AUBERGINE AND PEPPER SALAD

INTRODUCTION

Caponata is one of the signature dishes of Sicily. It evolved from a dish favored by sailors where the cooked vegetables acquired at port were added to savory biscuits seasoned with vinegar and sugar. Today there are a myriad of recipes - we particularly like the version below where roasted peppers are added to the dish. It takes time to make a good caponata but it is such a versatile dish it is worth making the effort. Generally known as an antipasto it is also good in the height of summer when accompanied with good bread and a young, well bodied red wine and served as a single course dish. If there is any left over it is an excellent accompaniment to grilled meats - try it with grilled calves liver. As a vegetarian alternative for an informal supper party with friends serve with peperonata alla Siciliana and fagioli all"olio. Follow with fresh fruit.

INGREDIENTS

Stage 1 ingredients
2 large red sweet bell peppers
1 medium sized plastic bag
2 large round aubergines/eggplants, preferably the violet skinned variety from Sicily
4 - 6 inner stalks of celery
fine salt


Stage 2 ingredients
sufficient best quality Olive Oil to fry the aubergines
1 small red onion
3 - 4 tablespoons of best quality Olive Oil

2 anchovy fillets in oil

2 tablespoons of salted capers

green olives to yield 60 - 70 g (circa 2 1/2 oz) when unpitted

4 tablespoons of raisins

3 - 4 tablespoons of home made passato

fine sea salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon of granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Stage 1 cooking instructions

Turn the grill/broiler to maximum and place the peppers under the grill to char. Turn from time to time, and when sufficiently charred (circa 20- 25minutes), remove and place in a plastic bag. Tie the bag at the top, and leave for a minimum of forty five minutes and a maximum of two hours. 

Meanwhile wash and dry the aubergines. Slice and cut into circa 1 cm (less than 1/2 inch) cubes. Purge the prepared aubergines of their bitter juices by placing in a colander over a bowl or a sink and sprinkle well with salt. Leave for a minimum of forty five minutes and a maximum of two hours. 

Using only the tender part of the celery heart, cut the stalks into 1 cm pieces and where the stalks are wide divide into one or two strips. Bring a saucepan of well salted water to the boil, add the celery and boil for circa 5 minutes or until the celery is just tender, but NOT over cooked. Drain well and put to one side.

Stage 2 cooking instructions

Rinse the cubes of aubergines to remove any salt and bitter juices and place on kitchen paper to absorb any excess water. 

Under a medium flame heat some oil (best quality) in a large non-stick pan. When hot add a batch of the cubed aubergines and cook well for 10 - 15 minutes, or until almost fully cooked, stirring well from time to time. Do NOT allow the aubergines to stick to the pan. Place a number of sheets of kitchen paper in a large bowl. When the aubergines are done, use a slotted spoon and place them in the bowl. Discard the remaining oil and clean the pan. 

Meanwhile take the cooled peppers out of the bag. Discard the skins and the inners (but retain the juices) and slice the flesh into circa 1 cm strips. Put to one side. 

Peel, coarsely slice and finely chop the red onion with a mezzaluna. Put to one side. 

Place the salted capers in a small sieve, place over a bowl and run water through the capers for at least five minutes to ensure all the preserving salt is removed. Drain and put to one side. 

Pit, wash and drain the olives. Cut each olive lengthwise into two. Put to one side. 

Heat the oil (best quality) in the cleaned pan under a medium flame. Add the anchovy fillets, stirring well until they dissolve. Add the onions and saute until the onions become translucent. 

Add the prepared capers, olives, raisons and celery and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the raisons swell. Add the passato and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. 

Add the cooked aubergines and the prepared peppers and their juices. Stir gently but well. 

In small bowl add the red wine vinegar to the sugar and mix well. Dribble the mixture over the cooking vegetables. 

Cook for a further few minutes until all the liquid is fully absorbed. 

Taste for seasoning and empty into a serving bowl. Let the dish cool. Serve at room temperature.

COMMENTS

Caponata should be made only in the height of summer - the three main vegetables (the aubergines/eggplants, peppers and celery) must be ripe and cooked to the tender or al dente stage. Nothing should be crisp in this dish. 

Always use capers preserved in salt and unpitted green olives; their flavor is far superior to those preserved in vinegar and olives which are pitted.

The dish benefits from the use of best quality Olive Oil.

The time factor between stage 1 and stage 2 should not exceed two hours.

Caponata can be made the day before intended use and kept in the refrigerator. If, perchance, any of the three main vegetables are a little crisp allowing the dish to stand for 24 hours in the refrigerator will ensure the vegetables soften a little. Always bring to room temperature before eating.

