lucano cuisine
(more recipes)

The Cusine of Lucania If you have never seen Lucanian dishes offered by restaurants in the big cities, it is because Lucania has probably the largest number of totally local dishes in Italy. They are greatly influenced by the regions nearby and vice versa.

see also... Don't Dump Down South Love, Basilicata Style What do you know? Lucano Cuisine Visit Basilicata Visit other Italian regions

The forests and fields, often at an altitude of at least 500 meters produce herbs and vegetables with exquisite perfumes, particularly rosemary, mints, cumin , wild fennel, and chives.

The sausages of many regions are called luganega. The reason is that Lucania has has always been famous for its flavorful sausages. Other region's sausages are named after them. In Lucania, the killing of a pig is a ritual to which family and close friends are invited. In the country it is a party where there is music and dancing.

The sheep and goats graze on fragrant herbs and grasses in large pastures and, as a consequence their meat is very flavorful. In some places, the butchers prepare and cook the entrails. of sheep and goats.

Usually the sweets are connected with religious holidays.

There are many flavors to discover which can only be found in Basilicata.

ANTIPASTO - APPETIZERS

Cherry Peppers
Approximately 24 cherry peppers
1/2 lb. prosciutto or prosciuttini, sliced thin
1/4 lb. provolone, sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper -- to taste

Wash peppers, drain or wipe dry. Remove stem and seeds using an apple corer or other means. Scoop out seeds, leaving some for the "heat" if you like them spicy.

Cut prosciutto in stips about an inch wide. Cut cheese the same size. Roll the cheese inside the prosciutto and stuff inside the hot pepper. Pack tightly and cover with olive oil. These are cold packed. You can put them in a hot bath which won't affect the taste but will melt some of the cheese and form a cloudy layer on the bottom of the jar. They are still delicious!

Note: Don't make these too far in advace; at most refrigerate for several days. Also, the prosciutto looses some flavor from being canned

Fava Bean Appetizer
4 cups dried fava beans (broad beans), soaked overnight
2 cloves garlic, skins on
2 bay leaves
1 stalk celery with leaves, cut into 3 sections
1 small onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp safflower oil
Hot pepper flakes to taste
1/2 cup good wine vinegar
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
1 cup broth reserved from beans

Drain fava beans. Put in a soup pot (an earthenware pot is best) with garlic cloves, bay leaves, celery, onion, pinch of salt and pepper, and cover with about 1 1/2 inches cold water. Simmer over low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Let cool. In the meantime, make sauce by mixing the oils with the pepper flakes, black pepper, vinegar and garlic. Drain beans and reserve 1 cup of the liquid (the rest of the broth can be used as a soup). Stir in the sauce. Place fava beans in a deep container. Add sauce and let marinate at least 3 hours or, even better, overnight.

The best way to serve this fava bean appetizer is in a small bowl or as a garnish. To eat fava beans you have to remove the tough outer skin, but everyone does this at table and then enjoys the tender bean. Offer at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

NOTE:We often roasted dried fava beans in the oven and ate them as a snack.

PRIMI PIATTI - FIRST COURSES

PASTA

Cavatelli e Rape - Cavatelli and Bitter Broccoli
Sig.ra Simmarono makes this recipe with gnocchi and adds powdered hot pepper. Originally from Potenza.

kg of broccoli rape
4 teaspoons of oil
300 grams of cavatelli
1 clove of garlic
salt

Put 4 liters of water to boil in a large pan. Clean the bitter broccoli eliminating leaves and hard stems. Wash them and let the water run off. Put the broccoli rape in the water to boil for about 10 minutes. Add the pasta and salt and mix . Peel the garlic clove and heat the oil in a pan. Sautee the garlic clove in the oil. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and put it back in the pan. Add the oil but not the garlic. Stir it for a few minutes and serve hot.

Serves 4

Tagliatelle or Tubettine e ceci - Tagliatelle and Chick Peas
Originally from Venosa (PZ). Approximately 3 1/2 hours cooking time.

