Sept. 2005

Risotto coi peoci (Rice with mussels)

For 4 servings:

1200 grs mussels, 300 grs rice, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 1 garlic clove, half onion chopped, 10 grs parsley, salt and pepper.

Scrape and wash the mussels, put in a pan over brisk fire to open. Detach the molluscs from the shells and put in a bowl with their liquid previously filtered. Brown in a pan with oil the onion and garlic, take them out, put the rice, toast , add 1 ladle at a time of boiling water or broth.
At end cooking, add the mussels liquid, salt and pepper; before serving top with parsley and mussels.

The seafood needs a mild white like a Riesling veneto or a Pinot grigio or a Bianco di Custoza.

Anguilla in tegame (Fried eel)

For 4 servings:

1 kg eel, vinegar, laurel leaves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 30 grs butter, 1 medium size onion, 1 garlic clove and 10 grs parsley minced, flour, breadcrumbs, 50 ml white wine, salt and pepper.

Cut the eel skin around the head, and pull down taking the skin away completely. Cut away head and fins, empty the eel, wash and dry and cut in pieces 6 cm long; marinate for 30 minutes in vinegar and laurel leaves.
Brown with oil and butter in a pan the minced onion, garlic parsley, put the eel’s pieces, drained and floured also with breadcrumbs. Brown all around adding few spoons of the marinating juice. After evaporation, salt and pepper, pour the wine and cook until evaporation.

The suggested wines are local whites like a Garganega bianco or a Tocai di Lison or a Gambellara.

Torta de paprele alla veronese (Sweet noodles cake)

For 6 servings:

300 grs white flour, 200 grs butter, 3 eggs, salt, 200 grs peeled almonds, 4 bitter almonds, 200 grs sugar, 1 lemon, 50 ml rum, butter and flour for the mould.

Put on a tray the flour in a cone shape, put in the centre 50 grs of softened butter, eggs and salt, knead and prepare a thin pastry layer, lightly flouring. Scald the almonds, peel and mince; put in a tureen with sugar and a grated lemon peel, stirring with a spoon. Roll the dough slightly dried, cut in thin noodles (=paprele), then spread and put a layer in a baking pan buttered and floured of 22 cm diameter and 5 cm height. Sprinkle with the minced almonds and keep layering until end of the ingredients ending with the paprele. Spray the surface with 150 grs of melted butter and the rum. Cover the cake with grease-proof paper and put in oven at 200°C for 1 hour; take out and sprinkle with lemon juice.

The match is with a strong dessert wine like a Torcolato di Breganze or the Recioto spumante red or
the very exclusive Picolit.