POTATOES COOKED IN SAFFRON

INTRODUCTION

Few things on earth are kinder to you than the common potato. Mostly water - around 77- 78 per cent - potatoes are also jam-packed with Vitamins C and B, fibre and protein, in a naturally packaged starch that is easily digestible: they get most of their bad press because the way they are cooked. Enter a handful of recipes such as this one where the potato is married with olive oil. This glorious dish hailing from Sicily is flavored with saffron, garlic, parsley and oregano - it is an excellent accompaniment for all "sweet" flavored meat dishes, e.g. pollo affinocchiato (chicken in fennel sauce).Buon appetito!

INGREDIENTS

1 Kg (2.2 Lbs) of waxy potatoes
3 - 4 cloves of garlic
25 - 30 leaves of flat-leafed parsley
a scant ¼ cup of best quality Olive Oil
1 sprig of fresh oregano
130 mg of saffron powder (a few generous pinches)
¾ cup of warmish water
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel the potatoes, cut them into even sized chunks of about 4 by 3 by 3 cm (1½ by 1¼ by 1¼ inches) and place in a bowl of water.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius/375 degrees Fahrenheit
Peel the garlic and finely chop the garlic and parsley with a mezzaluna.
Over a medium heat, heat the oil (best quality) in a heavy-based large flat casserole (with lid)
Add the chopped garlic and parsley, stir and cook for about 1 - 2 minutes.
Finely chop the fresh oregano with the mezzaluna.
Drain the potatoes and add to the pan - the potatoes should be in one layer only. Add about two pinches of fresh oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. With two forks, turn the potatoes to ensure all sides evenly cook over a low heat for about 5 - 6 minutes.
Dissolve the powdered saffron in the lukewarm water and add to the casserole.
Put the lid on the casserole and transfer to the pre-heated oven.
Cook for circa 15 minutes, remove from the oven and turn the potatoes over to ensure the cooking is even.
Return to the oven and cook for a further circa 15 minutes. With a skewer check the potatoes are cooked - most of the liquid should have been absorbed by the potatoes.
Take the casserole out of the oven and with a slotted spoon remove the potatoes to a serving dish.
If there is any cooking liquid left, reduce on a high heat, stirring frequently, and then spoon over the potatoes.

COMMENTS

It is important the potatoes lie in a single layer in the casserole.

Use only flat-leafed parsley and fresh oregano.

The dish should be served hot - there are few merits in eating it cold.

ALMOND AND LIME CAKE

I associate Italian cakes, and desserts in particular, with the northern Italian city of Turin and the sophisticated cafés round the central piazzas: Turin's specialties are for the sweet toothed. Europe's best chestnuts comes from here - i marroni - and here zabaione was invented when a royal chef accidentally spilled fortified wine into a custard. The fame of the city's chocolatiers was such that the Swiss came to study their art, but they did not stay long enough to master the art of making gianduiotti. But the delights of Turin's fabulous desserts need to be viewed in the cold light of reality: joyous that they are they are riddled with saturated fats. Enter the sophisticated almond cake - lightly moist and with the benefit of a light lime-based glaze. Enjoy with an expresso in the afternoon or a grappa at the end of a dinner party. 

Before starting consider reading Baking cakes.

INGREDIENTS

Stage 1 ingredients

one 220 - 225 mm (8 - 9 inch) spring closing cake tin

greaseproof paper

unfiltered olive oil for greasing the tin

150 g (5 oz) unpeeled whole almonds

130g (4½ oz) white caster sugarzest of one lime

80 g (2.8 oz) plain white flour (type OO preferred)

8 egg whites

½ teaspoon of salt

Stage 2 ingredients

zest of one lime

juice of ½ large lime

80 g (2.8 oz)+ icing sugar

a touch of gin (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Stage 1 cooking instructions 

As per baking cakes carefully line the cake tin with greaseproof paper using a pastry brush to lightly apply the olive oil. Put to one side. 

Finely grind the unpeeled whole almonds in a blender and place in a small bowl. Add the caster sugar and mix well. Using a zester, remove the zest of one lime and add to the almond/sugar mixture. Put to one side. 

Turn on the oven to 170 degrees Centigrade/ 340 degrees Fahrenheit: ensure the freestanding internal oven thermometer is visible.

Wipe the inside of the mixer bowl and the balloon whisk with a piece of kitchen roll which has been dampened with white wine vinegar or cider vinegar. 

Wipe the inside of the mixer bowl and the balloon whisk with a piece of kitchen roll which has been dampened with white wine vinegar or cider vinegar. 

