La Marcella – Italian Food and Recipes

Chicken thighs with ‘Pancetta’ and potatoes

SecondiApr 15 20140 Comments

coscePolloPatate4*

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 2 persons)

- 4 organic chicken thighs (around 500g)
- 8 thin slices of Italian Pancetta ham (or Bacon)
- 4 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
- 4 big potatoes
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- a handful of sage leaves
- rosemary
- 1 glass dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt/ground black pepper
- mixed roast herbs (if available)

WHAT TO DO:

1. Peel the potatoes, wash them in cold water and chop them in fairly large chunks.
2. Wash and peel off the chicken tighs’ skin, making sure you remove the excess fat. Make a few small cuts in the chicken and gently spread with your hands a teaspoon of mustard on each piece.
3. Now wrap each thigh with two slices of Pancetta and place it on a baking tray on a previously oiled kitchen paper. Add the chopped potatoes and season them generously with salt/pepper, sage and rosemary, and the slices of garlic. If available, season the potatoes with the roast herbs. Sprinkle everything with olive oil first, and the glass of wine later.
4. In a pre-heated oven at 180° degrees cook the dish for about 45-50 minutes, making sure you use some of the sauce coming out from the chicken thighs. When ready, eat immediately.

TIPS & TRICKS:

- This is an easy recipe and very tasty.
- I have chosen for the Dijon mustard as it is stronger than other kinds of mustard, but it is up to you to go for something less strong.
- Be generous with the herbs and dressing. They get into the chicken and flavour the potatoes as well!

Italian ‘Crostata’ with Jam

Basic recipesApr 08 20140 Comments

crostata marm4* Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 8 persons):

For the dough (‘Pasta Frolla’)

- 200 g plain white flour
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon of raising powder (yeast)
- a pinch of salt

To decorate: 150 g strawberry, apricot or peach jam (at your choice).

WHAT TO DO:

1. Before starting, take the right amount of butter out of the fridge and let it stay at room temperature for about half an hour to have it soft. If you are in a rush, use the microwave, but be careful not to melt the butter too much.
2. On a large, clean surface, make a pile (a kind of volcano shape) from the flour and add a pinch of salt (when required in the ingredients). In the central ‘crater’ of the flour mass, add the sugar and, right into the middle of it, the eggs and butter, and any other ingredient according to the recipe you selected.
3. Now place one hand into the well and the other one on the side of the volcano. This way you make sure some of the ingredients won’t fall apart. Then make circular movements and include the mix little by little into the final dough.
4. Thoroughly roll the dough, and use both of your hands to meld the dough until it is one texture. If the dough sticks to your hands, just rub it with a little extra flour and put it back into the mix.
5. Let it stay still into the fridge wrapped with foil for about 1 hour.
6. In the meanwhile take a round baking tray (about 26 cm diameter) and spread some butter, then sprinkle some plain flour on top of it.
7. Take out the dough from the fridge and with your hands mould it to the baking tray to have the base where to spread the jam. Remember to keep aside a part of the dough for decoration.
8. Spread the jam at your choice, decorate the surface in a net shape or with little dots.
9. Bake it in a warm oven (180°C) until you get a kind of golden biscuit. It will take about 20-30 minutes. Now time to enjoy it!

TIPS & TRICKS:

- This is the iconic pastry base of ‘crostata’ we generally use for different Italian recipes. They can be made with any kind of jam or topping such as ‘crema pasticcera’ (see correspondent recipe).
- You can make the dough base by hands or in a food processor or blender. I personally prefer using my hands as it allows you to ‘feel’ the consistency of the dough and adjust it to the desired result (do not worry, you will get to it by experiencing yourself!)
- A better result of the cake base is obtained by letting the dough stay still in the fridge, wrapped into a foil for about half an hour. After this time, knead it again for few minutes and use it for your baking tray.

Stuffed artichokes – Mamma’s way

SecondiApr 04 20140 Comments

carciofi ripieni3*

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 4 persons):

- 4 large, fresh artichokes
- 200 g plain breadcrumbs
- 6 shallots, finely chopped
- 4 generous tablespoons of grated Italian Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons of grated Italian Provolone or Pecorino
- 1 large handful of fresh flat parsley, thinly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1 glass of dry wine
- extra virgin olive oil

WHAT TO DO:

1. Start with rinsing the artichokes really well. Trim off the outside leaves carefully and discard the harder ones together with a part of the stem. Also cut off the upper part of the artichoke and make it completely flat. Keep the tender part of the stem as well as the core of each artichoke with some of the outside leaves. Trim off the pointed tips of each leaf too.
2. With your hands bend the leaves outward to create some space for the mix. Place the artichokes upside down while preparing the mix.
3. For the mix/stuffing, combine the breadcrumbs with the grated cheeses, chopped parsley, the garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well. Add slowly a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil until the mix is sticking together.
4. Stuff each leaf of the artichoke, starting from the centre of the vegetable and working your way around, with a bit of the mix. Be generous with the stuffing. The leftover stuffing will eventually be placed in the pan with the sauce.
5. Take a large baking pan and stew the chopped shallots in olive oil.
6. When done, place the artichokes with the wine and cook it with a lid for a few minutes.
7. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the stuffed artichokes, adjust with some salt, and cover tightly with heavy tin-foil.
8. Move the baking pan from the stove into a 200°C pre-heated oven. Cook, covered with the foil, for approximately 60-80 minutes (depending on size of the artichokes). When soft enough, remove the foil and grill at medium strength for few minutes.
Cool down for 10 minutes before serving.

