Italian traditional recipe for Immacolata - Baccala with potatoes in the oven

Yesterday in Italy was a great holiday, of course, religious, and even a public holiday. It is called Immacolata - Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. 

Usually at Immacolata or after it Italians decorate the Christmas tree and the house for the holiday. After that day, many people begin the search for gifts. By the way, I have gifts ordered online)) I for me and my husband Santa Claus will bring shoes Vibram Fivefingers for barefoot running))

So what is Baccala? - A salt codfish. Initially, it was a food for the poor people. It has to be soaked, changing the water several times, at least for 24-36 hours, or even more. Then, it can be cooked. In stores you can usually buy already soaked Baccala. In our region, it traditionally prepared for Immacolata, which was yesterday) that's why I'm writing you about this recipe.

So, you'll need

• soaked baccala, about 500g - not soaked 200gr 
• potatoes, 1-1.5 kg, whichever you prefer - more potatoes or not)
• 2-3 onions
• tomatoes, better cherry, about 0.5 kg
• garlic, 1-2 cloves 
• cheese to sprinkle on top
• parsley
• 100 ml of white wine
• olive oil, salt, pepper

Soak baccala, changing water several times. Peel potatoes, onions, garlic.

Onions and potatoes cut into half rings.

Mix the potatoes with sliced tomatoes, add olive oil, a bit of salt (very few), pepper and water, all mix well - leave it now.

Fry the onions until golden brown on low heat in olive oil. At the end add finely chopped garlic

Then add the sliced baccala (check it for bones). Fry for 2-3 minutes  on maximum fire. Then again, remove the fire to minimum, pour the wine and stew for another 2-3 minutes.

Take the dish for the oven, brush the bottom of the oil. Put a layer of baccala with onions, then add the potatoes on top. Pour the liquid from the potatoes. If it does not reach the level of potatoes, then add the water. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and cheese.

Do not add the salt !!! Only the minimum amount of salt that we put in potatoes - baccla is salty itself and gives its salt to the dish.

Bake in preheated to 220° С oven until potatoes are cooked . I usually put in the bottom to heat up/down and then move higher and turn on the grill for a nice crust.

Bon Appetite))

Rice, potatoes and mussels - Riso, patate e cozze

Yes, this plate is called very simple - Rice, potatoes and mussels. It has a short name too - tajeddha - with an indescribable accent on last "DDHA", like somewhere there "r" is hidden, but this name is in dialect))  In other dialect it's called teglia

So it is very tasty, I can't say that it is very simple to cook, but in general, it's a simple enough and it is typical plate of Salento, where I'm living. Salento - this is the south of the Puglia region, the heel of italian shoe) Here indescribably mixed traditions since ancient time of Romans and Greeks, left their trace Messapi, we are not talking about Turks ... Well, in general, it's the pot of cultures. That, of course, has left its mark in cousine too. 

Tajeddha has to be cooked in the oven or better in the wood oven. We cook it in the oven at the beach house. 

At this time, I disn't cook it - because I had to made photography, so the recipe is not my original. The difference I will explain too. There are many different recipes, each women has it's own) Some women add even sliced ​​zucchini. 

You will need (honestly, never know exact proportions, because we always prepare  tajeddha for 20 people). 

• potatoes, 
• Arborio rice (better not parboiled ) 
• onion, 
• cherry tomatoes 
• mussels, 
• parsley, 
• grated cheese (which is available - Parmesan, Grana Padano, or similar), 
• Pepper, salt and olive oil 
• garlic (in my recipe) 

Nuance about mussels - we order the mussels already opened, but if you have them closed, throw them for a minute in the pan with a little of water and they will open. Remove one half. Water do not throw out - you will need it. 

Peel the potatoes and cut it into thin slices or semi-round, if potatoe is big. 

Mix it in a bowl with grated cheese 

finely chop the parsley

Mix it with the potatoes and season with a little olive oil, pepper and chop a few tomatoes. Leave on for half an hour. 

I my recipe: I mix the potatoes with sliced ​​garlic, olive oil, tomatoes - put more tomatoes than on the photo - and quite a bit of parsley and a little salt. I add a little water to make broth, which we then use too. 