300 gr of chick peas
600 gr of home made tagliatelle or small tubetti (without eggs)
150 grams of oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 of one hot pepper
1/2 of one onion chopped fine
sale

Wash the chick peas and put them to soak in luke warm water for 10 hours. Then put them to boil in the same water and let them cook for 3 hours. Add salt and let cook another 15 minutes. At the same time, put the water on to boil for the tagliatelle and cook them. Saute' the garlic and onion in oil and add the half pepper. Put the ceci,pasta and oil into a serving boil and serve

Serves 6

Maccheroni al Sugo di Agnello - Macaroni with Lamb Sauce
600 grams of bucatini or macaroni
one leg of lamb
one 1 kg. can of peeled tomatoes
one nice onion chopped fine
garlic
a laurel leaf
thyme
parsley chopped fine
olive oil
salt
pepper
3 heaping teaspoons of tomato paste
grated romano cheese

Saute the onion, garlic, laurel leaf, thyme and parsley in the oil and add salt and pepper. When the garlic and onion are well cooked, add the leg of lamb cut into pieces. Saute it quickly on a hight flame. Lower the flame and add the peeled tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook until the meat of the lamb begins to fall off the bone and is well cooked. Remove the pieces of lamb which will be eaten separately and remove the fat from the sauce. Cook the bucatini; add the sauce and serve.

Serves 6

SECONDI PIATTI - SECOND COURSES

PESCE - FISH

Pezzetti Di Baccala col Pesto al Limone - Salt Cod with Lemon Pesto
2 pounds Baccala fillets (boneless fillet)
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 1/2 cups Water
1 tablespoon Baking powder
2 teaspoons Salt -- divided
2 tablespoons Virgin olive oil -- plus
1/2 cup Virgin olive oil
1 quart Olive oil for frying
4 Lemons
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Freshly-ground black pepper

Soak the baccala for 2 days, changing the water at least twice daily. Drain baccala and pat dry, checking for bones but leaving intact any skin pieces. Cut baccala into 3-inch by 1-inch pieces and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, water, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and two tablespoons virgin olive oil until very smooth.

In a 6-inch deep frying pan, heat 1 quart oil to 370 degrees. Dip baccala into batter and drop into oil, 2 to 3 pieces at a time, and fry until golden- brown on all sides, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

While pieces are frying, quarter 3 lemons and remove the seeds. Chop roughly and place in food processor with remaining 1/2 cup of virgin olive oil, teaspoon of salt, sugar and pepper and blend until smooth and thick. Pour lemon pesto into serving bowl. When all baccala is cooked, serve immediately with lemon wedges and lemon pesto dipping sauce.

4 servings.

Stuffed Whitefish or Rockfish
1 large white fish or rock fish
5 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 celery, chopped
1tbsp chopped parsley
1 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp thyme
3 tbsp grated Pecorino Cheese
1 pinch of marjoram
1lemon cut into wedges
salt and pepper to taste

Have fish cleaned, slit down the center and boned. Sprinkle with salt.

Stuffing: Heat butter in pan and saute' onion, celery and parsley until soft (about 10 minutes). Set aside.

Mix thoroughly the bread crumbs, thyme, salt, pepper, cheese and marjorm and add to onion mixture.

Stuff the fish: fasten edges to prevent stuffing from spilling out. Place stuffed fish in baking pan. Brush fish with oil. Baste with pan oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, baste and reduce heat to 350 degrees for 10 minutes longer. Serve very hot with lemon wedges.

Serves 4 to 6

AGNELLO - LAMB

Agnello ai Peperoni - Lamb with Peppers
1 3/4 lb lamb chops
14 oz ripe tomatoes
1 cup olive oil
8 green olives
1 onion
3 peppers
salt and pepper

Brown the lamb chops in a pan with 1/2 cup of olive oil. In another pan with the remaining oil, put the onion finely chopped, the tomatoes peeled and cut in pieces, the peppers cleaned and chopped, and the olives whole. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and some pepper and cook for 10 minutes, then add to the chops and serve.

