Cooking with "The Babbo Cookbook"

[FrogPrincesse]

Yesterday I got a pound of ultra-fresh local shrimp. For some reason they were missing their heads already (which may very well be the best part...). Anyway, looking for a nice dish for them I found the Shrimp in Crazy Water in Holiday Food (the recipe is also available online here). I happened to have received a fennel bulb and some garlic in my CSA, so it all came together nicely. The aromatic base is diced onion & fennel + sliced garlic and hot chiles (I used dry chile de arbol). They are lightly browned in olive oil, and then a can of tomatoes is added with a generous amount of white wine and some salted water. The broth is simmered for about 10 minutes, then the shrimp are added. This is a very quick dish (less than 30 minutes total) with a ton of flavor. I used a Pouilly Fuisse for the broth. Fennel fronds are used as a garnish with fresh cracked pepper.

[FrogPrincesse]

I started curing guanciale with a couple of pork jowls (about one pound each) that I butchered myself (at a butchery class). I haven't made guanciale in a long while because it's quite difficult to find jowl. This was an acorn-fed heritage breed from Julian's Cook pigs ranch.

Salt, sugar, black peppercorns, fresh thyme from the patio.

 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Okanagancook]

I have two jowls that I treated using this recipe hanging in my garage, working on week two!  Such a coincidence

i had to order them from my butter.  They make smoked jewels which are good but not the same.

i call jowls fat streaked with meat! Ha, ha

[Okanagancook]

They were getting quite dry so after two weeks in the garage I brought them in.  Forgot to weigh them before I took the skin off so not sure if they reached the 30% weight loss target.  Darn tasty.

[nonkeyman]

17 hours ago, Okanagancook said:

They were getting quite dry so after two weeks in the garage I brought them in.  Forgot to weigh them before I took the skin off so not sure if they reached the 30% weight loss target.  Darn tasty.

That is beautiful guanciale! I love it. How else did you prepare it?

I love it with peas, tomatoes and goat cheese gnocchi in a quick marjoram and butter sauce.

[Okanagancook]

I have only fried up those four pieces to try it as I was wrapping it for freezer storage.  I use it mainly with pasta as in carbonara and I will be making a pasta sauce with winter squash containing guanciale later today.  Your sauce sounds good too.

[FrogPrincesse]

It's really good as a little "snack" on a charcuterie platter, sliced thin and fried till slightly crispy, as @Okanagancookdid it!

[FrogPrincesse]

More ideas here about things to do with guanciale.