Category: Sides

Deep-Fried Battered Cauliflower

Battered deep-fried cauliflower (‘cavolfiore in pastella,’ in Italian) is an appetizing side dish which originates in Sicily but can be found in many variations all around Italy.

Out of the various kinds of batter, this recipe describes one that is quite opaque—without being too thick—especially suitable for vegetables (including zucchini flowers, which are fantastic, by-the-way!)

Deep-fried batter has a bad reputation for being heavy. However, if the oil is at the proper temperature, it sears immediately and any excess hot oil (with its lower viscosity) drips right off with draining. Still, the resulting dish is relatively high in calories and generally served in small amounts as a side, or as a vegetarian entrée.

The use of olive oil for deep-frying is somewhat controversial due to its relatively low smoke point. However, if you can control the temperature, olive oil is suitable for frying vegetables (which don’t need to reach extremely high temperatures) and brings an amazing extra flavor to the dish. Out of the different kinds of olive oil, non-extra virgin (or even non-vergin) olive oils are preferred for frying since they have a relatively higher smoke point at a lower price point!

Battered Deep Fried Cauliflower

Yield: 4-6 servings

Total Time: 45 minutes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Battered Deep Fried Cauliflower

Ingredients

  • 1 medium cauliflower (about 800 g), divided in florets
  • 75 g (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 30 g (2 Tbsp) butter, melted
  • 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) milk
  • 1 egg white
  • salt
  • 1 l olive oil (use a non-extra virgin oil for a higher smoke point)

Preparation

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and the melted butter obtaining a crumbly texture.
  2. Incorporate just enough milk to create a thick cream, then gradually whisk in the rest of the milk.
  3. Whip the egg white until firm (for best results, use an egg at room temperature).
  4. Gently incorporate the whipped egg white, a tablespoon at a time, mixing from the bottom to the top. Season with a pinch of table salt.
  5. Boil the cauliflower florets for 10 minutes until cooked but still firm.
  6. Bring olive oil to frying temperature (if you have a thermometer, reach 150 °C; if you don't, wait 3-4 minutes at medium heat then test the oil with a drop of batter.) Dip a few florets at a time in the batter, shaking off any excess. Then deep-fry the battered florets until golden brown.
  7. Allow the fried florets to dry for 5 minutes on a sheet of paper towel before serving them.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2019/04/battered-cauliflower.html

Braised Fennel

Side dishes have an important role in Italian cuisine. These, often vegetarian, preparations are meant as an accompaniment to a second course, whether it’s meat or fish, a piatto freddo (literally, cold dish) of cheese and/or cold cuts, or a vegetarian preparation. To have a side of braised fennel was common in my family while growing up, and I now make it regularly.

Fennel is known for its aromatic seeds and as a vegetable consisting of the lower part of its stalks, which form an enlarged bulb-shaped bundle(1). As the stalks separate, they become fibrous and are discarded in cooking. Fennel belongs to the umbellifers family along with celery (which it visually resembles), carrots, parsnip, parsley, cilantro, dill, anise, and other plants which tend to produce flowers in umbrella-shaped clusters.

Fennel Nutrition Facts
Fennel bulb (raw)

Fennel has a strong anise aroma due to the presence of anethole, an organic compound also found in anise seeds. Some say that fennel tastes like licorice, but this is really because many licorice candies are flavored with anise.

Nutritionally, fennel is a good source of vitamins (e.g.: C, A), minerals (e.g.: potassium, manganese), as well as carbohydrates in the form of dietary fiber (non-digestible) and sugar (3.9% in weight).

Fennel is consumed raw (e.g.: thinly sliced and added to salads) or cooked (e.g.: roasted, braised, or au gratin). In this recipe:

  • I sliced the fennel perpendicularly to its fibers to tenderize it.
  • I pan roasted it in olive oil and butter to caramelize the sugars and develop flavor through browning.
  • Then, I added salt to enhance the flavor and to extract some water (via osmosis).
  • Allowed the fennel to braise in its own juice covered with a lid at a low temperature.
  • Interrupted the cooking after 15-20 minutes or when the fennel was cooked through but still had a slightly fibrous texture.
Braised Fennel

Yield: 2 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

side dish

Braised Fennel

Ingredients

  • 2 fennel bulbs
  • 1/2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt

Preparation

  1. Slice the fennel perpendicularly to its fibers, discarding the stalks.
  2. In a non-stick pan, warm up olive oil and butter, then add the fennel.
  3. Roast the fennel at a high temperature, tossing and flipping it frequently.
  4. Add a pinch of salt, lower the temperature, cover with a lid, and allow the fennel to braise.
  5. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time, just until the fennel is cooked through.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2019/02/braised-fennel.html

 

(1)Harold McGee. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. 2nd edition (2004).

Oven-Roasted Vegetables Stripes

Roasted vegetables are nothing new, but this particular arrangement makes for a truly spectacular dish which can be served as a main course, accompanied with fresh and aged cheese, as well as a side dish.