Serves 4

Testine di Agnello al Forno - Baked Lamb's Heads
Here's a good way to become an unforgettable cook...
2 lambs' heads
4 abundant teaspoons of breadcrumbs
lots of chopped parsley
4 pinches of origano
grated Romano cheese
olive oil
salt

Wash the heads thoroughly. Dry them. Remove the cartilage from the bottom. Leave the eyes and tongue and cut each head in half lengthwise. Put them into a greased baking dish with the inside of each half facing upwards. Sprinkle the surface and the cavities with breadcrumbs, parsley, origano, Romano Cheese, salt and pepper. Spread oil over everything. Bake in the oven at 350 F for one hour. Serve on warmed plates with new potatoes baked with the meat.

Serves 4

CONIGLIO - RABBIT

Coniglio alle Brace - Rabbit Skewers
1 large rabbit - about 3 1/2 pounds
Salt
Pepper
1 Parsley sprig - finely chopped
1 Rosemary sprig- finely chopped
1/4 lb Ham, Parma- thinly sliced- (12 slices)
12 Sage leaves
6 sm Sausages, Italian
1/2 c Oil, olive

Bone the rabbit carefully, keeping the pieces of meat as large as possible. Wipe the rabbit meat with a damp cloth. Cut it into 12 even-sized pieces, flatten them out lightly, and season with salt, pepper and a little finely chopped parsley and rosemary. Put a slice of ham on each slice of rabbit and roll up tightly. Take 6 skewers. Thread a roll of rabbit, 1 sage leaf, 1 sausage, another rabbit roll and another sage leaf on to each skewer. Brush the skewers with oil and broil (grill), over charcoal if possible, or on a rack placed as close as possible to the source of heat. Alternatively, the skewers can also be baked in a slow oven at 350 degrees for one hour. Turn the skewers occasionally, each time brushing with oil.

Serves 6

PIATTI DI VERDURA/VEGETARIANI - VEGETABLE/VEGETARIAN SECOND COURSES

UOVA - EGGS

Frittata col Peperoncino - Hot Pepper Omlette
5 whole eggs
grated romano cheese
one fresh or dried hot pepper without seeds
4 tsp olive oil
salt

Saute the hot pepper in the oil. Pour the oil into a bowl and let it cool. Break the eggs, add the cheese, mix and pour it into the hot frying pan which contains a tiny bit ofleft-over oil. Cook the omlette on both sides and serve.

Serves 4

VERDURA - VEGETABLE

Melanzane alla Parmigiana - Eggplant Parmesan
2.2 lbs of globe eggplants
salt
flour
tomato sauce
Basil
Mozzarella (grated)
Parmesan or Grana Padana
one egg

Slice the eggplants lengthwise and salt them. Put a weight over all and allow them to drain for three hours. (This procedure is essential to remove the excess water and the slightly bitter taste of globe eggplants.) Dip the slices in flour and fry them. Beat the egg. Put a little oil in a casserole dish. Put in one layer of eggplant and cover it with tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat for each layer and put mozzarella on the top. Bake it in the oven at 350F for 30 to 45 minutes. This dish is delicious hot or cold.

INSALATA

Insalata di Spinaci e Basil - Spinach Salad with Basil
1 lb fresh spinach, cleaned, washed and chopped
1 cup green peppers chopped
1 cup onion sliced in rings
3 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp Basil leaves chopped fine
sald and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together and serve

Serves 6

CONTORNI DI VERDURA - VEGETABLE SIDE DISHES

Asparagi al Sesamo - Asparagus with Sesame
1 lb of fresh asparagus cooked
1/4 cup butter
grated peel and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 tbsp sesame seed
1tbsp sugr
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Steam the asparagus. Heat the last 5 ingredients together and serve over the cooked asparagus.

