An 18th century Pope paid a visit to the Langhe (the beautiful mountainous area surrounding Torino), and the poor peasants, as they had nothing to offer the Pope, soaked some biscuits in milk, added some hazel-nuts (those mountains are rich in them), formed the dough into the shape of salami, cut it into slices and offered it to the Pope. Instant success!
With the passing of time and distance, the recipe has changed, transforming itself into something richer and tastier. For example, Valeria’s aunt’s recipe is a bit different from her mother’s, using cocoa powder instead of chocolate, and liqueur instead of coffee. Probably, it also depends on what you have in your fridge or pantry, so draw your own conclusions: begin with the Piemontesi peasants’ recipe, add a bit of fantasy, and make up your own salame del Papa!!
Salame Del Papa – Maria Teresa’s recipe
* 500 gr biscuits, coarsely chopped
* 100 gr butter
* 120 gr sugar
* 100 gr dark chocolate
* 100 gr candied cherries
* 20 gr pine nuts
* 1 egg white, beaten until fluffy
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 small cup Espresso
Beat butter with sugar; when fluffy, add the egg yolk. Continue beating, add the coarsely chopped biscuits (spare a few more finely chopped for the salami covering), then add all the other ingredients except for the espresso and egg white. Cut mixture into pieces, add the cold espresso, followed by the fluffy egg white and stir. Form the dough into the shape of a salami and roll it into the saved chopped biscuits. Place the roll into the fridge for at least two hours. When ready to serve, cut into slices.
Thanks to Maria Teresa, who worked as the chef of Taverna San Sebastiano in Orte for thirty years, until retiring last year. If you visit her at home, she’ll proudly serve Salame del Papa.
– Contributed by Evanne Brandon Diner (see bio), chronicler of local village life in Northern Lazio, and property restoration and purchasing consultant. www.lavventuraitalia.com