When I lived with my parents, this preparation was a common Sunday meal feature. However, it didn’t start in my childhood. For some reason, one day my mother started roasting vegetables this way and ever since it has been pretty much her only way. Since the cooked casserole is incredibly beautiful, she would bring it to the table straight from the oven and ask people if they wanted a bit of all the vegetables or if they had their favorites. Since everyone likes potatoes, her casserole would always be generous with the popular tubers.

The striped arrangement, however, is not merely beautiful to see. By keeping the vegetables separate as they cook, each flavor remains distinct and intense. In fact, this dish works best when using vegetables of different flavor profiles and textures, as well as of differing colors. For instance, I decided to pair sweet bell peppers with bitter radicchio, and starchy potatoes with aromatic fennel. But yam, zucchini, eggplants, cabbage, mushrooms, endive, onion, green beans, and shallots can all be used as well.

Why radicchio and fennel?

I chose radicchio and fennel because they also happen to be quite obscure to many of my Canadian friends. They are often even obscure to the superstore cashiers who sometimes ask me what they’re weighing! If you have yet to try them, they’re both a bit of an acquired taste – but I guarantee they’ll quickly grow on you. Radicchio is quite bitter and astringent, but its flavor becomes milder with cooking, especially in the presence of salt. Fennel has a sweet anise-like flavor, though the roasting (and the resulting caramelization) brings out more of a well-rounded umami flavor.

Why pre-roasting?

As you will see, each vegetable is pre-roasted in the pan before going into the oven. This is to equalize cooking times. In the case of starchy vegetables like potatoes, pre-roasting also provides the necessary searing which will keep them separate and crunchy on the outside. The subtle layer of garlic flavoring and the oregano finish, along with the olive oil, all combine to bring the dish together.

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables Stripes

Yield: 4 servings, or 8 sides

Total Time: 1 hour

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables Stripes

Ingredients

  • 3 medium yellow potatoes, diced uniformly (1/2 inch edge)
  • 1 large fennel (or two small ones), sliced
  • 2 bell peppers (yellow and red), sliced
  • 1 head of radicchio di Chioggia (or 3 of radicchio Trevisano), sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, whole - just for rubbing the pan
  • 1/4 cup of vegetable broth, kept warm
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon oregano (dried or fresh)
  • salt

Preparation

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Rub a garlic clove, which you have previously cut to expose the pulp, vigorously on a dry, oven-proof casserole. This will give a very subtle garlic flavor to the whole dish.ingredients, potatoes
  3. Pat dry the diced potato with paper towel. Preheat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan, roast the potatoes for 5-10 minutes at a high temperature, turning them from time to time to sear them on all sides. Note: don't add any salt at this time to avoid osmosis which would extract water from the potatoes, preventing proper searing. When the potatoes begin to brown, add a bit of salt, then put them in the casserole on one of the long sides (as in the finished dish above).
  4. In the same non-stick pan, roast the fennel for 5 minutes at medium heat. If necessary, add a little more olive oil. While it cooks, add a bit of salt. When the fennel begins to brown, remove it from the pan and lay it in the casserole on the side opposite to the potatoes.fennel, bell pepper
  5. In the same pan, now roast the bell peppers (separating the colors, or together) at medium heat for 5 minutes. If necessary, add a bit more olive oil. Start preheating the oven at 180 °C (350 °F). As the bell peppers cook, add a bit of salt. When the bell peppers begin to soften, add them to the casserole, as a stripe next to the potatoes.
  6. In the same pan, finally, roast the radicchio for a minute or two at medium heat until it starts to soften. Add a bit of salt.radicchio, garlic
  7. Lay the radicchio as the final stripe, next to the fennel. Place the casserole in the oven at 180 °C (350 °F) for 45 minutes.
  8. After 30 minutes of cooking, pour in the vegetable broth and sprinkle generously with oregano.casserole, broth
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2016/07/oven-roasted-vegetables-stripes.html

Roasted Green Beans

Ah the Maillard reaction! The magic behind roasting and toasting which is responsible for the extra flavor in bread crust, pan fried eggs, seared steaks, and even maple syrup and coffee! Maillard browning is the result of the reaction between sugars and ammino-acids (the building blocks of proteins), which happens at temperatures around 150 °C, and which develops a large number of aromatic compounds.

Unlike in North America where cooked vegetables tend to be lightly steamed or even just blanched, in Italy they are generally cooked through, and roasting is common. Legumes especially benefit from roasting thanks to their high content of ammino-acids (which gives excellent browning), and to their meaty texture (which remains firm thanks to the partial evaporation of their water content).

This preparation makes for a satisfying side-dish which is ideal to accompany meat, fish, or cheese.

