Delica Pumpkin, Burrata and Gremolata Salad

Those of you who have been to our cooking school in the past couple of months will know how obsessed we are with these pumpkins. What makes these special Delica pumpkins so special is the dedication to flavour the family puts into growing them. The Zerbinati grow their pumpkins completely outdoors, watering them just enough, stressing the plant to build a concentration of flavour in the flesh.The pumpkins are then cured for thirty days, which allows the natural sugars to develop while drastically reducing the water content for denser, highly flavoured flesh. The sweetness of these pumpkins match beautifully with the bold flavours of the gremolata and the creaminess of the burrata. We hope you enjoy :) 

Ingredients for 6 people:

1 Delica Pumpkin (Natoora) 

3 Burrata (Natoora)

For the Gremolata:

Half a bunch of basil, ⅓ of Parsley, 1 big garlic clove finely chopped, two tablespoons of rinsed capers finely chopped, 4 big tablespoons of Taggiasca Olives (or Kalamata) roughly chopped, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Salt and Pepper

 Method: 

Start by peeling and preparing your pumpkin. Put your whole pumpkin in a hot oven at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes to soften it slightly which will make it a lot easier to peel and cut into wedges. Drizzle Olive Oil on an oven tray and spread your pumpkin slices so that they are nicely spread out. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and add about half a cup of water to the oven tray which will help stop your pumpkin from drying. Roast about 200degrees for about 20/30mins until the pumpkin is cooked through and has a nice caramelized golden colour. 

For the Gremolata, finely chop all of your ingredients and mix in a bowl. Add a splash of Red Wine Vinegar and enough Olive Oil so that it becomes a bit of a sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper. 

Drain your burrata from the liquid and leave them on a plate or in a colander for about 15mins before serving to get rid of any excess liquid 

To plate your salad, lay the pumpkin on a serving dish and top with your burrata and gremolata

Egg Yolk Ravioli, Crispy Sage, Burnt Butter!

Ingredients for 4 giant ravioli:

• 200gr of home-made pasta dough rolled to the thinnest setting or 8 large sheets of fresh egg lasagna  (La Tua Pasta make great ones)

• 1 bunch of chard (roughly 4/5 leaves with stem)

• 180g of ricotta

• ½ cup of grated parmesan

• a pinch of grated nutmeg

• 4 egg yolks

For the sauce:

• 80g unsalted butter

• 15 leaves of sage, roughly chopped

Method: 

1. Start by separating the white stems from the leaves of your chard. Finely chop the stems and leaves, keeping them separate. 

2. In a large pan, heat some butter and start cooking the stems. Once soft and slightly translucent, add the leaves and let cook until all juices have evaporated. It is important that there is no liquid left in the pan, otherwise your ravioli will be soggy and sticky. 

3. Let cool a little then add the ricotta, grated nutmeg, and parmesan. Season with Salt and pepper and mix well.

4. To assemble your ravioli, we recommend using a 12cm wide bowl or glass as a mould. Cut 8 evenly sized pieces of rolled out pasta dough or lasagna sheets that are slightly bigger than your mould. 

5. On 4 of the sheets, lay a large spoonful of your chard mix in the middle, making a little nest for your egg yolk to sit in.  remember not to overfill because you need space to seal the ravioli. 

6. Place an egg yolk in the centre of the filling and use a pastry brush and the leftover egg whites to give a little egg wash around the edges of each ravioli. 

7. Place a plain sheet of pasta dough over the top of the filling and seal it around edges with your fingers.

8. Put your mould on top of the ravioli and use a small knife to cut around the bowl.

9. Cook for 2 minutes in salted boiling water. 

10. Remove using a slotted spoon, pour some of the butter sauce and sprinkle some parmesan and pepper.

For the sauce:

1. Melt the butter in a small pan on low heat. Add the roughly chopped sage and cook until the sage is crispy, about 5 minutes.

Molto Bene. :P

Crispy Sea bass fillets with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, White Wine, and Taggiasca Olives.

This is our favourite way to eat Sea bass and the way you often will have it served in our hometown Venice. When cooking cherry tomatoes in the oven with Olives and White Wine, they create a perfect sauce for this simple Crispy Sea bass recipe. 

