BBQ Brethren "Mama Mia...Now That's Italian" Throwdown!

Looking mighty tasty northern smokey! :clap:

This is my official entry into the "Mama Mia... Now That's Italian" TD.

Please accept my entry titled "Socca from Valle d'Aosta".

This is a recipe from Chef Lidia Matticchio Bastianich that comes from the least populated and coldest part of Italy called Aosta. It is located in the western Alps just above Piedmont. This recipe was 'Plan B' and I'm happy my cook worked out this way so I could learn about this fascinating north Italian region.

Socca is a layered beef, cabbage and potato casserole -- below are the ingredients. Knowing what I know now I would have doubled the amount of beef. I forgot to take the blade roast out of the freezer the day before so I was rushing around trying to thaw it the morning of and not paying attention to how much beef was in front of me. I intended to make half a recipe so I thought the small roast would do. It didn't. I'm making this again so I get another crack at it. The beef is traditionally raised and a limosine/red angus cross.





Cabbage cut into strips.



Potato slices.



Olive oil, rosemary, sage, garlic cloves and Celtic sea salt blended together for coating the main casserole ingredients. Lidia calls this a pestata.



Potatoes coated with olive oil and a tbsp of pestata.



Next half the cabbage coated with olive oil and a tbsp of pestata.



Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and then arrange a layer of sliced potatoes.



Layer the cabbage on the potatoes then coat the meat with 2 tbsp pestata and arrange them on top of the cabbage.



Coat the rest of the sliced potatoes like the first and arrange them on the meat. Coat the rest of the cabbage like the first and arrange that over the potatoes.



Put a cup of dry, white vermouth into the remaining pestata, swish it around and pour over the top of the casserole. Lidia used white wine in her recipe but since I don't like white wine I was looking for an 'out'. It came from the strangest place. I was in my second grocery store looking for Fontina cheese and asked the young man working in the seafood display next to the cheese display. They didn't have it and staff at the deli counter wasn't familiar with Fontina. The young man asked what I was making and I told him Socca from Aosta in the western Alps. He said, "My mother makes that, she's from that region". He said his mother uses Peccorino Romano. I love Peccorino and already had a few wedges at home in the fridge. We talked more about the dish and I told him I was going to use red wine because I didn't like white wine. He said that would change the taste of the dish. His mother doesn't like white wine either and uses white Vermouth. I chatted with him a bit more and left really happy. Went to the liquor store and what do I find? Martini white vermouth is made in Piedmont! No kidding, I bet lots of Alpine Italians make this dish with vermouth. I read up on Fontina, too. Italian Fontina has a strong flavour and is a harder, drier cheese. Fontina from other countries is softer and milder. The cheese goes on the last 20 minutes of cooking but because I was smoking it I took the lid off earlier to get smoke into it. Below is the casserole with the cheese before and after Dragona's fiery belly.





It tasted really good but reminded me more of German food than the southern Italian food I'm more familiar with. Then again, Aosta is in the Alps, isn't it?

PLEASE USE THE PHOTO BELOW FOR VOTING



I've been looking for different coloured plates to use in the TDs but was having a hard time either finding what I wanted or deciding what I wanted. Then I thought -- why don't I use the clear glass plate I already have and put tablecloths or fabric below to create the colour of plate I want in that moment. It will be fun experimenting with colours and how they compliment the food I'm plating. Here's two close up shots of the Socca -- Valle d'Aosta comfort food.





Thanks for looking!

That's a beautiful plate, Kathy. The food is a lot different up north.

It sure is different, Gore. I read a little history about the region and discovered many interesting things. I've never been to Europe so cooking my way around it is a delicious surrogate. My ancestry includes several different European countries and recreating their traditional meals gives me 'roots' joy. Unfortunately no Italian -- but some German on both sides making this dish taste strangely familiar.

Oldyote said:

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Beautiful calzone, Oldyote! I love the thick layer of deliciousness you stuffed in it, how could that taste anything but wonderful? Cool pizza oven, too. The pic of your helper's concentration will be a hoot to look back on when she's older.

Bluesman said:

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What a beautiful looking plate, I wish it was in front of me. I like the idea with the mozzarella pearls in between bread slices, bet that was tasty garlic bread. If you want to have even more fun with your sweater kittens why don't you try walking them by a construction site? :tongue:

northern smokey said:

Here is my entry for the Italian throwdown. I've made an Italian Meatball Sandwich, the meatballs were homemade and smoked on a Weber kettle with applewood. The onions were grilled on the weber as well, the buns were then toasted with garlic butter (also on the weber), and assembled with fresh Italian mozzerella cheese and homemade marinara sauce.

Compliments of my wife, i've also included a mocha cupcake with Italian Espresso buttercream frosting, and homemade caramel drizzled on top.

I have also included a pic of my back yard with the snow we got so far this year.

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That plate and cupcake look really delicious and I love your grilling meatball holder. Is that what it is sold as or did you reinvent it? Great winter back yard shot with the summer set up, looks like a nice place to sit back on clear winter evenings for a drink and star gazing.

Hmmmmm.....

I thought I had an entry with my Italian BBQ Sauce. I guess I just thought I did.

LG

Dang, looks like we're gonna have a revote! Then I can get ANOTHER personalized SPAMfish! :whoo:

bigabyte said:

Sorry Larry, I didn't realize that was an entry. You have to clearly specify if a photo posted is an entry. Your post didn't really make it clear enough to me I guess. Sorry about that!:doh:

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Oh brother! I always knew you didn't like me. Obviously, it has finally come out. Trp1fox and I will be lodging a formal complaint with Bobby Flay, Grand Poobah of the World Throwdown Council. We will be requesting your Throwdown Charter be revoked.

Injustice and tyranny should not be allowed to stand unchallenged.


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Oooooo, looks like a coup. I hope somehow I can finagle some SPAMfish out of the new tyrant.

I'll tell you this, he's got to be better at giving out certificates than the old tyrant.

Oh we could use a good coup, Biggie is going to need some mercenaries. I will fight for SPAMFish. :thumb:

bigabyte said:

I can't fit all my kids into a coup. Any chance Larry can launch an SUV instead? I could even tolerate a minivan so long as it's not one of those Subaru Outbacks with the...you know what...on the bumper!

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I'll leave that up to Bobby Flay...


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Bobby Flay's going to take the you know what off the bumper?

Well, everyone wants a coupe I guess so I put a call in to Oprah :thumb:

Maybe you can have Oprah riding a SPAMfish after the revote.