TIPS & TRICKS:

- This is by far (!) my mum’s favourite dish. Usually it never comes out the way she prepares it…even though I use the same ingredients. Her dishes are definitively amazing and not comparable to anything else!!
- This artichoke dish comes out better if you are able to find the Italian artichokes called “mamme romane” which are really tasty. They come from anywhere between Rome and the south of Italy. It can taste great with other big artichokes as well. It is important, though, that you avoid those with beards inside as they can be very bitter in taste.

Sweet and sour courgettes

ContorniMar 27 20140 Comments

zucchagrodolce5*

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 4 persons)

- 2 long courgettes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 anchovies in oil
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 handful of fresh thyme leaves

WHAT TO DO:

1. Start by roughly chopping the courgettes in medium size dices. If the pieces are small, they tend to mash very easily and become a cream.
2. In a frying pan, put some olive oil and stew the garlic cloves until slightly brown. Add the anchovies; make them ‘melt’ at low heat. Toss the courgettes with the raisins and the pine nuts. Let this mix soften for a few minutes, then add the white wine vinegar and increase the heat to dry up the vinegar. Then add the sugar, a pinch of salt and complete the cooking of the vegetables until they are soft enough. This is best achieved by covering the pan with a lid and stirring the mix from time to time.
3. Serve the dish warm with a generous portion of fresh thyme.

TIPS & TRICKS:

- Be careful of not making the dish too salty — the anchovies already do this for the dish.
- If the courgettes are getting too dry while cooking, add some vegetable stock or hot water. Please add some little by little to avoid making the dish a ‘soup’!
- This is a very southern Italian dish and is nicely served with grilled meat of strong cheeses like Pecorino or Cacio cheese.

Crema Catalana

Fooding aroundMar 25 20140 Comments

crema catalana6*

Crema Catalana or Catalan Cream is Spanish for the French dessert crème brulée . It is rich and creamy and really melts in the mouth.

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 10 persons):

- 150 g caster (granulated) sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 30 g Corn starch
- Cinnamon powder
- Vanilla powder
- Grated zest of 1 Lemon
- 750 ml whole Milk
- 1 L fresh single cream
- salt

WHAT TO DO:

1. Take out a sauce pan and warm up the milk as well as the single cream.
2. Take another pan and whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Add the corn starch, a pinch of salt, the grated zest of the lemon, the cinnamon and the vanilla powder.
3. Then gently add the hot milk and cook gently at low heat while stirring until boil. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes.
4. Filter and pour the mix in round cups as single portions.
5. Put in the fridge for not less than 3 hours.
6. Just before you serve cream, take it out from the fridge. It is the tradition in Cataluña to caramelize the surface of the cream by using a culinary torch and serve it.

TIPS & TRICKS:

- If your kitchen equipment doesn’t include a spiral-shaped hot iron, don’t worry! Simply caramelize the sugar under the broiler of your oven.
- An interesting option is to serve it with fresh fruits such as berries and a nice glass of sweet wine.

Stewed lentils and tomatoes

PrimiMar 24 20140 Comments

lenticchie in umido3

Difficulty: Time:

This recipe is really one of the most-common way my mum used to make lentils for us, since we were kids. We loved it in this way, because it is dense and creamy. Another version is more like a soup and can be served as a main meal, mainly in winter times.

INGREDIENTS (x 6 persons):

- 1 large handful of ‘soffritto base’ (chopped onions, celery, carrots)
- 250 g green or brown lentils
- 850 ml tomato puree in cans
- extra virgin olive oil
- vegetable stock powder
- salt/black pepper

WHAT TO DO:

1. Before starting, check whether your lentils require overnight soaking in water or not. It depends on the brand so check the packaging. If it is required, you just put the lentils in water and let it take in water overnight. Rinse the lentils in cold running water before using them.
2. In a large deep saucepan, stew the chopped vegetables of the soffritto base in olive oil.
3. When slightly soft, add the lentils and the tomato puree. Season the dish with powder vegetable stock. Stir from time to time and add some hot water when the stew of the lentil mix is getting too dry (and the cooking is not done). It normally takes about 30’ to 45’ at low heat, depending on the brand of lentils.
4. Serve it with a drizzle of olive oil, black ground pepper, and eventually a sprinkle of grated Italian parmesan.

