The pictures are of the Valdichiana, the fabulous “Under the Tuscan Sun” of an American film. In the background, lying on the hill, the town of Cortona. The farm is Sapori della Toscana https://www.saporidellatoscana.it/azienda/, owned by my friend Giuseppino Genca. All organic. The photos are by Giuseppino Genca too.
THE AGLIONE OF THE VALDICHIANA
We have not developed, or we have neglected as something unimportant, the wisdom of simplicity. That quality which in cooking – but also in every human activity – allows us to create excellent things without waste. This is the case of some ancient soups and dishes – or simply old ones, born of ingenuity sharpened by necessity – that will surprise us with their flavour and fullness.
The Aglione della Valdichiana PGI (almost PDO…), which, as we have now learned, is not just a “big garlic”
https://gigliocooking.com/crema-di-aglione-confit/,
lends itself to many preparations.
Its flavour is delicate and floral. Its tender green leaves can also be used in many different preparations. Here are a few. And then, as we all know, and have learned all the more during this emergency, the creativity of Italians is proverbial and… superlative.
Now that spring has burst out with its whole range of different greens, walking through cultivated and uncultivated fields with a basket means gathering treasures, for those who know Nature: edible herbs, edible flowers, tubers, shoots.
I thought of using the long aglione shoots the way leeks are used in traditional recipes: potato soup, porrata (leek pie), frittata.
Pellegrino, who is imaginative, decided to use the buds too, a bit like capers.
These are the “swellings” near the top of the shoot.
Pellegrino “shelled” them, blanched them for a few minutes in boiling salted water acidulated with a few spoonfuls of vinegar, then drained and dried them. He then put them in jars with chopped aromatic herbs, some grown in his own field and some from the Sapori della Toscana farm: finely chopped sage and rosemary, oregano, chili pepper.
For the frittata Pellegrino used the “stems” of the shoot.
The first recipe I tried comes from the Isola del Giglio, where I was born, which, together with the Valdichiana, boasts the cultivation of the same Aglione. I say this with good reason, because the two “agliones” have the same genome.
The original Giglio soup is made with “aglietti”, the wild garlic gathered in the countryside at this time of year. I made it again with aglione shoots. Here is the recipe.
AGLIONE SHOOT SOUP
For each person you need about 2-3 aglione shoots and one potato.
Finely slice the tender green aglione shoots.
Sauté them slowly in a pot with extra virgin olive oil.
Keep a pot of boiling water ready or, better, a good vegetable stock, to add ladle by ladle until you reach a soft consistency. Never let them “fry”: let them cook gently.
It takes about 40 minutes.
Add a few cherry tomatoes and a handful of finely chopped mixed herbs such as basil, celery and marjoram. Or thyme and a bay leaf, to be removed at the end.
Stir in a spoonful of flour, first “dissolved” in a little water to avoid lumps, and, if you like, a thinly sliced potato to thicken the soup.
Toast thin slices of stale bread in the oven, drizzled with a little oil and lightly salted.
Place a few slices of bread in individual bowls and pour the hot soup over them.
Invigorating, and at a cost close to zero.
Aglione contains the same nutrients as garlic: potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, plus traces of B-complex vitamins, vitamin A and C. According to nutraceutics, the science that studies the pharmacological power of food, this soup can truly be considered a super-food!
Here are more recipes:
AGLIONE SHOOT FRITTATA
Wash the shoots well and slice them thinly.
Sauté them in a large pan with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Add a little water if needed.
Cover with a lid and let them dry out over low heat, without frying.
When done, turn off the heat but leave them in the pan.
When they are cold, remove them with a slotted spoon, leaving the cooking oil in the pan.
Beat the eggs well in a bowl (the proportion is 1 whole egg and 1 spoonful of parmesan per person); mix with the grated parmesan, a pinch of salt and the drained shoots.
Heat the cooking oil again; pour the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly.
When one side is done, flip it with the help of a large plate or a lid and cook the other side.
Serve hot with a fresh salad on the side, but it is also wonderful in a sandwich for a snack on a trip to the countryside.
Since aglione goes well with everything, look at what you have in the fridge: a zucchini starting to wilt? Or a potato in the basket starting to sprout? Use them, diced and stewed with the aglione: they will give the frittata more body. Remember: health begins with “not wasting”.
The photos are by Pellegrino, who made the frittata at his home in the Valdichiana.
SAVOURY PIE WITH AGLIONE SHOOTS
Ingredients:
500 g puff pastry
250 g ricotta
2-3 aglione shoots
30 g pork guanciale (cured cheek)
1 egg
15 g extra virgin olive oil
30 g grated Grana cheese
Salt and pepper
There are no exact quantities: it is a traditional recipe made with leeks, which I made again with aglione shoots. I must say the result was surprising: the flavour is nothing like the “strong” smell. It is delicate and goes beautifully with ricotta. I tasted it fresh out of the oven, hot and fragrant.
Dice the guanciale and brown it in the oil.
Thinly slice the shoot and let it stew in the same pan.
Add hot water to finish cooking.
It takes about 40 minutes.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
When cooked, let it cool and mix in the ricotta, the Grana and the egg.
Roll out 2/3 of the puff pastry and line a small baking tin with it. Pour in the filling.
With the rest of the pastry make thin strips and weave them over the filling.
Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for about 30 minutes.
There really are so many recipes you can make.
I had started out hesitant, thinking no ideas would come. Instead… Cooking aglione thrilled me. For the discovery of such a versatile flavour and for the joy of giving value to one of “our own” products. In the next few days there will be another post, full of recipes. Buon appetito, everyone!
Well! If you want mature agliones or aglione shoots, get in touch with Giuseppino Genca.