I do all the day to day cooking, but when I fancy a night off Dan will step in. He’s actually a brilliant cook who has worked as a chef in restaurants both in Italy and in the UK.
One of the first things Daniele cooked for me was Bollito Misto. As he started to explain it, I was thinking: Hang on, this is Boiled Beef and Carrots!
I’d never boiled meat before and I can’t say I was relishing it that much, but it was delicious and has become a winter staple.
Bollito Misto:
- 1 large potato (peeled and cut in half)
- 1 onion (peeled, but left whole)
- 2 carrots (peeled and snapped in half)
- 2 sticks of celery including the leaves (washed and snapped in half)
- 2 cloves of garlic (peeled)
- Half a chicken
- Large piece of boiling beef (silverside or brisket)
- 2 bones from the butcher (I had a knuckle and a small piece of marrow bone)
- 1 bay leaf
- a good twist of freshly ground pepper
- a little coarse sea salt
Put all the ingredients in a very large heavy-based pan. Fill with cold water, bring to the boil then simmer very, very gently for approximately 3 hours.
When ready, slice the vegetables and serve on a large platter with the meat. Best accompanied with salsa verde and/or Mostarda.
Purists would say that if you want a good stock place the meat in cold water and if you want good meat wait until the water is boiling before adding it, because this seals the meat. I put the meat and vegetables into cold water and bring it rapidly to boiling point on the gas then transfer the pot to the wood-burning stove where it bubbles away gently for a few hours until ready to eat. This way I get good meat and good stock.
Please Note: This is a “pauper’s” version. A true Bollito Misto uses about seven different types of meat which often include a pig’s trotter and sausages, some of which are boiled in separate pots.
This is an economical dish because you can use the cheaper cuts of meat and everything is cooked in one pot. To make it even more economical, I usually make this in a larger quantity than we can eat at one sitting. Any leftover meat can be eaten cold the next day with salad. Any more is turned into a curry and any vegetables are whizzed up for soup.
The best part, however, is that you are left with a delicious stock, broth, or “brodo” with which I always make Tortellini in Brodo.
Recipes for Tortellini in Brodo and Salsa Verde to follow soon.
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