An Italian chef brings panettone home to O.C. for the holidays
When Chef Marco Criscuolo carefully unwraps a freshly baked loaf of panettone bread at his restaurant, Trattoria Trullo in Aliso Viejo, the first things he does is smell it. When he pulls back the cellophane and brings it to his nose, the strong, sweet scent of vanilla and citrus escape from the wrapper.
“It is an emotional thing,” said Criscuolo.
Panettone is emotional for many Italians like Criscuolo, who opened his restaurant serving fresh pasta and other Italian dishes earlier this year at 26611 Aliso Creek Road. The name, Trattoria Trullo, refers to a trullo, a stone house with a conical roof similar to the one Criscuolo still owns back home in the region of Puglia in Italy.
In November, the restaurant received a Marchio Q award, a certification that recognizes authentic Italian restaurants, pizzerias and gelato shops globally. Created by the Istituto Nazionale Ricerche Turistiche, the organization awards establishments “developing and promoting the traditions of Italian food products and enhancing the culture of Italian food and wine.”
After attending culinary school in Italy, Criscuolo served as chef de partie at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and eventually found his way to Orange County cooking at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast before becoming executive chef of Andrea Ristorante.
While he isn’t a baker by trade, he began working on his panettone recipe about five years ago. Then he found himself toying with bread starters, the fermented culture used to bake bread, during the pandemic. While most were trying their hand at baking sourdough, Criscuolo was perfecting his panettone.
“I was calling my friends that do it, asking how they do, and then I started watching videos on YouTube of a housewife in Italy who makes it and shows how she does it,” said Criscuolo.
After many failed attempts and a lot of wasted ingredients, Criscuolo developed a recipe that turned out consistent results he was pleased with.
“In 2021, I finally got it.”
Unlike American grocery store fruitcakes, lampooned for being dry and unappetizing, true panettone is soft and sweet. It is a holiday tradition in Italy found in cookbooks dating back to the 19th century. It is usually baked from scratch with candied fruit or chocolate using recipes passed down for generations.
“During Christmastime in Italy, you must have panettone. There is family coming home to visit you, to get coffee and chat. It is a tradition to have a slice of panettone when family, friends and neighbors come to your house,” said Criscuolo.
Criscuolo bakes panettone from scratch at his south county restaurant, selling small loaves that serve four for $30 and larger loaves meant to serve six to eight for $65.
The arduous process begins with an Italian yeast called lievito madre or “mother yeast.” The starter sits in a warm area of the kitchen until it triples in size. When the mother yeast has risen, he combines the ingredients in a stand mixer. Sugar and eggs, preferably organic with a bright orange yolk giving the bread its yellow color, are added slowly.
“If the dough goes above 26 degrees Celsius, the dough is going to separate,” said Criscuolo, as he pointed an infrared thermometer into the mixing bowl as the dough spun.
Next the dough is left to rise, which is also a careful process.
“The dough is going to tell you when it is ready, you cannot force this, you cannot rush this,” said Criscuolo. “If you keep it at a temperature that is too high, the dough will become acidic, and you will have a sour taste in the panettone.”
While the dough rises, he starts the process of adding aromatic honey infused with orange zest, lemon zest and vanilla beans. The candied fruit is also made in house, taking an entire day to complete.
Once all the ingredients are combined, the dough is left to proof in a panettone mold. After proofing, the dough goes into the oven to bake. When it comes back out, Criscuolo quickly skewers the loaf and flips it upside down so it cools vertically, ensuring it keeps its trademark height.
“If the dough is not cooked properly, they will simply collapse,” he said. “Then you lose three days of work and all the ingredients.”
Criscuolo puts the same care into all the dishes he makes at Trattoria Trullo, like his orecchiette alle cime di rapa. The small ear-shaped pasta is made in house, a tedious process the chef believes is worth the effort.
“All the little steps matter. We want guests to enjoy the real deal, the real traditions of Italy,” said Criscuolo.
The pasta is served in a dark green broccoli rabe sauce, studded with Italian sausage and sprinkled with pecorino and bread crumbs. Another popular dish is the lasagna classica, made of layers of complex bolognese and smooth Bechamel sauce as well another baked-in-house bread, focaccia used for sandwiches at lunch and served for the table during dinner.
As a special holiday treat during the holiday season, panettone is also on the menu for dessert.
“It is on the seasonal menu for the whole month of December. Guests can enjoy a homemade slice of panettone with zabaglione marsala gelato that we make in-house and a dollop of mascapone cream.” said Criscuolo. “That is a very traditional way to eat it.”
Trattoria Trullo is open Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. To order panettone bread, email [email protected]. Please allow 72 hours advance notice.
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