Separate the eggs: be scrupulous and exclude ALL traces of egg yolk and/or egg shell. Place in the mixer bowl 

Add the salt and whip the egg whites (at highest setting) until they form stiff peaks. 

While the egg whites are being whipped, measure out the flour in a bowl and sift several times to include as much air as possible. Put to onside. 

Check the oven has reached the correct temperature and maintains the temperature. 

When the egg whites have formed stiff peaks, remove the mixing bowl from the machine, add a tablespoon of the almond/sugar/lime zest mixture and mix quite well with a knife using cutting movements. Repeat until all the 'almond' mixture has been added. 

Then, likewise with the flour, put a tablespoon of the flour into the sieve, sieve the flour into the mixing bowl and mix using the knife. Repeat until all the flour is used. 

Using the knife and a spatula 'pour' the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin, lightly leveling the mixture with the knife and place in the centre of the pre-heated oven. Put the timer on, and bake for 45 minutes. 

At the end of the 45 minutes period, open the oven, use a wooden skewer and piece the centre of the cake. If the skewer comes up absolutely dry the cake is done. 

Carefully remove all the greaseproof paper, place up-side down on a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for about an hour. 

Stage 2 cooking instructions 

When the cake is cool, turn right-side up and place on a cake dish. 

To make the lime cake glaze weigh out the icing sugar and place in a small pan. Zest the lime and add to the icing sugar. 

Squeeze half of the lime and heat the juice in another pan until it starts to boil. 

Add the hot lime juice to the the icing sugar mixture and mix well using a small wire whisk. If needs be add a little more icing sugar and/or a dash of gin: ensure the glaze reaches a slow pouring consistency. 

Pour the lime glaze on to the top of the cake, ensuring that the glaze does not dribble down the sides. Place in the refrigerator for about 5 - 10 minutes to firm up the glaze, return to room temperature and serve when ready.

COMMENTS

Before starting ensure all ingredients are at room temperature.

 Lightness of hand, high quality ingredients and thoroughness in preparation are the keys to success.

    Use cutting movements when mixing the cake mixture: ONLY use a knife to mix.

    This cake does not readily associate itself with birthday celebrations, but much depends on the sophistication of the celebrant!

    cake keeps quite well in a cake tin for a couple of days: that being said once cut we find it is quickly eaten.

PASTA WITH MEAT SAUCE

INTRODUCTION

This Florentine dish is typical of home cooking; rarely will it be found in a restaurant. Not as rich as a Bolognese sauce it relies on prime quality ingredients and is quite different to a southern Italian sugo. Very much a one course mid week meal ideal for winter months it is not an especially demanding recipe in relation to total hands-on cooking time, but one does have to be in the background keeping an eye on the dish as it cooks. Accompany with a young, robust red wine.

Before starting consider reading Cooking Pasta.

INGREDIENTS

Stage 1 ingredients
10 g (circa 0.4 oz) of dried porcini
water for soaking the porcini

Stage 2 ingredients
300 g (circa ¾ lb) of finely minced steak
3 - 4 chicken livers
1 small red onion
1 small carrot
1 stick of celery
20 - 25 leaves of flat leafed parsley
5 Tablespoons of best quality Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of double concentrated tomato paste
¼ glass of red wine
5 Tablespoons of porcini soaking liquid
fine sea salt
freshly ground BLACK pepper

500 - 600 g/17.5 - 21 oz of hard spaghetti (e.g. Barilla No.5)

water for cooking the spaghetti

coarse sea salt

2 teaspoons of best quality Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Stage 1 cooking instructions 

Soak the dried porcini in water for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Stage 2 cooking instructions 

Peel and finely chop the red onion. Repeat for the carrot and stick of celery. Add the parsley leaves and finely chop with a mezzaluna. This is the battuto/mire-pois. 

Place the oil (best quality) in a large pan and add the battuto/mire-pois. Stir gently and heat from cold over a very low flame for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the onions are translucent, stirring well from time to time. 

Meanwhile remove any gallbladder, etc from the chicken livers and very finely chop. Add to the minced steak. 

Take the soaking porcini, squeeze dry, finely slice and put to one side. Strain and retain the soaking medium. 

When the battuto/mire-pois has cooked, remove all excess oil. Add the minced steak, chicken livers and porcini. Stir well and brown over a low to medium heat for circa 5 minutes. Add the wine and let it bubble away. 

Dissolve the tomato paste in the porcini soaking liquid and add to the pan. Stir well. Add salt and pepper, stir again, bring to the boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender. The sauce should be thick but still retain some liquid. 

