Toni Brancatisano

Historically, to celebrate the return of Spring, the modern Easter dessert, the Pastiera has origins dating back to a convent.  Apparently a nun wanted to make this cake and have it perfume like the flowers of the orange trees that grew in the gardens of the convent. Ricotta cheese was mixed with wheat and then eggs, a symbol of new life were added with some other ingredients. The nuns were known to make many Pastiere for wealthy families during Easter. 

Pastiera can be made in two different ways, and this recipe is a more modern approach.  In the past, the wheat is cooked with milk, orange zest and some sugar until the milk is absorbed and then it is put aside to cool. This modern recipe involves adding custard, with all the other ingredients together.  It certainly means the preparation time is quicker, especially if you make the custard the day before.  (I have included a recipe for custard, and it makes more than you will need for this recipe, but who ever complained of having too much custard in the house?)  The cooked wheat or ‘grano cotto’ as it is known in Italian, can be bought in cans or jars from specialty food stores, although in Italy it can usually be found in most supermarkets. You could replace the wheat with risotto rice such as arborio rice, farro or barley.

Curiosità

In Napoli, if you make a Pastiera, the pastry stripes that create the lattice pattern on top of the tart are not placed randomly. They must be a total number of seven, four in one direction, and three in the other, and this pattern is said to form the street plan of the historic centre of Naples. Scroll to the end of this post to see a traditional looking Pastiera from the famous & historical Gran Caffè Gambrinus in Naples!

The Pastiera shouldn’t be eaten the day it is made because the ingredients and flavours need time to ‘marry’.  It is suggested to make the Pastiera on Easter Thursday or Good Friday.

You can also make mini tarts (as I have in the photos that accompany this recipe) instead of one large one.

 

Pastiera Napoletana

INGREDIENTS

PASTRY

• 4 cups (500g) flour
• 300g butter, cubed & cold from refrigerator
• 1.5 cups (200g) icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Zest of 1 orange

CUSTARD

• 4 egg yolks
• 5 tablespoons (70g) sugar
• 3 level tablespoons (40g) flour
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 ¾ Cups (400ml) milk

FILLING

• 1 ½ Cups (350g) ricotta
• 1 Cup (225g) sugar
• 1 ½ Cups (300g) cooked wheat ‘grano cotto’
• ¼ Cup (60ml) milk
• ½ cup (100g) custard
• 3 eggs
• 150g candied orange peel
• 2 teaspoons orange blossom water
• 2 teaspoons limoncello (optional)

METHOD

1. Make the custard the day before or several hours prior to ensure it is cold or at room temperature.  Beat the egg yolks, sugar and flour together by hand. Add the lemon zest to the milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat.
2. Add a ladle of hot milk to the egg yolk mixture and whisk to combine. Add another, whisk to combine and continue like this until all the milk is incorporated into the egg mixture.  Return the mixture to the saucepan over a medium heat.  Bring the mixture back to the boil whisking continuously.  The custard will thicken as it comes to the boil.  Remove from the heat, place in a glass bowl and cover with plastic kitchen wrap. Bring to room temperature and refrigerate until you are ready to make the Pastiera.
3. Make the pastry.  Add the flour and sugar to a food processor and mix to combine. Add the butter and mix, pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the orange zest and the eggs. Mix until a dough forms.
4. Place the dough on a lightly floured board and gently knead and form into a ball. Flatten the pastry dough, cover with plastic kitchen wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 40 minutes.
5. Remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to line a pie dish not smaller than diameter 9.5” (24cm), and at least 2” (5cm) deep. (Preferably with a removeable bottom otherwise use a springform cake tin). Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.  Roll out the remaining dough between two pieces of baking (parchment) paper and refrigerate.
6. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the sugar and the ricotta and mix until combined.
7. With the mixer running on medium, add the custard, milk, and then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
8. Finally mix in the cooked wheat, the candied orange peel, the orange blossom water and the limoncello. 
9. Pour the filling into the prepared pie dish.  With the remaining pastry, cut strips and create a lattice pattern on the top of the Pastiera.
10. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 170°C (340°F) for 45min to 1 hour. Remove from the oven when the filling is slightly firm to the touch, and the pastry and filling is golden brown. 
11. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before removing the Pastiera from the tin. You can refrigerate the pastiera, although I have been told that it isn’t necessary. Serve dusted with icing sugar.   

