La Marcella – Italian Food and Recipes

Tea Cake with ‘Strawberry Grapes’ – Patrizia’s way

DolciJan 20 20140 Comments

tortaUvaPat6

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 8 persons)

- 120 g caster sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 120 g unsalted butter
- 100 g not-raising plain flour (‘00’)
- 100 g whole-grain flour (or breadcrumbs)
- 1 creamy Vanilla yogurt
- 1 bag of Vanilla-flavoured raising powder
- 1 coffee cup of sunflower seed oil
- a bunch of Strawberry grapes

To decorate

- 2 tablespoon of confectioners sugar

WHAT TO DO:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180° C.
2. In a large bowl whisk the two whole eggs until soft and foamy.
3. Add the sugar to the eggs, mix it well, and then add all other ingredients except the raising powder and the grapes. The grapes will be added just before baking the cake. Mix it well together in order to get a clean mixture.
4. Spread some butter evenly on the bottom and borders of a traditional cake baking pan and sprinkle some flour over it to avoid the cake sticking to the pan. Get rid of the excess flour.
5. The last ingredient to add, as always, is the raising powder. I recommend passing it through a sieve to get it mixed equally into the cake mixture.
6. Spread the mix evenly on the baking pan and place the grapes, previously cut in two, all over the surface. Press them into the mix so they release some of its juice.
7. Bake the cake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
8. When done, take it out from the oven to cool it down to room temperature. You can move it on a serving plate only when it is not hot any longer. Then sprinkle on top a generous amount of confectioners sugar and, of course, enjoy it if possible with a nice sweet dessert wine!

TIPS & TRICKS

- This recipe was originally created for a specific type of grapes, in Italian called uva fragola, which literally means “strawberry grape.” It is delicious, absolutely my favourite type of grapes! It reminds me a lot my childhood when I was at my grandparents’ as they had some of this vine variety in their green garden. The grapes have a thick skin and a ball of sweet flesh inside. Just before you eat the grape, you can smell its succulent strawberry taste. Nowadays the grapes are used in the north of Italy to produce a very unique type of dessert wine, fragolino, which is well known for its unique taste.
- You can substitute the two types of flour with 150 grams of non-raising plain flour and 50 g of Polenta flour (if available locally). You will get a crustier experience.
- It is almost impossible to find ‘strawberry grapes’ outside Italy. I suggest you to choose any other type of grapes at your choice, but try to go for a seedless type.

Delicious Trout with Thyme and Polenta/Trota Prelibata

AntipastiJan 17 20140 Comments

trotaPolenta9* Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 12 persons):

- 2 white trout , medium size
- 1/2 onion, 1 celery, 1 carrot (sliced thin)
- pepper in grains
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3-4 laurel leaves
- a large handful thyme
- Extra Virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 5 anchovies under oil
- Ready-to-use polenta or Corn flour for polenta
- Salt

WHAT TO DO:

1. Bring water to boiling point with salt, celery, onion, carrot, clove, pepper for about 14 minutes in a rectangular baking pan (deep enough to fit the trout and cover them with water).
2. Add the trout and let them cook in your stove covered with a lid or aluminum foil for another 15-20 minutes.
3. Then take the trout out of the stove, drain them, and cool them down.
4. When cool, peel the skin, cut the back and remove the fish bones. Arrange the fillets on a plate while waiting for the sauce to be ready.
5. In the meanwhile, fry oil and garlic in a non-sticky pan at low heat until golden.
6. Then take out the garlic and add a handful of thyme, 1/2 glass of water and melt the anchovies.
7. Switch off the heat and place the fish fillets in smaller pieces into the sauce, gently stirring with a wooden spoon to make sure all the fillets absorb the sauce.
8. Let it flavour at low heat for few minutes and serve it on a warm soft polenta. Super yummy!