Meanwhile bring a large stock pot of well salted water to the boil. Measure out the pasta. 

When the water is boiling vigorously, add the spaghetti, stir and, when the water has returned to the boil, time the cooking (as per advice on packet). 

Pour a couple of teaspoons of best quality olive oil into the serving dish and put to one side. 

Close to the end of the recommended cooking time for the spaghetti, rescue a few strands with a fork, and taste to see if it is cooked. 

When satisfied that the pasta is ‘al dente’, strain the cooked spaghetti into a colander and shake well to remove all excess water. Empty into the serving dish and toss well in the oil. Add circa 80% of the sauce and toss well. Pour the remainder of the sauce on the pasta and serve immediately. 

COMMENTS

Use high quality steak, trimmed of any fat and minced by your butcher.

Traditionally the battuto/mire-pois is placed in cold best quality olive oil and very slowly fried over a very low flame to ensure the flavor of the oil is absorbed and the battuto/mire-pois does not burn. Under a very low flame this works beautifully.

Dried porcini can include soil and small pieces of grit, so always strain the soaking liquid through a small sieve before using. 

The addition of wine is not traditional but it adds depth of flavor.

A lot of salt and pepper is required for this sauce.

If you make your own or can buy good fresh hand made pici consider substituting for the spaghetti. 

The dish benefits from the addition of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese at table. 

The sauce can be made in advance and re-heated. Retain a tablespoon of porcini soaking liquid for re-heating.

PASTA WITH ARTICHOKES

INTRODUCTION

This is a very delicately flavored dish which can be served either as a one-dish meal or as part of a menu based dinner party. A reasonably simple pasta, making it demands first class ingredients and effective seasoning: congratulate yourself when you master this dish and await the applause from your fellow diners. 

We suggest a lightly chilled Sauvignon white wine to accompany. 

Before starting we suggest you read Cooking Pasta and Preparing and cooking vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

6 fresh plump Italian violet artichokes
4 - 5 Tablespoons of best quality Olive Oil
1 large clove of garlic
1 large red onion
1 - 2 glasses of dry white wine
fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper
300 - 350 grams/10.5 - 12.5 oz of hard spaghetti (e.g. Barilla No. 5)
coarse sea salt for cooking the spaghetti
1 teaspoon of best quality Olive Oil
freshly grated mature pecorino romano cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the artichokes as per Preparing and cooking vegetables. 

Peel the large clove of garlic, cut into 3 pieces and put to one side. 

Peel the red onion, coarsely slice and then finely chop with a mezzaluna. 

Heat the oil (best quality) over a moderate heat. Gently fry the garlic pieces on all sides until they are golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard. Add the red onion and gently fry until translucent. 

Meanwhile, using a colander, drain the prepared artichokes and dry on kitchen paper. Depending on size, cut a prepared artichoke into 10 - 14 pieces and add to the pan. Repeat for all the artichokes. 

Gently fry for 5 - 10 minutes, turning each piece over to ensure even cooking. If needs be remove any excess oil. 

Add the dry white wine, salt and pepper to taste. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 - 35 minutes. Taste for seasoning. 

Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a vigorous boil. 

Weigh the pasta and add to the water. Once the water has returned to a vigorous boil, time the cooking. Stir frequently during the cooking process. 

When the spaghetti is al-dente, drain into a colander and shake well to remove all the water. Pour a small amount of oil (best quality) into the serving dish. Add the cooked pasta and carefully toss. 

Add 90% of the artichoke sauce and toss the pasta well. Put the remaining sauce on top of the dish. 

Serve immediately, adding freshly grated pecorino romano at table.

COMMENTS

This is a delicate sauce - the ingredients must balance and enhance the flavor of the artichokes.

The artichokes used are 'Italian type' artichokes (the variety Violetta precoce is ideal): do not use globe artichokes or Jerusalem artichokes.

The artichokes should be sliced quite thinly - the sauce's cooking period greatly depends on the thickness of the artichoke slices and the freshness of the vegetables. Only consider making this sauce when artichokes are in season. If they have been cold-stored it is a toss up whether the sauce will work even after the artichokes are cooked for as long as 50 - 60 minutes.

The sauce should be clinging to the cooked artichokes when it is tossed in the spaghetti.

This pasta benefits from the addition at table of freshly grated pecorino romano. A cheese made from sheep's milk, mature pecorino makes a pleasant alternative to the more widely available grana cheeses made from cow's milk, of which the most famous is Parmigiano Reggiano. Always use freshly grated cheese, but remember pecorino romano has a sharper, more intense flavor than Parmigiano.

