Thehistoricfoodie's Blog | An enjoyable ramble through the world of Historic Foods and Cooking Techniques. [(C)]These recipes
come from Stefano Marchi, host and owner of La Palazzina, an Agriturismo
accommodation in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Italy, that we recommend
highly.& The recipes represent dishes from the kitchens of Garfagnana
particular from& those that are a part of the chestnut industry in
Tuscany.& If you encounter problems with recipes please let me
know.& We're dealing with language translation as well as measurement
equivalents and errors are bound to happen.& Where we've had
particular success with a recipe you'll find our notes highlighted.
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Tuscan Appetizers and Soups
AL FORMAGGIO
(Cheese Canapes)
3/4 C wheat flour
3/4 C chestnut flour
2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/4 lb butter
3/8 C cream
1 1/8 C grated Emmenthal cheese
the two flours and the parmesan and Emmenthal cheese together.& Add the melted
(not hot) butter, the cream and the beaten egg a little at a
time.& Salt and pepper to taste.& Make a dough with your
hands and knead to give it an even consistency.& You may need to
add a bit of water.& Roll it out on a lightly floured board to
about 1/4& thickness with a 2 1/2& cookie cutter.&
Place on baking tin.& Bake at about 400o F (200o
C) until they become a golden biscuit color.
An interesting hors
d'oeuvre.& Our guests liked it.
Tuscan Main Dishes and Miscellaneous
SACCHETTINI
AL FORMAGGIO
(Little Cheese
3/8 C + 1 tbsp chestnut flour
2/3 C wheat flour
3/4 C milk
1 tbsp butter
1 3/4 C white sauce
1 1/2 C ricotta cheese
4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Beat the eggs in a bowl,
add the two mixed flours, and 1 tbsp butter.& Stir well and then
mix in the melted butter and 1/2 C of the milk.& Cover it with a
clean linen and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Butter a non-stick
frying pan and drop in a little ladleful of batter.& It should
spread over the bottom of the pan as far as possible to obtain a thin
layer.& When it has cooked on one side, turn it over and cook on
the other side.& Carry on the same way until the batter has been
Put half of the white
sauce in a bowl, add 1 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp of
ricotta cheese.& Spread the mixture on each pancake, then close
them with a blade of spring onion grass as if they were little
bags.& Arrange them on a buttered baking tin.& Combine the
remaining white sauce with the remaining milk, pepper, nutmeg and the
remaining& grated parmesan cheese.& Sprinkle the little bags
with the sauce and cook in a hot oven at 400o F for 20
DI CASTAGNE ALLA GENOVESE
Chestnut Fusilli)
3/4 C flour&
1 1/2 C chestnut flour
1 1/2 C boiled mashed potatoes
milk as necessary
pesto or ragout sauce
Mix the 2 flours, the
mashed potatoes, the egg, salt and pepper to taste and enough milk to
obtain a smooth and thick dough.& Divide it up into little pieces
each about the size of a large pea.& Roll these pieces between
your hands to make little sticks and then wind these round a knitting
needle in a spiral to give them a fusilli shape.
Cook in plenty of
salted water.& Drain well and dress with pesto or with a good hot
ragout and serve
DI CASTAGNE ALLA CARNICA
(Carnic Chestnut Ravioli)
For pasta:
For filling:
For dressing:
1 1/8 C chestnut flour
1 1/8 C wheat flour
1 tbsp oil
3/8 C milk
3 green onions
1 garlic clove
5 oz. frozen spinach thawed
6 oz. ricotta cheese
1-2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
7 oz butter
1/4 C parmesan cheese
Make the dough combining
all the pasta ingredients.& Knead it well until the pasta dough
is of an elastic consistency.& Mince the onion and garlic rather
brown them in boiling butter and then add chopped
spinach.& Let the spinac combine it with
ricotta cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper and stir from time to time
to obtain an even mixture.
Roll out a thin layer
of pasta dough and cut into strips about 3& wide.& Place
small heaps of the filling mixture on the dough in a line.& Fold
a strip of dough over the top and press it down well around the sides
of the filling.& Now cut out the ravioli with a pastry wheel in
semicircular shapes, 2 1/2& in diameter.& Boil in salted
water, drain well, add very hot butter and grated cheese.