Pittuliddre 'I Cucuzzieddri -- Zucchini fritters
1 pound zucchini
Flour
Grated Pecorino romano
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Wash the zucchini, pat them dry, and cut them into thin strips. Make a batter with the flour, water, salt, grated pecorino, and pepper. Dip the zucchini strips in it, fry them, drain them on absorbent paper, and serve them hot.
This is a classic Italian recipe that assumes you know the proportions. roughly equal volumes of grated pecorino and flour, and enough water to make the batter liquid, but not so much as to make it runny.

DOLCI - SWEETS

Torta Di Sangue Di Maiale - Pigs's Blood Pie Torta Ri Sangue Ri Puorche
This is a delicious pie. It's probably better, though, not to give out its name or the recipe until after your guests have enjoyed it!

For the filling:
1 liter of fresh pig's blood
600 gr of milk
300 gr of sugar
200 gr of melting chocolate grated
the grated peel of one orange
a pinch of cinamon
a dash of vanilla
1 glass of cooked wine (heated so that the alcohol content is removed)
1 teaspoon of lard
1 glass of anise-flavored liquer

Put everything into a double boiler, mix and cook until it has become dense - about one hour.

For the Pie crust:
600 gr of flour
200 gr of granulated sugar
3 eggs
100 gr of lard or olive oil
1 level teaspoon of dry yeast for Pan degli Angeli
a tooth-patterned rolling pin

Mix everything. Let stand for 15 minutes. Grease a pie pan. Roll out the 1/2 of the dough and lay it in the pan. Add the filling. Roll out the other half of the dough with a rolling pin which has a a tooth pattern and lay strips in a basket-weave pattern on top of the pie. Brush the strips with melted lard. Bake in the oven for one hour at 350F.

Porcedduzz - Sweet Fried Sticks with Powdered Sugar
1 kg of flour
300 gr of sugar
100 gr of unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 envelope of dry yeast for sweets
oil for frying
powdered sugar or warm honey

Mix everything together into a paste and form it into small sticks 2 -3 cm wide. Fry the sticks. Sprinkle powdered sugar or warm honey on them. Serve immediately.

Taralli all'uovo - Sweet Egg "Pretzels"
1 kg of white flour
8 eggs
300 gr of sugar

Mix everything together and work on it for at least 30 minutes and then form it into small ring shapes. Put on a pot of water to boil. Cook them in the boiling water for about one minute. Dry them and then bake them in the oven at 350F until they become golden.

Cartagghiate - Roses
1 kg of white flour
2 eggs
50 gr of seed oil
200 gr of sugar
Oil for frying
Unsweetened Cocoa
more sugar
crushed walnuts, toasted

Mix and work into a past. Roll out well. Cut many large (about 2 com wide) strips. Use the tynes of a fork to decorate the edges. Fold each strip in half and then press down with your finger to unite the two half about every two centimeters. Roll the strip around your finger, not always evenly in order to form a rose. Repeat the procedure for all the stips. Fry all the roses in hot oil.

In a double boiler, melt some honey. When it becomes liquid, dip the roses in it. Shake off the excess honey.

Pignolia Crescents
1 c pignoli nuts
1 3/4 c flour
1 stick butter/soft
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 350.

Finely grind half of the nuts. Mix all ingredients but the egg white. Shape by rounded teaspoon into 2" crescent, one inch apart on ungreased sheet. Press nuts into dough. Brush with egg white. Bake 15 minutes.

Biscotti di Sesamo - Sesame Seed Cookie
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 tea. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tea. baking powder
1/4 tea. salt
1 cup sesame seeds, toasted

To toast sesame seeds, heat in ungreased skillet over med. heat about 2 min. stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

Heat oven to 375. Mix brown sugar, margarine, vanilla and egg in medium bow. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in sesame seeds. Drop dough by 1/2 teaspoonfuls about 1 1/2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. (or shape dough into S-shape). Bake 4-6 minutes or until brown. Cool 30 seconds; carefully remove from cookie sheet.

Special thanks to Phaedrus for helping me find information, and to Katia Simmarano who shares her mother's fabulous recipes with us here.