“Never throw away leftover bread!”This the motto of our dear grandmothers, here’s how to reuse stale bread and create tasty dishes that come to us directly from Lombard cuisine which has its roots in simple traditions, including the reuse of old bread to create exquisite dishes. So if you happen to buy too much bread, you have two options: freeze it while still fresh and then remove it a few hours before using, or try making one of these typical Milanese dishes.
Paan triit maridaatIt is a legendary peasant soup described in Maestro Martino’s 1450 recipe book, “The Art of Cooking”. Simple recipe: boil the broth, pour in the stale breadcrumbs and cook for 5 minutes. In the meantime, beat the eggs with the grated parmesan, add a spoonful of butter, pour into the broth, mix and serve. In Milanese dialect the name means married breadcrumbs, because the bread, tired of being left alone, has paired with the egg.
PancottoStale bread and water are the inexpensive ingredients of this simple and frugal soup, exceptional for its goodness and ease of preparation. The pieces of bread are soaked in cold water for a couple of hours (michetta is the best bread, but you can use any other type). Then add butter, oil and salt and boil. To make it tastier, you can add beef broth, a beaten egg or a garnish of dried bay leaves and serve with parmesan.
MeatballsMortadella is the protagonist of these meatballs, made with bread moistened in milk, eggs, chopped parsley, grated cheese and garlic, then seasoned with a pinch of grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients, coat them in breadcrumbs and fry them with a drizzle of oil and a little butter to obtain a nice golden colour.
mondeghiliThe tradition of frugal Milanese cuisine continues with the pairing of stale bread with the leftovers of mixed boiled meat, or any other type of meat, such as sausage, frankfurters or salami.The origins of Mondeghili are lost over the centuries, up until the Arab age. The dish remained in the culinary tradition of the Spaniards, who dominated Italy for 150 years. Today these meatballs are often brought to your table as a welcome pre-aperitif, or you can find them as street food. They are similar in preparation to meatballs, but are the size of a walnut, coated in breadcrumbs and then fried with sage and butter. You can make a meatless version, choosing scamorza or fried courgettes as the filling.
Charlotte MilaneseWonderful pudding named after the British Queen Charlotte, who loved to have apple trees in her garden. The Milanese version is all about simplicity. Once the crust of the bread has been removed, the internal part is used to line the bottom and sides of a mold greased with butter. The center is filled with apples, raisins, pine nuts, lemon zest, white wine and sugar, and baked for an hour at 180°C. In keeping with tradition, you can serve it in a flamboyant way, sprinkle it generously with rum, light the top and surprise everyone with a flaming dessert!
Grandma’s bread cakeThe stale bread is cut into small pieces, mixed with the raisins and left to soften in warm milk for 15 minutes. Add sweet cocoa, pine nuts, egg, butter, cinnamon, lemon zest and some amaretto biscuits. Cook 50 minutes at 180°C. To check if it is ready, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, take it out of the oven, let it cool and sprinkle the surface with sugar
Enjoy!
