''Bollito misto'' (; ) is a classic northern Italian
stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for ...
, most closely resembling the French ''
pot-au-feu
(, ; ) is a French cuisine, French dish of slowly boiled meat and vegetables, usually served as two courses: first the broth (''bouillon'') and then the meat (''bouilli'') and vegetables. The dish is familiar throughout France and has many r ...
'', consisting of various tougher cuts of
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...
and
veal, ''
cotechino'', and a whole
hen or
capon that are gently simmered for 2–3 hours in an aromatic vegetable broth. ''Bollito'' and its many regional variations are eaten throughout northern Italy, and is particularly popular in
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...
,
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
, and
Lombardy
The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
. The meat is sliced thinly and served with coarse sea salt, ''
mostarda'', ''
salsa verde'', horseradish, or
chutney. The resulting broth is skimmed, strained, and used as a base for soups and risottos.
History
In
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine#CITEREFDavid1988, David 1988, Introduction, pp. 101–103 consisting of the ingredients, recipes, and cooking techniques developed in Italy since Ancient Roman cuisine, Roman times, and later spread ...
, ''bollito'' was prominent throughout the second millennium. In the 1800s, crown prince and from 1849 king
Victor Emmanuel II would often sneak off to the small town of
Moncalvo to hunt wild game, cavort with his favorite mistress, and enjoy a convivial meal of ''bollito'' with friends.
''Bollito'' features prominently in various gastronomic texts:
Antonio Latini has 38 cooking suggestions for ''bollito'' in his cookbook, ''Lo Scalco alla Moderna'' (The Modern Steward) (1694), and
Maestro Martino has several recipes in his book ''Libro de Arte Coquinaria'' (The Art of Cooking), which is considered a landmark of Italian gastronomic literature.
See also
*
List of stews
References
Bibliography
*
*
{{Lombard cuisine
Italian stews
Cuisine of Lombardy