Text 27122, 108 rader
Skriven 2009-08-06 20:40:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av JANIS KRACHT
Ärende: Italian mint
====================
I thought you might find this article interesting:

Seriously Italian: Mint in Italian Cooking, Posted by Gina DePalma

"Mint was the most widely used herb in Italy"? How could that be
true? Surely basil or rosemary must hold that crown. But mint is
indeed a universal ingredient in Italian cooking, grown and used
enthusiastically by home and restaurant cooks alike, from the top to
the toe of the boot.

This may be a perplexing notion for some of us, because we've become
used to tasting mint in its most exaggerated and gargantuan form, in
breath refreshers, toothpaste and chewing gum. When we aren't
swishing super-concentrated minty mouthwash, we find it blasted into
chocolate candies, ice cream or frappucinos. By far, the most tragic
misuse of mint is when buds are plucked and poked into desserts as a
bizarre form of herbal tree-garnish, destined only to be tossed
aside and gathered up with the dishes.

In reality, mint leaves have a far less concentrated flavor and
subtle presence, bright, sweetly refreshing and cool. As a culinary
herb, mint plays well with similarly bright notes of basil and
parsley, and Italians often use it in combination with both. Mint's
bracing crispness can be used to cut the rich intensity of a meaty
dish or sauce, and to sweetly compliment the acidity of tomatoes or
citrus. Its coolness both tames and highlights the fire of
peperoncino.

In Italy, mint grows everywhere, wild and untamed, foraged from
fields and forests by cooks and the occasional farm animal. It is
also heavily planted, as ground cover to prevent erosion or
decoratively among flowers and vines. When I was growing up, my
mother always planted mint, no matter where we lived. In apartments,
she placed mint and basil together in long window boxes, or
guerilla-gardened it along the sunny side of our building. When it
got too bushy, she picked it and threw it into her pesto, or into a
ripe tomato salad with red onion and basil. We dried the leaves on a
sunny windowsill and stored them in a sealed crock for use in the
winter, to rub on lamb roasts and stir into bean soup.

Are you inspired to try mint in your cooking yet? Here are just a
few of the ways Italian cooks like to use mint, from across Italy's
varied regions:

In Rome, ribbons of fresh mint are used in combination with anchovy,
red onion and peperoncino for Roman-style artichokes.

In Umbria, mint is simmered into a braise, or brasato, of veal with
porcini mushrooms, with more chopped fresh mint stirred in the sauce
and strewn on top before serving.

In Marche, mint spikes polenta served with lumache, or snails cooked
in tomato, onions, wine, mint and other fresh herbs.

In Piedmont, fresh mint is added to agliata—a mortar and pestle mix
of garlic, olive oil, mint, basil and lemon juice. This agliata
verde is mixed into fresh cheese, spread on crostini, or tossed into
hot pasta.

In Sicily, minced mint is added along with parsley and basil to
caponata, and contributes color and flavor to salads with fennel,
olive and blood oranges. And don't forget my Sicilian-style Baked
Cod!

In Calabria and Basilicata, chopped mint is added to smoky, charred
eggplant salad, with peperoncino, olive oil and red wine vinegar. My
Calabrian mom also adds plenty of mint to her famous pickled
eggplant and marinated mushrooms.

In Tuscany, mint is used in the tomato and bread salad panzanella,
tames the assertive flavor of tripe, and brightens wild rabbit and
boar ragus. After dinner, it is tossed with sugar and fresh frutti
di bosco, or woodland berries.

In Venice, mint is to used flavor any number of cold seafood
preparations, especially insalata di polpo, or octopus salad, and it
is also added to flavor risi e pisi, or rice and peas. Mint is also
used in sardine in saor, the classic Venetian preparation of sweet
and sour sardines.

In the lakes district of Lombardy, mint enhances the sweet flavor of
trout and other sweet-water fish, simply sautéed and bathed with
olive oil, sweet onion, fresh mint and lemon.

In Abruzzo, mint is tossed into tiny polpettini, or meatballs, of
veal, mushrooms and farro, topped with a chunky tomato sauce with
more mint and fresh basil.

In Emilia-Romagna, melons from Reggio are tossed with fresh mint and
dribbled with aged balsamico. Mint is also added to a sauce of
caramelized onions and a bit of cream to embellish fresh
tagliatelle.

In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, mint is combined with Montasio cheese in a
sauce for polenta or fresh pasta. Mint is also stirred into side
dishes, or contorni, of grains, like barley and risotto with wild
mushrooms and other mountain herbs.

Cheers

YK Jim


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