OVEN BAKED ARTICHOKES

INTRODUCTION

For fans of Italian-style artichokes this recipe is a must - it is an incredibly easy dish to make. Artichokes and white fish are wonderful together. Consider serving this dish with monkfish in white wine or simply a whole fish baked in salt, and accompany with a well chilled, deep flavored, non-brassy white wine: consider a Roero Arneis from the Langhe, Italy. The recipe is written in two stages for purposes of clarity, but it is just as easy to cook in a single stage. 

INGREDIENTS

Stage 1 ingredients
10 - 12 large artichokes
2 lemons
water

Stage 2 ingredients
best quality Olive Oil
fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper
water

INSTRUCTIONS

Stage 1 cooking instructions 
Prepare the artichokes in the same manner as outlined in Preparing and cooking vegetables, BUT retain about 2 centimeters (circa 1 inch) of each stalk, carving the stalks into a point. In cross section the prepared artichokes should look like elongated triangles. Cut each artichoke into fours and place in a large bowl of water which has been acetified by the addition of the juice of two squeezed lemons and the squeezed lemon halves.

Stage 2 cooking instructions
Heat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Remove the artichokes quarters from the acetified water, dry them in clean kitchen paper and place them in a single layer on a baking dish. 
Place some oil (best quality) in a small bowl and, using a pastry brush, 'paint' the artichokes with the oil. Season with salt and pepper, dribble a little more oil over the vegetables and then add water to a depth of no more than ¼ cm/1/10th inch deep. 
Place in the pre-heated oven. Cook for ¾ - 1 hour, or until tender, turning the artichokes every 15 minutes. Top up the water level if, and when, required. 
When cooked, remove with a slotted spoon, place on a serving dish and serve immediately. 

COMMENTS

The cooking time very much depends on the size of the artichoke used. The vegetables should fit neat and snuggly into the baking tin. Very little cooking medium should remain when the vegetables are tender/cooked. It is important to top up the water during baking rather than pour a large amount of water into the baking dish which might prove excess to requirements.

It is imperative freshly harvested, firm fleshed artichokes are used. Any dryness or ´flabbiness' of the outside leaves generally indicates a rotten heart. If purchasing the vegetables, refrigerate, use on a same day basis, and allow for a small amount of wastage. Outside Italy, Italian type artichokes can be found in food markets and in Italian greengrocers/delicatessens.

In food markets in Italy it is possible to find artichokes prepared as described in stage one. If bought this way it is imperative they are used on a same day basis.

Consider wearing gloves when preparing the artichokes to obviate staining of hands (though with the use of a nail brush the staining disappears).

If stage-cooking the dish, prepare the artichokes no longer than 4 hours in advance.

Globe artichokes (the base, only) can be used in this recipe but a certain amount of flavor derived from the leaves of the Italian styled artichokes will be missing.

ORANGES IN BRANDY

INTRODUCTION

Originally a Sicilian dish this dessert now is found all over Italy, though only oranges from Sicily will generally be used. Contrast and diversity have found an enduring home on the island and no single aspect of Sicilian culture better reflects its ability to distill harmony out of its diverse elements than its food: Sicilian recipes reflect their composite origins. And it is important to retain this aspect of harmony when increasingly the traveler cannot fail to observe the contrasts: alongside some of the most exquisite architecture the world has known there has grown up some of the worst speculation in Europe.

But to return to harmony and culinary matters. This is a simple dish to prepare - ideal for winter months, it demands first class ingredients and a marinating period of 18 - 24 hours. A wonderful, light dessert, it rounds off a dinner party with style.

INGREDIENTS

6 large, juicy oranges

4 Tablespoons of Sucre de Canne

6 - 7 Tablespoons of Cognac/brandy

INSTRUCTIONS

Using a sharp knife, score the peel of each orange and remove and discard the peel and pith. Separate the orange segments. Cut off the outer and inner part of the segment to remove any remaining pith, remove any seeds, and peel away the segment'smembrane. Place in a medium sized ceramic or glass dish and repeat for all the segments.

Add the Sucre de Canne and the Cognac, toss the oranges carefully and gently, cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve, bring to room temperature, decant into a glass serving dish and serve.

 

COMMENTS

    Sucre de Canne is a splendid French product used for all kinds of fruit based desserts and in the bottling of fruit. If not in France look for it in a good delicatessen.

    Use a quite good non-supermarket branded cognac, perhaps not the brand you would serve as an after diner drink, but one with roundness and depth of flavour.

    This is very "moorish" desert - if you have discerning guests consider increasing the quantities.