Little packages
As a chef I love to draw inspiration from the markets and the seasonal change. Italy is particularly good about eating in season since they are tied so tightly to the land and what is happening in the garden.
In winter the hunters are out whether it be for truffles, mushrooms or wild boar. Interesting vegetables also start cropping up like cardoon, artichoke and pumpkins of all varieties. For a cook this is gold and the challenge is to use all these ingredients to capture their essence and the taste of the season.
This week I was in the mood for porcini mushrooms, one of my all time favourites. I had also picked up some beautiful artichokes that pair wonderfully with porcini and had some nice thin slices of beef from the butcher I had purchased specifically to make involtini.
Involtini is roughly translated to little bundles or packages and can be made with anything you want like veal, beef, turkey, eggplant or zucchini. Essentially they are little rolled packages stuffed with whatever filling you can dream up but are commonly filled with prosciutto and cheese. Sometimes they are breaded and fried but mostly they are seared and then slowly braised until tender.
For my involtini I decided that a filling of prosciutto and porcini seasoned with sage from the garden would be best braised in a creamy sauce spiked with black truffle and chunks of fresh artichoke hearts.
Once all of your ingredients are ready the preparation of the involtini is easy and fun. You can serve them with pasta, potatoes or polenta and they look delectable when plated.
I used fresh porcini for my involtini but you could also use dried and omit or substitute where you see fit like eliminating the prosciutto or truffle and adding a different herb like rosemary or thyme.
However you decide to make your involtini the technique is similar and the results are almost always delicious.
Prosciutto layered on top of thin beef slices
Porcini mixture and cheese is added to the bottom half
Rolled up and secured with toothpicks
- 8 thin slices of beef (top round)
- 8 slices of Prosciutto
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
- 1 cup fresh porcini mushrooms or the equivalent dried
- 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
- 1/4 white wine plus more for deglazing
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1/3 cup flour
- 4 artichoke hearts, pre cooked until knife tender or the equivalent from a jar
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup beef stock (any stock is good)
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated truffle or truffle salsa or none at all
- Salt and Pepper
- 4 portions of tagliatelle tossed in butter and pecorino to serve
- In a medium frying pan, sauté the onion in olive oil until it starts to soften
- Add porcini, garlic and sage
- Cook the mushrooms for 4 or 5 minutes until most of the moisture has been cooked off
- Add the white wine
- Continue cooking until the mushroom mixture is mostly dry and thick
- Season with salt and pepper
- Remove to a bowl and let cool completely.
- Lay out your beef slices and cover them with a slice of prosciutto
- Place about a tablespoon of mushroom mixture at one end along with a scant tablespoon of grated pecorino
- Roll them up into little packages, securing them with a toothpick so they don't come undone during cooking.
- With all of your rolls prepared, season them well with salt and pepper then dredge them in the flour, shaking off any excess.
- In a hot sauté pan, large enough to fit all of your involtini, quickly brown them on all sides in a little olive oil
- When browned, deglaze with a touch more white wine and reduce to almost nothing
- Add the stock and cream so it reaches about half way up the involtini and turn down to low
- Bring the sauce to barely a simmer and add in the artichokes
- Cover the pan and slowly braise the involtini for about 30 minutes
- The sauce should reduce a bit and thicken and then finally you can add in your truffle (if using) and check for seasoning.
- Remember to remove the toothpicks before serving on top of the hot buttered noodles.
Plated on top of buttered noodles and topped with sage leaves
This looks delicious. I am definitely going to try this recipe at home.
It’s easy to make and if it’s for a dinner party you can make the rolls a bit ahead of time so you’re not spending the whole evening in the kitchen.
YUM! This would be such a nice twist on the usual holiday meals -and looks pretty darn easy too. I’m gonna give it a try.
It’s very easy and so delicious!
I just might give this a try for Christmas. Since arriving in Italy a couple weeks ago, I’ve especially enjoyed pumpkin with sage, porcini mushrooms with anything!, and artichokes, sausages, ….
Yum! This looks delicious. I love artichokes! I think I’m going to have to make this sometime soon!