Pasticada (Dalmatian Pot Roast)

Ingredients:
1,5-2 kg (3-4 lb) beef round
5 garlic cloves, sliced longish
100 g (3.5 oz) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lard
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 large onions, quartered
2-3 carrots
1 celery root (around 200 g; 7 oz), quartered
1 tsp flour
4 cloves
2-3 Tbsp tomato purée
100 ml (4 fl oz) prosecco
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup red wine
3 lemon slices
3-4 prunes
salt, pepper

Preparation:

Pierce the meat with a sharp pointed knife at random and insert slivers of garlic and pieces of bacon into the incisions.


Place the beef into a non-reactive pan; cover with vinegar and leave it for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.


Remove meat from vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Put in a roasting dish together with olive oil, lard, onions, celery root and carrots. Cover and roast for 45 minutes. Take out of the oven.


Take the meat out of the sauce.


Purée the vegetables with roast dripping. Add flour, cloves, tomato purée, prosecco, sugar, red wine, lemon slices and prunes. You can also add some vinegar, if you like.


Cut the meat into 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick slices (vertical to fibres), and return back into the sauce. Cook until the meat becomes soft.


Serve with potato gnocchi.

Brodetto (Brudet)

Ingredients:
1 kg (2 lb) mixed fish
2-3 onions
2 dl olive oil
2-3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 dl wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
rosemary (optional)
2 cups red wine
1 tsp black pepper
salt

Preparation:

Sauté onion in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes. Place fish on top of broth.


Add vinegar, salt, pepper, bay leaf and rosemary.


Add so much wine that fish is covered. Do NOT add water.


Simmer gently over low heat for 1-2 hours. Do NOT cover nor stir; just shake skillet occasionally.


Serve with polenta.

Black Risotto Recipe

Ingredients:
1 kg (2 lb) squid or calamari
2-3 large onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
parsley, chopped
400 g (0.9 lb) rice
olive oil
salt, pepper

Preparation:

Clean the squid or calamari (reserve ink sac). Cut them into stripes.


Saute onion in the oil until translucent. Add the squid or calamari and cook for 15 minutes. Add garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and enough water to cover calamari and cook until squid or calamari are soft.


Add the rice, the ink from the ink sac and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add more hot water.


Remove from heat when done and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.