L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano W hen I was a kid, my m o t h e r u s e d t o m a k e salame dolce quite often: i t w a s u s u a l l y f i l l e d w i t h homemade jam or Nutella, and just a dusting of icing sugar to make it prettier. It was, hands down, one of my f a v o r i t e t r e a t s . I n m u c h more recent times, back at the beginning of the sum- mer, my neighbor offered me a slice of her own version of it with my coffee: fresh strawberries and cream. This is to say that salame dolce has been a very consis- tent sweet companion of my a f t e r n o o n s f o r t i m e immemorial, but also that it's an incredibly versatile dessert, as you can fill it with p r e t t y m u c h w h a t e v e r strikes your fancy. Little did I know, however, that my fellow country women and men in central Italy had a v e r s i o n o f i t w i t h a v e r y peculiar name, where the key ingredient is the most quintessential of all dessert liqueurs, alchermes. I'm talking about the salame del re. Salame del re and salame dolce: they are both shaped like salami, they are both rolled and filled, they both come with a liqueur layer ( n o t c o m p u l s o r y f o r t h e salame dolce), and they are both popular and relatively simple to prepare. Yet, they are not the same! The salame del re, or "the king's salami," is traditional- l y a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e regions of Lazio, Umbria, and Tuscany, and is known for its rich flavors and ele- gant presentation. Food his- torians think that the first version of it was made in the 17th century, a time when Italian cuisine was deeply influenced by the opulence of the courts and the culi- nary traditions of the aris- tocracy. Likely, salame del re emerged in the kitchens of noble families, where it was made on special occasions to show the wealth and creativ- ity of the household. Over time, the cake spread beyond the courts and became popu- lar among the rural commu- nities of Central Italy. In Tuscany, more specifically in the city of Arezzo, salame del re is known as g a t t ò all'Aretina. The King's salami, as we said, has a very close rela- tive, popular in every corner of Italy: the already-men- t i o n e d s a l a m e d o l c e , o r sweet salami. What differen- tiates them is the stricter selection of ingredients for t h e f i r s t , w h i c h m u s t b e made with alchermes and biscuit cake only. B u t i f t h e r e c i p e f o r salame del re is set in stone, salame dolce can be adapted to one's taste and creativity quite easily. It can be made with both sponge cake and biscuit cake, and there is more freedom about the type of liqueur to use, with popu- lar choices being — beside a l c h e r m e s — r u m a n d marsala. However, you can omit liqueur altogether if y o u w a n t , a n d j u s t u s e a sugar syrup instead. A r e c i p e t o m a k e salame del re T h e r e c i p e b e l o w w a s o r i g i n a l l y f e a t u r e d i n a recent issue of La Cucina Italiana and authored by M a r i e l l a C a r u s o , w h o emphasized in her interest- ing article the historical and c u l t u r a l s i g n i f i c a n c e o f salame del re in the regions w h e r e i t i s t r a d i t i o n a l l y enjoyed. Ingredients for 8 people: For the roll 120 g granulated sugar (about 1/2 cup) 75 g all-purpose flour (00 f l o u r ) ( a b o u t 1 / 2 c u p + 1 tablespoon) 50 g cornstarch (about 1/3 cup + 1 teaspoon) 8 g baking powder (about 1 3/4 teaspoons) 3 eggs Grated zest of 1 organic lemon 1 pinch of salt Powdered sugar, as need- ed For the Alchermes syrup 100 ml Alchermes liqueur ( a b o u t 1 / 3 c u p + 1 t a b l e - spoon) 5 0 m l w a t e r ( a b o u t 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) For the pastry cream 500 ml whole fresh milk ( a b o u t 2 c u p s + 2 t a b l e - spoons) 150 g granulated sugar (about 3/4 cup) 25 g cornstarch (about 3 tablespoons) 4 egg yolks Zest of 1 organic lemon Instructions: Separate the egg whites from the yolks and beat the yolks with 3 tablespoons of boiling water, 80 g of granu- lated sugar taken from the total amount, the pinch of salt, and the grated lemon zest. In a separate bowl, beat t h e e g g w h i t e s u n t i l v e r y stiff, then add the remaining granulated sugar. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture, then sift in the flour, corn- starch, and baking powder. Incorporate everything with gentle movements, lifting from the bottom to the top. Line a baking tray (30cm x 4 0 c m ) w i t h p a r c h m e n t paper and pour the mixture on top. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) in static mode for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle a kitchen towel w i t h p o w d e r e d s u g a r . Remove the base for the roll from the oven and gently flip it onto the towel. Carefully p e e l o f f t h e p a r c h m e n t paper, roll the cake up in the towel, and let it cool com- pletely. Make the pastry cream. In a saucepan, pour the milk and add the lemon peel, then h e a t i t u p . I n a s e p a r a t e bowl, mix the sugar with the c o r n s t a r c h a n d e g g y o l k s until well combined. When t h e m i l k i s v e r y h o t a n d almost boiling, remove the l e m o n p e e l a n d p o u r t h e milk into the bowl with the y o l k m i x t u r e . S t i r , t h e n return the mixture to the heat and cook until thick- ened, stirring constantly. R e m o v e f r o m t h e h e a t , transfer the cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap in contact with the surface, and let it cool completely. In a separate bowl, mix the alchermes and water for the soaking syrup. To assemble the salame del re, unroll the cooled cake and brush the inside of it with the alchermes syrup. Spread a generous layer of pastry cream over it, then roll the cake up again and brush the outside with more a l c h e r m e s s y r u p . B e f o r e serving the "Salame del Re," s p r i n k l e t h e s u r f a c e w i t h powdered sugar as desired. Salame del re and salame dolce, the sweetest side of salami! FRANCESCA BEZZONE Salame dolce (above) and salame del re can be made with different fillings (Photo: Arkadiusz Fajer/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES OPEN 8AM - 5PM MONDAY TO SATURDAY. SUNDAY CLOSED

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