Tiramisini

Tiramisini

Ingredients

• 100ml/3½fl oz espresso or strong instant coffee
• 2 tbsp coffee liqueur
• 4 Savoiardi biscuits (fine sponge ‘ladyfinger’ biscuits)
• 2 free-range egg whites
• 250g/9oz mascarpone
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp Marsala
• 1 tsp cocoa powder

Preparation method

1. Make your espresso and pour it into a heatproof jug, adding the coffee liqueur, then leave it to cool - I find ten minutes outside the window on a cool day does it!
2. Break each Savoiardi sponge finger into about four and drop the pieces into four small martini glasses, then pour the cooled espresso mixture over them. Press down gently, making sure the biscuits are soaked all over.
3. Using an electric hand-held whisk for ease, beat the egg whites in a bowl until they form soft peaks when the whisk is removed, and set aside for a moment.
4. Scrape the mascarpone into another bowl, adding the honey: I love the way its mellow sweetness marries with the Marsala (though sugar would be fine, too). Beat with the whisk (no need to clean it out first) and, when smooth, slowly beat in the Marsala.
5. Fold in the egg whites, a third at a time, then dollop this mixture over the soused Savoiardi in each glass, using a spoon to whirl it into an elegant peak at the top.
6. Let these stand in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours, then dust with cocoa, pushing it through a fine-mesh strainer, just before serving.

Squid and prawns with chilli and marjoram

 

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice only
• 1 garlic clove
• small bunch parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped marjoram leaves
• 350g/12oz prepared squid (defrosted if frozen), sliced into rings
• 20 raw peeled king prawns (defrosted if frozen)
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes or ½ tsp fine salt

Preparation method

1. Warm the oil in a wok or similarly wide, capacious pan, then add the chopped chilli (with seeds if you like it fiery) and lemon zest, turning them as they sizzle in the hot oil - this is a moment of fragrant joy.
2. Now grate the garlic and add it, along with about a third of the chopped parsley and marjoram and give a quick stir, before tumbling in the prepared squid and prawns. Stir-fry in the pan for 2-3 minutes, or until the seafood is just cooked through.
3. Add the juice of half the lemon and most of the remaining herbs and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds or so. Taste to see if you need any salt or more lemon juice, before turning the seafood fritti out onto a warm platter and scattering it with the last remaining bits of chopped parsley and marjoram.

Sambuca kisses

Sambuca kisses

Ingredients

• 1 free-range egg
• 100g/3½oz ricotta
• 40g/1½oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sambuca liqueur
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• vegetable or corn oil, for frying
• 1-2 tsp icing sugar, to serve

Preparation method

1. Put the egg and ricotta into a bowl and beat together until smooth.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, sambuca, sugar and grated orange zest. Beat the mixture again to make a smooth batter.
3. Pour about 2cm/1in oil into a frying pan, and heat until a small piece of bread sizzles when you drop it into the pan and browns in about 40 seconds (the temperature should be at about 180C/350F). And keep your eye on the pan at all times.
4. Oil a teaspoon measure and gently drop rounded teaspoons of the ricotta batter into the pan, about four at a time is manageable.
5. The little kisses will puff up slightly and turn golden underneath, so flip them over carefully with an implement, to colour the other side. Watch out that the oil doesn’t get too hot, turning the heat down if they are browning too quickly.
6. Once they are golden all over, lift them out with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with one or two sheets of kitchen roll, to get rid of any excess oil.
7. Carry on cooking until all the mixture is used up, then turn off the heat under the oil. Once the kisses have cooled a bit, push the icing sugar through a small sieve to dust them thickly.
8. If you are not eating them straightaway, pop the pre-sugared cooked kisses on a rack over a tin in a 150C/Gas 2 oven, and keep them warm for up to one hour.
9. Serve with an espresso, with one teaspoon of sambuca added, for each person.

