I just love risottos and this is one of my favourites. The trick with risotto is to adjust the cooking heat such that the stock, added gradually, is absorbed over a period of about 20 minutes to make sure that…
Tag: Italy
Caponata
This is a difficult-to-describe concoction: aubergines in a tomatoey, pickley kind of mixture – a sort of Italian slightly sour ratatouille. It makes a great addition to a series of dips for some pitta bread when nattering with friends and…
Roast Butternut Squash Risotto
Butternut squash has become very popular, almost ubiquitous, and it’s an orange colour so it must be good for you. I think it is at its best roasted when the full flavour develops. As well as making a good accompaniment…
Tuscan Bread Salad
I’ve been intrigued by an Italian bread salad recipe such as this from Giorgio Locatelli for some time. It’s another idea with many variations and apparently no definitive recipe. I finally got around to trying this one and it was…
Potato Gnocchi
Unlike fresh pasta, the commercial versions of which are so good now that it hardly seems worth making it yourself (unless for special ravioli), commercial potato gnocchi are relatively heavy compared to their homemade equivalents. Making your own is, therefore,…
Stufatino alla Romana
This is quite strongly flavoured Italian beef stew that I cooked, originally, more years ago than I care to remember. I remember its being quite interesting largely. I think, due to the combination of celery with beef. Other than that,…
Penne Primavera
A rare excursion into the world of vegetarian cuisine. I think this is an American concept and the title “primavera” always seems a little inappropriate, since there are mushrooms which are traditional autumnal. Be that as it may, as veggie…
Swordfish with Salmoriglio
One to try from the Sicilian leg of Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes . (Note to self: I need to try this and check the water content in the salmoriglio.) Planning serves: 4 preparation time: 30 mins cooking time: 10 mins…
Lasagne Bolognese
These are the assembly instructions from the Marshall Cavendish Handbook of Good Cooking . Most of the work goes into the preparation of the Bolognese Sauce (qv) before you get to this assembly stage and final baking. Planning serves: 4…
Leg of Lamb with JO’s Italian Stuffing
One of Jamie Oliver’s from his Italian Adventure. Planning serves: 8 preparation time: 15 mins cooking time: 2½ hrs Ingredients 1 Leg of Lamb, tunnel boned 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 handfulls mixed fresh herbs (eg mint, parsley, oregano, thyme),…