12.01.2013

Polenta Budini with Caramelized Chestnuts

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 (2-inch-long) cinnamon stick
  • 5 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon fine polenta
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 lemon, cut in half crosswise
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons maraschino liqueur
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Cognac
  • 1 1/2 cups vacuum-packed or bottled chestnuts, cut in half if large
  •  
  • SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:6 (4-ounce) ramekins or silicone molds

  • Lightly coat ramekins with cooking spray.
    In a heavy medium saucepan, dampen 1/3 cup sugar with 2 1/2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, gently stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but washing down any sugar crystals with a pastry brush dipped in cold water as necessary, until syrup begins to turn golden. Continue to boil, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup is a deep golden caramel. Immediately divide caramel among ramekins, tilting if necessary to coat bottoms.
    In a medium saucepan, bring milk, 1/2 cup cream and cinnamon just to a boil. Remove pan from heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar, chocolate and polenta.
    Remove and discard cinnamon from hot milk mixture, then, whisking constantly, pour over polenta mixture. Bring mixture to a bare simmer over very low heat; cook, whisking initially to dissolve any lumps, then stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until polenta is thickened and tender, about 20 minutes; remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
    In a bowl, beat together remaining 1/4 cup cream, egg and egg yolk. Add to polenta; return to heat and gently simmer, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Immediately divide hot polenta mixture among prepared ramekins, pressing mixture firmly into molds to release any air bubbles, then cover ramekins with plastic wrap and chill until pudding is set, about 4 hours or up to 2 days.
    Secure 1 lemon half onto the tines of a fork, with cut side facing out. In a heavy medium saucepan, dampen remaining
    1/3 cup sugar with 2 1/2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, gently stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but washing down any sugar crystals with a pastry brush dipped in cold water as necessary, until syrup begins to turn golden. Continue to boil, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup is a deep golden caramel.

    In a slow and steady stream, add orange juice, then stir with lemon half until clumps are dissolved into the caramel. Add maraschino and Cognac. Remove pan from heat and ignite alcohol with a match. Return pan to heat. When flames subside, add chestnuts. Very gently simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove pan from heat and let stand 10 minutes.
    Run a thin knife along sides of ramekins to loosen, then invert budini onto serving plates. Spoon caramelized chestnuts over the top. Serve immediately. 

    Chicken with Speck, Swiss Chard and pine nuts

  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ pound sliced Speck
  • 1 orange
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 1⅓ pounds Swiss chard, roughly chopped
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts

  • Heat oven to 400°. Season chicken with pepper and wrap with Speck. Place in a baking dish. Bake until browned, about 20 minutes. While chicken is baking, cut a 1-inch wide strip of peel from the orange, avoiding the pith, and thinly slice. Set sliced peel aside. Squeeze juice from orange. Remove chicken from oven. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chard and orange peel; cook, stirring, until chard is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer chicken to skillet with chard; add orange juice and pine nuts, bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. 

    Lentil soup with Chestnuts

    • This is one of my favourite soups from the Centre Region of Italy! The chestnut give a unique almost sweet taste to the stew. Very easy to make and healthy           

                1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
                1/4 cup finely chopped onion
                ¼ cup carrots in small cubes
                1 stick of celery in small cubes
                 3 cloves of garlic
                  Fine sea salt
                  1 cup small brown lentils, such as castelluccio or colfiorito
                  1 tablespoon tomato paste
                  3 bay leafs
                  20 chestnuts (fresh baked)
                  3 leafy sprigs thyme
                  Freshly ground black pepper
                  4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices baguette, toasted
                  Finely chopped fresh basil and/or marjoram for garnish (optional)

      In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery and pinch salt; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add lentils and tomato paste; stir to combine, then add 4 cups water and bay leaf. Bring just to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes.

      Meanwhile, coarsely chop 12 chestnuts. In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil and thyme over medium heat until oil is shimmering. Add chopped and whole chestnuts; cook, stirring occasionally, until chestnuts are lightly golden, about 5 minutes.

      When lentils have cooked 25 minutes, add chopped chestnuts and pan contents into pot with lentils. Continue cooking until lentils are tender, 10 to 15 minutes more. Season soup with 1/4 teaspoon salt and generous pinch pepper, then ladle soup into serving bowls. Tuck whole chestnuts and toasts into soup. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using.

    Meat broth


    • 2 1/2 pounds beef brisket or chuck, cut into 4 pieces
    • 1 pound meaty beef shanks
    • 1 large chicken leg and thigh
    • 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rinds 
    • 1 large white onion, peeled and quartered
    • 1 carrot, cut into 3 pieces
    • 1 celery stalk, cut into 3 pieces
    • Fine sea salt    
    • 4  quarts cold water
    In a large stockpot, combine beef, beef shanks, chicken, cheese rinds, onion, carrot, celery and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming foam and fat from surface. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, skimming occasionally, for 3 hours. 

