A Traditional Menu for Christmas in Tuscany

Italian Christmas Traditions

Italians start celebrating the festival season even before Christmas along with different traditions. The celebration of Christmas in Italy is a bit more complex than the celebrations in other parts of the world. Some of the traditions including the setting up of Christmas trees, the Christmas log or Ceppo. Papa Natale brings gifts for everyone. The Zampognari who enthrall the people with their melodious tunes are still a common traditional feature in Italian villages and towns. Many churches, public squares and houses set up the presepe or Nativity scene. The festivities continue with good foods and wines. In certain parts of Italy on Christmas Eve some Italians partake in a special fish dinner. On Christmas Eve many Italians attend midnight mass or morning mass on Christmas day. On Christmas day we eat traditional food for lunch and dinner. Celebrations are completed on January 6 or Epiphany when children get gifts from La Befana, a kind witch. Let us explore some of the traditional Tuscan Christmas fare.

Onions stuffed with Pecorino or Cipolle Ripiene Con Pecorino

The first part of an Italian meal is the starter which is called antipasti. The featured starter here combines yummy pecorino cheese with onions. Pecorino cheese is synonymous with excellent Italian cheese especially those from the region of Tuscany. So what better antipasti or starter can you can have other than onions stuffed with pecorino cheese? This simple dish is a very very tasty. Traditionally in the Tuscan countryside onions have been stuffed with leftover meats or anything else which is handy. But when they are stuffed with pecorino cheese these humble vegetables occupy pride of place in the menu.

Pecorino cheese from Tuscany or Pecorino Toscana is a DOP certified cheese. This means that it has to be made in a specific region. Precise traditional methods are used to manufacture this cheese made from sheep’s milk. It is made in various villages and towns in Tuscany. However the cheese from Maremma has that extra special “je ne sais quoi” as the sheep graze to some extent on the wild meadow grass in the region. On the whole pecorino cheese from Italy is a mild, flavourful cheese which increases in sharpness and firmness as it ages. When eaten as a part of the cheese platter fresh pecorino is preferred. It has a mild nutty taste and a creamy texture. However when it ages it becomes an integral part of various traditional recipes. It maintains its nutty taste (walnut overtones) and some of its creaminess.

Beautiful red cippolini onions are used in Tuscany to add flavour and zest to many foods. These onions are bright red in colour and very flavourful. They can be consumed raw, as a main ingredient in salads and soups or stuffed with a variety of different stuffing including pecorino.

Recipe : Onions stuffed with Pecorino or Cipolle Ripiene Con Pecorino

Ingredients Onions 6 Aged Pecorino Cheese 200g Egg Yolks 2 Cloves 6 Bread crumbs Salt to taste Pepper to taste

Method

Take the six onions and grate them upto half their size. You can use either red or white onions. Preheat your oven. Put one clove into each onion. Take a saucepan. Add some water, salt to taste and a little oil. Place the onions in the saucepan. Cover the saucepan. Let the onions cook on a low flame. When the onions are cooked remove its contents leaving behind only three outer layers in each onion. Grate the pecorino cheese. Chop these removed layers quite finely and add the egg yolks, the grated pecorino cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to form the stuffing. Add this stuffing inside the scooped onions. Sprinkle the top of the stuffed onions with some bread crumbs. Place the stuffed onions in the preheated onion and bake till it slightly brown at the top. Serve hot and enjoy! If you serve one stuffed onion per person this recipe is sufficient for six persons.

Vegetable Broth

This simple yet tasty recipe is a common first course or Primi Piatti. It is an easy to make nourishing dish which is delicious and nutritious. You can enjoy vegetable broth as a dish as some do by itself. The clear broth can be eaten like a consommé. Alternatively it can be used as a base to make soups, stews, sauces and risottos. When you have time you can make large quantities of this simple recipe and freeze it for future use. When you reheat it, it maintains most of its original taste.

