POLPETTE EGGPLANT x 4 pax
2 eggplants – scored placed in the oven for about 15-20 min ( depends on size of eggplant ) – and then peeled . Leave in a drainer and let as much water come out .
100 g of stale breadcrumbs + an extra 50 g for coating the polpette afterwards
50 g parmesan
2 eggs beaten
Mint & basil finely chopped
salt & pepper
slice you eggplants and then finely dice it . To create small crushed pieces
in a mixing bowl mix together all the ingredients
create your oval shaped balls with your hands and afterwards coat them well in the stale breadcrumbs
In a frying pan put about 1 cm high of sun flower or Peanut oil .
Once the oil is hot , Gently fry the balls till a nice golden colour .
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BECCAFICO
we used 24 anchoives to make 12 beccafico cakes
The anchoives need to be without any middle bones and clean , opened in half and with tails left on .
400 g of fresh breadcrumbs
salt & pepper
1 1/2 organge juice
50 g Raisins
30 g pine nuts
100 g Parmesan
2 eggs – beat
500 g of Stale breadcrumbs
Beccafico procedure
* In a bowl , mix together : fresh breadcrumbs , orange juice , raisins, pine nuts , parmesan , salt and pepper . mix together so they make a nice soft consistency .
First take your anchovies and place a table spoon of the breadcrumb mixture and squash it between the two anchovies, forming a sandwich.
Once you have completed all of your anchovies , cover them with the beaten egg and then cover them with the breadcrumbs.
fry your beccafico cakes in sunflower oil until nice and crispy .
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TUNA TARTAR
600 g of fresh tuna cut in fillets and then we diced and chopped it up.
10 g Chopped Mint
10 g of chopped Onion chives
10 g chopped Capers
1 nice lug of Extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon juice
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MACCHERONI ALLA NORMA
Pasta for 4 -6 people
Long thin metal skewers . called ferro, a metal spike . . However, a thin wooden skewer works as a substitute too.
1/2 kg of semola flour
a lug of olive oil
250 ml of water
a large pinch salt
Preparing the pasta
On a clean surface add all the flour create a well and add the olive oil and add the pinch of salt . With your hands create a hole in the middle .
in the hole gently add the water and with your hand slow mix the flour into water . continue adding the water , until you get a nice firm dough. kneed the dough together , stretching it for about 10 minutes
now cover the dough and let it rest for minimum an hour .
Once the pasta has rested , we can start making the maccheroni .
Cut small pieces of the pasta dough and place the skewer on top .
The trick, so to speak, is to apply enough pressure on the piece of dough so that it flattens and spreads around the ferro as you roll it, but not so much as to make it stick to the ferro. At the end of the process, you want to be able to slide the maccheroni from the ferro without misshaping it (if that happens, you can always re-roll the dough and try again).
It helps to flour the skewer often. I have two of them at hand: while I am using one, the other is inside the flour bag. When the first one becomes a bit sticky, I put it in the flour and take up the other.
Cook the maccheroni in salted boiling water for around 8 – 10 minutes
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Tomato sauce & Aubergines
3 Aubergines – Peeled and sliced in 50 mm / 1 cm slices – fried gently in vegetable oil (we used peanut oil)
n.b We used the variety called seta (small , round and white inside ) – you can use Turco variety ( long , dark purple ) too but please drain the sliced aubergines under Salt for 2 hours -tap dry and then fry .
500 g of Piccadilly tomatoes – briefly boiled and skinned and cut in quarters (we can keep the seeds as they are not bitter)
2-3 garlic gloves
A large lug of good quality extra virgin olive oil
Procedure : In a pan , place you tomatoes and keep on a medium heat for around 45 minutes , the tomatoes will loose their water and then the sauce will start to thicken and dry up . Add 2 teaspoons of salt
Once its the right consistency , turn off the heat , add the basil and the 2 garlic cloves and the oilve oil . (you can remove the garlic before you use the tomato sauce )
n.b If your tomatoes are not as sweet please add a teaspoon of sugar to this sauce , ( it will make a difference )
Your sauce is done.
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Involtini di sword fish with lemon x 4
400 g of sliced hammered down sword fish –
1 lemon zest grated ( you can use orange too)
200 g of Fresh breadcrumbs
Parsley finely chopped
salt and pepper
100 g of Parmesan cheese grated
Mix the breadcrumbs with parsley and parmesan.
On your sword fish add a large lug of olive oil and mix well , add the grated lemon and salt and pepper . Mix well
Take each piece of sword fish and roll into the breadcrumb mixture , rolling it tightly making sure there is breadcrumbs in the middle and give a final gentle squeeze . Put each involtino on the wooden skewer , max 4-5 pieces per skewer.