L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano E very Italian region has its harvest rituals that make quick and tasty use of the foods of the season. Umbria, lush land of endless vineyards a n d p o r k y d e l i g h t s , m a k e s salsicce all'uva, pan-roasted sausages and grapes, a dish that joins two of their gastronomical obsessions. Locals conjecture t h a t i t o r i g i n a t e d d u r i n g t h e vendemmia, the grape harvest, when the fruit was plentiful and quick and hearty dishes had to be prepared to fuel those laboring in t h e f i e l d s . V a r i a t i o n s o n t h e theme reflect the wine traditions of particular wine-producing a r e a s . W h e r e w h i t e s a r e p r o d u c e d , t r a d i t i o n c a l l s f o r sautéing the sausages with white grapes; in red wine territory, black grapes are used. Wine is sometimes added to the pan— w h i t e o r r e d r e s p e c t i v e l y — which fortifies the flavor and gives the dish a beautiful cast and aroma. I first tasted the sausage and grape combination at a trattoria in Norcia, where pork butchery has been an art form for some 500 years, so much so that the word norcino has come to mean "pork butcher" throughout Italy. The sausages were plump and succulent, the grapes a dark local variety that matched the meat's porky richness; the added wine created a delicious liquid that bridged the two. It was a marvel and I've been making it ever since with black or white grapes, depending on what I have. Procuring Good Sausages The success of such a simple dish will depend entirely on the goodness of the ingredients. It is best to source sausages from b u t c h e r s w h o u s e m e a t f r o m sustainably and humanely raised p i g s t h a t a r e n e v e r g i v e n antibiotics or growth hormones. Such meat not only tastes better, it is better for you than pork produced from factory-farmed animals, and takes into account animal welfare. In addition, it is important to know whether any c h e m i c a l s h a v e b e e n a d d e d . Monosodium glutamate, nitrates, or nitrites are routinely used in t h e s a u s a g e - m a k i n g p r o c e s s . W h i l e t h e m e a t i n d u s t r y maintains that MSG improves flavor and nitrites preserves the r e d c o l o r o f m e a t , t h e r e i s incontrovertible proof that they are bad for your health. The best pork sausages are made using whole muscle, not scraps, and enough fat to make them juicy without being greasy. Sausages sold in the States are often gussied up with all kinds of f l a v o r i n g s , f r o m b r o c c o l i t o pineapple. Italian butchers do not do this. Umbrian norcini season theirs with judicious amounts of mashed fresh garlic and black pepper and little else. You will need good quality, straightforward pork sausages, which in America are labeled "sweet pork sausages." As for the grapes, you can use black, red, or white, as long as you match the wine to the fruit—red wine with black or red grapes; white wine with white grapes. Taste grapes before buying them t o e n s u r e t h e y a r e g o o d a n d flavorful; best if they, too, are grown without chemicals. In the traditional recipe for salsicce all'uva, the grapes are cooked directly in a cast-iron skillet along with the sausages. Because conventional table grapes can lack character, I've gotten into the habit of pre-roasting them s e p a r a t e l y a t a v e r y l o w temperature to dehydrate them somewhat first; this concentrates Eating Autumn With Masters of Sausage, Alchemists of Wine JULIA DELLA CROCE their sugars and flavor. What Wine to Use A n o t h e r w a y t o b o o s t t h e flavor of nondescript grapes is with wine. The "big" flavor in a good wine comes from the grape variety, the climate and soil it g r o w s i n , a n d t h e y e a s t t h a t develops in the fermentation process. When it is exposed to g e n t l e h e a t i n t h e p a n , t h e a l c o h o l e v a p o r a t e s a n d i t s unique flavors are concentrated, preserved, and absorbed by the fruit. An Umbrian vintage would be a natural. Lugarotti and Antinori cellars are familiar to even the uninitiated wine drinker, but the region produces a great variety o f d e l i c i o u s w i n e s . F o r t h e sausages with white grapes, I might choose a bottle of 100% G r e c h e t t o s u c h a s I d r a n k recently at Terre Margaritelli, a lovely little winery committed to native varietals, organically grown, that sits high on a hill between Assisi and Perugia. The Grechetto is a powerful white, refined and fragrant, made from the grape most associated with Umbria's wine heritage and the l o c a l t e r r o i r . A n d f o r t h e s a u s a g e s w i t h b l a c k o r r e d g r a p e s , i t w o u l d b e a m o r e formidable red—the Lungarotti o r A n t i n o r i c l a s s i c s , o r a M o n t e f a l c o S a g r a n t i n o o r Sangiovese such as the Caprai family does so well. Of course, you will finish off what you have left at the table with your salsicce all'uva. These wines are all distributed in the United States. S a u t é e d S w e e t P o r k Sausages with Roasted Red Grapes Serves 4 I have listed red grapes as an option here because they are m o r e w i d e l y a v a i l a b l e i n American markets than black grapes. If substituting white grapes, use a good white wine in place of the red. Whichever one y o u c h o s e , y o u w i l l h a v e a l o v e l y d i s h w i t h v e r y l i t t l e effort. • good olive oil • 1 - 1 / 2 l b s . g o o d q u a l i t y sweet Italian pork sausages, in one coil or in separate links • 3/4 cup good dry red wine • 2 pounds seedless black or red grapes 1 A day ahead of cooking or s e v e r a l h o u r s i n a d v a n c e , prepare the grapes. Preheat an oven to 250 degrees F. Detach the grapes from their stems and spread them out on a baking sheet lined with foil or bakers parchment. Roast them until they become dehydrated and w r i n k l e d , 1 h o u r o r m o r e , shaking them occasionally to cook them evenly. They can burn easily because of their high sugar content, so be sure to keep the temperature low and keep an eye on them as they cook. 2 When you are ready to cook the sausages, preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Select an ample seasoned cast-iron skillet or o t h e r h e a v y - b o t t o m e d p a n . Warm a tablespoon or two of o l i v e o i l o v e r m e d i u m t o medium-low heat. You will heat it to shimmer but not smoke. Slip in the sausages. If they are in a coil, cook the coil whole without cutting it or puncturing it. If they are in links, do not puncture or cut them. Brown the sausages first on one side, then on the other to just color them nicely but without cooking them through, about 6 minutes on each side. Do not prick them or cut them. Transfer the sausages to a baking sheet and slide them onto the middle rack of the oven t o c o n t i n u e c o o k i n g f o r 1 0 minutes. 3 In the meantime, add the wine to the pan with the sausage juices. Simmer over low heat until the alcohol evaporates, about 3 minutes. Use a wooden s p o o n o r h e a t - p r o o f r u b b e r spatula to stir and deglaze the pan. Add the grapes and sauté them for 2-3 minutes, blending them with the wine liquid. Use a f o r k t o s q u a s h a b o u t h a l f o f them. 4 Transfer the sausage coil or l i n k s t o t h e s k i l l e t w i t h t h e grapes. Cover the pan and warm o v e r l o w h e a t t o a l l o w t h e sausages to absorb some of the pan juices for about 5 minutes. Serve at once. Julia della Croce is a print & broadcast journalist and James Beard award-winning cookbook culinary consultant & recipe developer. You can visit her on her webs ite, www.juliadella cr oce.com and blog, http:// juliadellacroce. com/forktales1/ Connect on Facebook: Juliadella Cr oce -chef & foodwr iter Twitter:@ juliadellacroce Master norcino Marcello making sausages at Fattoria Luchetti farm and butchery in Collazzone, Umbria. | Photo: Copyright Nathan Hoyt/Forktales, 2015 LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES

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