Recipe : Vegetable Broth

Champagne and Scamorza Cheese Risotto or Risotto con Scamorza e Spumante

One of the most loved dishes in Tuscany is risotto. Different risottos are made using special Arborio rice. It is generally a short grain strain of rice slightly oval in shape. It is grown in many parts of Italy but the rice cultivated in the Po Valley is the best. There are a few varieties of long grained or superfine rice available. It not highly milled thus retaining more of its natural starch content. This makes it more creamy and firm when cooked. Italians prefer using Arborio rice to make risottos. It is widely available in most super markets. Once you open a packet ensure that you store the remaining rice in an air tight container to preserve its taste and nutrition. Another small pointer I would like to tell you is that you may refrigerate the cooked rice between 4ºand 8º C. It is also recommended that you consume the cooked rice within two days.

Risotto is a popular Italian rice dish made with various ingredients. Riso in Italian means rice. It is a traditional rice dish made with special strains of rice. It is always part of the Primi or first course of an Italian menu. Risottos are made using various vegetables like pumpkins, porcini mushrooms, peas, stinging nettle etc. Italian risottos are versatile and can be combined with seafood, meats. Legumes, different varieties of cheeses etc. wines are also added to improve the taste. Risottos are savoury rice dishes but there is also a sweet variety using strawberries.

Let me tell you something more about Scamorza cheese before we present the recipe to you. This mild cheese is a straight forward cheese. It is smoked mozzarella cheese. It is a pasta filata or a stretched curd cheese made in many Tuscan and Italian farms. Although milk from other milch animals including sheep may be used, it is generally made from Italian cow’s milk. Fresh curd is allowed to mature in its own whey till the farmer deems it ready. As a result lactose is converted to lactic acid and the acidity of the cheese is thus developed. Then the spongy curd is dipped in hot water. It is then kneaded and stretched. The cheese is folded over itself into layers making thin layers of curd. It can be moulded into various shapes. Though the plain or unsmoked versions of the cheese are available it is generally smoked to develop a piquant flavour and increase shelf life.

After smoking the cheese has an attractive honey coloured outer appearance or skin. The inside is paler and has a tone of ivory. Scamorza cheese has a smooth and silky texture. It is used to an ingredient in many Italian dishes and sometimes replaces mozzarella which has a less firm texture compared to Scamorza. Smoked Scamorza has a mildly smoky aroma and a mild and buttery flavour.

Champagne is a king among liquors and it adds a delicious taste to risottos. Most Italian dishes owe their extraordinary taste and good nutrition to extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is produced in almost all parts of Italy. We also produce some of the finest qualities of extra virgin olive oil from freshly harvested olives grown in the olives groves of our Pandolfini estates.

In our special Christmas Newsletter we bring you this scrumptious and mildly decadent risotto cooked mainly using champagne and smoked Scamorza cheese.

Recipe : Champagne and Scamorza Cheese Risotto or Risotto con Scamorza e Spumante

Method

 Take a deep frying pan and add the olive oil. When it gets hot in a couple of minutes add the rice to it. Stir fry for a few minutes –about three to five minutes. Then add the whole bottle of champagne. When it begins to boil, stir it for about upto ten minutes till the rice begins to thicken as the liquid evaporates. Now add the vegetable broth as well as the smoked Scamorza cheese. Using a wooden spoon continue to stir the mixture. Take it off the flame before the rice becomes extra soft. Keep it aside for a few minutes so that the risotto becomes thicker and creamier. Serve hot. This recipe serves four.

Baked Guinea Fowl marinated with Grapes and Apples or Faraona Arrosto Con Uve e Mele

This is a dish served as the main course or Secondi Piatti as is called in an Italian menu. Guinea fowls belong to the same family as pheasants and turkeys. They are preferred to chicken by many. In fact guinea fowl dishes are popular not only in Tuscany but also in the rest of Italy and other parts of the world especially Africa and the United Kingdom. Guinea fowls are used to prepare various dishes in the different regions in Tuscany. They are stuffed, simmered in stews and soups, roasted and sometimes even grilled. According to many they taste better than chicken with a taste similar to pheasant and bustard.

