INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg of Lampascioni from Altamura or in any case Pugliese or Lucanian, medium-large in size because the bigger they are, the “sweeter” they are;
- Delicate Extra Virgin Olive Oil I recommend a Pugliese table oil or similar;
- Salt and pepper to taste;
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped with a knife;
- Fresh parsley to taste (I use what I grow myself);
- White wine vinegar or, if desired, excellent quality balsamic vinegar. I prefer white wine vinegar, some prefer lemon but that’s not the original recipe.
STEP
- Clean the lampascioni by cutting off the tip and the bottom and peeling them with a knife until they are completely free of soil and white;
- Make a cross-shaped cut on the flat part (this helps to cook the inside better) and place them one by one in a bowl full of water, wash them several times, changing the water until every trace of soil is eliminated, you will notice a sort of slimy sap that covers the lampascioni during the washing operation: this is normal, it will disappear during cooking;
- Place them in clean, cold, unsalted water and leave to cook for at least an hour on a low flame, until the largest one can be easily pierced with a fork;
- Drain them and put them in a bowl with cold clean water. Let them sit like this for about an hour and repeat the operation for at least another 2-3 times. In this way they sweeten further and the possibility of flatulence is reduced;
- Drain them well the last time and season them or use them as you like. In these photos you see them whole seasoned only with oil, salt and pepper or crushed so that they are flavored inside too, with oil, garlic, salt pepper, parsley and a few drops of white wine vinegar… they are amazing!!
NOTE
A very important ingredient in some typical dishes that are prepared during the holidays: at Easter, for example, lamb with Cardoncelli mushrooms and lampascioni can’t be missed! If you have some left over but I don’t believe it…..you can keep them for a few days in the fridge or in a jar, seasoned and covered in oil for much longer to decide later how to cook them. I highly recommend making them “purgatory” style with a tomato and chilli sauce or fried in batter, really delicious!