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 2 Sea bass fillets with skin on (about 120gr each in weight)

• 10 pitted Olives (we love to use Kalamata Olives or Taggiasca Olives from @natoora)

• 3 garlic cloves smashed and peeled

• 20 datterini cherry tomatoes halved

• A splash of white wine

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  
  Butterbean Dip:

  • 300g jarred butter beans

  • 1 garlic clove

  • ½ a lemon juice

  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 1 small handful of Parsley

  • Salt and Pepper
    
    

Recipe: Method: 

Start by cutting your cherry tomatoes in half, lay them cut side up on a oven proof dish, drizzle with olive oil, a sprinkle of dried Oregano and salt and cook at 160C for about one hour until the tomatoes are have lost a lot of their liquid and are nicely caramelised. Turn the heat up to 200C and add your olives cut in half, a splash of white wine, mix it all and let cook for a further 15 minutes. 

Pat your sea bass fillets dry with kitchen paper and salt/ pepper both sides. In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and once hot place your fish skin side down. Press the fish down at first with a spatula to stop make sure all of the skin has contact with the bottom of the pan to crisp up properly. Cook on high heat for about 2/3minutes with a lid and then a further 2mins without a lid until the skin is nice and crispy and the fish is cooked through. Serve with the warm roasted tomatoes and olives. 

If you wanted to serve this as a main course then you can also serve it with a delicious butter bean dip. We love to use @boldbeanco. 

In a blender, put your drained and rinsed beans, half the juice of a lemon, 1 big garlic clove, 1 small handful of parsley and 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Blitz until smooth. If it is too thick, add a teaspoon of water and blend again. Rectify seasoning with salt, pepper and olive oil. 

To plate, display the butter bean puree at the bottom of your, put your crispy sea bass  skin side up on top and pour your tomato and olive sauce all over.

Grilled Scamorza Salad

Grilled Scamorza with Rocket and Aged Balsamic. Simple, easy and delicious. Pair any of your favourite greens, Olive oil and Balsamic.

Scamorza originated from Campania and is traditionally shaped into a pear or sausage-like form. We often grate it into our Parmigiana but when it’s grilled in slices, the outside becomes super crispy and caramelised while keeping the inside gooey and cheesy. Try it out for an irresistible combination of smoky flavours and cheesy goodness!

We buy Scamorza from Prezzemolo and Vitale or Natoora in Notting Hill.

*Alternatively you can get it from a website called ‘Nife Is Life’ who fly it in from Naples weekly.

View our video real here for the process.

Rocca Tiramisu

This is the easiest dessert to make for your next dinner party, it doesn’t even need to be oven baked. 

A little history:

Tiramisu the Italian classic was created in the countryside when you would have long family lunches and everybody would be in a food coma by the end so the coffee would revive you. This is also where the name Tiramisu comes from, which means 'pick me up’.

Tiramisu is a classic and we’ve been making it for years and it’s our go to dessert in our cooking classes and we hope you enjoy recreating it! 

Family secrets:

Traditionally, Tiramisu is a family dessert and alcohol is not used (in which case you can also use decaf coffee).

Although… for a more boozy approach, Marsala works really well, just add it to your coffee mix.

Ingredients for 8 people:

4 eggs

4tbsp sugar

400gr mascarpone 

300ml strong coffee 

100gr Savoiardi (lady fingers) 

Cocoa powder

Method: 

1. At the bottom of a 20cm squared dish put a layer of Savoiardi (finger) biscuits.

2. Gently pour a large spoon of strong black coffee over each biscuit, until the biscuits are soft through but there is no excess coffee floating in the dish and there can be a little crunch inside still.

3. Separate the eggs into two bowls, whites in one and yolks in the other.

4. Add the egg whites to the kitchen aid and whisk on high speed for about 4 minutes until firm and you can tip them upside down without them falling out of the bowl.

5. Add the sugar to the egg yolks and use an electric whisk to mix them for about 5minutes until you have a smooth cream (you will see the cream turn into a lighter colour.) 

6. Use a wooden spoon and hand whisk to mix the mascarpone into the egg yolks/ sugar until you have a smooth cream with no lumps. Then fold in all of the egg whites delicately making sure to not have any lumps. 

7. Poor the mascarpone mixture over the finger biscuits.

8. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or until the mix has set.

9. Dust with cocoa powder to serve.

We’d love to see pictures of your dishes! Please tag us @enricaroccacookeryschool

Carciofi alla Giudia- Roman Deep Fried Artichokes

These Roman-Jewish fried artichokes have an addictive crunchiness, with a tender and soft meat in the centre that’s absolutely wonderful with a sprinkle of Maldon Salt. In Italy, the artichokes used for this dish are typically the giant round ones called Mammole or Violet artichokes can be used as well.

Ingredients for 4 deep fried artichokes

• 4 Mammole artichokes

• Vegetable or sunflower oil

• Maldon Sea Salt 

Method: 

• Start by peeling back the outer leaves of the artichoke one by one until you have peeled back about 4-5 layers and discard. The leaves left should be paler in color and more tender. 