Tasty but forming
the raviolis was a bit tricky.
MONTANARA D'AUTUNNO
Mountain Polenta)
1 1/2 C cornstarch
3/4 C cornmeal
3/4 C chestnut flour
1 tbsp cream
4-6 little ladles of meat ragout
4-6 tsp grated parmesan
salt and pepper
GLUTEN FREE
Combine the 2 corn flours.&
Add the chestnut flour, salt and pepper.& Put 4 C lightly salted
bring it to a boil.& Pour in the flours.&
Cook and stir all the time as for a normal polenta.& If necessary
add hot water in order to obtain a blended and smooth mixture.&
Dress it rapidly with butter and keep on stirring.& Pour it in
little bowls and dress with hot meat ragout.& Strew on top with
pepper and grated parmesan cheese.
1 7/8 C chestnut flour
1/4 C + 1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 pkt castor sugar with vanilla flavour
13 oz peanut oil
GLUTEN FREE&
Bring 1 cup of water
to the boil.& Add butter.& Then take the pan out of the
heat, pour in the flour and stir quickly to obtain a smooth batter and
allow to rest.& When the batter is cold add eggs, one at a time,
sugar, grated lemon zest.& Heat the oil up, not too much.&
Make little fritters by frying tablespoonfuls of mixture in the oil in
a frying pan.& Let them swell and become a golden colour.&
Arrange on a serving plate and dust with icing sugar and cinnamon.
MALTAGLIATI
DI FARINA DI CASTAGNE
Maltagliati)
For pasta:
For sauce:
1 1/8 C chestnut flour
1 1/8 C wheat flour
7 oz porcini mushrooms
7 oz pumpkin pulp
3.4 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 little ladle beef stock
salt and pepper
the 2 kinds of flour together on a pastry board.& Put the two
eggs and a pinch of salt in the middle.& Work it all together
with your hands until the dough is soft and elastic.& Wrap it in
plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes.& Roll the
dough out and cut it into strips about 3/4& wide and 2 inches
long.& Place them on the floured pastry board and let them dry.
Slice the mushrooms.& Mince the shallot and brown in a non-stick
frying pan with 3 tbsp oil.& Add pumpkin. Continue stirring with
a wooden spoon.& Let it flavour with a pinch of salt and
pepper.& Combine with the pumpkin and strew with washed and
minced parsley.& Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling
salted water.& Drain when cooked al dente and serve with the hot
porcini and pumpkin sauce.
DI CASTAGNE
2 5/8 C chestnut flour
1 1/2 C wheat flour
water and salt as necessary
together the 2 flours.& Add 1 lightly beaten egg and a pinch of
salt.& Make the dough using enough water to give it a soft but
solid consistency, cover and let it rest for some minutes.& Make
little roll shapes out of the dough.& Cut these up into little
pieces of about 3/4& in diameter.& Dust with flour and let
them rest.& Very carefully make a small indentation in each one
with your thumb to obtain shell shaped pieces.& Cook them in
plenty of salted water.& Strain and dress with pesto.
LASAGNETTE
DI CASTAGNE CON TROTA E ASPARAGI MANTECATI ALLA RICOTTA
Little Lasagnas with Trout and Whipped Asparagus Dressed with Ricotta
2 trout fillets
1 1/8 c + 1 tbsp cooked spelt
7/8 C asparagus
6 oz chestnut & eggs&&&&&&&&&
7/8 C ricotta cheese
fish soup as necessary
1 garlic clove
white wine
white pepper
red pepper
hot paprika
the pasta.& Cut it into parsley shape sheets.
Clean and cut the trout
into little cubes.& Brown a garlic clove with oil and
butter.& Brown the red pepper, the trout and the asparagus
after.& Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate.& Add
salt and pepper, paprika, minced parsley and spelt.& Pour in the
fish soup and the ricotta cheese.& Boil the pasta.& Arrange
one layer of pasta on a plate.& Put some stuffing on top and
cover with other pasta.& Carry on the same way until the stuffing
has been used up.& Then dust with parsley, pepper and garnish
with red pepper.
