Giambotta (Italian Vegetable Stew)

[chris]

www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/6951-italian-vegetable-stew-ciambotta

[Clipper]

I must be misspelling it, but the stew is what I found when I googled it too Chris. Nothing like the breakfast dish I order. Maybe BZ can help. It was also served at her friend's restaurant on Bleecker Street after hours. Greens, sausage, potatoes, hot cherry peppers, and eggs all scrambled together. You ate it with a fork, not a soup spoon.

[kit]

I've seen giambotta (also spelled 'giambrotte') on the menus of several Italian restaurants here in the Utica area. Different restaurants spell it differently in English depending on how their parents and grandparents said it, but the product is similar in most places.

Giambotta is usually served around here as a solid mass rather than what we think of as a stew, but it's delicious wherever I've had it. Sometimes they put a slice of provolone on top and pop it under the broiler which is the way I like it. In fact, it's breakfast time here now and giambotta is what I'll be making in a few minutes. I pre-cook and refrigerate (or freeze) the potatoes, sausage, onions and peppers and mix in the eggs just before putting it in the hot skillet. Like some places in this area, I don't use greens.

~~ About 1/2 hour later ~~

Just finished the giambotta and as usual it was delicious and nicely filling.

[Clipper]

Gee Kit. You made my bowl of raisin bran taste rather generic, hahaha! Sounds great. I may be mistaken, but I seem to remember the greens being a part of it. I haven't had it in a couple of years now. It may be made just as you make it and I simply am foggy as to the ingredients. BZ can tell us if it contained greens at the place on Bleecker.

[kit]

Clipper, I know that 'Greens' are a separate thing around here and like giambotta, each restaurant adds their own touch to make it a little different (hopefully better) than the next place. Most everywhere I've had them it's escarole (pronounced 'shka-ROLL' in this area) cooked with garlic. And let's face it... garlic goes well with almost everything except maybe corn flakes. Some places (like Cavallo's for instance) have different varieties of greens, at different prices of course. They may add sausage, potatoes, onions, peppers or anything else that tastes good and call it something different.

Giambotta is sort of like a Cacciatore in that there isn't a specific recipe for it... it's only a general guideline. Don't have the time right now, but this afternoon I'll jot down how I make giambotta and post it on this thread. It's really easier than I thought, and very delicious.

[Deleted]

And of course An Olive Oil Fried Egg on a bed of Lentils is another great way to start or end the day.

[kit]

So here's the way I make giambotta. It's a bit time consuming, so I make a lot of it and freeze it in portions for use at a later time. Once the first step is done and frozen, the giambotta doesn't take much time or effort at all.

Giambotta (or Giambrotte)
(pronounced 'JIM-bought' or 'JIM-brought')
Kit Temple – Utica NY

Although giambotta is technically a stew, sort of like a ratatouille or a cacciatore without meat and tomato sauce, in the Utica/Rome area it's generally served in restaurants much drier and in a solid form by adding eggs and usually frying or baking it with cheese on top. The ingredients vary from family to family depending on their particular taste. Shown below is my way of making it and you can substitute any ingredients you like. This is only a guideline.

Because I live alone, I usually make a lot of the filling at one time, portion into individual containers (enough for 2 eggs) and freeze them. I thaw a container of the mixture and use fresh eggs and cheese each time I make the giambotta.

Preparation: (amounts can vary)

White potato
bulk Italian sausage (whatever 'heat' you prefer – ⅛ to ¼ lb per serving)
Onion (a couple of slices, diced)
Red bell pepper (a couple of slices, diced)
Green bell pepper (a couple of slices, diced)
Dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice a raw potato. Put in cold salted water and bring to a boil. Continue boiling 4 or 5 minutes until a fork pierces easily. Drain and plunge into cold water. Drain again.

In a skillet with olive oil and butter, start cooking peppers and onion. Add sausage, breaking into small bits. Add, a couple of shakes of oregano and S&P to taste and cook until meat is just done. Finally, mix in the potato. At this point drain off any excess grease, let cool, and either portion it into containers and freeze, or continue.

Cooking:

Eggs (1 or 2 per serving)
Provolone cheese (some people use Mozzarella which I find too bland)

If frozen, thaw the sausage/onion/pepper/potato mixture slowly, or defrost in the microwave.

In a bowl, scramble enough eggs (and a little cold water*) for the number of people you're cooking for. Melt butter and olive oil in a hot 8” skillet. Stir eggs and the meat mixture together and add. Cover, reduce the heat and cook on med-low until it's solid enough to flip. With a spatula, loosen the bottom of the giambotta. Gently flip and top with cheese and cover again. When the cheese is melted either serve it then, or put it under a broiler until the cheese browns, then serve.

You can also make a large giambotta and cut it like a pie when serving.

* Adding a little cold water homogenizes the egg yolk and white together, and adds fluffiness.