TIPS & TRICKS:

- Polenta is basically boiled porridge made from cornmeal. Traditional polenta is typically simmered for about 45 minutes. It requires almost constant stirring. These days, quick cooking and ready-made packaged polenta are easy to find.
- In London you can easily buy Polenta flour to make it yourself at home. It is very straightforward; you only need to follow the recipe indicated on the box. In this way you can choose the consistency of the mix and get it to a softer or harder Polenta by only changing the proportions of flour and water. If you decide to make it yourself, plan in advance your time and prepare it beforehand.
- If you do not like the Polenta taste, you can otherwise eat the fish with white boiled rice. It is different but could be tasty anyway.
- For an even more elegant presentation, you can decorate the dish with some extra leaves of fresh thyme and a sprinkle of ground pepper.

‘Tortiglioni’ with fine asparagus and soft cheese

PrimiJan 16 20140 Comments

tortiglioni punte asparagi

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 4 persons):

- 125 g tender sweet fine asparagus
- 2 shallots, thinly chopped
- 1 glass of Italian wine ‘Ribolla gialla’
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt/ground black pepper
- 1 large handful of grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon of fat, soft cheese
- 350 g of tortiglioni pasta
- sea salt

WHAT TO DO:

1. Start by chopping the asparagus into pieces and place them in a separate bowl.
2. In a frying pan, sweat the shallots in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Then add the asparagus chops and a pinch of salt. Cover the pan with a lid and cook at medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring from time to time.
3. Then add the glass of wine and let it dry out softly. Stop cooking only when the asparagus’ stems have become softer.
4. 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 tortiglioni pasta.
5. Throw the pasta into the boiling water and let it cook until ‘al dente’.
6. When ready, drain it and mix it into the frying pan with the asparagus base on a low heat. In order to make it creamer, add the tablespoon of soft creamy cheese together with the grated Parmesan and some black pepper. Serve it with a drizzle of olive oil.

TIPS & TRICKS:

- The white wine made from the Ribolla grape is typically a deep colored, light bodied wine with high acidity and floral notes. It is not difficult to find here in London but if you cannot find it in your local market, try to choose something similar to give the same flavour to your sauce. You could otherwise use a white floral wine from the north of Italy, such as from Tyrol or Collio area, or from South Africa.
- If you want to get an even creamier result, you can increase the amount of soft cheese but try not to make it dominate the flavour of the asparagus. Alternatively, you can use crème fraiche.

Trout fillet with baby leaf tender salad

SecondiJan 13 20140 Comments

trota su insalatina

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS: (x 4 persons)

- 4 fillets of smoked rainbow trout fillets
- 100g baby leaf tender salad
- 1 lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of roasted sesame seeds
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt/ ground pepper

WHAT TO DO:

1. Put your baby leaf tender salad on a large plate and lay the fish fillets cut in little bites on top.
2. Sprinkle the trout with lemon juice, fresh olive oil and black pepper and let it stay for 15’- 30’ before eating.
3. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and serve it with some slices of grilled sourdough bread.

TIPS & TRICKS:

- Very easy recipe for a quick dinner or a light meal.
- Get a very good result by using kiln smoked rainbow trout fillets, which you can easily find in local shops.
- If you want to get a stronger final taste, substitute the baby leaf tender salad with rocked salad.

Crocchette di patate/Potatoes croquettes

ContorniDec 26 20130 Comments

crocchettePatate4

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 15 bites):

- 500 g floury potatoes
- 1 egg yolk, + 1 medium size egg (to fry)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- salt/pepper
- 50 g grated Parmesan
- breadcrumbs
- sunflower seed oil

WHAT TO DO:

1. Wash the potatoes and boil them, unpeeled, in salty water. It twill take around 15-20 min.
2. When the potatoes are cooked and slightly cooled down, their skin should be easy to peel.
3. Then mash them inside a bowl when they are still warm.
4. Add the other ingredients (salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg yolk and Parmesan) and mix it well with a wooden spoon.
5. In a separate dish, whisk the egg and set it apart.
6. Using your hands pick up a small amount of the mix and mould it with your palms to obtain a kind of cylindrical ‘croquette’ shape. Dip the croquette first into the egg, then in the breadcrumbs making sure the entire little cylinder is covered. Prepare all the croquettes before frying.
7. In the meanwhile, take a large frying pan and bring the sunflower oil to a boiling temperature (around 180°C). Fry the croquettes until golden on all sides and then place them on some kitchen paper to get rid of the excess oil. Serve them warm.