Cut the onion into thin half-rings 

Put it in water

Thus, we begin to prepare the form for oven. Grease the bottom with the olive oil and put a thin layer of the onion. 

Then a thin layer of potatoes

Then mussels

Sprinkle the rice. It is important to cover the mussels with rice. I prefer to use normal rice for risotto, not parboiled rice - because it better absorbs the taste of food. Parboiled rice is better as a simple garniture. But the women who cooked prefeir parboiled. 

Then, in the same order put all the second time, without onion. Finish with potatoes on the top and cover with cheese. Pour salted water or water from the mussels till the level of potatoes. 

Cook on 200 degrees for about 45 minutes - 1 hour, see by yourself when potatoes are cooked. 

That's what we've got) 

Chestnuts adventure in Calabria. Part 2

This is second part of my post about our trip in Calabria. It dedicated to forest. I don't have many words to write - all you need tell you photos.


When you go by a car between two hills - sudden you enter in cloud and it seems that you stay in horror film. Road, only road and clouds... nothing more around...

 Then you drive out and it's sun again and flaming forest:

 Small road in the forest:

Always in clouds:

Roads became smaller and smaller:

26 kg of chestnuts:

Chestnuts adventure in Calabria. Part 1

1 November is a Holiday in Italy thats why we decided to make a three days weekend and go in Calabria to pick chestnuts in forest. We went to Camigliatello Silano. It's a small town in Sila moutains and it population is about 1000 persons.
 It was Sunday and as you think, what we found when we came - a Fest! It was Sagra of chestnuts and potatoes. Sagra is a small local fest dedicated to local food and drinks.

The central street was full of market stalls selling every local product and of course chestnuts, potatoes and mushrooms. 

Of course there was local cheese and salami:

This chees in hay we bought:

Cute market stall:

Cute decorations made from pumpkin:

Of course on every corner you can find roasted chestnuts:

Calabria is region in southern Italy, so no fest can be without trtaditional dance - tarantella.

This cute felted toadstools I saw in showcase of the shop:

Riсe, potatoes and mussels

Today I'll write how to cook one of the best dish of Salento cuisine. Salento is a region in the south of Italy. It’s famous for his beaches and cuisine. The meal is named “Riso patate e cozze” – rice potatoes and mussels.

So you'll need:
2 kg (4.4 lb) of potatoes
1 kg (2.2 lb) of fresh opened mussels (if they are not opened you’ll need 2 kg – 4.4 lb)
0.3 kg (0.66 lb) of rice
One onion
1 kg (2.2 lb) of tomatoes
Couple cloves of garlic
250 gr (0.55 lb) of grated Parmigiano - Parmesan cheese
Parsley
Breadcrumbs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ground black pepper
Salt


In a small container slosh the rice with the water and leave it.

Peel potatoes. Cut potatoes into thin slices.
Cut tomatoes to small pieces. Clean garlic cloves. Cut the onion vertically into thin slices.

Cut some parsley.

Put all ingredients in the big pot. Dredge grated Parmesan.

Then pour the oil. Put salt and pepper. Top up little water and mix it well. Leave it for half an hour.
Get a frying pan enough deep. We got the frying earthen pan, because we will cook in the stone oven. Remove the garlic from the pot. Pour a little oil in the pan. Put a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the pan.

Then put the layer of mussels.


Dredge the rice.

Put a little of cutted parsley.

Put salt and pepper.


Dredge grated Parmesan.

Put remaining potatoes. Carefully pour in the pan all the liquid from the pot with potatoes. If the water does not reach the level of potatoes, add the water. If you don’t do this, the rice quickly absorbs all the water and the dish will be dry. If you pour too much water, the rice absorbs not all the water.
Dredge Parmesan.

Pepper it and dredge breadcrumbs.

Pour some oil on the top.

If you cook at home, heat the oven to 250 degrees. Put the pan in the bottom of the oven. When the potatoes seem cooked - the dish is ready. Put the pan in the top of the oven. Turn in the oven grill for some minutes for delicious golden crust. When you take out the pan from the oven, leave it for 10-15 minutes. It will be more flavourful.

Enjoy the cuisine of Salento!