Alberto Delbello Chanukah Recipes

Chef Alberto Delbello, of Il Portico, Il Tartuffo, Chanukah Recipes.

Frittelle Di Riso Per Chanukah
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 cup Italian rice
2 ½ cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark seedless raisins
½ cup Pinoli (pine nuts) or slivered almonds
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon rind
6 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup olive or other vegetable oil for frying
Granulated sugar and cinnamon (optional)

Directions:
Place the rice in a saucepan with 2 ½ cups of water and the salt and bring to a boil
Lower the heat to simmer, cover and cook, without stirring, for 30 minutes or until the rice is well done and dry.
Remove from heat, add raisins, nuts and lemon rind and then stir.
Cool for at least a ½ hour before adding the eggs: mix well.
Heat half the oil in a large frying pan.
Drop the rice mixture into the hot oil by the rounded tablespoonful.
Fry 2 to 3 minutes, turn and fry another 2 minutes or until frittelle are golden brown on both sides.
Transfer to a serving plate lined with paper towels.
Place another piece of paper over them, and keep on stacking frittelle with paper between layers.
Add the remaining oil as necessary, until the mixture is used up.
When you're through frying, remove the paper toweling and serve hot, plain or rolled in sugar and cinnamon.

Ossibuchi Coi Piselli
(Veal Shanks with Peas)
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
6 slices veal shank about 4 ½ pounds
Unbleached flour
1 clove garlic
2 sprigs Italian parsley
2 large basil leaves
¼ cup chopped onion
1 carrot, peeled and diced
6 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 dashes nutmeg
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 cups beef stock or water
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 cups freshly shelled or 1 10-oz package frozen sweet tiny peas

Directions:
Cut skin at 2 or 3 points around the circumference of the ossibuchi so that the skin, on shrinking does not bunch the beat out of shape
Lightly flour shank pieces on all sides.
Chop garlic, parsley and basil together very fine and place half of this mixture in a large skillet together with onion, carrot and oil.
Sauté, stirring 1 to 2 minutes.
Add ossibuchi in a single layer and brown 2 minutes.
Add wine and raise the heat to let the wine evaporate completely.
Add tomato pasted and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spatula to loosen stuck particles.
Add 1 cup of stock or water, shake pan, and simmer, covered, 1 ½ hours, scraping the glaze occasionally.
Add the remaining liquid as it becomes necessary, but keep the ossibuchi in a thick, savory sauce at all times.
When meat begins to separate from bone, add the remaining garlic mixture, lemon rind, and peas.
Cook 10 more minutes, or until peas are tender but not mushy and the sauce is thick and flavorful.