Pork loin with Parma ham and oregano

Pork loin with Parma ham and oregano
Ingredients


1.5kg/3lb 5oz boneless and rindless loin of pork


2 fat cloves garlic, minced


few sprigs fresh oregano, plus more to serve


100g/3½oz Parma ham, sliced


⅓ tsp dried chilli flakes


1 onion or 2 shallots, unpeeled


2 tbsp olive oil


4 tbsp dry white vermouth


4 tbsp boiling water

Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Open up the loin of pork, read for stuffing, by laying it out in front of you vertically so that the thick part is on the left (I’m right-handed). Now starting at the top, cut through this thick part of the loin all the way down so that you can open it out to the left like a book. This will give you a larger surface area to lay the filling on.
Spread the pungent garlic all over the meat. Then take the leaves from a few sprigs of oregano and dot them about too. Keep the stalks.
Lay the pieces of ham horizontally over the pork loin, this way it will roll up more easily as the roll will follow the long length of the ham slices.
Sprinkle the chilli flakes over the ham and then roll up the loin, starting from the open-ended side, keeping as tight a roll as you can. Secure the meat with string at 3-4cm/1-1½in intervals, knotting the lengths of string firmly. If you’re using stationer’s string rather than cook’s twine, dampen it first. I wish I could instruct you as to how to tie proper knots, but I do very bad knots myself. Were you to have the offer of a friendly hand - or rather finger - to hold the knot down as you tie it, take it gratefully.
Cut the onion or shallots into thick slices without peeling them, and sit them in the bottom of a roasting tin to make the flavour-platform for the pork. Add the reserved stalks from the oregano, sit the loin on top and drizzle with the oil.
Cook for 1¼ hours, when it’s cooked, the juices must run clear when you put a skewer into the centre and a meat thermometer should read 71C/160F.
Transfer the tin to a heatproof kitchen surface, immediately pour the vermouth and boiling water into the tin and scrape all around the bottom of the tin so any oniony, meaty stuck-on bits dissolve into this instant gravy. You can let the meat rest in this sauce for 15 minutes or so.
When you are ready to slice the pork, remove it to a board and warm the gravy (removing the onion bits) if it’s cooled. Cut the meat into approximately 2cm/1in slices, or in other words, thick enough for the slices to keep their shape and hold the filling. This size joint should give you 10 good slices plus the misshapen end-pieces.
Arrange these sturdy slices on a bed of rocket with the gravy served separately in a little jug, or just sit them on a warm plate and pour over them a little gravy or any extra juices the meat has made. Take some more oregano leaves and slice them into fine strips, strewing them over the pork slices before serving.

Italian roast chicken with peppers and olives

Ingredients

• 1 x 1.5kg/3lb 5oz chicken (preferably organic)
• 1 unwaxed lemon, cut in half
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 3 leeks, washed and trimmed
• 2 red peppers
• 1 orange pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 100g/3½oz pitted dry-packed black olives
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to serve

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Untruss the chicken, sit it in a roasting tin and put the lemon halves and two of the rosemary sprigs into the chicken’s cavity.
2. Wash and trim the leeks, cut each into three logs, then slice lengthways and add to the tin. Now remove the core and seeds of the peppers and slice them into strips, following their natural curves and ridges, and add these to the tin.
3. Tumble in the olives, and now pour the olive oil, mostly over the vegetables but a little over the chicken, too. Add the remaining rosemary sprigs to the vegetables, along with some sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Using a couple of spoons or spatulas, gently toss the vegetables about to help coat them with the oil and make sure everything’s well mixed up.
4. Sprinkle some sea salt flakes over the chicken and put it in the oven for about 1-1¼ hours, by which time the chicken should be cooked through, and its juices running clear when you cut into the flesh with a small sharp knife at the thickest part of the thigh joint. The vegetables should be tender by now, too, and some of the leeks will be a scorched light-brown in parts.
5. Remove the chicken to a carving board and, while it rests (for about 10 minutes) pop the pan of veg back in the oven, switching the oven off as you do so.
6. Cut the chicken up chunkily, transferring the pieces to a large warmed platter. Now take the pan back out of the oven and, with a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the vegetables to the large platter and when all is arranged to your aesthetic delight, pour over it all the bronze, highly-flavoured juices that have collected in the pan.

Meatzza

Ingredients

• 500g/1lb 2oz minced beef (preferably organic)
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan
• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs or porridge oats (not instant)
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Butter, for greasing
• 1x400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes, drained
• 1 tsp garlic oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 x 125g/4½oz ball mozzarella (not buffalo), halved, then sliced
• Few leaves fresh basil

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
2. In a large bowl, using your hands, combine the mince, parmesan, breadcrumbs or oats, parsley, eggs, garlic, and add some salt and pepper. Do not overwork it, just lightly mix together or the meat will become compacted and dense.
3. Butter a round baking tin of about 28cm/11in diameter and turn the meat into it, pressing the mixture lightly with your fingers to cover the bottom as if the seasoned minced meat were your pizza crust.
4. Make sure you’ve drained as much runny liquid as possible out of your can of chopped tomatoes, then mix the tomato with the garlic oil, oregano and some salt and pepper and spread, using a rubber spatula, lightly on top of the meat base. Arrange the mozzarella slices on top, and then put in the oven for 20-25 minutes, by which time the meat should be cooked through and lightly set and the mozzarella melted.
5. Remove from the oven and let it sit for five minutes, then adorn with some basil leaves and bring it to the table before cutting into wedges, like a pizza.

Sicilian pasta with tomatoes, garlic and almonds

Sicilian pasta with tomatoes, garlic and almonds
Ingredients


500g/1lb 2oz fusilli lunghi or other pasta of your choice


salt, to taste


250g/9oz cherry tomatoes


6 anchovy fillets


25g/1oz sultanas


2 garlic cloves


1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed


50g/2oz blanched almonds


4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil


small bunch basil, leaves picked

Preparation method


Put abundant water on to boil for the pasta, waiting for it to come to the boil before salting it. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions, though start checking it a good two minutes before it’s meant to be ready.


While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce by putting all the remaining ingredients, bar the basil, into a processor and blitzing until you have a nubbly-textured sauce.


Just before draining the pasta, remove a cupful of pasta-cooking water and add two tablespoons of it down the full of the processor, pulsing as you go.


Tip the drained pasta into your warmed serving bowl, Pour and scrape the sauce on top, tossing to coat (add a little more pasta-cooking water if you need it) and strew with basil leaves.