The vermicelli tympanum it is a baked pastry without a loose crust, a very popular way to make a good impression at the table in the nineteenth century. The recipe has been spread thanks Ippolito Cavalcanti who wrote a volume of historical Neapolitan dishes, the same author as The prince of chefs. The original one involves cooking 2 kilos of this pasta shape, but we brought it to one more reasonable quantity, in this case suitable for 3 people. You can adjust based on the guests you have at home. The dish is ancient but will bring a lot of joy to the table.
Vermicelli tympanum
Ingredients
- vermicelli 500 g
- anchovies 4
- 4 cloves garlic
- pine nuts 40 g
- raisins 25 g
- anchovies 300 g
- mushrooms 150 g
- peas 150 g
- capers 25 g
- olives 100 g
- thyme 1 tsp
- pepper 1\2 teaspoon
- salt
- oil
Preparation
«Take two rolls of vermicelli², which you will boil, but let them be ready; in the meantime you will have the table set three measures of oil very fine, which you will fry with a dozen anchovies sauces well cleaned and drained, and you will have them consumed in the oil, once the vermicelli are cooked, you will drain them very well, pouring them into a large saucepan, or rather if it were a pan it would be better, and you will put that oil on top, you will turn them several times with salt, pepper, and for those who like it it is still fine chopped petrosemoleallowing the aforementioned pan to remain at the same colour, giving it a stir from time to time, so that the vermicelli dries out and becomes loose.
Then you will take a saucepan, which seems proportionate to you, so that they all fit well in it, you will do one painted with lard and then one coated with breadcrumbs such as for Sartù rice, then you will add a few vermicelli, which you will arrange, making a base of capers, olives, anchovies, sauces, you can also add some small mushrooms, but cooked; of the fish, well cleaned, and barbed etc., and therefore another soil of vermicelli, and so you will continue; on the surface of the vermicelli you will make another coating of suet, which you will also mix with breadcrumbs, and cook it like the Sartù.»