lettuce cooked with lard - Lidrìc cu lis frìcis

Ingredients

500g of red “radicchio” lettuce
100g of unflavoured bacon or
lard cubes
extra virgin olive oil
wine vinegar
pepper
salt

Procedure

Fry the lard or bacon cubes in a pan, squeezing them against the pan with a fork.
When they are crisp and brown add the vinegar (careful that it might splatter!), which then should be poured while hot directly over the radicchio. Mix and serve right away.

Recommended wine:

Merlot > I Feudi

Pan fried potatoes - Patate in tecia

Ingredients

800g of starchy potatoes
60g of lard
1 finely chopped onion
chopped parsley
dry white wine
1 ladle of broth
pepper
salt

Procedure

Boil the whole potatoes in well salted water. Slice the potatoes.
Sautee the chopped onion in lard, then add the potatoes, cooking them until brown.
Add the salt and pepper, then cover them with the white wine and broth.
Mash them with a wooden spoon and then let them stew slowly over a low heat until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Recommended wine:

Chardonnay

Pan cooked peppers - Peperonata

Ingredients

4-5 fleshy peppers of various colours
1 aubergine (eggplant)
1 large onion
500 grams of Italian peeled tomatoes
a cup of extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Procedure

Slice the peppers into large pieces, the aubergine into cubes, the onion into small slices, and place these, along with the drained peeled tomatoes, in a casserole dish with a little salt and the oil.
Cook with the pan partially covered at a very low heat, stirring from time to time, until all liquids are absorbed and the vegetables are somewhat mushy.

Recommended wine:

Sauvignon > I Feudi

Potato pancake - Torte di patatis

Ingredients

7-8 potatoes (total weight circa 1 kilogram)
30 grams of butter
extra virgin olive oil
rosemary
salt
pepper

Procedure

Peel, wash, dry and dice the potatoes into small cubes. In a non-stick pan melt 2 tablespoons of butter with one tablespoon of olive oil, adding the potatoes, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Brown for a bit, then cover the pan (stirring from time to time), cooking until softened.
Smash the potatoes in the pan with a fork , forming them into a cake. Brown it well on one side, then flip the cake, browning it well on the other.
It is a delicious and easy dish which can be served either warm to accompany roasts, or at room temperature, as a “spuntino” (snack).

Recommended wine:

Asparagus au gratin

Ingredients

1 bunch of white asparagus
1 egg
young Montasio cheese
aged Montasio cheese, grated
whole milk
extra fine white flour
butter
salt

Procedure

After having cleaned the asparagus with a potato peeler, tie them together in a bunch and boil them, standing up, in a pot of salted water. Remove them from the water and wrap them in a cloth.
In the meanwhile prepare a bechamel sauce that is not too liquid (bechamel is a sauce composed of a flour and butter roux into which whole milk is stirred until it is smooth); butter a pan and then pour tablespoons of the bechamel onto it over which to spread out the asparagus.
Spread a large slice of young Montasio cheese over the asparagus, grating the aged Montasio cheese in abundance over all before baking in the over until the cheese in golden brown.

Recommended wine:

Sauvignon > I Feudi

Browned French beans

Ingredients

1 kg tender French beans
extra virgin olive oil
plain flour
salt

Procedure

Top and tail the beans, wash and boil them in salted water. Remove from the heat when still underdone and leave to cool.
Dip in flour and fry in hot oil.
When golden brown, remove, place on absorbent kitchen paper and season with salt.

Recommended wine:

Tocai

Baked potatoes

Ingredients

4 large potatoes (with skin)
extra virgin olive oil

Procedure

Scrub and dry the potatoes with kitchen paper. Prick all over with a fork and brush with oil.
Bake with jackets in the oven at 200°C for a little more than an hour until soft.
Cut in half and serve hot with butter or fresh Montasio cheese.

Recommended wine:

Chardonnay