    Pour broth through a large fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Skim off and discard fat, as desired. Season broth with salt to taste. 

    Note: Broth can be made ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered, 1 week, or frozen in an airtight container up to 2 months.

    Lasagna Verdi alla Bolognese

    Meat

    • 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
    • 1/2 celery rib, peeled and finely diced
    • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
    • 2 ounces chopped pancetta
    • 1/3 pound ground beef 
    • 1/3 pound ground pork
    • 1/4 pound prosciutto, chopped
    • 1/4 pound mortadella, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 2/3 cup beef broth
    • 1/3 cup red wine
    • Pinch ground nutmeg
    • Fine sea salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    Green Pasta
    • 1 small bunch spinach , stems trimmed (or 1/2 cup of frozen)
    • Fine sea salt
    • 1 1/2 cups “00” flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    BECHAMEL
    • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
    • Fine sea salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • Pinch ground nutmeg
    •  
    • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, more to taste
    • 1/2 cup smoked Scamorza or Provolone
    FOR SAUCE: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery and pancetta and cook, stirring, until vegetables are lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, ground pork and prosciutto and cook until beef is no loner pink. Stir in the tomato paste, broth, and wine and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pan, and cook the sauce at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. (The sauce may be made up to 2 days ehad; cover and refrigerate it, and bring the sauce to room temperature before assembling the lasagne.)
    FOR PASTA: Rinse spinach leaves in several changes of cold water; do not dry. Put leaves in a medium saucepan with pinch salt, and cook, covered, over medium heat until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain spinach and let cool, then gently squeeze out excess liquid and very finely chop.
    On a clean work surface, mound the flour and form a well in the center. Add the egg, olive oil, a pinch of salt and the spinach to the well. Using a fork, gently break up yolk and slowly incorporate flour from inside rim of well. Continue until liquid is absorbed. When the dough gets to stiff to work with a fork, knead the dough by hand until the dough is no longer sticky, adding additional flour in 1 tablespoon increments as necessary. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
    Cut the dough into 2 pieces. Flatten 1 piece of dough so that it will fit through the rollers of a pasta machine. Set rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting, then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times, folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine. Roll pasta through machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time (do not fold or turn pasta), until pasta sheet is scant 1/16 inch thick. Cut sheet into rectangles the width of the pasta roller and 7 inches long. Lay the lasagna noodles on a lightly floured baking sheet in a single layer until ready to use. (Lay noodles that don’t fit on another layer separated by lightly floured wax paper or kitchen parchment.) Do the same with the second piece of pasta dough. 
    FOR BECHAMEL: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring, until golden. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring the mixture to just under a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter and stir to combine. If not using the béchamel immediately, let it cool, cover it with plastic wrap and set aside. 
    Heat the oven to 400°.
    Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and have ready a large bowl of ice water. Add the lasagna sheets, a few at a time, to the boiling water. Cook until the noodles float to the top of the surface, about 15 seconds. Immediately remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice water to keep from overcooking. Drain well and lightly pat dry with a kitchen towel. 
    Cover a 11” x 7” by 2” rectangular baking dish (or similar size gratin dish) with an initial layer of lasagna, overlapping the noodles slightly and letting any excess hang over the sides. 
    Cover with about one-fifth of each: the Bolognese sauce, the béchamel, and the cheese. Cover with another layer of pasta, trimming the noodles if necessary so they fit snug in the dish. Top with another layer of sauce, béchamel, and cheese. Repeat this step two more times for a total of four layers, saving some sauce, béchamel, and cheese for the top.
    To finish, fold any overflowing lasagna pasta over the dish. Top with the remaining sauce, béchamel, and cheese. 
    Bake until the top is brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let the lasagne rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. 

    11.24.2013

    Spanish Puchero

    1 / 2 kgr chickpeas
    1 / 2 kgr (pieces of: panceta, pig trotter, pig cheek)

    1 / 4 kgr Beef shank
    2 old chicken drumstick
    4 Spanish Sausage "chorizo"

    2 Potatoes
    2 Carrots
    Handful of green beans
    1 Onion
    4 cloves of garlic1 Piece of celery
    1/2 cup of black olives
    1 cup of tomatoes crunched
    1 tbsp of Spicy Paprika
    1 tsp pf turmeric
    Fresh herbs of your choice (Basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano)Salt & Pepper
    Water

    Soak the chickpeas overnight in water with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. Bicarbonate of soda will help when cooking the beans and will ensure that they are softened.

    The best way to cook Puchero is to use a pressure cooker, it will only take 1 hour, but if you cook it with a normal pot it will take about 4 hours for the chickpeas to cook and soften. Before you put the chickpeas into the pot be sure you have rinsed them thouroughly. 