Spinach and ricotta cheese pie

Party recipesMar 20 20140 Comments

tortaRicottaSpinaci7

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 8 persons):

- 2 disks of short crust pastry
- 500 g fresh spinach
- 250 g ricotta cheese
- 2 large handfuls of grated Parmesan
- 2 eggs
- 1 handful of plain breadcrumbs
- extra virgin olive oil
- nutmeg
- salt
- ground pepper (optional)

WHAT TO DO:

1. Switch on the oven to 180°C.
2. Wash the spinach thoroughly and place them in a saucepan with a lid. Steam it, adjust with salt and let it cook until soft. Set the spinach aside until it cools down.
3. Remember to take out the crust pastry rolls from the fridge about half hour before using it. Let the rolls warm up at room temperature.
4. Then in a large bowl, first whisk one egg with a pinch of salt, then add the ricotta cheese, the spinach, a generous amount of freshly grated nutmeg, and pepper (which is optional). Mix it really well and then add some drops of olive oil.
5. Lay the first disk of crust pastry on a round baking pan covered with some butter and flour (to avoid sticking). Spread the mix evenly and cover everything with the second disk of crust pastry. With a fork make some holes in the surface and use the other egg to spread on the pastry surface with a brush (this will make the top get a golden colour while cooking).
6. Cook the dish in the hot oven until the pastry is golden. You can serve it either warm or cold.

TIPS & TRICKS :

- A nice alternative is to use a puff pastry instead of the short crust pastry. The result will come out slightly different but as tasty as the original version.
- Cut it in small squares and serve it warm as an aperitivo snack or at a party.

Spaghetti in a cream of aubergine and pecorino

PrimiMar 13 20141 Comment

crema_melanzpecor2*

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 4 persons):

- 2 medium size black aubergines
- 425 ml tomato sauce
- 2 garlic cloves
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt/pepper
- 1 large handful of grated mature Pecorino romano cheese or 3 teaspoons of creamy Cacio or Pecorino cream
- 1 handful of Greek black olives, w/o pits, thinly chopped
- 350 g of spaghetti pasta
- sea salt

WHAT TO DO:

1. Start by chopping the aubergines into dices and place them in a separate bowl.
2. Separately, in a frying pan, sweat the garlic cloves in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
3. Then add the aubergines dices and the tomato sauce. Adjust with some salt and cook at medium heat for about ½ hour, covering the pan with a lid.
4. When the aubergines have become softer, take a mixer and smash the sauce into a uniform cream.
5. In the meanwhile, put a deep pan of water on a fire, cover with a lid and let it get up to boil. When boiling, bring down to a gentle boil and add a handful of sea salt. Let the water get back to boiling before adding the spaghetti.
6. Put the pasta into the boiling water and let it cook until ‘al dente’. When ready, drain it and mix it into the frying pan with the creamy sauce.
7. Add the pecorino cheese in spoons, or grated, and serve it with a drizzle of olive oil.

‘Tagliata’ di pollo alle erbe miste/ Mixed herbs chicken fillets

SecondiMar 10 20140 Comments

pollomarinato4

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 4 persons)

- 350 g of large chicken fillets
- extra virgin olive oil
- a handful of fresh, finely chopped rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram, chives
- salt/ground black pepper

WHAT TO DO:

1. Take the chicken fillets and place them in a small ‘casserole’. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and let put them in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
2. After this, heat up some olive oil with the herbs, and sear for a few minutes. Then turn off the heat. In a different pan or tray, grill the chicken fillets at medium heat until well cooked and crispy on both sides.
Let the chicken fillets cool down for at least 5 minutes and then slice and place them on your favourite serving tray or plate. As a final touch, pour the herbal oil over the meat slices and serve it immediately.

TIPS & TRICKS:

- This is an easy, quick recipe to have when you are running out of time and ideas.
- It comes out very tasty too with turkey fillets.

Dutch Classic Poffertjes (Pancake Puffs)

Fooding aroundMar 06 20140 Comments

dutch pancake3*

Difficulty: Time:

Otherwise known as poffertjes, these baby pancake puffs are very popular in The Netherlands. Traditionally, they are served with melted butter and sieved powdered sugar. Perfect for Sunday brunch, a lazy lunch or dessert. We made them for the first time for ‘Pancake day’, the traditional last day of Carnival, two days ago.

NB: for this recipe you will need a special poffertjes pan.

INGREDIENTS (x 4 persons):

- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 250 ml warm whole milk + 1 extra tablespoon
- 200 g not-raising plain flour (‘00’)
- 1 level tablespoon instant yeast
- a pinch of salt
- knobs of good quality butter
- icing sugar, to serve

WHAT TO DO:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, eggs, yeast, sugar, salt and half of the milk. Whisk smooth.
3. Now add the remaining milk and whisk again. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the mix to rest for an hour.
4. Heat a poffertjes pan and grease it slightly with butter. You can help yourself with a brush for cakes to spread the butter. When it sizzles, toss a small amount of the mix into each mini pancake-shaped pot. If you do not have the special pan, you can use a non-sticking small pan, such as the one for omelettes. In this case, add teaspoonful of the batter in circular movements to create the mini pancakes. A poffertje is about 4-5 cm large in diameter. Turn the poffertjes around as soon as the bottom has set, using two wooden sticks. Bake each side until golden brown.
Serve the Pancake Puffs on a plate with a knob of butter and a generous sprinkle of powdered (icing) sugar. Eat them immediately!


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