Unique and
delicious.&
TAGLIERINI
(Levantine Thin Noodles)
2 1/4 C chestnut flour
2 1/4 C wheat flour
1 C meat ragout
1 C dry white wine
grated parmesan cheese
the 2 flours on a pastry board and put wine, water as necessary and a
pinch of salt in the middle.& Work it all together with your
hands to make a rather firm, well mixed dough.& Cover it with a
clean linen and let it rest for 10 minutes.& Roll it out with the
rolling pin into a thin layer.& Dust it with some wheat flour,
roll it up on itself and cut it into fine sticks.& Boil this
pasta in plenty of boiling milk, drain it well and dress with the meat
ragout and grated parmesan cheese.
CON FAVE E CARDI
(Broad Beans and Cardoom
Thistle Cream)
1 1/8 C skinned broad beans
1 C chestnut flour
1 bay leaves
7 oz. clean thistle
wheat flour
2 garlic cloves
meat stock
the broad beans (shortly drenched) in pure water with bay leaves and
minced carrots, celery and onion.& Let them cook for 45
minutes.& Drain and pour into a casserole with the chestnut
flour.& Separately, boil the thistle in salted water with 2
cut them into little cubes.& Flour and brown
them in the butter with minced onion.& When finished, add this
mixture to the chestnut and bean cream.& Add enough stock, heat
up and serve with toasted croutons.
(Capuchin Soup)
1 1/8 C pearl barley
3.5 oz bacon
2 tbsp oil
1 garlic clove
1 C chestnut flour
40 oz. meat stock
2 tbsp grated pecorino cheese
and brown the bacon with oil in a casserole.& At this point, add
carrots and onion flakes.& Let them brown for some minutes.&
Then pour in the meat stock.& Make it boil and add the
barley.& Cover and cook for 1 hour.& Pour in the chestnut
flour with salt.& Stir and keep on cooking but let it not
reduce.& If that happens, add some hot water or stock.& When
it has finished cooking, strew on top with pepper and grated
cheese.& Then serve.
PERSCICO CON SALSA DI CASTAGNE
(Sea-Rock Perch
with Chestnut Sauce)
4 lb sea-rock perch
4 garlic cloves
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
3/4 C chestnut flour
scale and take out viscera from the fish.& Rub it inside and
outside with salt and pepper.& Spread the abdominal cavity with
minced garlic and parsley.&&
Oil the fish, wrap it
in an aluminum rectangle paper and cook it in the oven for 45
minutes.& Dissolve the chestnut flour with water and milk, add
salt, pepper and 1 tbsp. oil.& Heat up the mixture until it has
reduced to a fluid cream.& Use this cream to dress the fish
pieces that should have been arranged on individual plates, and serve&
SPATOLA IN SALSA ORIENTALE
(Paddle Fish with
Eastern Sauce)
2 lbs paddle fish
1/2 C olive oil
2 big onions
1 1/2 C chestnut flour
2 lemons (juice from)
the fish.& Take its head, tail and viscera off.& Cut it into
pieces (about 6& each) and take out the bone.& Divide each
piece of fish into two parts.& Oil them, put them in an oiled
baking tin and roast in a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes at 400o
F.& Mince and fry the onions in a little butter.& Then strew
them on the fish pieces.& Dissolve the chestnut flour with the
lemon juice and the same quantity of water in order to obtain a
mixture of cream consistency.& Drop it on the onions and cook in
oven for 15 minutes at 350o F.&&&
POLENTA DI NECCIO
(Waffels Polenta)
6 C lightly salted water
2 lbs sieved chestnut flour
the water to a boil, preferably using a cauldron.& Pour in the
sieved chestnut flour, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon to
avoid clumps forming.& Continue cooking over a low heat for about
45 minutes.& The polenta is done when it comes away in a mass from
the sides of the pan.& At this stage tip it out on to a wooden
board and cut it into slices.