Pastiera Napoletana

Storicamente, per celebrare il ritorno della Primavera, si fa la pastiera, un dolce pasquale che ha origini che risalgono ad un convento. A quanto pare, una suora volle fare questa torta e profumarla con i fiori degli aranci che crescevano nei giardini del convento. La ricotta venne mescolata con il grano e poi le uova, (simbolo di nuova vita) e furono aggiunte ad alcuni altri ingredienti. Le monache erano note per fare molti pastiere per le famiglie benestanti durante Pasqua.

La pastiera napoletana può essere preparata in due modi diversi e questa ricetta è un approccio più moderno. In passato, il grano viene cotto con latte, scorza d’arancia e un po’ di zucchero fino a quando il latte non viene assorbito e poi viene messo da parte a raffreddare. Questa ricetta invece prevede l’aggiunta di crema pasticcera, con tutti gli altri ingredienti insieme, e il grano cotto l’ho comprato già pronta al supermercato. Significa sicuramente che i tempi di preparazione sono più rapidi, soprattutto se si prepara la crema pasticcera il giorno prima. (Ho incluso una ricetta per la crema pasticcera, e rende molto più del necessario per questa ricetta, ma chi si è mai lamentato di avere troppa crema pasticcera in casa?)  Il grano cotto può essere acquistato in lattina o barattolo nei negozi di specialità alimentari, ma anche nella maggior parte dei supermercati. Potreste sostituire il grano con riso arborio, farro o orzo.

Una curiosità; A Napoli, se si fa una pastiera, le strisce di pasta che creano il motivo a reticolo sopra la torta non vengono disposte a caso. Devono essere un numero totale di sette, quattro in una direzione e tre nell’altra, e si dice che questo schema formi la pianta stradale del centro storico di Napoli. La Pastiera non va mangiata il giorno in cui viene fatta perché gli ingredienti ei sapori hanno bisogno di tempo per ‘sposarsi’. Si consiglia di fare la pastiera il giovedì di Pasqua o il venerdì santo.
Potete anche fare delle mini crostate (come le ho io nelle foto che accompagnano questa ricetta) invece di una grande.

PASTIERA NAPOLETANA

INGREDIENTI:

PASTA FROLLA

• 500 g di farina
• 300 g di burro, tagliato a cubetti e freddo di frigorifero
• 200 g di zucchero a velo
• 2 uova, leggermente sbattute
• scorza di 1 arancia

CREMA PASTICCIERA

• 4 tuorli d’uovo
• 70g di zucchero
• 40g di farina
• scorza di 1 limone
• 400ml di latte

RIPIENO

• 350g di ricotta di pecora
• 225g di zucchero
• 300g di grano cotto di grano cotto
• 60 ml di latte
• 100g di crema pasticcera
• 3 uova
• 150g di scorze d’arancia candite
• 2 cucchiaini di acqua di fiori d’arancio
• 2 cucchiaini di limoncello (facoltativo)

