to 12 at a time for the size pan this recipe calls for. 

Meanwhile. Working quickly In an 8 to 10 inch saute pan heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter in a saute pan until it begins to brown but not scorch. Add the a large spoon of chicken livers toscani into the pan and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with a splash of the red wine that you are drinking at that moment along with a slash of balsamic vinegar.  Let the sauce come together. If it looks broken then add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water that you are cooking the raviolis in to bring it back. Immediately add in in your drained raviolis once they are just cooked. About 2 minutes. Plate. Pour over the sauce. Scant some chopped parsley. And grate over some Pecorino Romano over top. 

For a more luxurious sauce. Add a couple drops of black truffle oil or canned sliced black truffles into the sauce. 

ENJOY !!! I know you will. 

Chocolate and Sea Salt

Chocolate Pudding "Fregolata" with Sea Salt and Espresso Infused Olive Oil

On a Trip to the bay area last year we had the pleasure of dining at A16. One single dish stood out to me more that any other item on the menu. It was the chocolate pudding with sea salt and olive oil. It was so simply sublime. I vowed that one day I would recreate it. This Chocolate Pudding or in Italian "Budino" rest on top of a chocolate shortbread "Fregolata." I finish it with Cypress sea salt flakes and a drizzle of espresso infused olive oil. It is very simple and does not required a p.h.d. in baking. All you will need is a blend of soul, intuition and grace. 


For the Chocolate Shortbread Tart Shells


2 egg yolks
1 Tbs Heavy Cream
1 3/4 cups of "00" flour or All purpose
1/2 Cup of unsweetened Cocoa Powder
7 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt


In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream and set aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine butter, sugar, vanilla and salt and mix on medium speed for three minutes until creamy and smooth. Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients all at once and mix until barely combined. Drizzle in the egg mixture and mix briefly. Chill the dough in plastic wrap. When the dough is chilled mold into buttered tart shells and eight of an inch thick and set in freezer until very cold. Bake off at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until dry.


For the Chocolate Pudding 


7 oz of bittersweet chocolate ( Good Quality) chopped
1 1/2 oz of milk chocolate chopped
1/2 cup whole milk
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup of sugar
2 cups of heavy cream


Combine chocolates over a double boiler on low to melt the chocolate. Meanwhile warm the milk until barely simmering. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar and gradually whisk in the warm milk. When the chocolate has melted strain the milk mixture over the chocolate and mix. In a small pot warm half the cream over medium heat to simmer. Remove from heat and stir into the chocolate mixture. Then stir in the remaining cream. Pour into a baking dish and cover. Put baking dish into a water bath and bake at 300 degrees for about 50 to 60 minutes. Or until the edges are set and the the center is loose but slightly set. Mix the pudding and chill for at least four hours to set. 


For the espresso infuse olive oil 


I like to use a fruity olive oil to help contrast the bitter flavor of the espresso.


You will simply blend 1 cup of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of espresso beans. Chill the oil after it has been blended and don't strain out the little bits. 


To serve you will place about a quarter cup of chocolate pudding into each tart shell. Garnish with a sprinkle of sea salt and a generous drizzle of the espresso olive oil.


ENJOY !!!

PEAS OF MIND

English Pea Ravioli with Merguez Sausage Ragu and Mint

This recipe is a perfect pairing. The spicy North African Lamb sausage and the sweet pea ravioli all tied together with cooling mint. So.......
How many peas equal 1# of shucked and split?That would be One thousand Two Hundred and Eighty One in case you were wondering. I have been trying to perfect the filling for an english pea ravioli and unfortunately this was my only remedy. You see when you process all of the peas with there skins it is like eating little shards of plastic, that inter-fear with the filling. Remove each skin and you are left with a creamy bright filling that melts in your mouth. Now if i was patient enough to use a food mill then i think it would pass the pea through the mill and leave the skins behind. Please let me know if this works. I encourage you when english peas are not in season to use frozen. They are picked at there peak and blanched just right. Allow about 2 hours for shucking time. Feel free to split this recipe in half if you are not up for the challenge. A full batch will make about 50 raviolis.

FOR THE FILLING

You will need; 1 # of shucked frozen peas with their skins removed. 1.5 cups of blanched and chopped mint leaves, 3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 a cup of cream and season with salt and pepper.

