Endless unsuccessful attempts to recreate a sausage pasta dish
After lurking around chowhound for years (and heartily benefiting from the recipes/advice of others'), I finally felt compelled to ask a question of my own. First post about a maddening dish!
Has anyone recreated the sausage and chard with orecchiette dish at Osteria Mozza? How in the world is that thick, brown sauce made?
I've made countless sausage and chard pasta dishes, but none come close to restaurant versions I've tried (Babbo, Lupa in NYC have similar dishes). I usually first cook sausage in a pan, remove after 5-6 minutes, deglaze with white wine, chicken stock, garlic, some shallots. I am liberal with crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. I blanche the chard, and in the end add everything together, including some pasta water.
However, I often end up with something that tastes good, but is too watery. Also, it just lacks that *raised hands in the air exasperatingly* extra zing. Fennel maybe? Also, the chard is more finely cut in the Osteria Mozza dish.
Should I let the sauce reduce more? Do I add a thickening agent? And, if you've eaten this dish, how is that rich, brown sauce achieved? Should I add maybe a dash of balsamic vingar, or use a veal/beef stock? I have cooked the sausage with the stock/wine and found that it got too dry.
So many questions! Thank you for reading.
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LiveRock
Jan 20, 2011 03:10 PM
Hi Ana, Having not had the pleasure I could only guess that perhaps a reduction such as demi glace or demi glace and balsamic may be incorporated. I know I'm not much help but also wondered if you had seen this blog post... http://www.bonappetempt.com/2009/09/guestrestaurant-attempt-osteria-mozzas.html
There is also a discussion here (in case you hadn't seen it already http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/441371
Good luck in your quest!
Randy
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