METODO

1. Preparare la crema pasticcera il giorno prima o abbastanza ore prima per assicurarti che sia fredda o a temperatura ambiente. Sbattere a mano i tuorli, lo zucchero e la farina. In un pentolino aggiungere la scorza di limone al latte e portarlo a bollore. Togliere dal fuoco.
2. Aggiungere un mestolo di latte caldo al composto di tuorli e sbattere per amalgamare. Aggiungere un altro, sbatti per amalgamare e continua così fino a quando tutto il latte non sarà incorporato nel composto di uova. Rimettere il composto nella pentola a fuoco medio. Riportare il composto a bollore sbattendo continuamente. La crema pasticcera si addenserà man mano che raggiunge il bollore. Togliere dal fuoco, mettere in una ciotola di vetro e coprire con pellicola da cucina. Portare a temperatura ambiente e conservare in frigorifero fino al momento di preparare la pastiera.
3. Preparare la pasta frolla. Aggiungere la farina e lo zucchero in un robot da cucina e mescolare per unire. Aggiungere il burro e mescolare, continuando fino a quando il composto non assomiglia al pangrattato grossolano. Aggiungere la scorza d’arancia e le uova. Mescolare fino a formare un palla unita e amalgamata.
4. Mettere l’impasto su una spianatoia leggermente infarinata, e impastare delicatamente per formare due dischi. Avvolgere entrambi i dischi con la pellicola da cucina e refrigerarli per almeno 40 minuti.
5. Togliere la pasta frolla dal frigorifero e stenderla in modo da foderare una tortiera non più piccola del diametro di 24 cm e profonda almeno 5 cm. (Preferibilmente con fondo asportabile altrimenti utilizzare una tortiera a cerniera). Metterla in frigo mentre preparate il ripieno. Stendere l’impasto rimanente tra due pezzi di carta da forno e conservare in frigorifero.
6. Nella ciotola di una planetaria, aggiungere lo zucchero e la ricotta e mescolare fino ad ottenere un composto omogeneo.
7. Con la planetaria in funzione, aggiungere la crema pasticcera, quindi aggiungere le uova una alla volta, mescolando bene dopo ogni aggiunta, e poi anche il latte.
8. Infine unire il grano cotto, le scorze d’arancia candite, l’acqua di fiori d’arancio e il limoncello.
9. Versare il ripieno nella tortiera preparata. Con la pasta rimasta, tagliare delle strisce per decorare la parte superiore della pastiera.
10. Cuocere in forno preriscaldato a 170°C per 45 minuti a 1 ora. Togliere la pastiera dal forno quando il ripieno è leggermente sodo al tatto e la pasta e il ripieno sono ben dorati.
11. Lasciare raffreddare per 30 minuti prima di togliere la pastiera dallo stampo. Poi lasciarla raffreddare completamente. *Puoi refrigerare la pastiera anche se mi è stato detto che non è necessario. Servire spolverizzato con zucchero a velo.

This is a wonderful recipe that unites warm Autumnal flavours and contrasts delicious sweet grapes roasted in the oven with salty, smoked pancetta.  Although this recipe uses quails, you could use any gamebird, or even chicken.

INGREDIENTS (for 3 generous servings depending on the size of your quail)

• 6 quail
• 2 Italian sausages
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup currants
• ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 24 rashers smoked pancetta (or bacon)
• 2 bunches concord grapes
• Fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons vincotto (or balsamic vinegar)
• 20 shallots, peeled and cut in half
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

METHOD

1. Remove the sausage meat from their casings and add to a bowl.  Add the breadcrumbs, egg, milk, pistachio nuts, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, currants and about 10 grapes cut in half. Mix well to combine.
2. Divide the stuffing between the 6 quail, pushing it inside to evenly disperse the stuffing inside the cavity. (any leftover stuffing can be used for a tasty hamburger).
3. Place 4 rashers of smoked pancetta over the breasts of each quail, and tie the quail’s legs together with butcher’s string.
4. Place the shallots in a frying pan with 2 sprigs of fresh thyme.  Add about a ¼ cup of olive oil and enough cold water to barely cover the shallots. Cook on a medium heat.  The water will evaporate, leaving the soft shallots to continue cooking and browning in the olive oil. Lower the heat, paying attention they don’t burn.  Allow to caramelise and 5 minutes before they are done add the vincotto or balsamic vinegar.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced.
6. Use a large heavy frying pan and add a splash of olive oil to coat the base.  Heat on a medium-high heat and when the pan is hot, add the quail. Brown well on each side, cooking for 4-5 minutes.
7. Transfer the quail into a baking dish, add the bunches of grapes and transfer to the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.
8. Serve the quail with the shallots and roasted grapes. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and roughly chopped pistachio nuts. 

QUAGLIA RIPIENA AL FORNO CON PANCETTA & UVA

Questa è una ricetta meravigliosa che unisce i caldi sapori autunnali e contrappone la deliziosa uva dolce arrostita al forno con la pancetta affumicata salata. Sebbene questa ricetta utilizzi le quaglie, puoi usare qualsiasi cacciagione da piuma o perfino il pollo.