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to form a coarse paste.

FOR THE MERGUEZ SAUSAGE RAGU

You will need 1 # of merguez sausage removed from casing.
1 28 oz can of peeled tomatoes. I use Carmelina from Italy. It is almost mandatory to use a Italian canned tomato product. A half of Carrot grated. A half of a sweet onion diced, two cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of thyme leaves, three tablespoons of Olive Oil and about 5 mint leaves torn in half.

First we are going to start off by sweating the onions and chopped garlic in the olive oil. When the onions start to get golden around the edges add in the carrots and thyme. Sweat for a couple more minutes to cook out the raw flavor from the carrots and then add in the canned Italian tomatoes. Let simmer adding a little water if it becomes too thick. Cook for about 30 minutes and then puree. Pass through a fine mesh strainer into a pot. Add in your merguez sausage and skim off some off the fat. Cook through. Add in the mint leaves and then pulse in a food processor until you have a smooth but course ragu.




FOR THE PASTA

The renowned Italian Chef from Philadelphia Mark Vetri gave us this recipe when I worked at Tavern. It uses all egg yolks which give it a nice color and fat content which creates a nice elasticity to form around a filling. It also uses tipo "OO" Caputo flour from Naples Italy and Extra Fancy Durum wheat flour both found on Amazon.com. I have altered his recipe and added milk instead of water to the dough which is a trick I learned from my old Chef Alex Stratta. When rolling out the dough it is important to get it very thin but not too thin. You don't want the filling to be lost with too much pasta. But you want to taste the pasta as well. You will need;

6.5 oz of Tipo "00" Flour, plus more for dusting
2.5 oz of Durum Wheat Flour
9 Large egg Yolks
3 to 4 Tablespoons of Milk
1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine All ingredients in a Stand Mixer fitted with a dough hook. And mix on Medium speed for about 5 minutes until shiny and elastic. If the dough is not coming together add a couple drops of milk until it comes clean from the side of the bowl.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Cut the dough into 6 pieces and roll on the largest setting on a pasta machine. I use an Atlas pasta roller. You can find them at Sur La Table. On my machine with 9 being the thinnest I roll it out to a 7. Make sure to dust the counter with flour to prevent form sticking. Also dust a plate with flour that you are going to put your finished raviolis on. You are going to cut your sheets into 3 inch squares. Turn the squares so the points are at 12 O'clock. Pipe a little pea filling into the center of the sheets and brush with a little egg whites. Form a triangle from the 6 O'clock position to the 12 O'clock position. Roll the filling side upward and grab the two corners tucking them downward and underneath the filling, one on top of the other like you are crossing their legs or forming an X. This is called Cappelacci. You can find variations on youtube if you need a visual.

To finish the dish heat up the Merguez Sausage Ragu and add a little chopped mint.
Get another pan on medium heat and drop a decent amount of butter into the pan.
At the same time drop about 10 raviolis into a pot of lightly salted boiling water.
Add whole mint leaves and some sugar snap peas sliced on the bias into the butter and allow to slightly brown.
Dropp the pasta in the brown butter and gently toss in the brown butter
Place a small pool of the Merguez Sausage ragu onto a plate and top with the raviolis, peas and mint.
Garnish with Parmesan Shards.

Tuna Conserva vs. Chicken of the Sea

   On a fellow chefs travels to Spain she brought us back a smorgasbord of canned seafood critters ranging from baby octopus and barnacles, to mussels and clams. We devoured them with a piquant vinegar sauce and to our delight it ruined any memories of the conveyer belt canned tuna we had grown to know. In some parts of the world these canned treasures are a delicacy and you will pay top dollar for them.
    Working for suzanne I can remember the Ortiz Ventresca Tuna de Bonito del Norte that was shipped in from Spain to top our Pan Bagnat. A Niscoise style tuna sandwich that boasted the olive oil packed tuna on french baguette dressed with a little lemon and caper, and topped with aioli, soft boiled eggs and tapenade. I can still taste in to this day. It brings me back.
    Take the massed production capitalist american water filled chicken of the sea. And weight it in next to the hand selected delicately poached olive oil packed european tuna and there is no winner by decision. It is a clear knockout in the first round. The referee didn't even have a chance to stop the fight. I mean who calls tuna "chicken of the sea" anyway?
    Now, I understand the craze about eating raw tuna. It is delicious. But don't let your misconception of canned tuna go any furthur. Try this recipe or at least go by a can of the ortiz tuna at whole foods. Don't stir it up with miracle whip. Just drain it. Add a little lemon, olive oil and some sea salt. Serve it over a white bean salad with some grilled leeks, a soft boiled egg, fried capers and a little tonnato sauce. Or toss it with a panzanella of tomatoes and cucumbers with some vinegar.  Either way it won't disappoint.  