TIPS & TRICKS:

- This is a dish loved by kids…. It is easy to prepare and diversify by adding some ham or cheese in the mix for a little tasty surprise!
- For the potatoes, choose a good floury such as King Edwards or Cara.
- If you want to have them crustier on the outside, cover them with a second layer of egg and breadcrumbs. Yummy!

‘Margherita’ cake with ricotta

DolciDec 19 20132 Comments

tortaRicottaNapoli7

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 8 persons):

- 300 g caster sugar
- 3 whole eggs
- 120 g unsalted butter
- 300 g not-raising plain flour (‘00’)
- 300 g of ricotta cheese
- 1 bag of Vanilla-flavoured raising powder

To decorate

- 2 tablespoon of confectioners sugar

WHAT TO DO:

1. Before preparing the cake’s mix, take the butter out of the fridge and let it stay at room temperature for at least half an hour. (The butter needs to get softer, but should not melt). Pre-heat the oven at 180° C.
2. In the meanwhile, start whisking the eggs in a large bowl until softer and foamy.
3. Add the sugar to the eggs, mix it well. Then add the butter, already diced in smaller pieces. With this low-dense cream, throw in the flour little by little, but make sure you do not to get any clumps. Once perfect add the ricotta cheese, which will make the mixture softer.
4. Before you start preparing the cake base, spread some butter evenly on the bottom and the borders of a round baking pan (about 26 cm diameter). Sprinkle some flour on top to avoid stickiness. Discard the excess flour.
5. The last ingredients to add is, as always, the raising powder. I suggest you to pass it through a sieve to let it mix equally into the cake mixture.
6. Now you are ready to bake the cake in the oven for about 30’ (check the baking point by using a long wooden pointy stick. Make sure you do it only when the cake surface turns slightly brown and starts to crust).
7. When the cake is done, take it out from the oven to cool it down.
8. You can put it on a serving plate only when it is not hot anymore. Sprinkle on top a generous amount of confectioners’ sugar. Enjoy it!

TIPS & TRICKS:

- This is a yummy recipe for sweet winter treats, with a cup of coffee or tea.
- This recipe comes out very nicely by adding extra ricotta to the mixture. You can increase the dose up to about 400 g instead of 300 g, without changing the proportions of other ingredients.
- A nice tip to get a crusty ‘sugary’ surface is to sprinkle some brown sugar on top of the mix before baking. Your kids will love it (my nephews do!).

‘Torta salata’ with courgettes, Feta and Gruyere cheese

Party recipesDec 12 20130 Comments

tortazucchGruy3

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 8 persons):

- 1 roll of short crust pastry
- 2-3 big courgettes, roundly sliced
- 100 g of Gruyere cheese, chopped in small pieces
- 100 g of Feta cheese, chopped in small pieces
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 handful of finely chopped parsley
- 1 handful of plain breadcrumbs
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- ground pepper (optional)

WHAT TO DO:

1. Switch on the oven at about 180°C. In a separate saucepan, sweat the garlic clove in some olive oil as a whole or thinly sliced.
2. Add the courgettes, adjust with salt and let them cook until soft. Add the parsley when the dish is nearly done.
3. Remember to take out the crust pastry roll from the fridge about half hour before using it. Let it get to room temperature.
4. When the courgettes are ready and slightly cooled down, lay the pastry on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Spread evenly the courgettes, the two cheeses, and on top of it a sprinkle of breadcrumbs with olive oil and black pepper (optional).
5. Cook into a pre-heated oven until the pastry is golden.

