Strucolo
Friuli Venezia Giulia is one of the more unusual parts of Italy: Located in the extreme northeast of the country, it was for centuries part of the Venetian hinterland, an area that the City of Saint Mark kept close watch over, and dominated with fortresses and garrisons. At least the coastal section; inland are the high plains of the Carso, and these were inhabited by Slavs. Then Venice faded, and the Hapsburgs stepped in, making both the Veneto and Friuli provinces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and transforming the city of Trieste into their primary Mediterranean port. The area saw bitter fighting during the first world war, which ended with the Hapsburg defeat and their withdrawal from Trieste as well as the Hinterland, and was again bitterly fought over during the second world war, when Tito's Slavic partisans, under the guise of kicking out Italian fascists, performed a thorough ethnic cleaning inland, casting the bodies into karst fissures known as foibe. As a result, where we once had the Austro-Hungarian Empire we now have Italians along the coast, and inland in the Collio region, while to the east there's Slovenia, one of the first countries to break free from the former Yugoslavia. The borders are again open and there's a great deal of movement back and forth, as there was in the past under Austria.
As one might expect, the region's being cultural crossroads has had a profound impact on the cuisine; in addition to the classic Friulian dishes such as brovada, a pickled turnip, frico, light, crumbly fried grated Montasio cheese, and prosciutto San Daniele, a glorious raw ham from the town of San Daniele, there's jota, a bean and sauerkraut soup now enjoyed by all but originally from the Slavic regions inland, cevapcici, grilled meatballs that are also Slavic in origin, and dishes that are inescapably Austro-Hungarian, for example goulash or strudel. Indeed, there are lots of variations on the basic concept of strudel, which is a very thin sheet of dough sprinkled with a topping and rolled up, then cooked. Some are sweet, and intended to serve as dessert. Others, however, are savory, and as Cesare Fonda points out in Cucina Carsolina, a very interesting book dedicated to the cooking of karst highlands inland, they offer cooks with a perfect opportunity to make use of leftovers, adapting what one has on hand to suit one's needs and tastes. Mr. Fonda also notes that the local dialect, which draws heavily from Slovene, distinguishes between strudels to be baked, which they call strudel, and strudels to be wrapped in a cloth and boiled, which they call strukel, or strucolo.
Before we get to specific recipes, a couple of words on strudel dough. Mr. Fonda says there are many recipes, and then gives one that's extremely simple:
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) flour
- A pinch of salt
- Warm water
- A scant teaspoon of vinegar.
(Note: a slightly richer recipe I've seen calls for 2 eggs, lightly beaten, or just the yolks, instead of some of the water.)
In any case, sift the flour onto your work surface, scoop a well into it, sprinkle a pinch of salt, a little water or the eggs, and the vinegar into the well, and begin to work the mixture, kneading well and adding just enough water to obtain a dough that is smooth, homogenous, and doesn't stick to the fingers. Then roll the sheet out dime-thin (1 mm); he notes that it's the vinegar that makes it possible to roll the dough out.
This is cursory, and, were you to try rolling out the dough, you might end up damning both me and him in the course of your first attempt. First of all, moisten the dough and let it rest for a half hour, covered with a heated bowl, after you've made it. Next, the stretching: The easiest way to stretch strudel dough is to lay a cloth sheet on your work table and flour it well. Put the dough on the sheet and roll it out into as large a rectangle as you can without tearing it. Then remove your watch and whatever other adornments you may have on your wrists and fingers, roll up your sleeves, dip the backs of your hands in flour, and slip your hands under the dough, forming loose fists, and gently separate your arms, stretching the dough as you do so. You'll need to walk around the dough so you can stretch it evenly. Don't pinch or pull at the dough because it will tear, but rather move your fists in gentle waves from center to edge. Continue circling and stretching until you can see the shadows of your arms through the dough; if the edges of the sheet remain thicker than the rest of it, gently thin them by spreading your fingers under them.
Once you've gotten the dough to the desired thinness, sprinkle it with the ingredients of the filling, and then roll it up. This will be easiest to do if you grasp the sheet along one edge of the dough and lift it vertically. The dough will rise, following the sheet, and then come loose and fold over on itself (be sure to flour the sheet well or the dough will stick). Once you begin to form the roll, continue rolling until the strudel has achieved the classic jellyroll shape.
AFTER THE BACKGROUND, SOME RECIPES:
Savory Strucoli, for the main part of the meal
Strudel di Radicchio Rosso
The bitterness of radicchio nicely complements this first course dish.
Strudel di Basilico con Zotoli
A basil strudel with a calamari sauce: an unusual, tasty first course dish.
Strudel di Asparagi in Salsa di Bietole al Profumo di Rafano
Both rich and delicate, and a very tasty first course.
Strucolo di Patate e Carne
The potatoes refer to the dough; the filling is made with ground meat and tomato.
Strucolo di Patate e Spinaci
The potatoes refer to the dough; the filling is made with spinach and ricotta.
Strucolo Istriano
A delicate meat-filled strucolo that's part of the traditional wedding banquet in Istria.
Strucolo Carsolino
An unusual sweet strudel from Friuli with which to begin the meal.
Sweet Strucoli, for dessert
Strucolo di Albicocche o Ciliege
Fruit strudel, filled with apricots or cherries.
Strucolo dei Capuccini
Strudel filled with walnuts, and glazed with chocolate. Tasty!
Strucolo al Cioccolato
Chocolate strudel is a classic!
Struculo di Patate
The potatoes are in the dough; the filling is loades with apples, nutmeats and other goodies.
MORE ON STRUDEL & FRIULIAN FOOD
The vast majority is apple strudel, which one can find everywhere. There are some other things, however.
Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Strudel
Not Italian by any means, but it does look like it would be nice.
Mushroom Sausage Strudel
A recipe that will set you down if you consume too much, but a little will be nice. Uses an alternative (for want of a better word) to strudel dough, though you could use the real thing. From Good Morning America, of all places.
Polenta, a Food for Every Day
Simms Brannon's views on the Staple of the North, with a tasty recipe for baked polenta with cheese and leeks too.
Nonino
One of Friuli's better known distillers, which makes fine grappa.
MORE ON FRIULI
Friuli
Initaly Online's collection of Friuli itineraries and other things regarding the region
Consorzio per la Salvaguardia dei Castelli Storici del Friuli Venezia Giulia
A consortium dedicated to the preservation of the region's many beautiful castles. Pretty pictures; it looks to be an organization that books tours.
Got more sites / recipes to suggest? Let me know.
A Presto,
Kyle Phillips
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