• Cut the stem of the artichoke so that you have about 2 cm remaining still attached to the artichoke. 

• Use a small knife to peel back the stem of the artichoke around the inner circle, going all the way up so that you get rid of any fibers left from peeling the leaves. 

• Cut off the top two thirds of the artichoke leaves as they are too tough to eat. 

• Use a teaspoon to scrape out the choke (small hairs) at the center of the artichoke. 

• Hold your artichoke upside down and smash them gently on the counter a few times so that the leaves open up. 

• If you are preparing these in advance, you can put them in a bowl of water with a lemon squeezed in to prevent them from oxidizing. Make sure you dry them very well before frying to avoid spitting. 

• When ready to eat, heat the frying oil in a pot deep enough to submerge the artichoke half way. Approx 15cm. Fill the pot 2/3rds of the way up and heat until it spits when you add a drop of water. 

• Fry the artichokes, leave first 1 or 2 at a time depending on the size of your pot. Leave to cook leaves in until they are deep gold and crispy. You don’t want your oil to be too hot, it should just be sizzling. 

• Turn over and fry the other way until they are crispy and gold all over

• Drain onto a paper towel and season with Salt. Serve immediately.

Claire’s famous 5-hour slow cooked Beef Ragu Recipe

We are very lucky and grateful for the successful year we have had since opening our new cooking school and I think we can safely say we owe a lot of that success thanks to Claire’s incredible Ragu recipe which has been thoroughly enjoyed by many of you over the last year in our kitchen. After many many requests, we finally forced Claire to write down the recipe and here it is –

Ragu recipe 

Serves 10-12 generously

400gr Beef Shin, in 2cm cubes

600gr Beef Short Rib, cut off the bone and in 2cm cubes. Keep the bones

350gr Carrots, peeled and in 2cm cubes

350gr Onions peeled and in 2cm cubes

200gr Celery, in 2cm cubes

500ml Red wine, nothing fancy needed, just a dry red 

500ml Full Fat Milk (makes the Ragu creamy and balances the acidity of the tomato and wine)

500ml Tomato Passata (recommend the plain Mutti one)

1 Large Parmesan Rind if you have it

Salt, Pepper and Olive oil

Method

1. Season all the meat with salt and pepper. 

2. Heat some olive oil in a large pot (big enough to fit all your ingredients) and brown the meat in batches until nicely seared.

3. Whilst the meat is browning, blitz all the vegetables in a food processor until they are bread crumb size. 

4. Once all the meat is seared, return it to the pot with all the vegetables, season with salt and cook covered for 20-30 minutes, stirring every so often until the vegetables are soft. 

5. Add the wine, passata, milk, short rib bones and parmesan and leave to cook covered, stirring every so often. This will need to cook for at least 4-5 hours, until the meat falls apart. 

6. As it’s cooking, taste the sauce and add milk, wine or passata as necessary. If it’s too acidic add more milk, if it’s missing a bit of flavor add more wine and tomato. 

7. Once the meat is tender, reduce the liquid down until you have the consistency of ragu. 

8. Once cooked, I let the ragu cool down completely and then I pull the meat apart and get rid of any gelatinous/ nervy bits. This step is not essential but does make it better. 

9. When you are ready to serve, heat the ragu whilst your pasta is boiling. 

10. Add the pasta, when cooked with a good handful of grated parmesan and some pasta water. 

11. Mix well and serve immediately. 

Family Secrets

• You can swap the beef for duck legs, wild boar, pork or venison shoulder.

• This recipe takes a long time to cook, so we recommend making a big batch and freezing.

• As with any Stew, this will taste even better after spending two days in the fridge. 

Shopping For Balsamic Vinegar

Shopping for Balsamic vinegar’s can be complicated and with a price range of up to £150for a 100ml bottle it’s tough to know which ones to buy and what to use them for. So below is little bit of information and some tips to help you choose which ones to buy and how to use them. 

The most expensive balsamic vinegar’s are the Traditional ones produced only in Modena and Reggio Emilia. They are made from grape must- whole pressed grapes- and then cooked over an open flame until it has reduced by roughly half. This is then left to ferment for three weeks followed by a minimum of 12 years of aging. The vinegar is fermented in barrels and as the vinegar ages it becomes thicker and more syrup like because of the evaporation process that takes place.