For this recipe we are folding in the tuna with padron peppers that have been cooked over a charcoal flame. On a dried fava bean puree with pickled radishes a Calabrian chili oil and some black sea salt crackers. Make the tuna a couple of days before to let the tuna complexity seep in.

1 # of Tuna. Preferably Ahi or Yellowfin. Cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch slabs.
a bulb of fennel cut in half, a half of a red onion, a lemon cut in half
a couple bay leaves,  2 tablespoons of black peppercorns, a sprig of rosemary
a piece of calabrian chili torn in half

    Cover all of the aromatics with about 4 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer and let the court boullon infuse for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile season the tuna aggressively with sea salt on all sides while the aromatics are coming together. Put the tuna into a container large enough to cover the tuna in by 2 inches with the court bouillon. Let sit in the court bouillon for 12 minutes and then with a small knife peek inside. The tuna should be about medium and slightly opaque. Let the tuna carry over until just before medium well. It should be bright pink throughout. If it is not you have gone to far. Break apart by hand a piece of the tuna during this process to really see whats going on inside. Let the tuna rest on a dry linen for about 20 minutes until it is to room temperature and until it is dry.  I like to put the tuna in a mason jar covered with a lemon peel and a couple of bay leaves then drowned in olive oil.  When you are ready to serve then break up the tuna with a little anchovy, lemon and olive oil. Add sea salt if it needs.        

For the Fava bean Puree.                

2 cups of peeled dried favas
9 cups of water
1 cup of olive oil
5 garlic gloves smashed
1/2 of a sweet onion
1 calabrian chili torn in half                  
a sprig of rosemary

You can sub out dried white beans or cranberry beans if you like. But I like the taste of the dried fava. It gives a slight nuttiness and sweetness. First you are going to sweat the onions, rosemary, garlic and Calabrian chili in olive oil until onions are tender. Add the favas and coat in the oil. Cover with water and cook for about 1 hour until beans are breaking apart. Drain off the bean liquid and reduce until about  1 cup and then puree adding the bean liquid until you have the consistency of a loose hummus. Reserve and keep warm by covering.



For the padron peppers  you will just toss them in olive oil and sea salt and cook them over charcoal or oak. Applewood works well to.  If padron peppers are not in season then a shishito's work just fine. The secret here is to not overcook them. You want a high heat flame to char the skin and absorb the smoke flavor but you don't want them to be mush. And remember they will continue to soften when you take them off the flames. Cut the tops off of them after they have come to room temperature.

For the Olive Oil and Black Salt Crackers you will need:  

2 cups of "00" Flour ( Order on Amazon)
1/4 cup of water
1 Tablespoon of Wheat germ
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1/2 a teaspoon of Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Olive oil for brushing
Black Sea Salt Flakes ( Whole Foods) You can buy by the gram

In a mixer with a dough hook combine all ingredients and mix until combined and forms a sticky ball. Let rest covered with a towel for 10 minutes. Cut into quarters, dust your hands with flour and roll through a pasta machine or with a rolling pin until you get it very thin. Brush the bottom of a sheet tray with olive oil and place the cracker dough on top. Brush with more olive oil and black sea salt and bake at 500 degrees until golden brown. Let the Cracker cool and break into medium size rustic pieces.

To finish I just garnish with slices of radish that have been soaked with rice wine vinegar for about 10 minutes. And then we mix calabrian chili paste with lemon, fish sauce, and olive oil.

