Who can forget Julia Child warbling on about making Boeuf Bourguignon in those old tv clips that are so endlessly replayed? I can’t say I saw the episode in question in its initial airing but have viewed it in today’s replayings and of course have examined the recipe in her cookbook, The French Chef. So, when I came across the recipe for Fettine a Stracotto in the Abruzzese recipe collection that a friend translated for me from handwritten Italian to English, I was struck by the similarities between the two. Both rely on the same main ingredients and both reflect peasant origins. And, upon consideration, I actually prefer Italy’s take on this classic peasant comfort food to the French as adapted by Child.
The search was instigated by the recipe “Jean Jacques Beef Stew Dijon” featured in the book, The Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews, which was the subject of this cycle’s reading in the Cook the Books group. The novel was selected by my friend Simona Carini for this reading because as she said “the combination of espionage thriller and recipes was too intriguing to pass up”. Written by a former CIA officer, it depicts the workings of a female Soviet undercover agent trained in the art of seduction with the mission of gaining valuable intelligence from male US agents through seduction. I have to confess that spy novels are not my cup of tea, but the pairing of spy thriller and recipes was too interesting to pass up along with the opportunity to link this to the Abruzzo rendition.
The “Recette della Nonna” collection that inspired me was compiled in the 1980’s by an Italian cousin from the Abruzzo town of Giulianova from which my family hails, and this recipe was contributed by a woman named Alcina from the nearby hub of Teramo which also is the capital of the Abruzzo province. The commune is most known for its le virtu, a minestrone-like soup made famous in the movie “Big Night”, scrippele mbusse, which are rolled pasta tubes used in any number of preparations and peasant dishes such as the Fettine, all of which are included in my collection. I’m working my way through these recipes with the goal of eventually creating a cookbook honoring Abruzzese cuisine. This will take perseverance since the “recipes” merely list ingredients and preparation steps so each must be recreated for today’s cooks. Wish me luck.
This is my contribution to the current roundup of Cook the Books where reading selections chosen by members of the group provide for inspiring reading paired with inspiring recipes. Our host for this cycle is the above mentioned Simona of Briciole, who we thank so much for coordinating this cycle's writings.
Fettine a Stracotto
Ingredients: 1.5 – 2 lbs beef chuck cut into small chunks, salted in advance 1 cup chopped pancetta 2 cups each peeled and sliced carrots and celery 2 cups roughly chopped onions 1 cup sliced mushrooms ½ cup zucchini cut into small pieces 2 cloves garlic minced 2 bay leaves 1 tsp salt ½ tsp ground pepper ½ tsp each oregano and thyme, 1 4-inch stem rosemary, 1 cup parsley leaves rough chopped 1 can diced tomatoes and juice 2 cups wine (your choice red or white) Unsalted beef broth to cover 1 tbs lemon peel
Preparation: A large casserole with a lid is needed. Ingredients will be layered and then covered with liquids. Saute pancetta in the casserole in a little oil. Place single layer of beef chunks on top of it. Then alternate meat and other ingredients as follows, repeating until all are used. 1) onion, carrot, celery, garlic, seasonings, 2) tomatoes and some juice, 3) mushrooms, zucchini, seasonings. Cover with wine and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to moderate heat. Cover and cook slowly 1 ½-2 hours till meat and vegetables are tender. Remove rosemary and bay leavess. Sauce should thicken but if not, remove 1 cup liquid to a small cup, add 1 tbs cornstarch, combine and stir back into main pot under higher heat. When sauce has thickened to desired consistency remove from heat.
