DOLCE ROMA

The capture of Rome: Breccia di Porta Pia by Carlo Ademollo, 1880

 

This apple-based pudding by Pellegrino Artusi is slightly complicated. Or rather, a complicated version of the baked apple. He was introduced to it by a gentleman from Rome and, since the dessert was otherwise unknown, he named it dolce Roma - hoping that one day Rome would be as great as in the past. Of course, Rome had never lost its glory and twenty years before Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well (published in 1891), the capital was moved there instead of Florence and this decision marked the end of the Risorgimento, i.e. the war for the unification of Italy.

Unlike other recipes that bear names of Italian cities (Turin, Florence, Naples, Mantua), dolce Roma is not a cake. It's not difficult to make but takes quite a while because it's made up of three layers: First, you cook the apples in wine. It's a favorite method by Artusi, whose cooked fruit might just as well stand alone for dessert. Then, you make a light custard that he often used in puddings. Its main ingredient was milk but I've also tried heavy cream, leaving out the flour, and it turned out delicious. After that, you cover with meringue. You slow-bake until golden and, finally, brush with the apple syrup. Using sugar in every layer, plus the syrup, makes dolce Roma unusually sweet for Pellegrino's fans.

 

DOLCE ROMA backwards

 

I n g r e d i e n t s

6 cooking apples

200ml blanc sec

200g caster sugar

1/4tsp vanilla sugar

400ml whole milk

3 eggs, separated

20g plain flour

20g powdered sugar

 

 

M e t h o d

1. Remove the apple cores, using the special tool. Peel with a knife, then arrange side by side in a cooking pot, dust with 130g sugar and pour the wine over the fruit and between the gaps. Slow-cook for 10 minutes. Remove the apples carefully and place them in an ovenproof baking dish (or six individual ramekins). 2. Whisk the egg yolks, 70g sugar, vanilla sugar and flour in a saucepan, gradually adding the milk. Heat gently until the custard bubbles, then pour over the cooked apples. 3. Whisk the egg whites stiff, adding the powdered sugar towards the end. Cover the fruit with the meringue and bake in a very slow oven (100oC) for an hour, or until golden. 4. Cook the apple syrup for a minute. Brush the dessert and serve immediately.

N o t e

The apples must be ripe but not too ripe. By the end of cooking time, they must be firm enough to remove without breaking. Don't worry if they are not very soft as the pudding is also baked.

V a r i a t i o n s

a) Use 400ml heavy cream and leave out the flour. b) Cook the apples in water, enriched with 2tbsp Italian grappa or neutral-colored liqueur. c) Omit the powdered sugar altogether in the meringue.