The Dish: French Mediterranean Storzapretti at Bastia in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- In this edition of The Dish, we're making a famous dish that you'd normally find on the French island of Corsica.
Lucky us, they're now serving it in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood.
It's called storzapretti and is a sort of ricotta dumpling, similar to an Italian gnudi.
Action News' Alicia Vitarelli headed to Bastia for this special recipe.
"Storzapretti is a dish native to the town of Bastia, which is what the restaurant's named after," says Chef-partner Tyler Akin. "It's in northeastern Corsica."
Bastia is a brand new restaurant inside the soon-to-fully-open Hotel Anna & Bel in Fishtown.
Akin is serving up what he calls light, bright, sun-drenched Mediterranean cuisine from Corsica, as well as the Italian island of Sardinia.
Akin has been a staple in the local food scene for more than a decade.
His first spot, Stock, was a noodle bar.
"It was here in Fishtown," he says. "Very full circle. Then, we opened Res Ipsa at 23rd and Walnut in 2016."
He's also still at the helm of Le Cavalier inside the historic Hotel Du Pont in his hometown of Wilmington.
Now, he's back in Philly with Bastia.
"I've always believed in Fishtown," he says. "You could always just sense the momentum. Seeing how it has grown doesn't surprise me, but it still amazes me."
For the menu, he says he traveled to Corsica and Sardinia for recipes and inspiration.
"I wanted to create something that matched the concept of the hotel, which is trying to evoke a Mediterranean seaside resort oasis in the middle of Fishtown," he says.
The storzapretti is one of their best sellers.
It starts with a ricotta mixture.
"We use some really nice fresh ricotta, a whole bunch of fresh mint, swiss chard, some salt, some pepper and semolina flour," Akin says.
Now, roll it up, like a meatball, and coat it in semolina for a seal.
Gently send them into salted, simmering water for exactly seven minutes.
For the sauce, use anything you like.
"Typically, this would be served in a mild tomato sauce, but here at Bastia, we're using an arrabiata sauce. It literally means 'angry.' It's a spicy red sauce, and we put a little bit of guanciale in there as well."
Sauce up the ricotta dumplings, add a little shaved pecorino cheese and serve!
Storzapretti
- 1 quart swiss chard - stems removed and sliced into thin ribbons
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pint fresh ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves - sliced into chiffonade
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons fine semolina flour
- Cup of flour for shaping
1. Saute swiss chard with olive oil until soft. When cooled, press through sieve of cheese cloth to remove excess water.
2. Combine all in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand or with a spatula until well incorporated.
3. Dough will be sticky and wet. Prepare a baking sheet dusted liberally with excess semolina flour. Portion into approximately 1-ounce balls, which should be about 1.25" in diameter, working each one onto the prepared baking sheet, rolling to coat lightly with semolina and reshaping into spheres as needed.
4. In a sauce pot, rondeau, or sautoir half-filled with moderately salted water, poach at a low simmer for 7 minutes. You can place enough storzapretti in the pot to fill the bottom. Gently agitate the content of the pot at the 3-4 minute mark to ensure they are not sticking together.
5. Remove to a separate baking sheet coated lightly with oil.
Arrabbiata Sauce
- 14-ounce can of whole San Marzano tomato
- 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Small yellow onion - large dice
- 2 cloves garlic - slivered
- Head fennel - large dice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dry red wine
- 1 stem basil with leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup Datterini yellow tomatoes - drained
- 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste
1. Heat EVOO in small rondeau over medium heat and add fennel, cooking until 1/3 softened (about 3 minutes), then add yellow onion. Continue sweating until fennel and onion are 3/4 softened, then add garlic and herbs.
2. When all contents are fully softened, add tomato paste and coat all contents. Cook over medium heat until tomato paste begins to darken, then add wine and reduce by half.
3. Add tomato produce and bouquet garni and simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes
4. Remove bouquet garni and pass sauce through food mill, ensuring to pass as many solids as possible.
5. Fold in yellow tomatoes and Calabrian chili paste.
The Dish
- 8 poached storzapretti balls
- 1.5 cup Arrabbiata Sauce
- Cup guanciale - medium-diced
- 1 tablespoon Pecorino Sardo - shaved
1. Over low heat, render guanciale until crispy. Remove to sieve, capturing rendered fat in container beneath sieve.
2. Heat storzapretti balls in arrabbiata sauce until fully warmed, add guanciale to tomato sauce and teaspoon of reserved guanciale fat, stirring vigorously to incorporate.
3. Plate storzapretti with tomato sauce in a shallow bowl and top with cheese.