INGREDIENTI (3 porzioni generosi ma dipende delle dimensione delle quaglie)

• 6 quaglie
• 2 salsicce
• 1 uovo
• ¼ tazza (circa 60g) di pistacchi, tritati grossolanamente
• ¼ tazza di uvetta di ccorinto
• ½ tazza di pangrattato fresco
• 2 cucchiai di latte
• 24 fette di pancetta affumicata (o pancetta)
• 2 grappoli d’uva
• timo fresco
• 2 cucchiai di vincotto (o aceto balsamico)
• 20 scalogni, pelati e tagliati a metà
• Olio d’oliva
• Sale pepe

METODO

1. Togliere la salsiccia dal budello e metterla in una ciotola. Aggiungere il pangrattato, l’uovo, il latte, i pistacchi, 1 cucchiaio di foglie di timo fresco, l’uva di corinto e circa 10 chicchi d’uva tagliati a metà. Mescolare bene per unire.
2. Dividere il ripieno tra le 6 quaglie, spingendo il ripieno all’interno per disperdere uniformemente il ripieno all’interno della cavità. (l’eventuale ripieno avanzato può essere utilizzato per un gustoso hamburger).
3. Adagiare 4 fette di pancetta sui petti di ogni quaglia e legare le cosce con lo spago da macellaio.
4. Mettere gli scalogni in una padella con 2 rametti di timo fresco. Aggiungere circa 60ml di olio d’oliva e aggiungere acqua fredda quanto basta per coprire a malapena gli scalogni. Cuocere a fuoco medio. L’acqua evaporerà, lasciando lo scalogno morbido. Continuare la cottura e a rosolare nell’olio d’oliva. Abbassare il fuoco, facendo attenzione che non brucino. Lasciare caramellare e 5 minuti prima che siano cotti aggiungere il vincotto o l’aceto balsamico.
5. Preriscaldare il forno a 180°C ventilato.
6. Usare una padella larga e pesante e aggiungi un po’ di olio d’oliva per ricoprire il fondo. Scaldare a fuoco medio-alto e quando la padella è ben calda aggiungere le quaglie. Rosolare bene da ogni lato, cuocendo per 4-5 minuti.
7. Trasferire la quaglia in una teglia, aggiungere i grappoli d’uva e trasferire in forno preriscaldato per 10 minuti.
8. Servire la quaglia con lo scalogno e l’uva arrostita. Guarnire con foglie di timo fresco e pistacchi tritati grossolanamente.

Carrara Marble Mountains, their Quarries and the Men that dedicate their lives excavating this precious white stone.

If you happen to find yourself lying on one of the beautiful beaches along the Versilian coast in northern Tuscany, it would be impossible not to admire the majestic Apuan Alps. It would be easy to think that the stark white surfaces on the upper heights is snow, and many have made this mistake – logic not creating sense despite the scorching Summer temperatures on the beach.  It is indeed remarkable to think that this is the origin of some of the most beautiful marble finishes that decorate churches, cathedrals, famous marble sculptures or quite simply the marble that is sitting in kitchens and bathrooms all around the world.  The name ‘White Carrara Marble’ has become like a brand, synonymous with high end luxury décor, buildings and furnishings.

White Carrara marble has maintained its prestige for thousands of years, and it was two thousand yeas ago that the ancient Romans first removed the layer of trees and grassy carpet that dressed the mountains to reveal the precious white stone that lay underneath.  The Romans took possession of Carrara and its surroundings (once named Luni) and the Alps in 180 BC after winning the territory from a Celtic population that had settled in the area since 9 B.C. Carrara marble supplied the Roman Empire for the construction of many famous monuments that tourists flock to today to admire.  The Pantheon and the Trajan’s Column in Rome are built of Carrara Marble, as is the Portico di Ottavia.  Emperor Augustus is known to have said boastingly, “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble“.

