C
elebrating vegetables in all their versatility and
treating them with the reverence they deserve is
Anna Del Conte’s aim in her latest cookbook,
Vegetables all’Italiana. The food writer, historian
and matriarch of Italian cooking in the UK, talks
of when she first moved to Britain in the 1940s in an era when
“most people were not interested in food of any kind” and
vegetables were usually served limp and boiled, with no flavour,
and then only as a side for meat or fish.
At the time, she worked as an au pair for an English family
that appreciated good food, and when asked one day to prepare
carrots from their vegetable garden, won them over by preparing
them “all’italiana” – in the everyday Italian way – chopped into
thin discs, sautéed with a little oil, margarine (the rationed butter
was saved for spreading on bread), onion and stock.
Del Conte is credited with giving Italian cuisine a foothold
in mid-20th-century Britain and with influencing the likes of
Nigella Lawson and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. She describes
that carrot dish as one of her greatest culinary triumphs.
One of her earlier titles,Gastronomy of Italy,a comprehensive
reference book first published in 1987, is recommended readingfor professional chefs and home cooks alike. Her latest book,
which the recipes in the following pages are drawn from, follows
an a-z format, showing how much you can do with vegetables
from aglio (that is, garlic) to zucchina. All bring vegetables to the
forefront: “there are no pasta sauces and no risotto recipes here,
because in these instances, the main ingredient would be the
pasta or the rice, not the vegetable,” she says.
Although her recipes are mostly vegetarian, Del Conte often
intensifies flavours with chicken stock, parmesan or pancetta,
such as in her Lenticchie in Umido coi Pomodori Secchi, stewed
lentils with sun-dried tomatoes, although these can often be
omitted or swapped out for vegetarian alternatives. In fact, Del
Conte encourages experimentation and creativity, advising you
to cook from her recipes once or twice and then go off-road and
create your own signature take.“You will enjoy cooking far more
if you don’t stick literally to the gospel of a recipe book,” she says.
Praising the flavour, texture and seasonality of the produce
you use is more important than following a script, as is paying
attention to the proportions of ingredients along with a good
dose of care and patience. That, says Del Conte, will teach you
to cook in a truly Italian way.50 gm unsalted butter
750 gm carrots, sliced
125 ml Marsala or sherry
(not dry)
1 tbsp plain flour
100 ml vegetable stockCAROTE ALLA SICILIANACarrots braised in Marsala
SERVES 4“Carrots are not a Sicilian vegetable and seldom appear on
local restaurant menus,” says Del Conte. “But like every other
vegetable, they grow well in the fertile volcanic soil. I first had
this dish at a dinner party by Giuseppe di San Giuliano in his
splendid garden near Siracusa. With some roasted potatoes,
they were the contorno or accompaniment to roasted wild
rabbit shot on the estate. It was an unforgettable dinner both
for the food and for the surroundings.”Pictured p103.1 Melt the butter in a large,
deep frying pan over medium
heat and, when the foam
begins to subside, add carrots,
a handful at a time. Add Marsala
and cook over high heat for
1 minute, then sprinkle in flour.
2 Cook, stirring constantly for
a further minute, then pour in
half the stock. Season to taste,
cover the pan, and cook over
low heat until carrots are
tender (about 20 minutes).
Keep a watch on the pan and
add more stock as needed to
prevent carrots from sticking
to the bottom. Season to taste
and serve.6 zucchini
1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped
flat-leaf parsley
1⁄3 cup coarsely chopped mint
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
30 gm dried breadcrumbs
100 ml extra-virgin olive oil,
plus extra for brushing1 Chop the ends off the zucchini
and halve lengthwise. Sprinkle
the cut sides lightly with salt
to taste and place them on a
wooden board, cut-side down.
Leave for at least 30 minutes.
During this time some of the
vegetable liquid will drain away.
2 Meanwhile, to make the
stuffing, add herbs, garlic and
breadcrumbs to a bowl and
gradually add half the oil, while
beating the mixture with a fork.
Season to taste.ZUCCHINE AL FORNO AL SAPOR DI MENTUCCIABaked zucchini with mint and garlic
SERVES 6“The ideal zucchini for this dish is one about 15cm long,”
says Anna Del Conte. “Don’t buy very large zucchini, which
have too many watery seeds, nor the baby ones, which have
very little flavour.”Pictured p102.3 Preheat oven to 160°C. Brush
a baking sheet large enough
to hold zucchini halves in a
single layer lightly with oil.
4 Wipe zucchini halves with
paper towels and lay them,
cut-side up, on the sheet.
Brush zucchini with a little oil,
then pile some of the herb
mixture over each half. Drizzle
with about half the remaining
oil and place the tray in the
oven. Bake until zucchini are
tender (20-25 minutes; test
by inserting a knife).
5 Remove from oven and
place two zucchini halves on
each plate. Drizzle over the
remaining oil and serve warm
or at room temperature.104 GOURMET TRAVELLER