Food in Tuscany is famous for its freshness and seasonal ingredients. Fresh grapes and delicious apples are easily available ingredients used for stuffing. They enhance the flavour of the guinea fowl. Pancetta is a type of Italian dried and cured meat which is mildly spiced. There are various types on Pancetta depending on the region where they are produced. In Italy many homes and farms produce the straight and not rolled variety of Pancetta. Sold as very thin slices Pancetta may be used as a filling for sandwiches. However it is mainly used to add flavour to dishes especially many dishes which form a part of the traditional Italian menu.

Recipe : Baked Guinea Fowl marinated with Grapes and Apples or Faraona Arrosto Con Uve e Mele

Ingredients Guinea fowl 1 White grapes 15 Granny Smith Apple 1 Pancetta 6 thin slices Rosemary 1 twig Sage 3 leaves White wine 1 cup Olive oil for drizzling Salt to taste Pepper to taste Kitchen string Toothpicks

Method

 Pre preparation

Clean the guinea fowl by removing its innards including the heart, liver, blood and other internal parts. Cut each grape into half and if seeded remove the seeds. Cut the apple with skin intact into quarters. Rub the fruit pieces with salt and pepper. Stuff the cleaned guinea fowl with these fruit pieces. Place the twig of rosemary and the sage leaves under the wings of the guinea fowl. Put the pancetta slices over the fowl’s breast. Use kitchen string to wrap the fowl. Ensure that the legs and wings of fowl are close to its body. Use a couple of toothpicks to close the fowl’s bottom.

Method of cooking

Place the fowl in a wide baking dish. Sprinkle it with some salt and pepper. Drizzle a little olive oil on the bird. Bake it in a hot oven set on 180º for about 45 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Remove the strings and the pancetta slices. Place the pancetta slices in the sides of the dish. Bake again for about 15 minutes. Now remove the toothpicks and allow the fruit to come out along with baking juices. Place the guinea fowl into the serving dish.

Take the mashed fruit, juices and pancetta in a dish and filter it using a sieve. Take a saucepan and add the filtrate and white wine. Cook this mixture for 10 minutes to reduce the white wine. After some time you will get a savoury and flavoursome gravy. Serve this gravy along with the guinea fowl.

This tasty dish serves four. If you are unable to get guinea fowl for some reason you can substitute it other poultry like chicken or pheasant. If you wish you can even use the stuffing to stuff an entire pig.

Pere cotte nel vino rosso e salsa di vino or Pears cooked in Red Wine and served with wine sauce

Although one is full after enjoying the excellent menu offered above I always believe that there is room for dessert or dolci. Other wise one can easily make a little room to enjoy these delicious pears stewed in wine and sugar and served with wine sauce and tasty custard.

Tuscan pears are delicious. Eaten by themselves or stewed or poached with wine they add the final touch to a lovely meal. They are also combined with pecorino cheese. Whatever way they are served you can never go wrong when you serve any Tuscan dolci featuring pears. So enjoy!

Recipe : Pere cotte nel vino rosso e salsa di vino or Pears cooked in Red Wine and served with wine sauce

Method

 Carefully peel the pears keeping the stem on top intact. Cut the pears into two and remove the seeds. You can also keep the pears whole if you don’t mind the seeds.

Take a large saucepan. Add the wine and sugar to it. Then add the cloves and the cinnamon sticks. Stir the mixture. Add the pears and ensure that they are totally covered with the mixture. If they do not get covered stir the mixture occasionally. Cook over a low flame for about twenty minutes. The pears should be soft yet firm. The cooking time may vary by a few minutes depending on the size and the maturity of the pears. Turn off the flame and let them stay in the wine for upto twenty minutes. Now remove the pears with a big slotted spoon. Put the pears in a serving dish.

To make the wine sauce strain the wine so that you remove the cinnamon and cloves. Reduce this filtrate over a medium flame till it reaches one third its original amount or upto your desired consistency.

Serve these delicious pears with the wine sauce and custard.

We hope you enjoyed reading our newsletter and hope you enjoy trying out these recipes as much as we liked presenting them to you.