Spiedini Lidias Food

VEAL SPIEDINI - STUFFED, SKEWERED, AND GRILLED

Steps:

• On a clean cutting board, lay out the pounded veal cutlets.
• Cut each cutlet across in 1/3rd's, to make 3 (4-inch) long pieces from every cutlet. Season each piece with salt and pepper, then place 1/2 teaspoon of softened whipped butter on each slice and spread it evenly across.
• In a mixing bowl, add the bread crumbs, onions, garlic, parsley, and both of the grated cheeses, season with cracked black pepper and toss well to mix.
• Drizzle the bread crumb mixture with the olive oil to moisten the crumbs, and mix well with your hands to incorporate.
• Place a heaping tablespoon of the mixture on each slice and roll up, tucking in the sides as you go, spring roll fashion, to secure the filling inside. Some veal rolls will be longer than others, and can be cut in 1/2 to even out. Save the extra rolls to make 1 more skewer.
• Top each veal roll with 1 fresh bay leaf and 1 red onion wedge, and then place 3 of the topped rolls on 1 skewer, so that each skewer has 3 of everything on it.
• You should make 12 skewers with 3 rolls per skewer, by using the extra meat you trimmed from the longer rolls.
• Place on a pregreased hot grill, and grill for about 2 minutes on each side, brushing again with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• If you do not have a grill, you can place under the broiler about 8 to 10 inches from the flame, and watch carefully, cooking for 2 minutes per side.

SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat.
• Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Gently poach the sausages for 8 minutes. Remove the sausages from the water and allow to cool.
• Alternately skewer the bread and the sausage onto the rosemary branches.
• Grill skewers until bread is toasted and sausage is browned, about 7 to 10 minutes, brushing with olive oil if necessary. Serve immediately while warm or at room temperature.

SPIEDINI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 cup olive oil and enough vegetable oil to reach one inch in depth to 375 degrees. Place a piece of bread on work surface. Top with 2 slices mozzarella. Cover with a second slice of bread. Repeat with remaining bread and cheese to make a multi-layered sandwich. Cut sandwich into four equal quarters, and place a 10-inch skewer through the center of each quarter. With a serrated knife, gently remove the crusts and discard.
• Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper, and pour into a shallow baking dish. Dredge sandwiches in flour, and shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture turning to coat on all sides. Transfer to hot oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides. Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet, and place in oven to keep warm.
• In a medium skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook until golden. Add anchovies, and cook stirring until they almost disintegrate. Stir in white wine, lemon juice, and capers. Bring to a vigorous boil, and continue to boil until reduced by half.
• Stir parsley into reduced sauce. Remove skewers from sandwiches, and serve with sauce spooned lightly over sandwiches. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

SPIEDINI (LIDIA'S) RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F or lowest setting. Using eight sliced of bread for each, make two layered sandwiches alternating bread and mozzarella. Cut and fit the mozzarella slices as necessary to cover the bread more or less evenly. The cheese shouldn't overhang the bread slices, as the crusts will be trimmed off before cooking. Imagine each sandwich cut into four squares, and place a sturdy wooden skewer through the center of each imaginary square. With a serrated knife, cut off the crust on all four sides, then cut the sandwich into four squares with a skewer at the center of each square. Press gently as you cut, to make nice, compact sandwiches. Repeat with the other sandwich. You now have eight multilayered sandwiches, each on a skewer. Pour enough vegetable oil into a wide, deep skillet - cast iron is perfect - to fill it by 1 1/2 inches. Heat over medium heat until the oil registers 350 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer. Line a baking sheet with a double thickness of paper towels and set aside. Meanwhile, in a shallow wide bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until thoroughly blended. When the oil comes to temperature, dredge each skewered square in the flour, being sure to coat all sides lightly but well. Working with half the floured skewers at a times, dip them in the egg mixture to coat on all sides. Don't soak the bread in the egg, just coat it thoroughly. Let some of the excess egg drip back into the bowl, and gently slip the squares into the oil. Fry, turning as necessary with a pair of long tongs, until golden brow on all sides, about 4 minutes. Drain the sandwiches on the paper-towel-lined pan and place in th