Stracciatella Recipes

Steps:

• Making mozzarella: In a large pot, bring 2 quarts water and the kosher salt to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool to 180 degrees F.
• Add mozzarella curd to a large bowl and bring to room temperature. When the water has cooled to 180 degrees F, ladle it onto the curd. The curd will begin to look like shaggy mozzarella. Using a wooden spoon, stir and stretch the cheese until it forms a cohesive ball and takes on a "plastic" texture.
• Shaping mozzarella: Place half of the whey water (the salted water that turned the cheese curd into mozzarella) in another large bowl and chill to 80 degrees F. Meanwhile, work the mozzarella that's in the remaining warm whey water into 1 large ball. Knead and stretch the ball of cheese until there are no more lumps. Once the cheese is smooth, pull off a 4-inch section and put it into the second bowl containing the cooled whey water. Repeat this process with the remaining cheese.
• Making stracciatella: Take each of the sections of the mozzarella out of the cooled water and pull apart the strands (like string cheese). Put all of the pulled strands of cheese into a mixing bowl and add the heavy cream. Gently stir to make stracciatella. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the slices and place in the oven to toast, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and, while still warm, rub cut side of garlic over the toasted bread. Then rub the bread with the cut side of tomato while gently squeezing the tomato halves. Top slices with a generous spoonful of stracciatella followed by a drizzle of olive oil, flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and basil sprig. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Season to taste, and add the vegetable or chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, bread crumbs or semolina, Parmesan, parsley and basil or chives. Beat until frothy.
• Bring the soup to a boil, and slowly drizzle in a thin stream of the egg mixture, stirring constantly. After the mixture has been added, reduce the heat and simmer five minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a spoonful of cooked soup pasta to the bowl if desired.

Steps:

• Cut up chicken into large pieces and place in a large soup pot with the water. Chop 8 carrots, 3 stalks of celery and 1 onion and place them in the pot as well. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and reserve stock. When cool enough to handle, bone chicken and cut meat into bite-size pieces.
• Process reserved stock in a blender or food processor or using an immersion blender and return it to the pot with the chicken meat. Chop the remaining 3 carrots, 3 stalks of celery and 1 onion and stir into the chicken mixture with the rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Remove chicken mixture from heat and stir in spinach, Romano, salt, pepper, lemon juice and oregano. Set aside.
• In large saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Pour the eggs into the boiling broth, slowly, in a thin stream. Remove the broth from the heat and stir it into the chicken mixture. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Bring broth to a simmer in a pot over high heat. Taste broth and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
• Whisk eggs, parsley, semolina flour, grated Parmigiano Reggiano and pecorino Romano cheeses, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg together in a bowl until well blended.
• While stirring the simmering broth, slowly pour egg mixture into the broth. Bring mixture back up to a simmer. The liquid will be slightly cloudy initially and clear as broth heats.
• Serve in bowls; garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Steps:

• For the crust: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 5 by 3-inch nonstick loaf pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Using 2 pieces of parchment paper, line the pan, allowing the excess to hang over the ends and sides.
• In a food processor, blend the biscotti and hazelnuts together until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Using a flexible spatula, press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges of the crust are golden. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
• For the filling: In a medium stainless steel or glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk until the egg mixture is pale, thick and creamy, and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F, about 10 to 15 minutes. Put the bowl into a larger bowl of iced water to cool completely.
• In another medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream until thick. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. Mix 1/4 of the cream into the cooled custard. Using a spatula, gently fold the remaining cream into the custard. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate-hazelnut spread over the custard mixture and gently fold until just incorporated but still chunky. Spoon the mixture onto the prepared crust. Fold the overhanging parchment paper over the custard and freeze for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.
• Run a thin-bladed spatula around the semifreddo between the parchment paper and the pan. Unfold the parchment paper and invert the semifreddo onto a platter. Peel off the paper and cut into 1-inch thick slices. Serve on chilled plates.

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups stock to a boil over medium-high heat in a 6- to 8-cup saucepan. Beat the remaining stock with the eggs, the cheese, the nutmeg and the parsley until they are well blended.
• When stock is boiling, adjust heat so it bubbles frequently but not furiously. Add egg mixture in a steady stream, stirring occasionally until eggs gather together in small curds, 2 or 3 minutes.
• Taste, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnishing with a little more Parmesan if you like.

Steps:

• Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a medium-size saucepan.
• Whisk together the eggs, Parmesan, parsley, and salt. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the stock while stirring. Continue to stir until the eggs are set, about 1 minute. Add baby spinach and stir to wilt. Serve immediately.