DISCOVER THE HEARTY, HEALTHY COOKING OF ABRUZZO
Tuscan cooking gets so much attention these days that it is easy to overlook the food of other Italian regions. Recently, to broaden my experience of Italian food, I explored Abruzzo, the lesser-known region of Italy a couple of hours' drive east from Rome. I discovered elemental cooking, often as simple as that of more northern regions, and equally reliant on the quality of ingredients, but which offers more variety thanks to the region's geography -- a unique combination of turf and surf.
The western edge of Abruzzo is a spine of snow-capped mountains. The highest of the Apennines, these rugged peaks harbor deep forests where wild boar roam. To the east, a fertile plain forms the heartland of Abruzzo. Beyond this is the Adriatic coast, a long line of flat beaches. It is backed by modest resort hotels and dotted with fishing ports.
The Adriatic yields a variety of impeccable seafood. Local cooks use an assortment of it in brodetto, a seafood stew. For this dish, clams, mussels and monkfish, and maybe squid or other choices, are cooked briefly and served in their cooking broth. Brodetto is always perfumed with garlic and fired with a diavoletto. (This dried hot pepper pod is a fundamental ingredient in Abruzzo, just as fiery, fresh red peppers always appear as a condiment on the table.) Grains and greens are the heart of Abruzzese cooking. The grain can be farro, an ancient kind of wheat, or polenta, but most often it is durum semolina grown in the heartland and turned into pasta, particularly maccheroni alla chitarra, a square-shaped spaghetti named for the guitar-like wire apparatus on which it is cut. Diavoletto-spiked tomato sauce, perhaps flavored with meat, is the most common accompaniment for this appealing pasta.
One of the best dishes I ate in Abruzzo was also the most basic. Pizza e Fuie, pure peasant food, is simply moistened corn meal, baked like pizza dough until it is a crisp crust, and served with dark greens braised in olive oil until
tender.
The greens used in this recipe are called broccoli rape (also known as raab, rabe or rapini), which resembles thin broccoli stalks with small clusters of buds. Unlike broccoli, however, it has a bitter, peppery taste that makes it a favorite in Italian cooking.
CORNMEAL PIZZA AND BITTER GREENS (PIZZA E FUIE)
FOR THE GREENS:
1 1/4 pounds broccoli rape
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
FOR THE PIZZA:
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal*
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups boiling water
If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
TO PREPARE THE GREENS:
Wash the rape and shake off excess water but do not dry. Cut away the tough part of the stems, then slice the greens crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Mix in the rape and garlic to coat with the oil. Stir until the greens are wilted. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook until the greens are tender, 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
TO PREPARE THE PIZZA:
In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal and salt. With a fork, mix in the oil until all the cornmeal darkens in color. With a wooden spoon, mix in 1 cup of the water, working the cornmeal to make a thick, soft dough. Add more water, a quarter-cup at a time, if needed. Beat the mixture with the spoon until it is smooth and well combined, 2-3 minutes.
Place a sheet of foil on the pizza stone or a baking sheet. Scoop the cornmeal dough onto the ungreased foil. Using your hand, pat and smooth the cornmeal into an 8-inch disk a half-inch thick. Place another sheet of foil over the pizza, covering it loosely.
Bake until the bottom and edges of the pizza are crisp and the top is dry to the touch, 30-45 minutes. Immediately remove from the oven and cut the pizza into 4 wedges. Peel away the foil.
TO SERVE:
Divide the warm greens among 4 wide, shallow soup bowls or pasta dishes. Place a wedge of pizza with the greens and serve immediately.
*Supermarkets sell stone-ground cornmeal in bags. You also find it at natural food stores. Degerminated, regular cornmeal makes a mushy, soft pizza.
Each of the 4 servings contains 223 calories and 8 grams of fat.
Source: Dana Jacobi by the American Institute for Cancer Research
