Triestine Food

TRIESTINE

Steps:

• The repeated risings add extra flavor and moist texture. This is similar to Panettone but I discovered it in Lugano, an Italian part of Switzerland on Lake Lugano. We stayed in Gandria where there are no cars so we took boats everyday and walked wherever we needed to go. We went to a bakery called Munger's in Lungano and sampled their Kirsch filled Amereti Cookies that have bottoms dipped in chocolate, Rhubarb tart and this Triestine bread, which was $18.00 but worth it! It comes originally from the town of Triest in Switzerland (I believe) and uses candied orange peel and citron peel plus sugared almonds instead of Panettone's traditional golden raisins. It lasts for days, staying moist and delicious and it's wonderful toasted as well. We bought one on our honeymoon and noshed on it in our hotel room for almost week, bringing hunks of it down to breakfast in the morning to have with the best milky cafe con leche ever. It even made it back to Chicago for us to snack on while we reminisced about our fabulous trip.
• To make the Biga: In a mixer with a dough hook, dissolve the yeast with warm water; then add the sugar and let rest 5 minutes. Add the flour and mix on low until smooth. Cover and let rise until it triples in bulk.
• To make the Dough¿1st Stage: In a small cup, dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit 5 minutes. Add it to the biga and mix with the dough hook. Add the yolks, sugar and 1 1/3 cups flour and mix 5 minutes on medium speed until shiny and smooth. Cover and put in a warm spot (70 degrees F) and let rise again until it triples in bulk.
• After it has tripled, make begin the 2nd Stage: Add the 3 1/2 cups flour, honey, half the butter, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the 9 yolks, and the milk. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed, add the remaining sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Knead 5 more minutes.
• With the mixer running, add 10 tablespoons butter, one tablespoon at a time. The dough should look smooth and shiny and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Place it on a work surface and schmear it with the remaining tablespoon of butter and add the orange peel and citron and knead by hand until blended. Shape into a ball and place in a covered bowl and let double in bulk.
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 2 balls. Place the chopped almonds on a surface and roll the balls in them to coat well; then roll the balls in powdered sugar to coat heavily.
• Place each ball in a buttered panettone mold (straight walled paper cake pan). Let rise covered for 1 hour or until it springs back when poked and risen past the rim. Sprinkle well with powdered sugar again.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown. To cool, stick 2 skewers through the base of the paper mold and suspend the bread upside down by resting the skewers on 2 containers which are taller (higher) than the bread.

STEAMED MUSSELS TRIESTE STYLE (LIDIA BASTIANICH)

Steps:

• Add 6 tablespoons olive oil to a saucepan; drop in the crushed garlic, and set over medium heat; when the garlic is fragrant and sizzling, stir in the onion slices, bay leaves, salt, and pepper flakes.
• Cook for a couple of minutes, tossing and stirring, just until the onions begin to wilt but still have some crunch.
• Pour in the wine, and bring to a boil; immediately dump all the mussels into the pan, tumble them over quickly; cover tightly, and turn the heat up to high.
• Steam the mussels for 3 minutes, frequently shaking the covered pan, then toss them over, with a wire spider or wide slotted spoon.
• If the mussel shells have already opened (or almost all are open), leave the pan uncovered--otherwise, replace the cover and steam a bit longer.
• As soon as the mussels have steamed open, sprinkle 1/4 cup bread crumbs all over the pan; quickly tumble the mussels over and over, still on high heat, so their liquor and the crumbs fall into the bubbling pan juices and create a sauce( if the pan sauce is still thin after a minute of bubbling, sprinkle in more bread crumbs).
• Finally, drizzle 2 more tablespoons oil and sprinkle the chopped parsley on top, and toss briefly to distribute the seasonings.
• Turn off the heat, set the pan in the center of the table, and let people scoop mussels and sauce into their own warm soup bowls (and remember to put out extra bowls for the shells).
• Serve with good crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.

GOULASH TRIESTINO

Steps:

• Pour the olive oil into a small saucepan (about 6 cup capacity), set over medium-low heat, and drop in the onion wedges. Toss to coat in oil, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook gently for 3-4 minutes until sizzling and softening.
• Spread onions in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed 9 or 10-inch saucepan (such as an enameled cast-iron French oven with a tight-fitting cover) and drop the beef cubes on top of the onions, filling the pan in one layer. Sprinkle another 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, all the paprika, and the oregano over the meat and drop in the rosemary. Without stirring or turning the meat chunks, cover the pan tightly. Heat the meat, with the seasonings on top and the onions below, so it starts to release its juices and stew. Check once or twice to see that the pan liquid is bubbling and the onions are melting (not burning) but don't stir.
• After 30 minutes or so, set the cover ajar a couple of inches and adjust the heat to keep the juices bubbling and slowly reducing. As they thicken, stir up the onions so they don't burn and tumble the meat in the pan.
• Continue cooking, partially covered, for another 1/2 hour or so. When the juices are concentrated and thick in the pan bottom, prepare the goulash sauce:.
• Pour 3 cups cold water in the small pan and whisk in the flour. Set over low heat and continue whisking until the flour is dispersed with no lumps, then whisk in the tomato paste. Heat gradually, whisking often, until the tomato-flour water just comes to a bubbling boil. Pour into the big saucepan and stir well, turning the meat chunks over--they should be nearly covered in sauce.
• Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, put on the cover slightly ajar, and cook 45 minutes to an hour, until the meat is quite tender and the sauce is somewhat reduced. Season with more salt to taste. Turn off the heat and let the goulash cool in the pan for several hours before serving or refrigerate overnight.
• Reheat slowly, stirring now and then, until the meat is thoroughly heated. Thin the sauce with water if it has thickened too much. Serve hot. (Though not part of the original recipe, I like to garnish mine with a dollop of sour cream.).