Suggested by Chef Viviana Marrocoli
Ingredients for four
1 ¼ cup fine organic semolina+ extra, for rolling
1 large pinch salt
¾ cup warm water, plus a tablespoon or two extras, if needed
Sunflower or peanut oil, for shallow frying—you want to toast the dough not deep fry it
Ingredients for Broccoli Salsa Verde
1 large broccoli head, blanched and chopped
2 round vine tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into small cubes.
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tropea or other very tasty red onion, peeled and chopped finely
Pinch chili pepper flakes, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
Salt, to taste
4 anchovies, preferably Cetara anchovies, cut into halves
4 large, fleshy, flavorful green olives, preferably Gaeta, pitted
Combine the broccoli with the lime juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt; whizz it in a blender until pureed or cream-like. Place in bowl and season to taste.
Add the diced tomatoes and onions and top the mixture with the olives and anchovies; serve in a bowl, alongside the crisp little toasted semolina wedges.
Combine the semolina and salt in a bowl, then add the water little by little. At first, the mixture will be crumbly, so add more water until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and leave to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Dust the work surface with the extra semolina for rolling, then, place the dough on the board, cover with a sheet of parchment paper, and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out. The dough must be very thin, between 1/16 and 1/8 inch.
Cut the dough into circles of about 6 inches in diameter, then cut each circle into 4 wedges.
Put a small amount of oil—say, 3 – 4 tablespoons– in a 10–12-inch skillet.
Heat to medium high and add the dough wedges; slightly lower the heat and cook over medium heat. They must not be burnt but toasted.
It should take just a few seconds on each side. Finally, place them on absorbent paper or a wire cooling/draining rack.
Method
Combine the broccoli with the lime juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt; whizz it in a blender until pureed or cream-like. Place in bowl and season to taste.
Add the diced tomatoes and onions and top the mixture with the olives and anchovies; serve in a bowl, alongside the crisp little toasted semolina wedges.
Enjoy to Viviana Marrocoli!
Viviana was born in Naples and grew up among her family flavors and her grandmother’s cooking.
She attended the Gambero Rosso course in Naples, where she was able to learn from great masters such as Michele Leo, Vincenzo Bacioterracino and chef Francesco Sposito. After various experiences abroad she returned to Italy to work first in the restaurant kitchens of Lorenzo Cuomo at Re Maurì and Viviana Varese at Alice, the at the end of 2018 in the restaurant kitchen of chef Igles Corelli.
In 2020 she returned to her home town of Naples and together with her friend the businessman Pietro Micillo started a new culinary journey made of memories, tradition, and a lot of passion: the Taverna La Riggiola.
