Like many of you, I look forward to the Christmas holidays with anticipation.
Sure, every year it feels like the season starts earlier and earlier, and we have to deal with the rush of people in the stores and the sometimes annoying music. But the reality is that, after having paid our spiritual dues, all we look forward to over the next nine days is spending quality time with friends and family - with food often being the largest part of the celebration.
And just like many of you, I have some anxiety about what to serve,
One of the most difficult things for me is to plan for the holiday season. I've worked in a restaurant since I was 15 years old and this has always been the busiest time of the year. For the last month, as my staff and I have been busy planning our guests' parties and celebrations, I've put my personal holiday planning on hold. (Of course, I'm grateful to have a busy restaurant.)
Many people have asked me for advice on what to make for dinner over the holidays and my answer is always different because I like to tailor a meal based on whom I am serving. For example, if I am entertaining more than a dozen guests, then I will go for the turkey or the rib roast. In my case, our immediate family is only nine and light eaters, so I will try to avoid large amounts of leftovers.
This is the dinner that has been a staple at our table for many years. It's a combination of two families' traditions - one from my hometown in Cremona, the other from my wife's family in Treviso.
Dinner always starts with a generous dose of affettati: charcuterie - prosciutto, salame, capocollo - accompanied by Parmigiano nuggets, pinzimonio (crudités), giardiniera (pickled vegetables) and warm, crusty bread.
Next comes the Venetian dish of Bigoli in Salsa di Acciughe, or hand-pressed spaghetti with anchovy sauce. Yummy, I can't wait for that.
Then we continue with a great stuffed capon, just like my mother would make, with a flavourful stuffing, accompanied perfectly by sweet and spicy mostarda di Cremona. A big salad would be served at this point, and after all that it is time to take a break and prepare the zabaglione served with the panettone. You can make this sweet holiday bread at home or you can also buy a good quality one from the store.
Should there be room left, we can always break out the nougat or, as it is known in Italy, Torrone. It's another specialty from Cremona - and the reason why we need New Year's resolutions!
Have a great holiday season.
ROASTED STUFFED CAPON WRAPPED IN BACON
Ingredients
butter
olive oil
1½ cups of minced vegetables (celery, onion, carrot, garlic)
½ cup parsley, coarsely chopped
2 Italian sausages
100 grams prosciutto cotto (good quality ham)
100 grams of mortadella
1½ cups of bread crumbs
½ cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
3 eggs
1 capon, fresh preferably
2 large onions, chopped
1 bunch sage
3 or 4 garlic cloves
2 sprigs rosemary
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups white wine
2 cups chicken stock
12 slices of pancetta
Method
In a preheated skillet, add oil and butter and sauté the vegetables until soft and translucent, set aside.
Skin the sausage and ground the mortadella and the prosciutto cotto.
Combine the bread crumbs, cheese and the eggs with the vegetables, parsley, sausage, prosciutto, mortadella and mix well to form a paste.
De-bone the capon if you are skilled enough without breaking it in half, otherwise start removing the bone from the back and work your way around it, this will make it easier to cook and carve later.
