In the grassy plain of the Po, between Piacenza and Bologna, a quarter million grass-fed cows on 5,000 dairy farms contribute their milk to 500 artisanal producers of a very specific cheese, Italy's finest: Parmigiano - Reggiano.
In batches of 1,100 liters, the combined morning and afternoon milkings (the amount produced by some 40 bovines) is transformed: cream skimmed, casein starter and rennet added, curds cut into rice-sized granules, boiled for 10 minutes in a copper steam kettle under the watchful eye of a master craftsman, then drained, divided in two, wrapped in cheesecloth, formed in traditional, 100-lb. moulds, salted for three weeks, aged for a year, inspected and graded, then aged for another year or two. At the end of the process, the cheese emerges as genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano.
The best, stravecchio sells at the dairy for 13 euros a kilo, about $9 per pound. In restaurants here in Parma, the menu gives you the cheese's full pedigree: name of dairy, month of production. The real thing, when you can find it in the States, is around $15. And is it ever worth it. Dense, crumbly, it isn't sliced but stabbed into little pieces.
Nutty, fruity, sweet and despite the salt that helped create it, with a remarkable complexity and depth of flavor, it's a treat on its own (with a dash of balsamic vinegar, perhaps) or grated over pasta (nothing like the packaged soap flakes sold as "Parmesan" by Kraft). Here and only here: the product of its unique place, always hand-made.
A couple of easy recipes follow. Also, in days to come, the fabulous mosaics of Ravenna and the surprising Jewish history of Ferrara.
Baked eggs
Separate 4 eggs. Cook the whites in a skillet with 1 TB butter or olive oil until they're almost set, then slide in the yolks and cook a bit longer. Top with an ounce of shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve at once. (For an extra treat, add some truffle shavings as well.)
Parmigiano-Reggiano soufflé
Mix 3 ounces of flour with a bit of cold water and begin heating the mixture. Add 1 cup warm milk and continue heating, but don't let it boil. Stir in 3 ounces of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano and take off the heat. Separate 5 eggs and add the yolks, one by one, to the cheese mixture; season with salt and pepper. Whip the whites and gently fold them into the cheese mixture. Pour into a floured soufflé dish and bake in a 350-degree oven for about half an hour. Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish.
Don't thank me, thank those Italian cows.
Posted by Ronald Holden at December 3, 2006 9:15 AM
The International Kitchen
Cooking school vacations in Italy, France & Spain.
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