Capt. Cobby's Chest

[Olan Giech]

In respone to Stephen's request for Italian recipes, and to put the myth that la Carbonara contains cream to rest.

So I'll sart this thread with the Roman way of making la Carbonara for two people.

100g guanciale (pancetta, salty bacon)
2 eggs (add an extra egg for each additional person)
500g spaghetti or pennete
Freshly ground black pepper and salt.

In a small bowl beat the eggs and add a little salt n pepper.
Start boiling the water and add a little salt.
Guanciale is the pig's cheek cured in a mixture of spices and herbs.
It is fattier than pancetta or bacon though has a better taste. If you can't get guanciale or pancetta then chunky smoked bacon will do.
Take your diced guanciale and gently fry it over a low flame.
There is no need to add fat or oil for cooking it, just use a non-stick pan and drain the excess fat away when cooked.

(Camping Tip #37: If you are cooking with just one stove, fry the guanciale in the pan ontop of the pasta pan, the transferred heat is enough.)

Chuck in your pasta, I tend not to bother that much with salting the water as the sauce generally has enough salt in it to balance the dish.
When the pasta is cooked, al dente, ie firm to the bite (if it has a thin white line inside it generally means two minutes more) drain it, then chuck your beaten eggs into the still hot pasta pan, add the guanciale, and return the pasta back to the pan. Stirring all the while.
I return the pasta pan back to the stove where it was cooking but with the flame spent.
This action encourages the sauce to thicken, BUT! what is not required is scrambled eggs with pasta. The eggs must not congeal or cook.
Add a little black pepper and serve.

Well that's the Roman way, and when in Rome...

[Olan Giech]

While most pork bacon products are taken from the belly of a pig, Guanciale is made by drying the meat from a hog's jowls. Though the resulting meat is fattier than traditional pork pieces, it has a noticeably richer flavor.
It is this richness, combined with a delicate porkiness, that more than merits the meat's three-week drying period.

Making guanciale, however, may require a little more planning than simply buying good-quality bacon or pancetta, but its abundance of flavor distinguishes guanciale from the rest, making every dish that much more succulent.

Makes 2 pounds
A small cup of sugar
A small cup of salt
10 to 15 whole black peppercorns
Ground chillis
4 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves
2 sprigs of sage
2 pounds hog jowls

1. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, salt, peppercorns and thyme. Coat the hog jowls with the mixture, rubbing gently. Place the jowls in a glass or ceramic casserole, cover, and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days.
2. Remove the jowls from the casserole and tie a piece of butcher's twine around the middle of each. Hang the jowls in a dry cool place (it should not be warmer than 60'F or 15.5'C.) for at least 3 weeks. They should be firm and dry, with a slight give. Slice and use like bacon or pancetta.

[Spacemutt]

We still haven't had a chance to try these. :p I'll let you know how we get on. :)

[Hubber]

We still haven't had a chance to try these. :p I'll let you know how we get on. :)


So its been a while, so how did you get on ???

[Olan Giech]

So its been a while, so how did you get on ???

I don't think he could have cured the ham right, perhaps there's a little spacemutt with his toes curled up, slowly drifting through space.

However, I have two "new" pasta dishes to post this weekend after my recent hols, just writing up the details and pictures to resize. wts

[Lawnmower]

In respone to Stephen's request for Italian recipes, and to put the myth that la Carbonara contains cream to rest.

So I'll sart this thread with the Roman way of making la Carbonara for two people.

100g guanciale (pancetta, salty bacon)
2 eggs (add an extra egg for each additional person)
500g spaghetti or pennete
Freshly ground black pepper and salt.

In a small bowl beat the eggs and add a little salt n pepper.
Start boiling the water and add a little salt.
Guanciale is the pig's cheek cured in a mixture of spices and herbs.
It is fattier than pancetta or bacon though has a better taste. If you can't get guanciale or pancetta then chunky smoked bacon will do.
Take your diced guanciale and gently fry it over a low flame.
There is no need to add fat or oil for cooking it, just use a non-stick pan and drain the excess fat away when cooked.

(Camping Tip #37: If you are cooking with just one stove, fry the guanciale in the pan ontop of the pasta pan, the transferred heat is enough.)

Chuck in your pasta, I tend not to bother that much with salting the water as the sauce generally has enough salt in it to balance the dish.
When the pasta is cooked, al dente, ie firm to the bite (if it has a thin white line inside it generally means two minutes more) drain it, then chuck your beaten eggs into the still hot pasta pan, add the guanciale, and return the pasta back to the pan. Stirring all the while.
I return the pasta pan back to the stove where it was cooking but with the flame spent.
This action encourages the sauce to thicken, BUT! what is not required is scrambled eggs with pasta. The eggs must not congeal or cook.
Add a little black pepper and serve.

Well that's the Roman way, and when in Rome...

This is exactly the way my housemate taught me to make this when I was a student, he was italian btw. Have yet to actually see anywhere (supermarkets restuarants etc) since make it this way, though my italian friend assured me that carbonare does ot have cream/milk/cornflower etc.

My chinese housemate did not recognise battered pork balls from the local takeaway, although he did provide us wth a dish that wasn't on the takaway menu - Dried Worms!!!!

So much for authentic foreign food!