Cookbook Survivor: Carlo Middione, The Food of Southern Italy
Sunday's Child Has Lasagna In Mind
I’ve had the Middione book for a long time. I don’t use it for much, but I’ve always liked the lasagna recipe in it and when I decide that’s what I’m in a mood to make, it’s what I make. Some day I should really put the rest of the book to the test again—since I know the lasagna recipe by heart, maybe the book would be in peril then. Not today. It’s a rainy day here and there’s an autumnal chill in the air, so the lasagna mood has struck and my guide to a successful lasagna is secure in its place.
The Middione recipe starts with an all-afternoon ragu with a pork roast in it; they call for a loin but I’m going to use a shoulder instead. Means more skimming off of fat but I think it’s a better flavor in the end. I’m going to dump a few of the surviving tomatoes into the sauce along with canned tomatoes and a little onion-garlic-carrot sofrito.
When the ragu is done, hours later, you chop up some of the pork to make little meatballs with for one of the two meats in the lasagna. The book calls for Italian sausage for the other; I’m going to use an andouille that I have in the fridge instead, so this is going to be a bit spicier than sometimes.
You also need to make a bechamel sauce as part of the layering—a red sauce, a white sauce, the two meats, some basil. I’m trying to decide whether to add some mushrooms as well. And then there’s ricotta and mozzarella and on top, I usually put some breadcrumbs and parmesan.
It’s a fairly involved prep but it makes a ton and it holds up really well in the freezer.
Yes, perfect day for this! I wish you could send me over a slice.