What Are Necci?
There's no getting around it, Necci are peasant food, something made up in the mountains where the slopes are too steep for there to be many fields, and people once survived almost exclusively on chestnuts.
What are they? Simple crespelle, what the French would call crepes, made from a chestnut flour-and-water or chestnut flour-and-milk batter, topped with a frugal topping, and then rolled up.
There are a number of variations; for example in the Garfagnana region they sometimes include finely chopped rosemary needles and a little olive oil, but in the Monti Pistoiesi the tradition is simpler, with the batter being made just from well-sieved chestnut flour and either water, or if they could afford it, milk.
The cooking technique also varies; in Gerfagnana and on the Emilian side of the Appennino (north of Pistoia) they use testi, large heavy cast iton skillets with lids that are set directly into the coals in the fireplace. In the Monti Pistoiesi they instead use paired 8-inch (20 cm) diameter cast iron disks with long handles, and cook the necci between them.
As you might guess, necci are an extremely homey sort of thing, and while Pistoiesi do enjoy them, they're not the sort of thing most people will feel comfortable serving to company unless they know their guests very well; one of the few exceptions to this rule was Zeno Colò, the renowned downhill skier from the Monti Pistoiesi who opened a ski lodge upon retiring, and served his guests necci topped with chestnut marmalade and accompanied by blueberry grappa.
And this brings us to the subject of toppings. Chestnut flour is fairly sweet, and there are those who simply eat necci a biuscio, rolled up with nothing. But most people do like something, be it a dab of fresh ricotta, or -- in the past this would have been only for a very special occasion -- a slice of prosciutto or cured pancetta, or perhaps some chocolate shavings.
Or a dab of marmalade, either fruit or the chestnut favored by Zeno Colò. Now people also use nutella, and if you visit a fiera (the Italian equivalent of a country fair) in the Monti Pistoiesi you'll likely find a stand like this one with people making necci.
Necci: Making the Batter
Making the batter is straightforward: Stir enough water or milk into finely sifted chestnut flour to obtain a batter the consistency of a fairly thick pancake batter. Wanting to give quantities, for a 500 g (1 1/8 pounds) bag of chestnut flour figure 800 ml of water (a little more than 3 cups), and also a pinch of salt. Mix well.
In the meantime heat your neccio irons. Pistoiesi heat theirs directly over a gas burner, and if you have a pair of irons you could do that.
The other option would be to use a cast iron griddle, or a crepe pan, and carefully turn the necci the way one might turn a crepe.
In any case, continuing with how Necci are made in the Pistoiese region, grease the neccio irons (in the Monti Pistoiesi they use lard, but one dould also use oil or butter), spread a thin layer of batter over the one atop the burner, and lay the other iron over it.
Necci: Pressing Down
To remove bubbles and keep the neccio flat, the cook presses down on the covering iron, using a rolling pin lest she burn her hands.
Let the Neccio Cook
After pressing it down, the cook leaves the neccio be for a couple of minutes. Exactly how long is something you will learn with experience.
Flip the Neccio
By the time the neccio has been cooking for about 3 minutes, it will have firmed up completely. The cook removes the top iron, carefully flips the neccio, and replaces the top iron for another minute.
At this point the neccio is ready to be topped. At this stand they were offering ricotta, Nutella, and a choice of either plum or wild berry fruit jam. The kids were all clamoring for Nutella, but I opted for the wild berry fruit jam, figuring that its raspberry acidity would balance the sweetness of the chestnut flour.
The cook rolled up the neccio, wrapped it in yellow butcher's paper to keep the filling from leaking out, and it was very nice indeed.
There's no getting around it, Necci are peasant food, something made up in the mountains where the slopes are too steep for there to be many fields, and people once survived almost exclusively on chestnuts.
What are they? Simple crespelle, what the French would call crepes, made from a chestnut flour-and-water or chestnut flour-and-milk batter, topped with a frugal topping, and then rolled up.
There are a number of variations; for example in the Garfagnana region they sometimes include finely chopped rosemary needles and a little olive oil, but in the Monti Pistoiesi the tradition is simpler, with the batter being made just from well-sieved chestnut flour and either water, or if they could afford it, milk.
The cooking technique also varies; in Gerfagnana and on the Emilian side of the Appennino (north of Pistoia) they use testi, large heavy cast iton skillets with lids that are set directly into the coals in the fireplace. In the Monti Pistoiesi they instead use paired 8-inch (20 cm) diameter cast iron disks with long handles, and cook the necci between them.
As you might guess, necci are an extremely homey sort of thing, and while Pistoiesi do enjoy them, they're not the sort of thing most people will feel comfortable serving to company unless they know their guests very well; one of the few exceptions to this rule was Zeno Colò, the renowned downhill skier from the Monti Pistoiesi who opened a ski lodge upon retiring, and served his guests necci topped with chestnut marmalade and accompanied by blueberry grappa.
And this brings us to the subject of toppings. Chestnut flour is fairly sweet, and there are those who simply eat necci a biuscio, rolled up with nothing. But most people do like something, be it a dab of fresh ricotta, or -- in the past this would have been only for a very special occasion -- a slice of prosciutto or cured pancetta, or perhaps some chocolate shavings.
Or a dab of marmalade, either fruit or the chestnut favored by Zeno Colò. Now people also use nutella, and if you visit a fiera (the Italian equivalent of a country fair) in the Monti Pistoiesi you'll likely find a stand like this one with people making necci.
Necci: Making the Batter
Making the batter is straightforward: Stir enough water or milk into finely sifted chestnut flour to obtain a batter the consistency of a fairly thick pancake batter. Wanting to give quantities, for a 500 g (1 1/8 pounds) bag of chestnut flour figure 800 ml of water (a little more than 3 cups), and also a pinch of salt. Mix well.
In the meantime heat your neccio irons. Pistoiesi heat theirs directly over a gas burner, and if you have a pair of irons you could do that.
The other option would be to use a cast iron griddle, or a crepe pan, and carefully turn the necci the way one might turn a crepe.
In any case, continuing with how Necci are made in the Pistoiese region, grease the neccio irons (in the Monti Pistoiesi they use lard, but one dould also use oil or butter), spread a thin layer of batter over the one atop the burner, and lay the other iron over it.
Necci: Pressing Down
To remove bubbles and keep the neccio flat, the cook presses down on the covering iron, using a rolling pin lest she burn her hands.
Let the Neccio Cook
After pressing it down, the cook leaves the neccio be for a couple of minutes. Exactly how long is something you will learn with experience.
Flip the Neccio
By the time the neccio has been cooking for about 3 minutes, it will have firmed up completely. The cook removes the top iron, carefully flips the neccio, and replaces the top iron for another minute.
At this point the neccio is ready to be topped. At this stand they were offering ricotta, Nutella, and a choice of either plum or wild berry fruit jam. The kids were all clamoring for Nutella, but I opted for the wild berry fruit jam, figuring that its raspberry acidity would balance the sweetness of the chestnut flour.
The cook rolled up the neccio, wrapped it in yellow butcher's paper to keep the filling from leaking out, and it was very nice indeed.
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