   DUCK SUGO SEDUCTION

             Sugo + Nonna = Tasty Meat Gravy. Its       almost the same as the newly found art of the crock pot but just with out the set it and forget it. You see with Italian cuisine nonna (grandma)  doesn't leave the house. She nutures the sugo. Early that morning she negotiates the meat with the butcher. She picks the herbs from the garden, she fries the meat in the fat from her prosciutto brodo. And if she were from bologna she would finish the gravy with the unpasturized milk from her neighbors cows utter while double fisting a bottle of Lambrusco in the other hand. Well.... my irish grandma would if she were from bologna. But really... Have you had a bolognese sauce here in america. It is crap. It is made from hamburg meat. The true Bolognese sauce was made from hand ground hanger steak and braised like a piece of shortrib. Creating layers of flavor from constantly reducing the natural juices in the pan to form a fond (Crust and the bottom of the pan) and then deglazing it with a small amount of liquid only to reform the fond and repeat. This is how you need to treat the sugo or any sausage ragu for that matter. You dont just turn the stove on low and walk away.

        In this case we are using ground duck leg meat to make our duck sugo. Just ask your butcher to order some in for you. Before we get to that lets talk about the prosciutto brodo. Ask your butcher to save all of the prosciutto scraps and end pieces for you. Im am sure they will be happy to do as there is quite seldomly a request for this. This means you don't have to buy the proscuitto at full cost but at a cheaper rate. You should have about 2 # of meat for this recipe.

Cube up the prosciutto and put in a pot covered with water and bring to a simmer. Skim off all the impurities and lower the heat to medium and cook covered for about 3 hours until all of the fat has melted into the brodo and the connective tissues in the meat have broken down. Enjoy the aroma of cured meat broth that takes over your domaine. For this is the smell of authentic Italian cuisine. Not fussy but time consuming.



I strained my prosciutto brodo into a mason jar and covered with an air tight lid. And into the fridge overnight. Use the fat at the top if the brodo to fry you duck meat in. Think of it like melted lardo.


                                                                                                                                                                        







     Now we are ready to start cooking. Take off the fat from the the top of the prosciutto and fry the ground duck meat in it at a very low tempurature. Break up the meat so that there are no large lumps. Deglaze with a little water to release some of the fond on the bottom of the pan. At this point add in a half of sweet onion, 2 ribs of small diced celery, a half of bulb of fennel, half of a grated carrot, 2 cups of mushrooms ( preferably black trumpet, chanterelle or porcini), 1 tsp of rosemary and a quarter pound diced of pancetta. Slowly cook the vegatables and mushrooms until you obtain a golden color and the fat from the pancetta renders out.

Once a fond builds on the bottom of your pan then deglaze with white wine. In this case to balance the richness of the duck i used about 2 cups of a dry moscato. Once again reduce the wine until you create one last fond to build layers of depth and richness.

Deglaze with about 5 cups of your prosciutto brodo and a half of cup of milk. Lightly season as the prosciutto brodo is has a pronounced salty flavor. Cover and simmer on low heat for at least 2 hours adding more liquid if it gets too dry.

Finish the Duck Sugo with a tablespoon of vincotto ( Fig Vinegar) and a basic tomato puree. (Pureed Good quality Italian Canned tomatoes. Note: I use carmelina from Whole foods) About 1 cup. Reduce the gravy until it coats the back of a spoon.


The Fig Vinegar and tomato puree give the sauce a nice balance of sweet and acidic that helps cut the richness of the duck. Notice how this is not a tomato based sauce but rather finished with a little tomato.

Now For the Ricotta Cavatelli                                

10 oz of Tipo "OO" Flour ( Buy on Amazon)
8 oz of drained Ricotta Cheese
2 Large Eggs
Season with salt and pepper




Mix the ricotta Cavatelli dough in a stand mixer with a hook or buy hand until you form a firm and tacky ball. About ten minutes. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes under a damp cloth and divide into 6 pieces. Roll the pieces into small logs and Dust heavily with flour. Run through a cavatelli machine and drop into lightly salted water for about three minures. You can order a Cavatelli Machine from Amazon.com for about 40 dollars.

Add the cavatelli into the duck sugo and let the cavatelli absorb any last bit of juice from the sugo. Here i finish the duck sugo with a little home made espresso infused olive oil and a healthy grating of grana padana. Cavatelli is just as good the next day and holds up well to the sauce. You can bake the dish in a cast iron post the next day to finish off the leftovers. I have been eating it for the last three days now and every time my taste buds are captivated by it.