Many sculptures of the Renaissance (Michelangelo’s David to name one) were also carved in marble from Carrara. Michelangelo is known to have visited many times during his lifetime (he lived into his 90’s) and each time he stayed in the area for at least 4-5 months to search for and find the perfect block of marble to use for his sculptures.  Michelangelo required the pure white ‘Statuario di Carrara marble’, which is characterized by its pure milk-white colour, that makes it very valuable.  The first time Michelangelo visited the Apuan Alps was when he was looking for the perfect marble to use to sculpt ‘La Pieta’ – the only piece of sculpture that Michelangelo ever signed which is now housed inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It is a beautiful piece of art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of her son Jesus, and something that really has to be seen when visiting Rome. After visiting the Apuan Alps repeatedly, Michelangelo fantasised about carving the whole peak of the mountain to create a sculpture so colossal, that the passing ships would be able to see it from the sea.

Statuario marble is very rare, and there is only one point today on the Apuan Alps where this prestigious type of marble is available, or where it is allowed to be excavated. This limited amount needs to satisfy the needs of the entire planet – and so this is what pushes the price up and gives this type of marble the nickname; ‘Oro Bianco’ (White Gold).    Pure white statuario marble is soft in comparison to marble that has grey or black veins running through it. The whiter the marble, the more calcium carbonate is present.  The grey veins are caused by carbon and some impurities and the more that is present, the harder the marble stone.

Once upon a time the extraction of the marble was entrusted to slavery, and their techniques remained unchanged for thousands of years. In the beginning, the miners exploited the natural fissures of the rock, and inserted wooden wedges.  These were then wet with water and the swelling, and natural expansion of the wood would cause the marble block to detach from the mountain.  The Romans used a method using metal chisels to cut blocks with a depth of about 2 meters. Metallic chisels were inserted into cuts about 20cm deep, and after much continuous hammering, the block was separated from the mountain. Then, to cut the block into smaller slabs, two men would use a large handsaw while a mixture of water and silica was poured onto the block to facilitate the cutting process. It’s incredible to think that each day only about 8cm would be cut, and it could take up to two years from extracting the marble to transporting it to the coast.

During the 18^th century, explosions were used to extract the marble but this method was aborted pretty quickly after it was realised that the damage to the Apuan Alps was great and too much waste was created.

Once the marble blocks were cut away from the mountain, another challenge lay ahead, and that was the method of transporting the marble down the mountain, to the sea port. One of the most dangerous jobs in working in the marble quarries was to be involved in the transport.  The marble blocks weighing about 30 tons had to be carefully transported down very steep slopes on a sleigh-type structure that would slide on wooden beams greased with soap. Ropes were used to try and control the marble and to resist the pull of gravity by about 10-12 men.  Two other men had the job of transferring the beams from the back to the front and you can imagine how often accidents happened and many men were killed.  Oxen were also used and the work was so strenuous for them, that often they would die along the way.  There are wonderful black and white photographs that document these powerful beasts hauling blocks of marble down to the sea port, onto the pier where they would be loaded onto ships.  

Transporting the marble down the mountain is still a very dangerous job and requires skilled driving of heavy trucks. It’s anxiety-provoking just watching these huge machines manoeuvre down the mountain and execute 3 point turns to get around some of the sharp turns. There are sprinklers operating along the roads, keeping the ground wet.  This is important to stop the trucks tyres slipping on dry gravel as they come down the mountain carrying the large marble blocks.

When one visits the Carrara marble quarries, the appreciation for the work and workers that contribute to each stage of the journey from the mountain to the finished product can be fully understood.  In the Carrara marble basin, there are three areas designated to quarries, they are the known as the Torano, Colonnata and Fantiscritti quarries. I visited the Fantiscritti quarries and they are the most famous of the once existing Roman city of Luni.  I booked a tour with ‘Carrara Marble Tour’ company and our guide Davide was a wealth of knowledge. 

Davide told of another group of men who work on the Apuan Alps who play an important and integral role alongside the work of the quarrymen. These men are required to listen to the sounds of the mountain, and to detect, and prevent danger.  They have one of the oldest and most demanding yet fascinating professions in the world. They are called the ‘tecchiaioli’, also nicknamed ‘ragni bianchi (white spiders) and they are the unsung guardian angels of the quarrymen.  They work in extreme conditions to provide safety of other workers.

