Fregula is one of those ingredients that in recent years has made the transition from regional obscurity to a popular ingredient, increasingly seen on restaurant menus, TV cooking shows and in the food columns of magazines and newspapers.
A specialty of Sardinia it is often simply described as the "same as couscous", but that doesn't tell the whole story. They are both made from semolina and water which is then dried into small pellets but fregula is then toasted, giving it a nutty flavor and a texture quite unlike couscous.
In Sardinia fregula is often used in soups, particularly with clams, but it also works well in salads. We tried a recipe for fregula with grilled red onions and pine nuts from Californian chef Suzanne Goin (featured in "Chef Recipes Made Easy", a special edition published by Food & Wine magazine a couple of years ago)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large red onions, sliced ½ inch thick
1¼ pounds medium fregola (about 3 cups)
1 cup pine nuts (5 ounces)
4 medium carrots, finely diced
3 celery ribs, finely diced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. On a platter, combine 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil with 2 tablespoons of the sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the red onion slices and coat them; let the dressed onions stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Broil the onions for 8 minutes until softened and charred in spots. Return them to the platter and let cool. Coarsely chop the onions and transfer them to a large bowl.
3. Cook the fregola in boiling salted water until it is al dente. Drain the fregola and shake off any excess water. Return the fregola to the pot, add ¼ cup of the olive oil and toss to coat. Spread the dressed fregola out on a baking sheet to cool.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the pine nuts and cook them over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until they are golden. Drain the pine nuts on paper towels and let cool. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil to the skillet along with the diced carrots and celery and cook the vegetables over moderate heat until they are softened. Transfer the carrots and celery to a plate and let cool.
5. Add the fregola to the bowl with the grilled red onions. Add the carrots and celery, the pine nuts, cilantro, parsley and the remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Season the fregola salad with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
To stick with the Sardinian theme, accompany the salad with crisp Vermentino di Sardegna.
