Cooking with Patty » sauces & broth

Meat broth

Patty — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:41:08 +0000

Meat broth is the indispensable ingredient for cooking egg pasta like tagliatelle, egg filled pasta and risotto and many other preparations. Meat broth can be prepare ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for 2 maximum 3 days. It’s easy to prepare and it takes no effort at all. Not to mention that it’s healthier and much tastier than store bought stock or bullion.

A typical Italian menu of my region is tagliatelle in brodo, bollito with pearà and salsa verde “green sauce”.

Ingredients:

1 lb. 2 oz. / gr 500 flank steak
1/2 hen
1 medium onion
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
salt to taste

Instructions:

1. In a big pot put all the ingredients in and cover them abundantly with water.
2. Bring to a boil, cover and let it simmer at low heat for 2 hours or until done.
3. If some foam develops on the top remove it with a slotted spoon.
4. When the meat is ready remove from broth, slice and serve.
5. Let the broth cool then you can skim the better part of the fat off. If you’re not in a hurry you can refrigerate the broth and skim the fat the day after, it’s easier and faster.

Notes:

The meat can be served with Pearà and Green sauce.

Vegetable Broth – Brodo vegetale

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 08:31:30 +0000

This is the base broth for many risotto recipes in my site.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
salt to taste
Instructions:

1. In a large pot put 2 to 3 quarts water and the vegetables whole.
2. Add a couple of pinches of salt and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes.
4. Check and adjust the salt accordingly while it is cooking.

Notes:

You can add any vegetables you like in this recipes just keep in mind that if you alter the flavor greatly will do also in the recipe in which you use the broth. Other vegetables you might want to add are zucchini, squash cabbage, swiss chard etc.

Hens Broth – Brodo di gallina

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 08:29:42 +0000

The base to many recipes this classic can be found in most any kitchen. As the saying goes, “An old hen makes good broth.”

Ingredients:

1 hen
1 medium onion
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
salt to taste

Instructions:

1. In a big pot put all the ingredients in and cover them abundantly with water.
2. Bring to a boil cover and lower heat.
3. Gently boil the hen for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until done.
4. If some foam develops on the top remove it with a spoon.
5. When the hen is ready remove from broth, slice and serve.
Notes:

The hen can be served with Pearà and Green sauce. The broth can be used in risotto recipes or with Tagliatelle.

Fish broth – Brodo di pesce

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 08:28:31 +0000

This is a simple broth recipe to use in risotto recipes.

Ingredients:

1 -1/2 lbs. stock fish
1 small onion
1 carrot
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. In a pan heat the olive oil and add the onion and carrot minced along with the parsley as well as the garlic cloves.
2. Cook gently until the onion is translucent.
3. Add 2 to 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil.
4. Once it is boiling add the stock fish, cover and reduce to a gentle boil.
5. Boil until the fish is well cooked.
6. Remove the fish and set it aside.
7. Filter the broth.

Notes:

By stock fish I mean Cod or similar varieties. Use the leftover fish in a fish salad recipe or eat it with some lemon juice, olive oil and pepper.

Pearà

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 08:26:19 +0000

Pearà is a bread sauce made only for boiled meats. It takes a little time but it is well worth the effort. This is a classic dish in my region of Italy. It can be found on the menu of most restaurants or trattorias during the winter months.

Ingredients:

2 cups dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. marrow from beef bones or 2 Tbsp. butter
4-5 cups good meat broth
2 Tbsp fresh ground parmesan (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a pan heat the marrow or butter.
2. Add the bread and mix in until al the fat is soaked up.
3. Add the broth and a pinch of salt. It should be thick and creamy without being too soupy.
4. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Let it cook for 3 hours stirring occasionally.
5. Towards the end check the saltiness and add a bit if necessary.
6. ust before it is finished add the parmesan and pepper. The pepper should stand out without overwhelming the dish.

Notes:

The better your broth is the better it will come out. If you can’t get your butcher to prepare you the marrow just use butter. Don’t put too much pepper. It’s better to add it a bit at a time until the desired strength is reached.

You will not find the parmesan in other recipes for Pearà, it’s a touch that I learned from my mother.

When you make boiled meat serve this sauce together with Green Sauce.

Green sauce – Salsa verde

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 08:22:32 +0000

Salsa Verde is a green sauce made with Italian parsley to be served with boiled meats. It is easy to make and really makes for a good sauce.

Ingredients:

3-1/2 oz. fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 anchovies
2 cloves garlic
1 slice bread without the crust
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar to soak the bread
salt to taste

Instructions:

1. In a food processor chop the garlic. Then add the parsley, oil, anchovies and a pinch of salt.
2. Blend it, for a few seconds at a time to avoid cooking it.
3. Remove the crust from one slice of bread, place it in a bowl and add enough vinegar to get it soggy.
4. Squeeze the bread well to remove excess vinegar and add the bread to the parsley. Blend some more a few seconds at a time until it is fairly smooth.
5. Check the saltiness and add a bit if necessary. Add more oil if it’s too dry.
6. Refrigerate in a bowl until you are ready to serve it.
Notes:

When you make boiled meat serve this sauce together with Pearà.