PORK BONES
(Commonly served
with polenta)
1 kg per person
2 lbs& pork bones per person
your trusty butcher for about 2 lbs pork bones per person of pork
bones from steaks, breast and little trotters.& All these bones
should be fleshy enough.& Pickle them for some hours with
rosemary leaves, a pinch of cinnamon and pepper.& Then take out
the bones and dust them with salt.& Arrange the bones in layers
at the bottom of a large bowl.& Dust each layer with plenty of
salt.& Let them rest for 10 days in a& fresh and dry
place.& After 10 days, wash the bones with running water and cook
them in plenty of water.& When cooked, serve with hot polenta.
(A kind of salami)
7 oz thick bacon
11 oz blood sausage sliced
14 oz sausage cubed
1 C vinegar
each kind of meat in separate pans.& Use some oil only to fry the
biroldo.& When they are brown enough, pour them in a large pan
and add the vinegar.& Let the liquid reduce.& Then take out
of the heat, cover with a lid and let soften for one minute.&
Serve very hot.
3 3/4 C chestnut flour
34 oz water
1 pinch salt
all the ingredients to obtain a soft batter.& Let it rest for 1
hour.& Put seeds oil or lard in a frying pan.& Make little
fritters by frying tablespoons full of the batter in the oil, which
should be very hot but not boiling.& Serve them hot with ricotta
a batter with the chestnut flour as for the chestnut fritters but
thicker.& Heat up two &testi& (moulds of the same depth
and width as a plate).& Pour 2-3 tbsp of batter in one of
them.& Cover it with the second testo.& Press them using a
piece of wood in order to spread well the inside mixture.& Make
this operation during 1-2 minutes.& Meanwhile turn the testi
upside down t least twide.& When the neccio is cooked, roll it up
and fill it with ricotta cheese.
Tuscan Sweets
LA CASTAGNA A GOCCIA
(The Chestnut in
For the cake:
For the cream:
For the syrup:
3/4 C wheat flour
1/2 C chestnut flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 C sugar
12 oz. milk
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C wheat flour
orange zest
orange juice
cognac as necessary
water as necessary
3/4 C sugar
1/8 C fresh chestnuts
Cake Preparation:
Whip the eggs with sugar to obtain a light and frothy
mixture.& Combine carefully the two sieved flours with the baking
powder and mix with the eggs and sugar.&& Bake the mixture
in a pre-heated oven to 350o F for 5-10 minutes, then 300o
F until done (40 minutes).&&
Cream Preparation:
Make a batter with 3 egg yolks, 2 egg whites and the other
ingredients.& Take the milk to the boil with the orange
zest.& Take out of the heat and add the previously done
batter.& Bring again to the boil.& At this point the cream
Syrup Preparation:
Bring all the ingredients to the boil in a copper pot.&
Divide the sponge cake into two layers.& Moist them with the
syrup.& Fill with cream.& Place on a plate and serve with an
orange-flavoured English cream and with minced fresh chestnuts.&
MOUSSE DI CASTAGNE
(Chestnut Mousse)
For coupelles
For the mousse
1/2 glassful
1/2 glassful
3/4 C castor sugar
3/4 C wheat flour
7 tbsp butter
3/4 C egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla
21 oz& chestnuts in shell
3.5 oz dark chocolate
3.5 oz butter
1 1/8 C castor sugar
1/2 C milk
1/4 C liqueur
1/8 C chopped walnuts
Preparation
of the coupelles:
Soften the butter.& Add the castor sugar, vanilla and the egg
whites a little at a time.& Pour in the flour and make a soft
dough.& Cover the base of a buttered baking tin with the
dough.& Cook in the oven at 400o F until the edges
become of a golden biscuit colour.& While the dough is still
soft, cut it into round shapes by using an upside-down glass.
Preparation of the mousse:
Boil the chestnuts, peel and process in a food processor.&
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler with the butter and sugar and
dissolve everything with milk.& Pour the chestnut puree into a
bowl.& Add the melted ingredients and moist with some milk and
liqueur if necessary& Pour the batter into the coupelles.&
Garnish with chopped walnuts.
