Calabrese Archives - Recipes At My Table

Liver Sausage and Polenta

It takes a master to make a good liver sausage, which is done by mixing good pork and liver. My Liver Sausage And Polenta uses a homemade product from Johnny Prosciutto located in Quebec. Growing up, my nonno was the master of sausage making and I can still see him cutting the liver with two knives. As the knives worked in harmony, they played a sweet rhythm that I am sure was passed on for many generations.

Why Liver In Sausage

Known as the Salsiccia Nera, especially in Calabria, this sausage is part of the Cucina povera. The farmers in Italy all raised a pig and that pig’s meat fed the family for the whole year. Adding liver to some of the pig meat stretched the meat and added more sausage for preserving. Meat was used sparingly at meals. In Calabria my grandparents often served this liver sausage with rapini, but today I am enjoying it with Polenta. I cook it the same way my nonna did using simple ingredients. The big flavour is in the sausage and even if you don’t like liver this has a unique taste and I encourage you to try it.

Ingredients For LIver Sausage and Polenta

4 liver sausages
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup red or white wine
2 cloves of garlic sliced
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 large onions finely sliced
fresh thyme for serving

For cooking Polenta see my blog https://recipesatmytable.com/baked-polenta/

Process

Put a skillet on the stove on medium heat and warm it up. Add in the sausage and let it cook a minute on each side. Now add in the water.

Cover the pan for about 5 minutes and let the water cook the sausage. Remove the lid and let the water evaporate. When the water evaporates add in the olive oil and the garlic.

Remove the sausage from the pan and keep it warm. Add the onion to the pan and brown. Return the sausage to the pan and add in the wine. Cover again with a lid and let the sausage soak in the wine. Set on medium/low.

Meanwhile cook your polenta.

Add your wine to the sausages in the pan and cover with a lid for one minute. Now remove the sausages to your serving platter and let the wine reduce.

Place Polenta on a large serving platter or board. Place sausages and sauce on top and let everyone serve themselves. Sprinkle with fresh thyme for serving.

February 21, 2022February 25, 2022

Baked Fish With Pomodori

I love fresh sauces and tomatoes in winter need a little help. This Baked Fish With Pomodori is light and flavourful. We use a lot of tomatoes in Italian cooking and sometimes we call these sauces pizzaioli because this is how we often dressed our pizzas. I use this sauce on steaks and sometimes I use it to dress a fresh pasta salad. Experiment with it and see where it leads you.

Italians and Fish

Half of my family comes from the Island of Sicily where fish is in abundance. We are also a culture that was invaded by many over the years and our food has hints of Greek, Moroccan, Roman and even the Normans to name a few. That is why I find the Sicilian cuisine so fascinating. My nonna Marietta was also a master in the kitchen. When we visited in 1975 and spent some time with her, she too instilled in me that good food stems from great ingredients. And of course, there is nothing that compares to those Sicilian tomatoes. These fresh pomodori salsas always take me back to her kitchen made of clay with the big sink right in the middle. Thanks for the memories nonna Marietta.

Another one of my fish recipes on the blog https://recipesatmytable.com/dressed-up-trout/

Ingredients For Baked Fish With Pomodori

3 portions of any white fish, I used halibut

1 large tomato diced

1 medium red onion finely chopped

3 tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 cup of white wine

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup of bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

A little extra olive oil for drizzling

Process

Salt and pepper the fish and place in a lightly oiled baking dish. In a small bowl combine the tomatoes, onion, parsley, garlic and olive oil.

Place the fish into the baking dish and top with the tomato marinade.

Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the marinade.

Pour the wine around the edges of the dish. Do not pour it over the fish. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over everything.

Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Serve as is with a side of your choice.

Baked Fish With Pomodori

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

3 portions of any white fish I used halibut
1 large tomato diced
1 medium red onion finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup of white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
A little extra olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

Salt and pepper the fish and place in a lightly oiled baking dish.
In a small bowl combine the tomatoes, onion, parsley, garlic and olive oil.
Place the fish into the baking dish and top with the tomato marinade.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the marinade.
Pour the wine around the edges of the dish. Do not pour it over the fish.
Drizzle a little extra olive oil over everything.
Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

February 16, 2022February 16, 2022

2 Comments

Baked Polenta

Many foods from my childhood are front and centre when it comes to comfort. Baked Polenta is one of my favourites and my nonna prepared polenta in many ways. We often ate it out of coloured bowls with lost of Parmesan and vegetables. Sometimes she fried it, but my favourite is fried or baked. It’s the crunchy texture that draws me back to this simple recipe. Made with a few ingredients you can warm up your home and their hearts.

