I’ve been talking about Multiethnic cuisine lot of times. For me, it’s nothing more than an imaginative combination of different cultures that, in the act of melting them together, create works of rare beauty. A multitude of dishes that give wonderful sensations to our senses. Foods that let us relive missed emotions or forgotten experiences: sometimes in a dish we can also rediscover our belonging to ancient peoples.
The multiethnic cuisine is like a strong and charming woman capable of adapting to life-changing, as well as to their inevitable storms; but at the same time, it could be compared to a maternal woman whose embrace welcome and reassure.
Foods of poor cooking, as you can easily see, are common to the large majority of cultures. Such an example could be represented by tripe and offals. In Rome we find the famous Pajata, as well as in Florence Lampredotto, and in Catanzaro Morzello. Other elements of this poor cuisine are soups and bitter greens.
As this post is referring to Italian Easter traditions, I would like to talk about a Multiethnic cuisine that is one of the most known here in Italy: the Roman – Jewish one. To do this I’ve chosen one of the dishes that best describes my intention: Abbacchio alla “Scottadito” that is nothing else than roasted or grilled lamb chops.
Unlike to other dishes of Roman- Jewish tradition, that are very elaborate and long to prepare, this is a simple one. You just need a good marinade and a very hot grill or a barbecue.
Roman people call this dish “alla Scottadito” to emphasize that you must eat it very hot and necessarily with fingers. So it means that you could pleasantly burn them indeed.
Different thoughts are held concerning bitter herbs of Jewish tradition. Someone claims that they are five, but nothing sure is said about this question. And anyway we don’t know for sure the exact name of them. In the composition of the Sedar plate of Pesach, the lettuce is used most of the time. Lettuce is not as bitter as chicory, so it could be hypothesized that roman people have substituted it with chicory, that besides, is a very common element of the Roman cuisine.
The Abbacchio alla “Scottadito” is my contribution to our monthly Cucina Conversations.
So at some time of that post, I was writing about the easy way to realize it. Let’s start to see it together.
You just need:
Lamb Chops
Spices to your taste as rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme etc.
Garlic clove, olive oil, salt and pepper
To better cook it you need a grill or a barbecue
First of all, you need to marinate the lamb. In a large bowl put the chops and season them with the spices you have chosen, olive oil, garlic salt and pepper. Melt them well together and let them rest in the refrigerator for about an hour. Remove from it and allow them to come to room temperature.
Heat your grill and let the charcoals to lit well. If you choose a gas grill, be sure it is very hot.
Place the lamb chops on the grill and let them cook for about 1 or 2 minute each side.
You can serve them with a chicory salad or fresh lettuce as well as with a mix of boiled bitter greens. I often opt for these. My Grandma Mena that is almost ninety, still goes through the uncultivated fields looking for them, she knows all kind of wild herbs. They are often a mix of wild chicory, wild fennel, nettle, dandelion, and lots of others, whose dialect name I really don’t know how I could translate. I really love the mixture she does for us. Besides, these bitter greens have a great nutritive potential so they are healthy and light. Perfect for this recipe, as lamb is not exactly a low calories food.
For a very Multiethnic Easter be sure to check my fellow blogger’s recipes.
Daniela – La dani Gourmet: Torta di Riso Massese
Flavia – Flavia’s Flavour: Crescia al Formaggio
Francesca – Pancakes and Biscotti: Torta di Ricotta e Cioccolato
Lisa – Italian Kiwi: Torta Pasqualina
Carmen – The Heirloom Chronicles: Cassateddi Siciliani fritti e al forno
Rosemarie – Turinmamma: Salame del Papa
Have a Good Easter to everyone in every side of the world.
