New Year's Eve dishes in Tuscany

What to prepare for the New Year's Eve table: recipes and typical Tuscan products

After Christmas Eve dinner and the big meal on December 25, all that's left to think about is New Year's Eve dinner. The question that many of you will ask is: "What shall I prepare now?"

To help you, we went in search of the most typical recipes and products that most of all represent the tradition and excellence of Tuscan gastronomy. You're sure to find some tempting ideas for your grocery shopping and wonderful recipes that speak Tuscan for your chef experience behind the stove. Get comfortable and take pen and paper.

Here you will find the best fishmongers in town, here the best butchers and here the best bakeries to buy your produce!

ANTIPASTO

Chicken liver croutons or dark croutons
Slices of homemade bread, better if previously roasted, spread with the traditional creamy mixture of chicken livers. They are a must on the Tuscan table on big occasions, so almost a must on December 31. Here is the recipe.

Great plate of cheese and cold cuts
The quality of Tuscan cured meats and pecorino cheeses is universally recognized. Don't miss setting up a grand platter with Pecorini di Pienza and other Pecorini di Toscana Dop flanked by slices of Tuscan salami, finocchiona, lardo di Colonnata, soprassata and prosciutto del Casentino.

Poor style anchovies
Tuscany is bathed by the sea, always remember this, because the fish from the Tyrrhenian Sea is of the highest quality. If you want to try a regional fish appetizer, remember this dish made with fresh anchovies, cleaned and washed, marinated in vinegar for 5 hours, then covered with red onions from Certaldo, seasoned with oil, salt and pepper, left to rest for two hours in the cold and you will thank us for the advice!

FIRST COURSES

Gnudi o malfatti
Gnudi are the Florentine name used to indicate a typical first course of the Tuscan regional tradition, which consists of soft and delicate spheres of ricotta cheese and spinach (the classic filling of ravioli). The preparation is easy, you just need to be careful to use a dry ricotta and spinach well wrung out, so that the dough is not too soft. In order to obtain homogeneous balls, take the mixture with a teaspoon, drop it on a cutting board where we had put a veil of 00 flour, and then use the palms of your hands to give it the desired shape. They are boiled in water and once drained are seasoned with melted butter flavored with sage leaves, grated Tuscan pecorino cheese and a nice grind of black pepper.

Pappardelle with wild boar ragout
This is one of the most "wild" and typical first courses of inland Tuscany: with the strong flavor of wild boar and the support of the porosity of pappardelle, the result for a gritty first course is assured. Particularly rooted in Maremma, the recipe of pappardelle with wild boar ragout is made special by the many hours of cooking the meat, which makes it soft and perfect to be combined with a nice dish of pasta.

Spaghetti with clams
They are a typical dish of the holidays, so perfect for New Year's Eve dinner. For those who do not know them, clams are the common tellinis, that is seafood.before preparing this extraordinary recipe, we recommend you to drain well the clams, putting them in a large bowl, filled with cold salted water, better if sea water, for a whole day, changing several times the water in which they are immersed.

MAIN COURSES

Roast Guinea fowl
A perfect recipe for New Year's Eve dinner and for any important occasion when you want to impress your guests. Roast guinea fowl should be served at the center of the table and then placed in front of your guests. The consistency of its meat can be described as halfway between that of chicken and pheasant. For an optimal consistency, guinea fowl should be used quite young, which can be recognized by their legs that are still pale.

Cotechino or Zampone
Although the undoubted origin of Cotetchino and Zampone is typical of the low Po Valley, this product has found in Tuscany a land of great expression for its quality breeding. Important local butchers, such as Il Falorni of Greve in Chianti, produce them in an artisanal way and it would be a real pity to ignore it. Both cotechino and zampone are served with a side dish of lentils (those produced in Maremma are extraordinary!) dressed with new Tuscan olive oil.

Pezzogna all'Isolana
The pezzogna is one of the tastiest and most delicate fish of our sea. Cooked all'isolana, in the oven, with cherry tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, carrots and olives together, it is a superb and light dish that will leave your guests more than satisfied.

SWEET

Panettone
Panettone is not a typical Tuscan dessert, but our pastry chefs have made it a boast of their art. Buy an artisanal one and you will not regret it. Here are the addresses of the best panettoni in Tuscany.

Typical Tuscan Christmas Sweets
You'll be spoiled for choice: panforte, pambriacone, ricciarelli, waffles, cantuccini and so on and so forth. Click here to find out more!