Friselle with mascarpone, pistachio, & sweet balsamic
My parents recently went on the “trip of a lifetime” to Puglia, father’s ancestral home. I, sadly, remained in Virginia and lived vicariously through daily photos of seaside meals, winery tours, walks through historic streets, and even of my late grandmother’s old apartment.
Luckily, they brought me back four small bottles of vinegar and olive oil. That totally makes up for missing a trip to Italy, right?
Jokes aside, when I finally sampled one of the vinegars after keeping them in my pantry for a “special occasion” (it wasn’t a special occasion when I at last opened the bottle), I was shocked to taste such robust sweetness. The bottle I had opened was called “Cotto di mosto (cooked [grape] must).” The label suggested it be served as an accompaniment to all sorts of dessert foods: fruit salad, panna cotta, gelato, seasonal cheeses, and more. Frankly, it was even delicious slurped out of the small spoon with which I tasted it.
This type of balsamic vinegar, is made by cooking and clay-aging the must of freshly harvested white grapes. The process, aside from the addition of heat, is not so dissimilar from winemaking, though the product’s website withholds full details as to protect the “secret family technique.”
Because the flavor was so strong and unique, I knew I wanted to feature it in a recipe, but I didn’t want to be restricted to dessert. Matt and I rarely eat dessert, and when we do, it’s usually frozen homemade cookies, not elegant panna cotta. I wanted to find a way to encourage others to try this one-of-a-kind vinegar in a more casual way. So, I took my question to the local Italian-owned bottega, asking the staff how they would use a “sweet balsamic.”
Put it on cheese!
I was in search of a slightly more original idea.
As I poked around the market, I spotted a new offering on the shelves: Pugliese friselle - sort of a cross between a bagel and crostini. This was exciting, because I’d only seen friselle featured in Instagram photos of Puglia, never in an American store. They are usually topped with tomato and olive oil and served as a snack or light lunch. Considering that both friselle and cotto di mosto hail from Puglia, I figured they could be combined for a crunchy, satisfying snack.
Friselle with mascarpone, pistachio, & sweet balsamic
Ingredients:
Friselle or crostini (see below)
Mascarpone
Dry roasted & salted pistachio nutmeats, chopped in a food processor
Directions:
Using a butter knife, spread mascarpone across surface of friselle until covered. Sprinkle a handful of chopped pistachios on top and drizzle with vinegar.
To make your own crostini, cut a baguette at an angle into thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick). Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast at 400 for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool and follow the steps above to garnish.
This dish can be added to any menu: brunch, aperitivo, or lunch. If you’re in a bind, you can also use honey instead of balsamic, but you won’t achieve the same complexity.