In traditional Italian cuisine, even a simple side dish can be a tasty dish. And it is precisely the case of the friggione bolognese, one of the typical dishes of Emilia Romagna.
Some curiosities about the Bolognese friggione
As we said, it is one of the Italian side dishes par excellence and an institution of traditional Emilian cuisine, made with few but fundamental ingredients.
At the base of the preparation of this side dish is, in fact, the wise use of onions and tomatoes, among the main ingredients of all Emilian cuisine and, in particular, that of Bologna. In fact, the recipe was filed at the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna.
However, as with any recipe of the Italian family tradition, even the Bolognese friggione undergoes small variations of ingredients, which may differ depending on where you are.
In some cases, in fact, you can find it with peppers and potatoes or in others you will see the lard replaced by olive oil. Another variant still includes the addition of sausage which, after being cut into small pieces, is browned with the onion before adding the tomatoes.
Typical dishes of Emilia Romagna: where to eat the Bolognese friggione
If the combination with sausage interests you, then order the friggione bolognese at the Trattoria Valerio, a delightful restaurant open since 1898 where you can enjoy the cuisine of the so-called “Old Bologna”.
Source: #ariadicasa
Typical dishes of Emilia Romagna: how to prepare the Bolognese friggione
As you can guess, it is a dish of lower class origin, much loved today and prepared to accompany recipes such as boiled meat or polenta.
But now let’s move on to the actual preparation of one of the typical dishes of Emilia Romagna.
Although it is an extremely easy recipe to make, even because of the few ingredients necessary, you will still need to pay attention to the right cooking times.
In fact, the onions will have to rest for a long time, losing all their water before cooking very slowly over a very low heat.
To prepare the Bolognese friggione it is necessary to start by cutting the onions very thinly, using a knife or a mandoline slicer.
The finely chopped onion should be placed in a fairly large bowl, adding sugar and salt, and mixing well.
Everything will have to rest for at least two hours, during which the onions will lose all their water. However, if you decide to do this the day before, you can also leave the onions for the entire night. In this way they will be even sweeter.
Once you have waited the necessary time, place the onions with their liquid and the lard in a large saucepan with a thick base. Here the onions, should cook over a low heat for about 2 hours mixing from time to time.
It is important not to forget to check them during the first cooking phase, so as to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the onions have taken on a very soft consistency and a nutty color it will be time to combine the chopped tomatoes and plenty of fresh ground pepper.
When the tomato has reached a soft consistency, usually after 1 and a half hours, the dish is ready.
Enjoy it warm as a side dish .
And if there are any leftovers?
The Bolognese are used to eating it even cold on a slice of homemade bread: a perfect single dish!
And why not enjoy the Bolognese friggione with a glass of Albana di Romagna ?
