My paternal grandparents hailed from the Abruzzo region of south central Italy. In 2008, we spent 2+ weeks in this ruggedly-beautiful mountainous region noticeably devoid of foreign tourists (an equally beautiful thing) and explored the four provincial cities of L'Aquila, Pescara, Chieti, and Teramo. Our day trip to Teramo proved to be a bit frustrating as the two dishes for which the city is known - a spring-time vegetable soup called le virtu and a savory crepe-in-broth concoction known as le scrippelle 'mbusse - were nowhere to be found. It proved to the only time, I seem to recall, that Fred Plotkin's Italy for the Gourmet Traveler actually let me down.
So, when I recently came across a recipe for scrippelle in Micol Negrin's Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking, I figured it was time to make up for that one shortcoming in an otherwise delightful trip back to the old country.
Here is Negrin's book. Organized by region of Italy with each section containing ten quintessential recipes, it's an absolute must for the Italian cooking aficionado. Her scrippelle recipe mirrors those found elsewhere. Simply make the crepes one at a time, roll them up filled with herbs and a combination of grated pecorino and parmigiano-reggiano cheeses, place in a bowl, and serve with several ladles of broth.
As with any dishes in which broth forms the main ingredient, homemade chicken stock seemed absolutely imperative for this dish. This time, I tried a garlic-laden recipe by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as spelled out in The Italian Country Table: Home Cooking from Italy's Farmhouse Kitchens. It turned out pretty well, but I admittedly had to cut down the called-for simmering time of 12+ hours. My only other alteration for the future might be to replace the full bird that she suggests with thighs and legs and perhaps tone down the garlic from four large bulbs to two, or just use four smaller ones.
Like many foods from the cucina Abruzzese, le scrippelle 'mbusse are splendidly simple. And that's what makes them fantastic.
And the wine? The Abruzzo is known for its full- to medium-bodied reds - Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. It's all pretty affordable. But we've had great luck with the 2005-2007 Farnese for around twelve bucks.
