Gonzaga’s cold salad is a dish from Mantuan cuisine and dates back clearly to the times of the Gonzaga, one of the most famous princely families in Europe.
Mantuan cuisine has strong and decisive flavors, is rich and varied, and has been influenced respectively by Emilian and Lombard cuisine in the use of cured meats and rice.
I read the recipe in the current issue of Sale & Pepe and here I am in my kitchen making it (with small modifications) because it is a chicken salad that can also be a very tasty cold summer dish.
Gonzaga’s cold salad was first prepared by Bartolomeo Stefani, the cook of the Gonzaga court, and mentioned in the manual The Art of Cooking Well in 1662.
At that time, it included not chicken but capon as the protein, and in the book, it is named Capon Feet Salad with other ingredients such as candied citron, raisins soaked in water, sugar, and white wine, all seasoned with a classic vinaigrette.
Gonzaga’s cold salad is still served today on Mantuan tables, especially as an appetizer for the Christmas Eve dinner, but it also finds a worthy place in summer as a cold dish, often accompanied by a crispy mixed salad.
Well, now let’s go to the kitchen, and as a last thing (I think I’ve written too much today), I recommend preparing it in advance because, left in its dressing and eaten the next day, Gonzaga’s cold salad gives its best…
Chicken is a meat I often use for its nutritional characteristics and also for its rather inexpensive cost. In summer, it is typical to prepare chicken salads (like this one, very tasty with melon) but also to simply grill it, perhaps accompanied by sauces like Greek tzatziki.
GONZAGA’S COLD SALAD
ASI’s Kitchen
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients GONZAGA’S COLD SALAD
- 10.6 oz chicken
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- to taste parsley
- to taste pink peppercorns
- to taste chives
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste coarse salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools GONZAGA’S COLD SALAD
- Kitchen Scale
- Parchment Paper
- Frying Pan
TO PREPARE THE RECIPE GONZAGA’S SALAD
To prepare Gonzaga’s cold salad, first heat a large pan that can hold the chicken slices in a single layer over moderate flame.
Make a layer of coarse salt and place the chicken slices on top.
Cover and let cook now for about 7/8 minutes on both sides. Turn off the heat and wrap the chicken slices in parchment paper allowing them to cool completely.
Soak the raisins in warm water for a few minutes. Toast the pine nuts in a small pan without adding any fat.
Cut the chicken breast slices into strips removing any bones and/or cartilage.
Combine in a bowl the chicken strips, soaked raisins, toasted pine nuts, pink peppercorns, and the chopped chives and parsley.
For the dressing combine the liquid formed after resting with the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and the extra virgin olive oil.
Pour the dressing over the chicken strips, mix well and let rest in the refrigerator until serving time (I let it rest overnight).
Tantalizing and appetizing, enjoy your meal with Gonzaga’s cold salad!
Bon appétit!
Annalisa
HISTORICAL SOURCES http://mangiarebuono.it/