TIPS & TRICKS:

- A nice alternative can be obtained by using the puffy pastry in place 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 a bite for an aperitivo or during a party.

Pennette with smoked salmon

PrimiDec 11 20131 Comment

penneSalmone5*

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS: (x 4 persons)

- 320 g of pennette pasta
- 100 g of smoked salmon, in slices
- 70 g of fresh creamy cheese (Philadelphia-like)
- salt/sea salt/black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of chives (fresh and chopped or dried)
- a sprinkle of lemon juice
- extra virgin olive oil

WHAT TO DO:

1. Cut the salmon slices in smaller pieces and place them in a bowl with the lemon juice and the chives. Let them marinate until ready to mix it with the pasta. I would suggest around 15-20 minutes.
2. In the meanwhile, put a deep pan filled with water on a fire, cover with a lid and get it to boiling point. When boiling, bring down to a gentler boil and add a handful of sea salt. Let the water get back to boiling before adding the pennette. They will be ready in about 10-12’ (depending on the brand you have chosen).
3. Few minutes before taking out the pasta, mix the cream cheese with the salmon and adjust the density by adding some water from the pan in which you are boiling the pasta. Mix the sauce with the pennette , drizzle it with some chives and a some black pepper, and serve it warm.

TIPS & TRICKS:

- If in a hurry, you can skip marinating the fish and use it straight from the pack.
- A nice alternative to the chives could be parsley. Coriander doesn’t work well as it is too strong in flavour and can dominate the salmon flavour.
- Farfalle pasta or any other kind of short pasta can be used if pennette are not sold in your local supermarket.

Caramelised black figs on rough oatcakes with soft goat’s cheese and thyme

AntipastiDec 09 20132 Comments

fichi caramellati_selez

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 10 persons)

- 50 ml Balsamic vinegar
- 1 glass Portuguese Porto wine
- 1 package soft goats’ cheese, in slices
- 4 black figs
- 50 g sugar
- a handful of thyme leaves

WHAT TO DO:

1. Wash the figs with their own skin and cut them into wedges.
2. Place them in a casserole with the sugar, 100 ml of water and the balsamic vinegar. Let the sugar melt at low heat by gently stirring it with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the figs, the Port and cover with a lid. Let the figs cook for about 5 min, then take them out, drain them from the sauce and put them apart.
4. In the meanwhile, let the sauce thicken at low heat until it is reduced to about 2/3rd. When dense and creamy enough, switch the fire off and let it cool down.
5. Place the rough oatcakes on a serving tray and, on top of each one, put a slice of soft goat’s cheese. Decorate with a wedge of caramelised fig, a teaspoon of creamy sauce and a sprinkle of thyme leaves. Believe me, supergood!

TIPS & TRICKS:

- This is a perfect recipe to use as a starter or during a party.
- You can prepare them in advance, to save time, and warm the sauce just before serving them.

Parma ham roses, mozzarella and basil

Antipasti, Party recipesDec 06 20131 Comment

proscMozz3*

Difficulty: Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 2 persons):

- 6 thin slices of Italian Parma ham
- 1 handful of basil leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 mozzarella (250 g)
- salt/ground black pepper

WHAT TO DO:

1. Cut the mozzarella in thin slices and place them centrally on a dish.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, some salt and ground pepper.
3. Take one slice of Parma ham at a time and, with your hands, roll it up to create the shape of a rose.
4. Alternate the ham ‘roses’ with basil leaves, creating a circle. Serve it at room temperature. Nice presentation to impress your guests!

TIPS & TRICKS:

- If you opt for the Buffalo mozzarella cheese instead of the traditional one, I would not add any salt as Buffalo is quite salty by itself.
- When you prepare the dish in advance, leave the mozzarella dressing to the moment you serve it. In the meanwhile keep it in the fridge, making sure it is not too cold so you do not mask the flavours.


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