These barrels will vary in size and once a year the vinegar is bottled from the smallest cask in the sequence. Each barrel is then topped up with vinegar from the next cask up, with the largest cask getting filled with the new yield. None of the casks are ever completely drained meaning that it is very hard to tell exactly how old the balsamic vinegar is. This task is therefore left up to a tasting commission of five expert judges who convene to taste the vinegar’s and determine an appropriate grade and no age is printed on the label.

Traditional vinegar’s from Reggio Emilia have three different grades affinato (fine), with a red cap, which roughly corresponds to a 12-year vintage; vecchio (old), with a silver cap, which roughly corresponds to a 15-20 year vintage; or extra vecchio (extra old), with a gold cap, which roughly corresponds to a 20-25 year vintage. In Modena there’s just affinato, with a white cap, or extra vecchio, with a gold cap. These vinegars are always labelled with D.O.P.  (“Denominazione di Origine Protetta”) stamp — a European Union certification that guarantees an ingredient’s quality, production, and place of origin.

Traditional vinegar’s are not made for cooking with as heating them will destroy their complex flavour. Instead they are best used for drizzling over cooked foods or eaten with a piece of Parmesan where the flavours can shine.

The next grade down of Balsamic vinegar’s is Condimento Vinegars. These are vinegars that have been made in a traditional manner but cannot get the traditional or D.O.P. title as they don’t meet standards of maturity or weren’t produced under the correct supervision. They are however often great products that were made outside of Modena or Reggio Emilia or from traditional producers however only aged for 3 to 7 years.

Condimento Balsamic vinegars tend to be much cheaper, however, can be of great quality making them much better value for money. You have to be careful when you buy “condimento” vinegars as the term is not protected and therefore can be found on lower grade vinegar. A good way to identify the better quality ones is to look at the ingredient list. If the vinegar is made only from grape must it is a very good sign. Some condimentos might contain a little wine vinegar to balance the acidity but if wine vinegar is the main ingredient it means that this is a generic vinegar sweetened with balsamic vinegar and therefore not of good quality. They should also carry the IGP stamp “indicazione geografica protetta,” or protected geographical indication.

The next grade down of vinegar is Balsamic vinegar of Modena and this refers to the vinegar commonly found in supermarkets and used for salads.

As demand for Balsamic vinegar grew there was a rise in derivative products which is what led to the D.O.P stamp. It was a way of protecting the true Traditional Balsamic vinegar producers. It doesn’t however offer any level of distinction among mass market balsamic vinegar’s which is where the IGP stamp comes in. It was introduced in 2009 by the European Union and guarantees that the product is made from grape varietals typical of Modena (Albana, Ancellotta, Fortana. Lambrusco, Montuni, Sangiovese, and Trebbiano), though the grapes can be grown anywhere and only have to be processed in Modena. This was the only way to meet the rising demand for balsamic vinegar.

Balsamic vinegar of Modena is cooked in pressurized vats and aged for a minimum of two months. I.G.P. vinegar’s all contain wine vinegar to bring the acidity level to 6% and can contain up to 50% wine vinegar. You need to be careful when buying these vinegars because often they contain thickening agents, caramel and other colourants to make them look more like traditional vinegar.

You also need to be aware of Imitation Balsamic Vinegars which are often in supermarkets pretending to be I.G.P Balsamic of Modena. Unlike I.G.P. vinegar these do not contain wine vinegar and cooked must, but instead are just vinegar with added sweetener and colouring and are industrially produced to make it look like I.G.P. Balsamic vinegar. Some of them will claim to be made in Italy but without the I.G.P stamp they could come from anywhere. Again a clue is always to look at the ingredient list; The higher the percentage of grape must the better the quality of the product.

Another common product is balsamic glaze. It’s a thick syrup made with grape must, I.G.P balsamic vinegar, guar gum and xantham gum and is essentially a way of making cheap balsamic the consistency of expensive balsamic. It is used in a similar way to the Traditional ones- as a drizzle or finishing sauce.

We have a great producer of Balsamic Vinegar in Modena called Acetaia Malpighi that we use. It is a family run business and they have specialised in Balsamic Vinegar since the 1850’s. They produce a wide range of Traditional vinegar’s including flavoured ones. Check out their website for more information.  http://www.acetaiamalpighi.it/en/about-us

Slow Cooked Shoulder Of Pork With A Perfect Crackling

A few easy tips to help you cook the perfect shoulder of pork as well as this recipe for a Pork shoulder stuffed with all the best herbs and the creamiest white wine sauce.

· Take the pork shoulder out of the fridge an hour before cooking to allow it to warm up to room temperature. This will allow for more even cooking. 

· Pat the meat down with paper towel, especially the rind to get rid of any liquid on the outside. This will make it extra crispy. 

