Pink pepper, despite its name, is not exactly a pepper, because the plant is different from that of white pepper and black pepper ( Piper nigrum ). Pink pepper is in fact the fruit of Shinus molle, an evergreen tree native to Latin America.
Pink pepper has antiseptic, diuretic, tonic and stimulating properties and is also considered a mild painkiller . It is slightly toxic and therefore should be consumed in small quantities and not too often.
Pink pepper, in the kitchen, is mainly used on fish and meat dishes . Here are three recipes:
> aromatic chicken with pink pepper;
> steaks of baked salmon with pink pepper;
> rigatoni with salmon and pink pepper.
Aromatic chicken with pink pepper
Aromatic chicken with pink pepper is a dish made with simple ingredients, easy to make and quite inexpensive.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 8 chicken legs;
> 1 onion;
> 2 carrots;
> 1 celery stalk;
> pink pepper in grains;
> rosemary;
> laurel;
> oregano;
> extra virgin olive oil;
> salt;
> white wine.
Preparation
Oil the chicken legs and season with salt. Place them in a baking dish with celery, onion and carrots, all cut into pieces. Season with a bay leaf, rosemary, oregano and pink pepper. Drizzle with half a glass of white wine and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Bake at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes, turning the chicken legs halfway through cooking.
Pink pepper salmon baked in foil
Pink pepper goes very well with fish because of its delicate flavor . Salmon with pink pepper is a tasty recipe, also suitable for those days when you want to serve a special dish.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 4 salmon steaks;
> extra virgin olive oil;
> 1 lemon;
> pink pepper;
> 1 sprig of rosemary;
> 4 small garlic cloves;
> 4 sheets of baking paper;
> salt.
Preparation
Prepare 4 pieces of paper with the baking paper and, inside each of them, place a slice of salmon, a slice of lemon cut round, a clove of garlic, salt, extra virgin olive oil, pink pepper and (slightly) rosemary.
Place the 4 pieces on a large baking sheet and bake at 180 degrees for about 18 minutes . Cooking times vary according to the size of the salmon steaks; it is therefore advisable to check the cooking after 15 minutes and adjust accordingly.
Rigatoni with salmon and pink pepper
Rigatoni with salmon and pink pepper are a fast recipe, which solves lunch on those days when you don't have much time to cook. The classic recipe would like the use of kitchen cream; but the cow's milk ricotta is lighter and less fat and the result is just as pleasant.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 320 g of rigatoni;
> 1 tablespoon of pink peppercorns;
> 5 tablespoons of cow's milk ricotta;
> 1 clove of garlic;
> extra virgin olive oil;
> put a glass of dry white wine;
> 200 of fresh salmon (net weight);
> parsley.
Preparation
Put the salted water to boil for the pasta. In the meantime, prepare the sauce : cut the salmon into small pieces, soften a clove of garlic in extra virgin olive oil, then remove it and add the chopped salmon and the pink peppercorns.
Pour and let the wine evaporate, add the ricotta and, to soften it, help yourself with a spoonful of the water in which the pasta will be cooked, which at this point should already be warm enough.
Cook the rigatoni and, when they are still very al dente, drain and sauté in a pan with the sauce. Finish the dish with finely chopped fresh parsley.