Roasted Green Beans

Yield: 2 servings (as a side)

Total Time: 30 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Roasted Green Beans

Ingredients

  • 300 g (10 oz) of green beans, with the stems trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons of white wine
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation

  1. Heat the oil and fry shallot and garlic until translucent.
  2. Add the green beans and roast at medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing gently.
  3. Add the wine and cover with a lid, cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Uncover and allow the wine to fully evaporate, continuing to toss gently.
  5. Cook at low heat, tossing from time to time, for 15 minutes or until the green beans will have softened and browned uniformly.
  6. Adjust salt and pepper, serve lukewarm.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2014/07/roasted-green-beans.html

Stewed Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprout sticks
Brussels sprouts sticks

Not everybody loves Brussels sprouts. But, unless you are overly sensitive to bitter flavors, you will find this to be a delicious side dish.

Brussels sprouts are the buds of a kind of cabbage belonging to the Brassica family (along with broccoli, cabbage, kale, turnip, and mustard). This vegetable has an inherent bitterness that constitutes a defense mechanism, but it can be minimized by first roasting it, and then stewing it. Roasting, in fact, adds flavor due to browning, but mostly allows the inside part of the Brussels sprouts (which is the part where the bitterness is the most intense) to reach an intermediate temperature (60 to 80 °C) which activates the enzymes responsible for the flavor generation. The enzymes’ activity stops when the temperature reaches 100 °C – if this temperature is reached too quickly (like when the vegetables are plunged into boiling water), the bitterness remains intense(1). After roasting, the Brussels sprouts can be stewed to complete the cooking. It’s important, however, not to overcook them since they otherwise develop a sulfur odor.

But enough of all of this theory! Let’s get on the recipe 🙂

(1) Harold McGee. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. 2nd edition (2004).

Stewed Brussels Sprouts

Yield: 2 servings (as a side)

Total Time: 25 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Stewed Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

  • 300 g (10 oz) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and washed
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 small shallot, sliced
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 splash of white wine
  • ½ glass of vegetable stock
  • salt

Preparation

  1. Fry garlic and shallot in olive oil at medium heat for a couple of minutes.
  2. Add the Brussels sprouts, roast for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the wine and allow it to evaporate fully.
  4. Add the vegetable stock, cover and stew for 15 minutes at medium-low heat.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2013/10/stewed-brussels-sprouts.html

Polenta Taragna – An Enriched Polenta from the Italian Mountains

In previous posts, we talked about Cucina Povera, the cuisine of the poor, now becoming “fashionable” in high-end restaurants. This is the case also for polenta – one of the simplest dishes ever conceived.

Check out the latest episode of Thoughts on the Table, the podcast on food and food culture. Also available on iTunes and Google Play Music.

Now traditionally made with cornmeal, different types of polenta have been feeding the masses since Roman times, well before the discovery of the Americas and the subsequent introduction of corn into Europe. Earlier polentas were made with millet, rye, spelt, barley, chickpeas, chestnuts or wheat flours.

Polenta cooker at a town fair
Polenta cooker at a town fair

In Italy, polenta is a relatively common accompaniment to stews, braised dishes, and fried fish, often as an alternative to bread. In some parts of northern Italy, polenta becomes a more involved dish thanks to the use of different grains and to the addition of cheeses, milk, butter. This recipe describes one of the most renowned polenta spin-offs: Polenta Taragna.

Polenta Taragna is typical of Valtellina as well as of the valleys of Bergamo and Brescia. Its most characteristic trait is its dark color, due to the use of buckwheat flour (mixed with cornmeal). Polenta Taragna can also be recognized from other polenta-based dishes for containing substantial amounts of butter and cheese, mixed in right before the dish is served. The cheeses used in this preparation vary from region to region, but they’re commonly semi-fat, medium-ripened cow-milk cheeses (e.g.: Valtellina Casera, Bitto, Branzi, or Fontina). Polenta Taragna is served as a main course, or to accompany cold cuts and Italian pickles.

Polenta Taragna

Yield: 2 servings (as a main)

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Polenta Taragna

Ingredients

  • 1 liter of water
  • 120 g buckwheat flour
  • 80 g cornmeal (fig. a)
  • 75 g unsalted butter, cubed (fig. b)
  • 250 g semi-fat cheese, cubed (e.g.: Fontina) (fig. c)
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Preparation

  1. Bring the water to a boil in the traditional copper cauldron or in a heavy-bottomed, stainless steel saucepan.
  2. Slowly add the flours, while stirring constantly, until a lump-free mixture is obtained (figs. 1, 2, 3).
  3. Cook at medium-low heat for 50-60 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the mix from sticking to the pot.
  4. When the polenta is almost ready, add the butter and allow it to melt (fig. 4).
  5. Finally, turn off the heat and add the cheese (fig. 5).
  6. Keep stirring until the cheese has partially melted (fig. 6).
  7. Serve in earthenware or ceramic bowls, or on a cutting board if used as a side.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2012/01/polenta-taragna.html