· Half an hour before cooking cut scores in the crackling, not deep enough to reach the meat. Rub lots of salt into the scores to help create a crispy and flavorsome crackling. 

· For Boneless meat, calculate 225gr of raw meat per person. 

· For a good crackling preheat your oven to 220degrees Celsius and cook your pork uncovered for 30 minutes to allow the crackling to begin to get crispy. After 30 minutes drop the temperature to 170degrees Celsius and cook your pork until it pulls apart with a knife. 

Recipe Ingredients 

• 2kg of Rolled Pork Shoulder 

• 20gr sage 

• 20gr rosemary 

• 5 garlic cloves 

• 3 onions, peeled and cut into wedges 

• 375ml white wine 

• Salt and Pepper 

Method 

1. Take your pork out of the fridge an hour before cooking and pat dry with paper towel. 

2. Half an hour before cooking score the rind of the pork until just before you reach the meat and rub with lots of sea salt. 

3. Preheat your over to 220 degrees Celsius 

4. Finely chop sage, rosemary and garlic together. 

5. Season the chopped herbs with salt and pepper and then using your hand stuff it into the folds of the pork shoulder as best you can. If you find it easier you can unroll your pork shoulder, put the herbs in and reroll it with butcher string. 

6. Heat a little olive oil in an oven proof pot large enough to fit the pork shoulder until smoking hot. 

7. Sear the pork shoulder on all sides except the rind, until it is a deep golden colour. This will help to lock in the juices during cooking and adds an extra layer of flavor. 

8. Once seared, remove the meat from the pot and add the onions and white wine. Place the meat on top of the onions. 

9. Cook uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes. 

10. After 30 minutes reduce your oven to 170degrees Celsius and cook for up to 4 hours or until the meat pulls apart with a fork. If the crackling starts to burn cover loosely with foil and remove again for the last half hour of cooking. Check your meat every 40 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid in the pot, if it runs out add more wine or water. 

11. Once the meat is very tender, take it out the pot. 

12. Place the pot on high heat over a hob and let the sauce reduce. 

13. Remove the crackling from the rest of the meat and shred the meat with two forks. Place the shredded meat back in the sauce to absorb the juices and serve hot with the crackling on top.

ROASTED BEETROOT DIP

This healthy and tasty beetroot dip is packed full of flavour and takes only 10 minutes to prepare... in just a couple easy steps! Add this bright and colourful dip to your next antipasto platter or mezze board and serve with your favourite meats, cheeses and breads.

Recipe for 6 People

Ingredients:

·      3 Large Beetroots

·      2 Onions

·      150gr of shelled Broad beans

·      100ml of Olive Oil

·      Salt and Pepper to flavour

Method:

1.     Peel the beetroot, onions and finely slice using a Mandolin

2.     Lay the beetroot and onion on an oven dish and drizzle with Olive oil, salt and pepper

3.     Place in the oven for around 40minutes at 200 degrees until the beetroot is cooked through and the onions are slightly caramelized

4.     Place the broad beans in a pot of boiling water and cook for approximately 15minutes until the beans are cooked through. Drain the beans and peel if needed to remove outer shell. 

5.     Place the beetroot and onions in the food processor and blitz together with the olive oil until you get a smooth consistency. Season with Salt and Pepper. Serve with Grissini’s.

Fave Dei Morti: Italian Cookies For The Day Of The Dead

While Halloween is a very popular day, there are other Italian holidays that take precedent this week. The 1st of November is all Saints Day (Ogni Santi), with the Day of the Dead following straight behind on November 2nd.

To celebrate the feast of All Saints and All Souls, it is tradition throughout Italy to eat a particular type of almond or pine nut biscuits called “fave dei morti”, literally meaning beans of the dead, the preparation of which changes slightly from region to region, sometimes only with almonds and egg whites, other times with add-ins such as dried fruit, lemon zests or spices. The Italian writer Pellegrino Artusi, in his "The Science of Cooking and the Art of Fine dining" included three recipes from central Italy and called these biscuits “fave alla romana”. 

