Italy is notably noted in our diet. And sometimes it’s even a shame that, in the view of most compatriots, the Italian presence is limited to pizza and pasta. In this country there is such a wonderful dish as aldente vegetables - and few people know about it. Most people do not even imagine what it is in principle. Sometimes the term is perceived as the name of the dish, while in fact it means a culinary device.
What is aldente
This term can be translated by the Russian idiom "per tooth." Basically, this method applies to pasta (i.e., pasta). The second most common object of application of the method is rice. However, in Italy, aldente vegetables are also very popular, which are interesting in that they retain most of their "usefulness", in contrast to the same boiled or fried state.
What is aldente? This is the highest skill of the chef, who was able to bring the dish to a state where the ingredients are soft and fully cooked, but there is a crispy crust on the outside. So the same aldente vegetables almost do not lose vitamins in the cooking process. But at the same time juicy, soft and appetizing. If you want to try aldente vegetables, the cooking method is quite simple - after heat treatment they are cooled rapidly, for example, doused with ice water or covered with ice.
Nuances and subtleties
Most often, "aldente" involves boiling. However, you can make such vegetables in a pan. The main thing is that there is little oil in it, and after a couple of minutes of frying, pour a spoonful of balsamic vinegar. If everything is done quickly, get a conceived dish.
If the "aldente" is made from fresh vegetables, they will have to be cooked separately, since they all have different times to reach readiness. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, many chefs freeze the mixture - so cooking time is equalized.
If your aldente vegetables are cooked by boiling, pour half a teaspoon of sugar in a saucepan before laying them. Such an amount will absolutely not affect the taste, but all the ingredients will retain their bright color.
Classic aldente vegetables
As in any other business, you need to start with the simplest. So, you have planned aldente vegetables. How to cook a traditional set? 300 g of broccoli are taken and very quickly - one and a half minutes - boiled in salted boiling water. The frying pan is poured with olive oil (we are in Italy!) Poured. Very finely chopped garlic and ginger, plus caraway seeds, white grain mustard and sesame are sprinkled on it. As soon as the crackling sounds, seedlings of wheat grains, 100 g peas in pods and cooked broccoli are added. Stew vegetables for about 7 minutes; in order to leave a characteristic crunch, the bowl, where the aldente vegetables are laid out, is covered with ice.
Alguenta stew
Of course, a set of vegetables can be very different. In principle, aldente vegetables may include the entire crop of your garden. Remember: the main thing here is the method of preparation. Very interesting are the vegetables "aldente", the recipe for which includes zucchini. This vegetable must be cut into long bars, and carrots - the same long strips. Leek crumbles like carrots. In olive oil, on a hot frying pan, carrots are very lightly browned. Behind it, the onion softens for a minute, and on top of these vegetables is placed zucchini, sprinkled with dry marjoram. With stirring, the dish simmers on the fire for about four minutes, is laid out on a plate and only after that is salted and peppered. This is a prerequisite if you want to cook "aldente" vegetables exactly - the cooking method does not involve salting during frying.
Shrimp Vegetable Aldente Salad
Frozen cauliflower, beans and broccoli are taken in equal amounts, plus half the bell pepper. They are put in boiling water for a couple of minutes, merged through a colander and sharply immersed in water with ice - this is how aldente vegetables are obtained. How to prepare a salad from them, we will now tell.
Oil is heated in a pan (olive, of course), and the plates of two cloves of garlic, chopped a small piece of hot pepper and a couple of thyme sprigs are fried in it. When the oil becomes aromatic, peeled shrimps are placed in it and sautéed for a couple of minutes. Thyme sprigs are removed, aldente vegetables in a bowl are poured with shrimp oil (if necessary, it can be supplemented with olive), slightly sprinkled with lemon or lime juice. Shrimps mixed with olives and capers are placed on top of such a pillow. The salad is ready to eat.
And the soup too!
It should be noted the variety of dishes in which aldente vegetables are involved. The recipe for soup with them is quite simple. Take a 300-gram package of frozen vegetables. What it includes is not so important, the main thing is that the mixture contains corn and peas. Vegetables are thawed to half, chopped, finely chopped onion is added to them, and all together it is thrown into boiling water. When it boils again, it is detected for three minutes, after which the mixture is poured into a colander and lowered into ice water. As a basis, the broth is separately cooked - it will suit both vegetable and meat. One of the most interesting options can be a mushroom broth - without the mushrooms themselves or passed through a blender with them. Vegetables are laid out on deep plates and filled with broth. You have to eat immediately! If the "aldente" lie in a hot liquid, they are nourished by it and softened. There will be no crunch, get an ordinary ordinary vegetable soup.