    So, put everything in the pot: chickpeas, meat and vegetables. Cover all the ingredients with water and add salt. Seal the pressure cooker and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. At this point, open the pot and taste for seasoning. If needed add salt and then let  boil for several minutes

    French Onion Soup


























    Ingredients

    1 large onion per person.
    250ml of beef or game stock per person.Fresh thyme stick.
    2 or 3 bay leafs
    1 glass of Bordeaux wine per person
    15 grams of butter per person.
    Garlic
    French hard cheese gruyere or emmental (can even use swiss hard cheese)
    Croutons
    Nutmeg


    Method
    1. Cut the onions in very thin rings.
    2. Melt the butter in a large pan to cook the onions till slightly golden and wet.
    3.  Add two tablespoons of flour in the onions and stir for a few seconds to mix it in well
    4.  Add the hot stock and the wine to the mix slowly stirring continually.
    5.  Add the thyme and bay leafs hint of nutmeg
    6.  Stir till boiling on high heat
    7.  Then simmer for 30 minutes with a covered dish stirring occasionally and tasting to salt and pepper to taste.

    8.  In the meantime cut the bread and grill
    9.  Rub the garlic on one side on the bread
    10.  Then cover the bread with the grated cheese on a grill dish ready to melt the cheese.

    11.  Once the soup is cooked, take off the heat,
    12.  Now melt the cheese on the bread ready to be served.
    14. Serve the soup and put 3 slices of the cheesy bread on top.

    Enjoy! 

    11.03.2013

    Capelacci Ferrarese with Ragu

    For the dough:


    3 cups of Semolina flour + more if needed
    6 egg

    Using a fork begging mixing in the egg with the flour.  Once egg has been mixed in enough, begin using your hands to work the dough.  Continues until reaches a smooth consistency, adding a light dust of flour if necessary.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap to protect from drying.  For best results, let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.



    For the filling:

    1 baked pumpkin (Zucca verdi) Pic bellow 
    1 tbs paprika
    1 cup of Parmiggiano or Grana Padano grated
    1/4 tea spoon of nutmeg
    1 tea spoon of black pepper
    Salt to taste


    Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Put into the oven the whole squash. Roast for 30 minutes until tender. Leave until cool enough to handle and then take the seeds and skins off.

    Put the flesh in a bowl and mash to a smooth purée with a fork. Stir in the parmesan, nutmeg, paprika and the salt and pepper.


    For the Ragu Ferrarese:

    1 onion, chopped finely
    3 cloves of garlic, minced
    200g of sausage, taken out of their casings
    1/2 cup of tomato paste
    1 1/12 cup of red wine
    1 teaspoon of paprika
    Thyme, about a Tablespoon
    Olive oil for frying the onion
    Salt & Pepper to taste


    Fry the onion, garlic and sausage in a generous amount of olive oil.  Once onions have browned and meat has cooked, add one cup of wine and let liquid reduce half it's amount.  Add tomato paste, paprika and thyme.  Let cook for five minutes and add another half cup of wine.  Cover and simmer the sauce at a low temperature for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, do not allow to boil.
    Serve with a hard cheese, recommended Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano).
    Buon Appetito!!


    Fall Recipes

    Top 10 Fall Italian Recipes 



    Pumpkin Tortellini

    Lasagna with butternut squash, radicchio and Provola cheese

    Fagottini filled with pork and chestnuts with Marsala and Figs sauce

    Paccheri alla Napoli

    Pasta al Forno

    Spaghetti al cartoccio with seafood

    Chestnut Fettuccine with bacon and Pumpkin

    Arrosto misto delle Marche

    Cannoli 

    Cherry Thyme Prosecco Cocktail








    10.30.2013

    Polenta Classica

    Polenta Classica

    INGREDIENTS
             Salt and pepper
             Water
             1 cup medium or fine polenta
             Butter
             Parmesan for soft polenta, optional
    1.
    For firm polenta use 4 cups water; for soft polenta use 5 cups water. Bring water to a boil in a medium-size heavy sauce pan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Pour cornmeal slowly into water, stirring with a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Continue stirring as mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
    2.
    Turn heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. If polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep polenta soft enough to stir. Put a spoonful on a plate, let it cool, then taste. Grains should be swollen and taste cooked, not raw. Adjust salt and add pepper if you wish.
    3.
    For firm polenta, lightly butter a baking sheet or shallow dish, approximately 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Carefully pour polenta into pan. Using a spatula, spread polenta to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Cool to room temperature to allow polenta to solidify. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For soft polenta, add 6 tablespoons butter to pot and stir well. Serve immediately or transfer to a double boiler set over low heat, cover and keep warm for up to an hour or so. (Or set the saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water.) Stir well before spooning into low soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired