Salsiccia e friarielli is one of the classic everyday dishes of Campanian cuisine. The combination of robustly seasoned pork sausage and bitter, pungent leafy greens is firmly established on the menus of trattorien and pizzerias throughout the greater Naples area. The dish names its two ingredients and tells two stories: a botanical one about a leaf vegetable that is rarely found outside central and southern Italy, and a social one about the Neapolitan popular kitchen, which makes a great deal from very little.
What friarielli actually are
Botanically speaking, friarielli are, according to Dissapore , the not-yet-opened flower heads of Brassica campestris, the same plant from which the Apulian cime di rapa also derive. The difference lies in the point of harvest: friarielli are picked earlier, have more tender stems and a more pronounced bitter note. The earliest records of cultivation date from the Kingdom of Naples, and friarielli are documented in the city itself, according to Trentaremi, from the 17th century onwards. The plants produce their finest quality between November and February, and they appear accordingly on the markets of Campania in large bundles during late autumn.
The name comes from the pan
The origin of the name friariello is explained by the method of preparation. In Neapolitan dialect, frijere means to fry, and the classic method involves frying the friarielli together with cloves of garlic and a dried peperoncino in extra virgin olive oil over a high heat. The leaves collapse in the process, the stems retain a little bite, and the bitter note meets the heat of the chilli and the sweetness of the garlic. In many Neapolitan households the greens are briefly blanched before going into the pan; in others they go directly into the hot oil raw.
Salsiccia alongside: fat meets bitterness
The pairing with salsiccia is more than a side dish: the robustly seasoned pork sausage releases fat as it fries, which balances the bitter compounds of the friarielli. In the classic preparation , the salsiccia is first squeezed from its casing or cut into pieces and fried, then the prepared friarielli are added and absorb the juices left in the pan. The result is a one-pan dish with two clear protagonists, which needs no accompaniment and is often served with a slice of bread for mopping up. For a more robust flavour, a more rustic variant replaces the olive oil with lard.
From the pan to the pizza and into the casatiello
Beyond the pan, the combination has long since found its way throughout the entire Neapolitan kitchen. The pizza salsiccia e friarielli is a permanent fixture on menus across the greater Naples area, with the pan dish becoming the topping on the pizza base. In the panino napoletano, the same filling is placed between the two halves of a rustic bread roll, and at Easter the casatiello, the Campanian Easter bread, receives salsiccia and friarielli in a regional variation in place of the usual mixture of cheese and salumi. According to Trentaremi , friarielli are also used on risotto, in calzone and as an accompaniment to squid, whose sweetness softens the bitter note.
Mangiafoglie: popular cuisine from Naples
The fact that friarielli are part of Neapolitan identity has historical reasons. In the era when the French-influenced cuisine of the Bourbon court favoured the tender parts of the rapini, the bitter leaves and stalks were left for the population at large. Vegetables were one of the few affordable ingredients for ordinary households, and from this situation arose the historical nickname mangiafoglie, leaf-eaters, once applied to Neapolitans. The dish salsiccia e friarielli carries this heritage within it to this day: a pan dish of two simple ingredients that requires no refinement and has been passed down through generations.
Where friarielli grow and where to find them
Friarielli are cultivated, according to Trentaremi, in the province of Naples from Acerra to the border with Caserta, in the province of Benevento and in the Piana del Sele on the edge of the Cilento. In the Metropolitan City of Naples, which also includes Pozzuoli on the edge of the Campi Flegrei, they are available not only in supermarkets but also fresh from the greengrocer and at the market. Between October and April, salsiccia e friarielli appears regularly on the tables of households and trattorien throughout Campania. The dish's deep roots in the region speak for themselves on the plate: simple, direct and uncompromising in flavour.
Recipe
Salsiccia e friarielli
Spicy salsiccia and lightly bitter leafy greens meet garlic, peperoncino and olive oil. A simple pan dish from the Neapolitan kitchen, best served with fresh bread.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
Ingredients
Amounts for 4 servings
| 800 g | fresh salsiccia |
|---|---|
| 1,000 g | fresh friarielli, untrimmed |
| 3 tbsp | extra virgin olive oil |
| 2 cloves | garlic |
| 1 piece | dried peperoncino |
| salt to taste | |
| water as needed |
Instructions
Prepare the friarielli: Remove any thick, tough stems and wilted leaves. Keep the tender stems, leaves and closed flower heads. Wash thoroughly in plenty of water and leave to drain.
Brown the salsiccia: In a large frying pan, brown the salsiccia in a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat, turning to colour on all sides, for around five minutes. Keep the sausages whole throughout.
Cook the salsiccia: Add approximately 100 ml of water, cover the pan and cook the sausages over a medium heat for around 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the lid and allow the liquid to evaporate.
Heat the garlic and peperoncino: Meanwhile, peel the garlic and crush it lightly. Heat the remaining olive oil in a second large frying pan. Add the garlic and peperoncino and sweat briefly over a medium heat, taking care not to let the garlic colour.
Cook the friarielli: Add the still-slightly-damp friarielli in batches. Cover and allow to wilt for around five minutes. Season lightly with salt, then cook for a further ten to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. If the vegetables begin to catch, add a little water. Finish by leaving the pan uncovered to allow any excess liquid to evaporate.
Bring it all together: Add the friarielli to the pan with the fully cooked salsiccia and allow everything to meld together for around five minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt, remove the garlic and peperoncino if preferred, and serve piping hot with fresh bread.
