Bunet

BONET

Born in the Langhe and Monferrato areas of Piedmont in Northern Italy this decadent dessert is called bonet or bunet which in the local dialect means hat or bonnet because of the shape of the terrine dish it was cooked in or because it was eaten at the end of the meal which in dialect is “ a capello” ..at the end or the “top” of the meal or to top off a meal.

Nowadays this chocolatey custard, similar in preparation to a pannacotta is mostly cooked in ramakins or dariole moulds.

I had my first bunet in a very un-chic  but fantastic restaurant in Novara called “ La Campagnola”. The lengthy menu was never written on paper or on a board, but presented verbally. A list of about 20 entrees and 20 mains and side dishes were shot out like machine gun rounds. Being a newcomer to Italy and not being able to speak Italian I was in over my head. I only understood one word..pasta. Luckily my friends ordered for me. I remember falling in love with 2 things that evening.. Polenta and Bunet. The bunet looked like a chocolate pannacotta but as I tasted it I found the flavours hard to pick. There was definitely rum and cocoa but there was something else too.. amaretti! 

Being able to understand the menu at “La Campagnola” became a sort of test of one’s Italian amongst our expat mates and after 12 years in Italy I can proudly say that the last time I ate at “La Campagnola” I was almost able to understand every word. Sadly our favourite restaurant is no longer. It recently closed down . Novara has lost an institution. It really was one of those down to earth places with fantastic food made with ingredients of the highest quality where people drank, ate and were merry, even when they got the bill. Enough talk. Here’s the recipe!

This makes about 10 ramekins of about 60ml

Caramel

Place 250g sugar and just enough water to desolve in a small saucepan and bring to the boil then simmer until it becomes a light caramel colour. Make sure that no crystals build up on the side of the pan during cooking. Take off the heat and allow the syrup to continue cooking slightly until it becomes dark in colour but not burnt.. add about 50ml of boiling water ( the water must be boiling so that the caramel does not bubble over the top  of the pot and burn you.) and stir very gently until you have a dark coloured thick caramel syrup. Pour the caramel in to the ramekins and allow to cool.

Custard

500ml whole milk

300g sugar

120  crushed amaretti di Saronno*

70g dark cocoa

400g eggs ( about 7)

5ml rum ( I like to add a little more)

Mix eggs, sugar, cocoa, milk and rum then strain. Add the crushed amaretti and lightly whisk.

Pour into prepared moulds and cook in baine marie at 150° c for about an hour.

When they are cool, turn them out on to a plate and serve with the  syrup and an extra amaretto on top.

They are better cooled over night. They should be only just cooked and have no bubbles in them which indicate overcooking and will taste eggy.

*        Amaretti di Saronno are originally from the town of Saronno near Milan in Lombardy. There are many different types of amaretti but these ones are light and crunchy and fortunately the  easiest to find in delis in Australia.