Fregolata Veneziana Recipes

FREGOLATA: CRUMB COOKIE (ITALY)

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment.
• Pulse the nuts in a food processor to finely chop, allowing some larger pieces of nuts to remain. In a large bowl, combine butter, almonds, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the milk. Add the extract. Drizzle yolk mixture over almond mixture and toss with fingers to combine and get everything moistened. (If needed add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk.) Mixture should still be crumbly, but not dry, like a crisp topping.
• Sprinkle 1 cup (about half of the crumbs) on the prepared baking sheet and press lightly to create a thin, even 8-inch round. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top to give the cookie some texture. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking, about 30 minutes. For an extra crispy cookie, turn oven off at this point and let the pan rest in oven for 10 minutes.
• Cool on a rack until easy to handle. Slip the fregolata on the paper onto a rack to cool completely. When cool, sift confectioners' sugar over top.
• To serve, place a whole almond or overturned demitasse spoon under the center of the fregolata and rap the top with a spoon or the side of a knife to crack into serving pieces.

LIVER WITH ONIONS AND VINEGAR (FEGATO ALLA VENEZIANA)

Steps:

• Trim liver of veins and membranes. Cut on the diagonal into wide, 1/4-inch slices.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet. Fry the onions in the butter over medium heat, stirring often, until nicely browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar. Set aside.
• Dredge liver pieces with seasoned flour, and shake off excess. In a second large skillet, melt the clarified butter over high heat, and when very hot, drop in the liver pieces, a few at a time. Fry 30 seconds or so on each side. Remove to a serving dish. Liver should still be raw in the center.
• When all liver pieces have been fried, place the onions in the skillet containing the liver juices and reheat the onions thoroughly, stirring often. Add the liver to the onions, toss briefly to heat through, and turn out onto the serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

PASTA E FAGIOLI ALLA VENEZIANA

Steps:

• Put beans in pot and cover with cold water. Soak for 8 to 10 hours or overnight.
• Drain and put beans back into pot with carrot, celery, garlic, whole onion and 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Skim surface if necessary.
• Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 45 minutes. Check beans for doneness. They should be soft and creamy, not too mushy.
• Season beans with salt towards the end of the cooking time.
• While the beans are cooking, saute the onion in olive oil in a large skillet until onion is softened. Add the pancetta and continue sauteing until onion and pancetta are golden but not too crispy.
• Add the red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the rosemary and saute for one minute. Remove pan from heat and cover.
• Take the beans off the heat once they are cooked. Remove carrot. Throw out celery and onion. Lift out an abundant slotted spoonful of the whole beans and put into the pancetta pan. Take 2 tablespoons of the pancetta mixture and add to bean pot. Cut up the carrot and add to pancetta mixture.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the bean mixture until completely smooth. Add the pancetta mixture, stir briefly and bring to a boil.
• Stir in pasta pieces and cook until pasta is tender. If soup is too thick, add a little hot water.
• Serve with grated cheese and a swig of olive oil.

FREGOLATA, AN ITALIAN CRUMB COOKIE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment.
• Pulse the nuts in a food processor to finely chop, allowing some larger pieces of nuts to remain.
• In a large bowl, combine butter, almonds, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the milk.
• Add the extract.
• Drizzle yolk mixture over almond mixture and toss with fingers to combine and get everything moistened (If needed add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk).
• Mixture should still be crumbly, but not dry, like a crisp topping.
• Sprinkle 1 cup (about half of the crumbs) on the prepared baking sheet and press lightly to create a thin, even 8-inch round.
• Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top to give the cookie some texture. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking, about 30 minutes.
• For an extra crispy cookie, turn oven off at this point and let the pan rest in oven for 10 minutes.
• Cool on a rack until easy to handle.
• Slip the fregolata on the paper onto a rack to cool completely.
• When cool, sift confectioners' sugar over top.
• TO SERVE:.
• place a whole almond or overturned demitasse spoon under the center of the fregolata and rap the top with a spoon or the side of a knife to crack into serving pieces.
• BAKERS TIP:
• Dough can be frozen on cookie sheet for up to 1 week and baked from the freezer (for an extra 5 to 10 minutes). Store baked cookie in an airtight container or on a baking sheet wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 1 week. Baked cookie can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 2 weeks.

FREGOLATA VENEZIANA

Steps:

• In a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade, grind almonds with 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar to a coarse powder. Add remaining sugar and process to a very fine powder.
• Transfer to the bowl of a mixer or a large mixing bowl and beat in the butter until blended. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest and the vanilla and almond extracts, and mix until well blended. Add cornmeal, flour and salt to almond mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. It is important not to overwork dough.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9- or 10-inch tart or quiche pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Spread dough in pan, using fingers to distribute dough to the edge. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and brown sugar.
• Bake 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake 45 to 50 minutes longer, until surface is pale golden brown. Cool completely on a rack and cut into wedges to serve.