A simple and original recipe to present the Zampone di Modena PGI on New Year's Eve like you've never tasted it before
The Zampone di Modena PGI is one of the most popular regional products during the holidays in Christmas and New Year's Eve, yet its origins were not so festive. In fact, it seems that to go back to the birth of the zampone one must go back to 1511 when the troops of Pope Julius II Della Rovere besiege Mirandola, Near Modena, the homeland of Giovanni Pico, a faithful ally of France. Like all sieges, it brought the inhabitants of the city to starvation, there were only live pigs left that were slaughtered (so as not to deliver them besiegers), but also preserved. One of the cooks from Pico della Mirandola thought of resolving the situation and decided to slaughtering the animals and putting the leanest meat in a wrapper formed by the skin of its legs to preserve it and be able to cook it later. And here's the zampone!
So why do we eat it on Christmas and New Year's Eve? The peasant tradition has it that the pig is slaughtered starting from the day of Saint Lucia (13 December) and the zampone, which has always been considered a delicious product, consumed during the holidays, accompanied by the equally prized lentils.
But for this particular year, why not upset the tradition? The Zampone di Modena IGP consortium suggests a perfect recipe to give a sweet and original touch to the classic zampone, glazing it with orange juice. Here is the recipe!
The recipe for the caramelized orange zampone
Ingredients for 4 people: Zampone Modena PGI, 1 orange, 100 ml balsamic vinegar, 50 gr sugar
Method: cook the Zampone Modena PGI in plenty of boiling water until tender; remove from heat and allow to cool. Put a saucepan with it on the fire sugar and the juice obtained from orange; bring to the boil and add the zampone previously cut into slices. Leave to cook for a few minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and let it reduce until the sauce is halved. Remove the zampone slices from the pan and, according to taste, leave to retract for a few more moments. Place the zampone slices on the plate, pour the caramel obtained over them and serve hot.