They work in the Apuan marble quarries to monitor and clean the quarry front (the ‘tecchia’, in the Carrarese dialect) to eliminate any unsafe boulders, or sheets of marble that could potentially cause injuries (or death) if they were to fall on the unsuspecting quarrymen working below.  Until the 1990’s it was the same quarrymen who descended into the overhangs harnessed to a rudimentary hemp rope. Now professional rock climbers do it with the same techniques and equipment used in mountaineering and caving. They go from quarry to quarry, stopping for two or three months at a time to secure the rocky face.

The tecchiaioli move along the walls of the Apuan Alps and remain suspended for hours on the white chasms of the marble quarries. They listen to the mountain, observe it, take care of it, like hanging spiders, silently and meticulously getting the job done.

Very few know of the existence of this figure, the tecchiaiolo. Many people assume the quarrymen have the hardest jobs, but few know of the harsh and exhausting conditions which the tecchiaiolo works facing daily risk, fatigue and sometimes even fear.  Their white surroundings are the breathtaking scenery of the quarries, yet they work in the most extreme conditions and weather: heat, cold, and wind. Every day, all year round, hanging, immersed in the blinding white of the marble.  They are a tight-nit team, and the responsibility on their shoulders is great, and this means it’s also a job that causes great stress on a daily basis.

During the mining process, the shape of the mountainous peaks, and the marble facade are continuously modified and the aesthetics of the Alps can change brutally in a matter of weeks. In a few hours, walls of tens of meters can disappear and one thing that people may not consider is that extracting marble blocks from the mountain causes much wasted marble.  Sometimes the blocks shatter as they fall… and once upon a time, all this marble ‘rubble’ created problems as it accumulated in the valleys below.

Today, marble waste is utilised in many industries. The bits that have broken off, blocks that have shattered, or the cut-offs created when cutting a perfect block of marble can be made into small stones that are used for paving or they are ground to make marble dust. This dust of calcium carbonate is used in toothpaste, soaps, cosmetics, paper production, cement production, to make glue, etc. Nothing is wasted anymore.

The discovery of this ‘recycling’ has only occurred since 1980, and before that the three Carrara marble basins were submerged in 2000 years of accumulated marble waste.  This was a huge problem because it had covered areas where there was good quality marble that could be mined. This ‘problem’ has now become a valuable resource, especially if you consider that from a productive quarry, about 40% of the marble extracted becomes waste. Some quarries even have 80% of marble that becomes waste.

Seeing the quarries for the first time close up can be quite shocking – the quarries seem like a giant wound in the mountain.  We were at 1000m above sea level, but the mountains rise to about 1700m – 1800m and it’s important to realise that they are all marble. It has been calculated that the marble extends also to at least 2 km below sea level, so although it seems shocking that marble has been taken from Apuan Alps for so many years, there is still plenty of marble for at least the next 500 years.  

Two thousand years passed where there wasn’t any regulation on the number of quarries created or the amount of marble extracted.  One could cut what they wanted, use explosives and not face any consequences. Today the whole process must abide by strict laws.  Every two years, every company that manages a marble quarry must produce a plan to the region of Tuscany where they must detail exactly how many metres they plan to excavate. The environmental impact, the stability of the mountain and the estimated waste is evaluated before they receive authorisation to proceed. 

The Apuan Alps are now protected by UNESCO, (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and the regulation of mining is so strict today, there is no talk whatsoever of creating new quarries other than the ones that already exist.

If you do find yourself in northern Tuscany, take the time to visit the Carrara marble quarries and book a tour with CARRARA MARBLE TOUR company.  It will definitely make you appreciate so much more when you see white Carrara marble anywhere around the world.

**CARRARA MARBLE TOUR Tours – Carrara Marble Tour company also organise private customised tours that can include a visit to the quarries, the marble museum, followed by lunch and tasting of traditional regional recipes including experiencing the famous ‘Lardo di Colonnata’.

*This article was first published for www.italoamericano.org