In Venetian pastry shops and bakeries, instead, we usually find two different varieties: the Venetians and the Triestine, more colourful and different in size and texture. As you may have imagined, these biscuits recall the shape of broad beans, which, in ancient tradition, were considered a direct means to communicate with the dead, able to transfer their souls to the living. For this reason, broad beans used to be eaten after funerals not only in Rome, but also in Greece, Egypt, India and Peru, probably because of their white inside. Although the feast has much older origins, the date of the 1st of November can be traced to Pope Gregory III, who in 731-741 ordered the foundation of an oratory in Saint Peter’s for the relics of all saints, martyrs and confessors, thus moving the date from May 13 to November 1 and making it almost coincide with the pagan feast of Samhain, the Gaelic festival that marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter and that gave origin to Halloween. In Italy we don’t celebrate Halloween and in Venice the local kids get to go around their neighbourhood to ask for their trick or treat about 10 days later, on the 11th of November on the occasion of San Martino, when we eat another bigger biscuit shaped as a poor knight on a horse with his spade. 

Anyway, going back to our beans of the dead, a fun fact is that in Venice there is a church called “della fava”, built in the early 16th century and located in a small campo with the same name between Rialto and Saint Mark’s. Originally, the church was called “della Consolazione”, of the consolation, because of a nearby palace with an allegedly miraculous icon that would offer consolation to believers. But then, the locals soon started calling it “della fava” because just after the bridge opened, a pastry shop specialising in these biscuits opened and the name stuck. The beans of the dead are sold only the days that precede All Saints and are usually white, red and brown. They are quite simple to make and you can easily adapt the recipe to your taste. Almost every city uses almonds, while in Venice we use pine nuts. I’m not sure which version I prefer, what I can suggest is to use almonds if you prefer softer biscuits and pine nuts if you’d rather them crunchy. To add colour use Alchermes for a soft red tone and cocoa for brown. The important thing is for the dough to be smooth and lump-free, for the rest their preparation requires less than ten minutes. 

If you happen to be in Venice for All Saints, the pastry shops that make the nicest “favette” are Dal Mas and Pitteri in Cannaregio, Rizzardini and Targa in San Polo, while when it comes to bakeries, my favourite are always Fratelli Crosera and Colussi Il Fornaio. There is a quite notable difference in price, in fact in bakeries 100 gr of these colourful biscuit will cost you between 2,50-4 euros, while in pastry shops it’s about twice as much!!!! What I do is make a big batch at home and prepare little bags to give to my friends the days that precede the festivity and keep some to enjoy at home either dipped in coffee in the morning or, much better, dipped in sweet wine after dinner. To accompany the fave, a dry white wine like a Soave would be an excellent option, although I confess I don’t mind opting for a sweet wine, like the local Recioto della Valpolicella (a sweet red wine produced near Verona, characterised by a round and velvety perfume, a must try in our region) or for a German Eiswein (ice-wine); men, instead, go directly for the grappa! 

At this point, there is nothing left for me to do than wish you a happy long weekend and to say buon appetito! Talk to you soon! 

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 

150 gr pine nuts (or almonds) 

100 gr sugar 

100 gr Italian 00 flour 

10 gr cinnamon powder 

20 gr butter 

1 egg 

1/2 coffee cup Alchermes 

1/2 coffee cup cocoa powder 

lemon zest 

METHOD: 

1) Pre-heat oven at 170° 

2) Mix the pine nuts in a mixer until they look like flour, combine with the sugar and sift, then add flour, cinnamon, the softened butter, the eggs and the lemon zests. 

3) Mix well using your hands until you get a compact and smooth dough with no lumps that you will roll lengthwise and divide in three smaller balls. 

4) Add cocoa to one, Alchermes to the other, knead until they reach a uniform colour without overworking them and then roll and cut your small biscuits. 

5) Grease some parchment paper and bake for about 15 minutes. When ready, if you like, roll in sugar. 

Excellent with a glass of sweet white wine, like the Recioto della Valpolicella

Thank you Nicoletta at https://www.naturallyepicurean.org for this great blog post.

Selecting Olive Oils

The easiest way to ensure that you are cooking great dishes is to stock your kitchen with quality ingredients. And this includes all the basics from your salt (I only use Maldon sea salt) and pepper to your Olive Oils.

Italy produces thousands of Olive Oils so choosing a good one can be a daunting task. To start you off here is some information on the three types of olive oils that you see in shops; extra virgin, virgin, and olive oil.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olives go through three sets of pressing in order to extract as much oil as possible. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the first pressing making it the purest and giving it the strongest flavour. It is great for salads and drizzling over cooked food such as fish.

Virgin Olive Oil: Virgin Oil is the second pressing of the olives. It has a weaker flavour and is best used for cooking. This is because when olive oil is heated over 60 degrees Celsius you loose most of the flavour and and goodness of the oil so it is not worth wasting extra virgin olive oil for this.