Polenta As A Staple

For a long time, Polenta was a staple on many Italian tables and in many regions. It may have been one of the first cooked dishes in history dating back to Mesopotamia. It is said to have come to Italy via Turkey and first appeared in Friuli. Now you can find Polenta all over Italy. In the North I have had it with meatballs over it. Any way, is fine for me. It remains a favourite at my table.

Another great polenta recipe from my https://recipesatmytable.com/red-pepper-onion-kale-polenta/

Ingredients

Tomato sauce

1 can small tomatoes

1 medium onion diced

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and Pepper

The Polenta

1 cup polenta

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Chopped fresh parsley

1 cup diced mozzarella cubes

1/4 cup parmesan

2 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

Process

Place the olive oil in a pan and add the diced onion. Put in the sliced garlic and the Italian seasoning. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Today I used fresh Roma tomatoes, but usually I use the small canned ones.

Bring 3 cups of water or broth to a boil and gently stream in the polenta while whisking it together. Make sure there are no lumps.

Remove from heat and add in the butter, parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Pour into an 8 inch square pan or a round spring form pan and now push in the small cubes of mozzarella over the top. Let the polenta sit for about another 30 minutes until firm.

Place the polenta into a 400 F oven and bake for 15 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the polenta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cut the Polenta into equal pieces.

Baked Polenta

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

1 can small tomatoes
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper
1 cup polenta
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Chopped fresh parsley
1 cup diced mozzarella cubes
1/4 cup parmesan
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Place the olive oil in a pan and add the diced onion. After a few minutes put in the sliced garlic and the Italian seasoning.
tomatoes.
Add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes.
Bring 3 cups of water or broth to a boil and gently stream in the polenta while whisking it together. Make sure there are no lumps.
Remove from heat and add in the butter, parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Pour into an 8 inch square pan and now push in the small cubes of mozzarella over the top. Let the polenta sit for about another 30 minutes until firm.
Place the polenta into a 400 F oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Cut the Polenta into 8 equal pieces.
Spoon the sauce over the polenta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

February 2, 2022December 7, 2022

Melanzane Ripiene Calabrese

What I love most about the blog, is being able to share recipes that family members may have lost. Melanzane Ripiene Calabrese is an old recipe that my nonna made and my mom continues to make. we have them on Christmas Eve. They are meatless and delicious.

A childhood friend, Angela Bonfierro asked for this recipe a while ago. Her mom and my nonna knew each other and are from the same area of Italy. I love this dish both hot and cold. It is simple and the true Calabrian flavours come out in every bite. I am a bit disappointed with the eggplants this time of year. Vegetables that are transported have a tendency to freeze and you can see this when I sliced the eggplant.

These were extra large eggplants. I like to buy the smaller ones, but the pandemic has made us adjust to what is available at the store. I used stale bread and bread crumbs in my recipe, but you can just use bread crumbs if you like.

One of my favourite eggplant recipes on the blog https://recipesatmytable.com/the-best-grilled-eggplant-parmigiana/

Ingredients

1 large eggplant or 6 small ones cut in half
4 slices day old bread ( sliced)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1 egg
1/2 cup hot water from the boiled egg plant
1/2 cup marinara sauce (filling)
2 cups marinara sauce ( for cooking)
2 tbsp minced parsley
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper
olive oil
Calabrese oregano

Process

Wash the eggplants and cut in half. Place in boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes with the lid on. You want the pulp to soften.

Remove the eggplants and cool. Now using a fork, remove all the pulp. Try to take out as much of the seeds as you can.

In a medium bowl slice the bread, add the crumbs, the cheese and parsley.

To this now add the warm eggplant pulp and the warm water. Mix and let cool.Now add in your egg and minced garlic. Follow with the 1/2 cup of marinara and mix.

Place the eggplant in a dish and evenly divide the filling into the eggplant shells.

Drizzle some more marinara ( 1/2 to 1 cup) over the eggplant, cover with foil and place into a 350 F oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and cook uncovered for another 30 minutes.

Serve with the remainder of the marinara sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and some oregano.

December 13, 2020December 13, 2020