Carchiola with Broccoli Rabe, or Carchiola con Broccoli Rabe: A reader writes, "My father, about fifty or sixty years ago made a very peasant, very delicious dish called pizza minestra. I can only remember that he probably used Savoy cabbage for the minestra and that the polenta wound up in a very large pancetta greased cast iron skillet..."
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- A pound (500 g) finely ground corn meal
- Boiling water
- A pinch of salt
- 1 pound (500 g) broccoli rabe
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
The description continues:
"...He cooked it on top of the stove, he put a hole in the middle of it with his finger, covered it and when the bottom was very brown, almost burned, (the pieces of which we would fight over) he turned the whole large 'cake' and browned the other side. When it was cooked through it was very thick and dry. He would then break it into pieces and put it in with the cooked greens. HELP! I have been thinking about this for years, have tried it twice and maybe it's one of those things that the memory is better than the reality. But mine was not very good. On the other hand, perhaps you know what I mean. Would it help to know my Dad was raised in Ferrazzano, outside of Campobasso?"
It does help to know he was from Ferrazzano, and more importantly, from Basilicata. Though I haven't found a perfect match, I have found a dish called Carchiola con Broccoli Rape, which sounds quite close. You'll need the ingredients listed above.
Begin by preparing the dough: make a mound out of the cornmeal on your work surface, add a pinch of salt, and then hot water, a little at a time, until you obtain a smooth dough.
Wash the broccoli well, chop them, and sauté them in the oil for a few minutes with the garlic, seasoning them to taste with salt and pepper.
At this point you have a choice:
a) Ottavio Cavalcanti says to roll out the dough so it's about 3/4 of an inch thick (2 cm) and grill it over hot coals (one could also make do with a 450 F (225 C) oven, ideally on a pizza stone). When the polenta dough is cooked (he doesn't say how long, but I'd figure 15 minutes at the most) break the cornbread into pieces and serve them with the broccoli.
b) Alessandro Milinari Pradelli says to roll out the dough, lay the cooked broccoli in the middle of it, and then fold the dough over it, making what is essentially a cornbread calzone, which he says grill over the coals until it's barely browned, and then slice and serve. He doesn't say how thin to roll the dough, though I'd go with the 3/4-inch, and again, I think one could do this in the oven, especially on a pizza stone.
Yield: 4 servings of Carchiola with Broccoli Rabe
It does help to know he was from Ferrazzano, and more importantly, from Basilicata. Though I haven't found a perfect match, I have found a dish called Carchiola con Broccoli Rape, which sounds quite close. You'll need the ingredients listed above.
Begin by preparing the dough: make a mound out of the cornmeal on your work surface, add a pinch of salt, and then hot water, a little at a time, until you obtain a smooth dough.
Wash the broccoli well, chop them, and sauté them in the oil for a few minutes with the garlic, seasoning them to taste with salt and pepper.
At this point you have a choice:
a) Ottavio Cavalcanti says to roll out the dough so it's about 3/4 of an inch thick (2 cm) and grill it over hot coals (one could also make do with a 450 F (225 C) oven, ideally on a pizza stone). When the polenta dough is cooked (he doesn't say how long, but I'd figure 15 minutes at the most) break the cornbread into pieces and serve them with the broccoli.
b) Alessandro Milinari Pradelli says to roll out the dough, lay the cooked broccoli in the middle of it, and then fold the dough over it, making what is essentially a cornbread calzone, which he says grill over the coals until it's barely browned, and then slice and serve. He doesn't say how thin to roll the dough, though I'd go with the 3/4-inch, and again, I think one could do this in the oven, especially on a pizza stone.
Yield: 4 servings of Carchiola with Broccoli Rabe