Olive Oil: When you see bottles of oil that only say Olive Oil or Pomace Olive Oil it means that this is oil from the third pressing of the olives. Personally I would recommend avoiding this. Simply because in order to extract the final drops of oil from the olives both chemicals and heat are added to process taking away from the healthy and natural benefits of oil.

A mistake that people often make when buying olive oil is to judge the oil by it’s colour. The colour of olive oils does not have a direct relationship to it’s flavour, it is simply a reflection on the percentage of dark to green olives that were used to make that oil. If an olive oil is cloudy, however, it means that this is a newer oil and will often indicate a stronger flavour. These oils are good for salads, rich sauces, soups and heavier meats such as lamb.

Oils from various Italian regions will vary in flavour. For example olive oils from Sicily have a grassy flavour whereas Tuscan oils have a more artichoke like flavour. The best way to determine which oil to buy is to decide what you mostly use extra virgin olive oil for and then buy one that you think will best compliment this. Below are the different strengths of olive oils and should help you to determine which strength of oil you should buy.

Strength: Low Intensity/Delicate

• Flavour:Smooth and mild, delicate, light, elegant flavor, mellow yet rich with a slight bitterness and fruitiness

• Goes well with: Fish, Eggs, Mayonnaise and Tender Salad Greens 

Medium

• Flavour: Intensely olive fruity, pleasant bitterness and pungency with flavours of artichoke, avocado and a peppery finish

• Goes well with: Salads, Grilled Chicken, White Meat, Lamb, Vegetables, Fresh Pasta and great for dipping with bread. 

Robust/ Intense

• Flavour: Intensely bold and assertive, pungent and spicy with grassy flavours of artichoke, tomato and herbs.

• Goes well with: Rich Pasta Sauces, Bitter greens, Spicy dishes, Soups, Stews, Grilled meats & roasts and lastly Bruschetta

I cook a large variety of things so I have a great extra virgin olive oil that I feel comfortable serving with pretty much everything. It’s from a great producer and family friend called Marina Colonna and her estate is between Molise and Puglia. She produces very high quality oils and is extremely passionate about her products. You can order her Extra Virgin live Oil directly from the farm. Check out her website for more information. http://www.marinacolonna.it/en/

Kohlrabi carpaccio with parmesan, pine nuts and mint

Kohlrabi Carpaccio

Ingredients:

·      20 thin slices of Kohlrabi, peeled and sliced on the Mandolin 

·      20 fresh mint leaves

·      Parmesan Shavings

·      1 big tablespoon of Toasted Pine Nuts or Hazelnuts 

·      1 Lemon

·      Salt and Pepper

·      Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·      Balsamic Glaze

Method:

1.     Using a Mandolin, thinly slice 20 slices of kohlrabi and lay on a platter

2.     Season the Kohlrabi with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice

3.     Sprinkle the mint, pine nuts and parmesan shavings over the kohlrabi

4.     Lastly, season with the Balsamic Glaze 

Heirloom Tomato Tart with goats cheese, mascarpone and basil

Ingredients:

·      800gr of Heirloom Tomatoes, cut into 6mm thick slices

·      1 Taste the Difference All Butter Puff Pastry Sheet from Sainsbury’s

·      150gr of Mascarpone

·      150gr of Goats Cheese

·      1 egg

·      Salt and Pepper

Method:

1.     In a bowl, using a hand blender, blend together the mascarpone, egg and goats cheese until you have a smooth cream. Season with salt and pepper.

2.     Turn the oven on to 200 degrees.

3.     Lay the puff pastry onto a baking tray and spread the cream of goats cheese and mascarpone over the pastry using a spatula, ensuring to leave a 1 cm gap from the edge of the pastry.

4.     Layer the slices of tomato over the cream of Goats Cheese and Mascarpone. Sprinkle with some dried oregano, Maldon salt and some Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

Oven-baked Red Snapper with Asparagus, White Wine and Lemon

TIPS TO SELECTING THE FRESHEST OF THE FRESHEST FISH:

Finding fresh fish can be tricky, especially if you don’t live by the sea. So I’ve put together a few tips that can help you out.

1. The first thing to do is to find a fishmonger, or at least a supermarket that has a fresh fish counter and that sells sustainably caught seafood. It is so important to shop at a place that cares enough to ensure their produce is eco-friendly. It is also so important to make your fishmonger your friend as you will have a much better chance of being given the freshest fish of the day. Don’t be shy to question them and let them know if they sold you a product you were disappointed with so it won’t happen again.

2. The easiest way to see if a fish is fresh is to look at it’s eyes. Fresher fish will have clear, glossy eyes whereas a fish that is a few days old will have foggy/cloudy eyes.

