L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano at the time, he discovered one of Tuscany's food excel- lences, now renowned all over the world. However, there are other hypotheses and many legends about its origin: according to some, t h e o r i g i n o f t h e n a m e "Colonnata" dates back to Roman times, when slaves were exploited in the marble quarries. The production process is specialised and pretty much d o n e b y h a n d . F i r s t , t h e marble basins must be pre- pared by rubbing the inside walls with garlic for at least six months. Then, the pieces o f l a r d a r e w a s h e d a n d placed inside. Each marble basin contains 12 layers of lard alternated with 12 layers of the salt, herb and spice mixture. The lard is kept in the basin for a period rang- ing from a minimum of 6 months to a maximum of 3 years. During this time, the basin is checked every fort- night. At first the salt is dry, but over time, with it being in contact with the lean lard, it melts and creates a brine which preserves and "cooks" the meat at the same time. The marble is not sensi- tive to temperature varia- tions and thus allows excel- l e n t s e a s o n i n g t o o c c u r inside. Lardo di Colonnata c a n o n l y b e c o n s i d e r e d ready after six months and one day, and the prepara- t i o n i s d o n e b e t w e e n September 1 st – May 31 st . T h e S u m m e r m o n t h s a r e then spent selling it not only to locals, but especially to tourists who make the "pil- grimage" to the tiny town of Colonnata just to sit down a n d e n j o y a t r a d i t i o n a l lunch — which is usually lardo di Colonnata on toast- ed slices of local bread, a salumi platter and pitchers of red wine. The color of lardo should be white, like the most pre- cious Carrara marble, with a delicate, but pronounced flavor highlighted by the aromatic herbs. Although it can be used with an infinite n u m b e r o f f o o d s a n d recipes, the best way to sure- ly appreciate this delicacy is thinly sliced, and served on hot, toasted slices of rustic Tuscan bread — bruschetta or crostini. R e c i p e i d e a u s i n g lardo di Colonnata: Lamb Roulade 1 leg of lamb – deboned 3 . 5 o z ( 1 0 0 g ) l a r d o d i Colonnata, thinly sliced 3.5 oz (100g) prosciutto cotto / ham – thinly sliced fresh baby spinach leaves or chard 1 cup (250ml) white wine 1 large garlic clove fresh herbs; rosemary and thyme and/or sage ground cinnamon, star anise and/or cloves salt and pepper Using a mini food proces- sor, mix together the ground spices, salt and pepper. Lay the leg of lamb flat and sea- s o n w i t h t h e m i x t u r e o f ground spices, salt and pep- per. L a y e r t h e l a r d o d i Colonnata on top of the sea- soning. Next, layer with the baby spinach, and then the ham. Roll up the meat and tie securely with kitchen string. Season with more of the ground spice mix and a bit of olive oil. Add olive oil to a large, heavy based frying pan. Tie thyme, rosemary and sage together to form a bouquet garni. Add to the frying pan and then add the whole large garlic clove. Make sure the pan is hot, then add the roulade. Sear o n a l l s i d e s , t u r n i n g t h e roulade until you are happy with the sear all over. Add the white wine to the pan, and then reduce the heat to medium. Cover and leave to cook for 30 – 40 minutes, turning occasional- ly, and basting with the pan juices. Once cooked, allow to rest f o r a t l e a s t 1 5 m i n u t e s , remove the kitchen string and then slice. Serve with pan juices poured over the top. "Lardo di Colonnata is a typical product from Colonnata, a village located in northern Tuscany on the Apuan Alps, and is known to have originated around 1800 " Continued from page 28 To prepare Toni's delicious roulade, lamb is layered with lardo di Colonnata, spinach and ham (Photo: Toni Brancatisano) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES Lardo di Colonnata and sliced rustic bread (Photo: Toni Brancatisano)

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