CASTAGNACCIO
(Chestnut Cake)
1 1/2 C chestnut flour
1 1/8 C water
1/8 C chopped walnuts
zest of 1 orange
a dough with flour, water and salt.& Knead (mix) it well.& Place a
dough layer (1/2& thick) in a baking tin.& Moist its surface
with some oil.& Dust it with walnuts, pieces of rosemary and the
orange zest.& Bake in oven at 375o F for 40 minutes.
If you're looking
for a unique dessert to serve your guests this one fills the
bill.& You might try topping it with ricotta cheese as they
sometimes do in Italy, or with whipped cream.&&You might
also try adding 1/4 C of miniature chocolate chips to the dough.&
MANTOVANA DI NECCIO CON
(Neccio Mantovana
with Yogurt)
For the cake
For the yogurt cream
1 1/8 C chestnut flour
7 oz margarine or butter
2 1/4 C sugar
1 1/8 C wheat flour
1 oz cocoa
3/4 C cream
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C ricotta cheese
7 oz light yogurt
6 egg yolks together with margarine and 1 7/8 C sugar.& Sieve the
two flours and combine with the two previously done doughs and
cocoa.&& Butter and flour two baking tins measuring 10&
in diameter.& Pour in the mixture and cook in the oven at 325o F
for 45 minutes.& When cooked, let them rest for 2-3 hours.&
Then cut them across.& Dissolve some rum with water and
sugar.& Then use this mixture to soak the cake parts.& Fill
them with the yogurt cream.
Preparation for the yogurt cream:
Whip the cream and combine the cream sugar ricotta cheese and
yogurt.& Fill the Mantovana neccio cake and garnish as you
LA PATTONA
(Chestnut Flour
4 lbs chestnut flour
peeled, sliced apples
4 oz chopped walnuts
4 oz chopped hazelnuts
4 oz pine nuts
7 oz raisins
orange zest
the raisins in wine for an hour.& Set aside.
Make a dough with all the ingredients.& Add raisins.& Knead
the dough well.& Prepare some little dough balls and place them
into little bags made from weaved chestnut leaves.& Roast in oven
at 350o F for about 30 minutes.
MANAFREGOLI
water to the boil.& Pour in the sieved chestnut flour and try to
obtain a soft cream, even containing some little balls of not
dissolved flour.& Let it boil for 30 minutes.& Then serve in
hot plates with milk or fresh cream on the top.
Cream Puffs
3 3/4 C chestnut flour
3 3/4 C wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp sugar
grated orange zest
1 pinch salt
a dough with all the ingredients.& Knead it well and let it
rise.& Roll it out and cut into round shapes.& You can use a
glass for this operation.& Then fry them in plenty of hot
oil.& Dust with sugar and serve hot.
BUDINO DI FARINA DI
(Chestnut Flour
11/2 glassfuls
1.8 oz bitter chocolate
orange zest
1 1/2 C chestnut flour
3 egg yolks
1 pinch salt
3/4 C sugar
the chocolate in a double boiler.& Add 1 1/2 C milk and the zest
of an orange to the chocolate.& Allow to cool, and in the
meantime mix 1 1/2 C chestnut flour with 1 1/2 C milk.& Add 3
beaten egg yolks, the salt 3/4 C sugar, the melted chocolate
cream.& Fold in the& stiffly-beaten egg whites.
Butter a pudding basin,
dust it with sugar and pour in the mixture.& Put the basin in a
container of very hot water and bake in a pre-heated oven, at 350o
F.& The pudding is done when it is firm and when a toothpick
stuck in the middle of it comes out dry.&
TORTA DI CASTAGNE AL
CIOCCOLATO
(Chestnut and
Chocolate Cake)
3 3/4 C chestnut flour
17 oz milk
1 1/8 cocoa
3/8 C wheat flour
3/8 C sugar
5 tsp baking soda
a dough with all the ingredients.& Pour into a buttered baking
tin and bake
&We're proud to be
members of Chestnut Growers of America, Inc.
(C) Allen Creek Farm
Artwork (C) Dankwardt Ink, Inc. 2009