3. A second sign of a fresh fish is the consistency of the skin. Fresh fish will be slimy whereas an older fish will be drier. Beware because many fishmongers spray the fish with water to make it look slimy so if possible try and touch the fish to make sure it’s actually slimy.

4. The third sign to look out for is the color of the gills. Fresher fish will have bright red gills, so don’t be afraid to touch the fish and have a look for yourself. If the fish is less fresh the colour of the gills will become more a of a dull brick colour.

We always recommend that you never buy fish that has been pre-filleted, simply because it becomes very hard to tell how fresh it is. Buy a whole fish and then ask your fishmonger to clean it and cut it into fillets if you wish. Personally our favourite way to cook fish is to bake it whole in the oven. Like cooking a piece of meat on the bone, the fish will always be so much more tender and juicy if you cook it whole. Check out this recipe for a whole baked fish with Asparagus:

Oven-baked Red Snapper with Asparagus, White Wine and Lemon

Ingredients (Portion for 4Pax)

·      1kg whole Sea Bass

·      Fresh herbs such as dill, rosemary, thyme and sage on the stem

·      16 Asparagus, cleaned

·      1 Lemon

·      3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·      65 ml White wine

·      Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

1.     Preheat the oven to 200°C

2.     Clean the whole sea bass, making sure to remove the innards and gills (get your fishmonger to do this for you)

3.     Season the inside of the fish with salt and pepper, and add sprigs of fresh herbs (squeeze and twist the herbs so they release their essential oils and fragrances). Also squeeze some lemon juice.

4.     Place the fish in an ovenproof dish with the Asparagus around the fish

5.     Add salt, pepper, olive oil and a big splash of white wine.

6.     Place in oven and cook for 20-30 minutes until the fish is cooked through.

7.     Use a spoon and a fork to check that the fish slides off the bone easily and that is how you will know that the fish is cooked. Bone the fish and serve with the asparagus and some fresh parsley

Oven Baked Red Snapper with Spring Onion Cherry Tomato and White wine

(Portion for 4Pax)

Ingredients

• 1.5kg whole Red Snapper, gutted and scaled

• Fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage

• 20 Cherry tomatoes, halved

• 10 Spring onion, cut into 4cm long sticks.

• 2 potatoes, very finely sliced

• 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 65 ml White wine

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  
  Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Season the inside of the fish with salt and pepper, and stuff the inside with sprigs of fresh

   herbs (squeeze and twist the herbs so they release their essential oils and

   fragrances) and half a lemon (squeeze some of the juice out into the fish and then stuff the squeezed half in as well)

3. Place the fish in an ovenproof dish with the cherry tomatoes, thin slices of

   potato and spring onions around the fish.

4. Season the fish and vegetables salt, pepper, olive oil and a big splash of white wine.

5. Place in oven and cook for 30-40 minutes until the fish is cooked through.

   If the potatoes and vegetables start to slightly burn then add more white

   wine.

6. Use a spoon and a fork to check that the fish slides off the bone easily and that is how you will know that the fish is cooked.

7. Bone the fish and serve with the vegetables and some fresh parsley 

SALMON TARTAR WITH CRÈME FRAICHE, DILL & LEMON JUICE

Recipe for 4 People

Ingredients:

·      200gr of wild salmon filet finely chopped into cubes

·      2 spring onion, finely chopped

·      1 tablespoon of fresh dill, finely chopped

·      2 tablespoons of crème fraiche

·      1 splash of lemon juice

·      Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method:

1.     Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix together

2.     Serve on a dish with grilled bread and fresh dill

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAGE RISOTTO

Ingredients:

(serves 4 people)

• 400 gr. Carnaroli rice

• 1 onion finely sliced or chopped

• 1 butternut, cubed

• 20 gr. Butter

• 2 glasses dry white wine

• Chicken stock fresh

• 50gr. Good quality butter

• 50gr. Freshly grated 24 months parmesan cheese

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 190 degrees. Peel and cube the butternut into 1cm cubes and roast in the oven until very soft and slightly caramelized.

2. Using a hand blender, purée half of the butternut to become a creamy purée.

3. In a pot melt the butter and add the onions

4. Cover with a tight lid and let cook as long as you can without letting them brown

5. As soon as they start browning add the wine and let evaporate on slow temp

6. Add the rice and let fry for 1 to 2 min.

7. Start adding boiling stock (fresh chicken stock or chicken knorr) a bit at the time till rice is nearly cooked through.

8. Add the butternut puree and the butternut cubes to the risotto and finish cooking for another few minutes until the rice is cooked through.

9. Add the butter and parmesan and season with salt and pepper