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A native of Verona, chef Leonardo De Paoli has a culinary track record that began at Restaurant Ai Teatri in his hometown, and extended to kitchens in New York, Venice, Milan, Paris, and most recently at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Mosconi in Luxembourg. Bollito misto, or mixed boiled meats, is a dish that he grew up eating during the holidays and still loves to make today, especially in the winter and for special occasions.
“It’s common in all of northern Italy, different cuts of meat that are boiled together or separately, and there are two end products, the meat and the broth,” he explains. “On Christmas Day we usually have tortellini with the broth, and then you have the meat.”
Bollito misto is traditionally served with several different sauces, depending on the region, as well as the sweet and spicy condiment mostarda. De Paoli says the acidity of salsa verde and the spiciness of mostarda cut the fat and collagen sensations in your mouth from the meat.
“It’s a heartwarming dish—you immediately smell the brodo when you enter the house, because it’s been boiling the whole day. It gives a homey, comforting sensation when it arrives on the table, there’s a cloud of steam and it’s always the centerpiece. It’s the equivalent of a turkey at Thanksgiving dinner.”
Bollito Misto and Salsa Verde by Leonardo De Paoli
Serves 8
Ingredients:
3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
3 golden onions, peeled and cubed
3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
4 pepper corns
2 cloves
2 juniper berries
1/2 star anise
1/2 bunch of parsley
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp salt
1/2 glass of red wine
1 veal tongue (about 2 pounds)
2 cotechini (about 1 pound each)
1 oxtail (about 5 pounds)
1 piece of beef chuck eye roast (about 5 pounds) or brisket
1 hen (or boiling chicken)
Method:
Clean and wash the insides of the hen, eliminating any gills or fat that might be evident.
With a paring knife, trim any fat that might be present on the outside of the oxtail and the chuck eye roast. Tie the chuck eye roast with kitchen twine in order to prevent it from falling apart.
Prick the cotechini with a toothpick in order to not have them explode during cooking and remove twine. Place the cotechino in a pot of cold water with an onion, a carrot, and a celery stalk. Add the red wine and one bay leaf, bring to a boil and simmer at least 3 hours with lid on.
In large pot put the hen, the beef, and the veal tongue, add the remaining veggies and aromatics, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer slowly, topping up with boiling water as needed, skimming regularly to remove scum from surface.
The hen will be cooked in about 1–1.5 hours from boiling, the tongue will take about 2 hours to cook, and the beef about 4 hours (or until tender).
When the meats are tender and cooked, remove them from liquid, placing them on a sheet tray covered in cling film, so they don’t dry out.
Skim the fat off the cooking liquid (brodo), then strain it through a sieve and then a second time through a napkin, in order to obtain a clear liquid.
Peel and trim the tongue, slice all the meats, and arrange them on a serving plate. Serve hot and drizzle with a few spoonfuls of brodo and extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with rock salt and serve with mostarda and a choice of sauces.
Salsa Verde - Sauce for Bollito Misto
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups parsley leaves, tightly packed
2/3 cup basil leaves, tightly packed
3 tbsp dill
2 tbsp chervil
2 hardboiled egg yolks (optional)
1/2 cup day old bread, cubed
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
6 filets anchovies preserved in olive oil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp freezing water
Method:
Sprinkle vinegar over cubed day-old bread and let absorb.
Squeeze with your hands to eliminate excess vinegar and place in bowl of blender with rest of ingredients and blend until creamy. If done in advance store in fridge with cling film on surface to prevent oxidation.
