The famous cooking magazine Sale&Pepe has published the article “Excellent places: Brescia”. In addition to an overview of the main cultural sites of beautiful Brescia, the monthly publication collected three traditional Brescian recipes presented by historic Trattoria Porteri in Via Trento, Brescia, perfect ideas to delight your Christmas guests.
Recipe: Casoncelli alla Bresciana
Level: easy
Preparation: 50 minutes + rest
Cooking time: 15 minutes
770 cal/serving
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 280 g flour
- 2 eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 150 g bread crumbs
- 100 g Grana Padano DOP + extra for seasoning
- 1 dl beef broth
- 100 g butter + extra for seasoning
- 2 garlic cloves
- 5 g chopped parsley
- Sage
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- White pepper
Preparation:
- Beat eggs, yolks, and a pinch of salt; add the flour and mix until smooth, cover and let rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Melt the butter with the crushed garlic, turn off and discard the cloves. In a bowl, combine the butter with parsley, bread, grated grana cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add hot broth until the mixture is soft and firm.
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2 mm and cut out many 6×6 cm squares, stuff one side with a teaspoon of filling, close with other squares and seal by pressing. Boil the casoncelli for 8 minutes and season with melted butter, sage, and parmesan cheese.
Recipe: Caponsei senza ali
Level: easy
Preparation: 30 minutes + rest
Cooking time: 45 minutes
500 cal/serving
Ingredients for 6 people:
- 1 savoy cabbage
- 500 g bread crumbs
- 200 g butter
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 eggs
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sage
- 200 g Grana Padano Dop
- Nutmeg
- Beef broth
- Salt
- Pepper
For the sauce:
- 2 kg tomato sauce (or ripe tomatoes)
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 celery stalk
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
Preparation:
- Wash the savoy cabbage, choose leaves at least as large as the palm of your hand, and blanch them in salted water for 3-4 minutes. Cool them in water and ice, lay them on a towel and remove the hard rib.
- Heat butter with crushed garlic until golden. Remove garlic and pour into a bowl. Add bread, grated grana cheese, beaten eggs, chopped herbs, a pinch of nutmeg and salt. Stir, adding a little broth if needed.
- Lay out a cabbage leaf (or half if very large), fill it with a good portion of the filling and close it with string or toothpicks, being careful not to leave any holes.
- Sauté chopped onion, carrots and celery in a few tablespoons of oil, add tomato sauce, simmer for 20 minutes and season with salt. Steam the caponsei for 15 minutes, season with the sauce, and serve. The chef garnished the plate with Grana Padano Dop crumble, flour, butter, and egg.
Recipe: Bossolà
Level: easy
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 70 minutes
300 cal/serving
Ingredients for 20 people:
For the 1st dough:
- 140 g flour
- 50 g sugar
- 70 g butter
- 40 g brewer’s yeast
- 1 egg
For the 2nd dough:
- 260 g flour
- 50 g sugar
- 50 g butter + butter for the moulds
- 3 eggs
For the 3rd dough:
- 500 g flour
- 100 g sugar
- 50 g powdered sugar
- Seeds from two vanilla beans
- 6 eggs
- 7 g salt
Preparation:
- Make the first dough: bring together the flour, yeast dissolved in a little cold water, softened butter, egg and sugar in the planetary mixer and mix until a dry, elastic dough is obtained. Let it rise covered with a cloth in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Prepare the second dough with the listed ingredients and add it to the first already risen dough: mix them for 15 minutes at medium speed and continue by hand for a few minutes. Cover and let rise for 3 hours in a warm place.
- Work the ingredients for the third dough and add it to the previous ones. Mix them with the dough hook for 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a flat surface and beat it vigorously, place it in a baking pan and let it rise another hour. Butter 2 24-cm moulds and lay the dough in them, let rise for 40 minutes and bake at 190° C for 40-50 minutes. Let rest and serve, if you like, sprinkled with powdered sugar and warm eggnog.
To learn more about the city’s heritage, discover Brescian flavours and products, and find must-see addresses, here is the link to Sale&Pepe’s feature by Enrico Saravalle.
