Veal liver with onions
Veal liver with soft onions is an old Venetian recipe.
Tender chicken with rosemary
A small chicken is perfect for this recipe. It is such a simple dish that I am almost embarrassed to include it. And yet every time I cook it I am amazed by the result.
Sweet orange salad
This sweet citrus salad is a joy to see and quite a taste sensation.
Strozzapreti with pork & saffron sauce
Strozzapreti is a specialty from central Italy. Like
cavatelli, it is a traditional pasta made without eggs,
but it has a different shape. The dough is rolled
through a pasta machine, a little at a time. As the
sheet of pasta emerges from the machine, allow it to
drop flat onto your work surface and cut it vertically
into 1 cm strips. Each strip of pasta is then rolled
between the palms of your hands to create a sort of
corkscrew shape. Keep the pasta covered with a damp
tea towel to stop it drying out, especially on hot days.
The word ‘strozzapreti’ means ‘priest stranglers’.
In the anti-clerical central part of Italy – once under
the rule of the Papacy – the local priest was not a
welcome guest! He was yet another mouth to feed on
top of the already hungry family. A meal of flour and
water was probably likely to ‘choke’ him.
It is traditional to serve strozzapreti with Bolognese
sauce, but I encourage people to try this delicious
sauce made with pork mince or sausage, some diced
zucchini and a touch of saffron.
Stracci ai pesto
In the summer when basil is aplenty, it is time to make beautiful pesto, which goes well with home-made pasta, especially stracci.
Steamed aromatic crab
A great way of retaining flavour and moisture in all fish and shellfish is to steam them. The crabs must be extremely fresh. Aromatic herbs add an appetising aroma and taste.
Spaghetti con granchio
Blue swimmer crab is nearly always available, cooked or raw. Raw is better,
but the crab must be fresh. Steam fresh crab for 7–8 minutes and pick out the
meat. Spaghetti can be made by pushing the pasta sheet through the spaghetti
cutter on your machine (see page 17), or use a sound commercial brand.
Slow roasted pork belly
pork belly on every restaurant menu these days. Maybe because it is a very cheap cut of meat, or hopefully because people have seen the light. Pork belly may look fatty, but it is delicious and some of the fat is released in the very slow cooking.
Simple bread rolls
There is absolutely no excuse for not
having a go at making these simple bread
rolls. I promise you there is no scientific
stuff here, and none of the so-called
mysteries of bread-making.
Sformato of porcini
I am a big fan of soft sformati, which are a kind of Italian custard made with a béchamel (white) sauce. Almost any vegetable can be turned into a sformato: mushrooms, zucchini, capsicum, eggplant – you name it.
