In Umbria, you only eat the galantina for Christmas. In the Marche or in Abruzzo, however, you don't need a special occasion to prepare or eat galantine: It's always the right time! For this reason, any time of year that you visit these areas, particularly inland, you can try it. But its story begins elsewhere: In fact, the first time I ate galantine, I was in Krakow, Poland during the summer of 2006.
What is galantina?
The ancient origins of the galantina is already evident from its name, which derives from the medieval Latin ‘gelatina’ – most likely referring to gelatin produced (and prepared) when cooking meat. In fact, the galantina is a second course based on white meat, particularly chicken: In the past, it was created precisely to use old chicken in recipes to make a delicious broth, which was then mixed with other ingredients that vary from recipe to recipe. Olives are always present, however – especially ascolane olives (the cultivar, not the stuffed and fried variety), which is proof that this dish is indeed from Piceno. Some recipes also call for almonds and walnuts or pistachios and truffles (ingredients common to Piceno cuisine). But in reality, there are really many versions of the galantina – from Poland (where it is called galantyna) to Abruzzo, where they make it in different ways, combining more and more meats, such as the chicken as documented in a recipe of “Apicius' De Re Coquinaria”; or capon as Pellegrino Artusi writes about in “La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiare bene.” "I will describe a capon galantina made in my house and served at a lunch of ten people, but it could be enough for twenty because, on its own, it weighed 1,500 kg,” writes Artusi. But there are also those who use or add turkey, duck, guinea fowl, beef, pork and cooked ham – especially in the traditional version, which was made with what was available. In any case, galantina is consumed cold and sliced. For this reason, even when it comes to vegetables, there are different schools of thought: Some prefer slicing the veggies into thin strips (to distribute flavor more evenly), while some prefer dicing the veggies into cubes (as found in our recipe below).
Where to find the famed galantina
To try an authentic galantina, served and made in the traditional fashion, you have to find an invite to a home-cooked meal in Piceno or in the province of Teramo. Alternatively, you can often find it well made in the small village delicatessens, where you can buy even just a slice. But if you want to try an iconic galantina, there is only one option: Osteria Ophis – named after the Latin village where it is now located, Offida. Here, the head chef Daniele Citeroni Maurizi has performed a miracle: For exactly twenty years, his restaurant has been a fly-wheel that brings people to this wonderful town in the Piceno hinterland, so that they can try the best version of some local dishes, such as Chichì pizza, fritto misto all'ascolana or Pollo 'ncip 'ngciap with peppers, an onomatopoeic name that recalls the repeated sound of the knife cutting the chicken into pieces. And then, among these, the galantina certainly stands out, which he accompanies with a delicious salad and a series of mayonnaise prepared by him.
The following recipe (created especially by chef Maurizi) was taken from his book “La cucina picena,” a well-done technical, and at the same time spontaneous, homage featuring all the dishes to which the chef is particularly attached.
Ophis' recipe
Galantina is a dish that is anything but simple or quick, which is why it was prepared only on important occasions. So, if you decide to try it, make sure you have time and above all patience, as well as considering that the first attempt might just be a failure. Daniele's advice is to separate the preparation of the galantina from that of the accompanying gelatine, to avoid boiling everything together. This will better enhance the flavor of this dish in all its parts.
Ingredients:
1 hen, de-boned, The bones of 1 hen plus a few calf bones, 1 fresh egg, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 lb minced chicken, turkey and veal, 5 oz diced carrots, 5 oz diced celery, 2 oz browned onion, 2 oz soft pitted ascolane olives, ¾ oz peeled and roasted almonds, ¾ oz toasted nuts, 2 oz parmigiano reggiano cheese, Salt and pepper
Method:
Add the hen bones, veal bones and a few vegetables to a large pot full of cold water and bring to a boil until the liquid reduces about 80%. Beware how much salt and pepper you use, however: Don’t start out with too much salt and pepper at the beginning, as you’ll have to consider that the broth will have to be reduced again later for the gelatine.
Start working the hen meat by opening it onto on a sheet of baking parchment, then add a pinch of salt and pepper. In the meantime, prepare the filling by mixing and seasoning the chopped white meat with vegetables, nuts, olives, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and a fresh egg, which will serve as a binder (although in reality, the white meat already contains albumin, a natural binder).
Then the filling is placed in the shape of two "salami,”, while in the middle, we insert the eggs cut in half (some black truffle wouldn’t be bad, either). Wrap everything in baking parchment and tie the ends with string. Slow-roasting will make the meat tender and juicy: 285°-320°F for an hour and a half at 90% humidity. If you are not equipped with an oven for steaming, I suggest placing a pot of water at the bottom of the oven to ensure the right level of humidity. Once cooked, let the galantina rest. As soon as it is warm, remove it from the baking parchment and let it cool well in the fridge for one night. The next day you will have obtained what Daniele calls "the most delicious typical cooked salami of modern cuisine.” Needless to say, the recommended accompaniment is Pecorino di Offida (I prefer Poderi San Lazzaro, San Filippo and Clara Marcelli), a grape variety with which this town and its dishes have a deep and inseparable bond.