L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano W hen tem- peratures r e a c h a s t r o - n o m i c a l highs as they have done late- ly, I often turn to salads for sustenance. To me, they're the ideal hot weather food. Not only do you generally serve them chilled or at room t e m p e r a t u r e , b u t t h e y ' r e quickly thrown together and don't involve turning on an oven or stove. And let's not forget they're light eating too. Insalata pantesca, a lovely salad from the island of Pantelleria off the coast of Sicily, fits the bill perfect- ly. It combines potatoes with s e a s o n a l t o m a t o e s , r e d onions, olives and, of course, the capers for which the island is justly famous, all n a p p e d w i t h a n o r e g a n o s c e n t e d o i l a n d v i n e g a r dressing. It's light yet sub- stantial enough to be a light lunch or dinner, especially if you add, as many do, some tuna or mackerel to the mix. And while it's not entirely no-cook, it is lo-cook: the only cooking involved is boil- ing or steaming the potatoes. Y o u m a y s e e a v a g u e resemblance between this icon of Sicilian cuisine and i t s b e t t e r - k n o w n F r e n c h cousin, the salade niçoise. I can't actually say whether there's any common parent- age, but the insalata pan- tesca is one of the relatively rare examples of a composed salad in Italian cookery—a salad where you arrange the ingredients on a platter and nap them in their dressing, rather than tossing every- thing together. It's a feast for the eyes as well as the stom- ach. Ingredients Serves 3 as a light main course or 4-6 as a side dish 300g (10-1/2 oz) medium- sized yellow fleshed potatoes FRANK FARIELLO vinegar, or to taste A pinch of oregano Salt and pepper, to taste Directions Steam or boil the potatoes in well-salted water until fully tender but not mushy. Remove from the pot and let them cool off. At this point peel them or, if their skins are thin, leave them on if you like. Cut the potatoes into wedges and lay them out on a serving dish. W h i l e t h e p o t a t o e s a r e c o o k i n g , s o a k t h e o n i o n slices in water, to which you can add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of white wine vinegar. Soak the capers, too, in water only. Drain and pat both dry when you're ready for the next step. A r r a n g e t h e t o m a t o e s , o l i v e s , c a p e r s , a n d o n i o n slices in a decorative pattern over and between the pota- toes. Whisk or process together the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Drizzle over the vegetables and let the salad macerate for about 30 min- utes (or longer in the fridge). Drizzle some more olive oil over the salad, top with the basil leaves if using, and serve at room temperature. Notes I n s a l a t a p a n t e s c a i s a salad from Pantelleria, a vol- canic island lying between the western tip of Sicily and T u n i s i a . A s m e n t i o n e d above, Pantelleria is perhaps best known as the source of the marvelous capers that bear the island's name. If you want a truly DOC ver- sion of the salad, you can buy Pantelleria capers online— but they don't come cheap, a r o u n d $ 4 0 a p o u n d . I f that's too dear for your pock- e t b o o k , a n y g o o d q u a l i t y capers will do, if possible packed in salt. But again, if all you can find are brined capers, don't let that stop you from enjoying this lovely dish. A wide variety of tomatoes can go into an insalata pan- tesca. Some, like datterini (similar to our grape toma- toes) and pachini (a kind of cherry tomato from Sicily) h a v e e q u i v a l e n t s a b r o a d . Another, the San Marzano, is quintessentially Italian but now being cultivated outside Italy. Other options, such as t h e C a m o n e , P i c c a d i l l y and perini, are only grown in the Belpaese. So I'd simply opt for whatever looks best to you at the market. Besides cherry or grape tomatoes, you could opt for other small or medium-sized varieties like plums or a reli- able hydroponic like Cam- paris. Avoid larger tomatoes like beefsteaks. Whichever kind of tomato you opt for, although atypical for Italian salads, they should be fully ripe. Many recipes recom- mend a mix of two or more types. There is less fuss about t h e p o t a t o e s , a l t h o u g h recipes vary as to whether to use large or medium-sized ones. They should be firm- fleshed, however, not the f l o u r y k i n d y o u ' d u s e f o r gnocchi or mashed potatoes. In traditional recipes, you always peel the potatoes, but if you're using a thin-skinned variety you can always skip that step if you prefer. Frank is a lawyer with a true passion for cooking and sharing food with the people he loves. He inherited his love for Italian cuisine and culinary tradition from his grandmother, nonna Angeli- na, to whom he dedicated his culinary blog, Memorie di Angelina: www.memo- riediangelina.com Pantesca salad can be a nice side dish but also a main (Photo: Alexander Mychko/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES All Mediterranean flavors: insalata pantesca 150g (5 oz) small or medi- um-sized tomatoes, cut into wedges or halves depending on size 1 / 2 s m a l l r e d o n i o n , peeled and thinly sliced A h a n d f u l o f g r e e n o r black olives A handful of capers A few basil leaves (option- al) For the dressing: 7 5 m l ( 2 - 1 / 2 f l o z ) b e s t quality extra virgin olive oil 25ml (1-2 tbs) white wine

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