Recipes Villa Britannia 18th October dinner cooking

Caponata x 10 people

Caponata (Sicilian: capunata) is a Sicilian eggplant (aubergine) dish consisting of a cooked vegetable salad made from chopped fried eggplant and celery seasoned with sweetened vinegar, with capers in a sweet and sour sauce.[1]

Numerous local variations of the ingredients exist with some versions adding olives, carrots and green bell peppers, and others adding potatoes, or pine nuts and raisins.

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2 onions – roughly chopped

1 celery – chopped in large slices (include leaves )

1/2 kg   San marzano or Piccadilly tomatoes cuts into small cubes 

4 eggplants –  chopped in cubes of around 2cm diameter

5 peppers.-  chopped i squares of 2 cm diameter

Raisins  – 2 table spoons 

Pine nuts – 2 table spoons

basil – nice hand ful  just the leaves

salt

pepper

2 teaspoons of sugar

3 tables spoons of vinegar

olive oil

peanut oil

Preparing the eggplants

Take most of the skin off with a peeler  and cut 3 of the aubergines into cubes of around 2-3 cms .

Add a generous amount of salt to all the eggplant and place in a drainer and let them drain for around 1.30 -2 hours  . (This will take all the bitterness out and water from the eggplant  , meaning they will absorb less fat ) .

Preparing the base of the Caponata

in a frying plan add a large lug of olive oil and add the onions and celery and gently fry , adding a few table spoons of water once and while so it stays nice and soft .  Add the tomatoes , rasins and pinenuts  and slowing continue frying for around 5 minutes , then dd the sugar and vinegar and gently mix together . Turn off .

Fry the peppers and all aubergines separately  in pan with a large quantity of hot peanut oil  gently fry until the aubergines are golden and soft and the peppers the same .

Once finished add the eggplants  and peppers to the caponata base and on a low heat stir and add the large handful or basil .

The caponata is done.

img_9812SPAGHETTI ROLLS IN FRIED EGG PLANT  

4  eggplants – Sliced and placed under rock salt for up to 2 hours – Gently fry in vegetable oil until golden brown .

1 eggplant diced in small 1 cm cube pieces

A packet of Spaghetti -the thiner ones are better , easier to roll .  – Boil and drain 2 minutes less that whats indicated on the packet

20 g of  mixed salted Ricotta and oven ricotta .

 

 

 

To make your fresh tomato sauce 

2 shallot onions chopped in quarters

2 Tbs basil finely chopped

400 g of Piccadilly tomatoes – cut in half 

  • Place in a frying pan the tbs olive oil. onions, basil and start frying at low -medium heat for  10 minutes. 
  • Add the tomatoes and rock salt .
  • Cover your saucepan and leave for half 20-30 minutes on low / medium heat
  • Once the tomatoes are lovely and soft and not too watery , turn off the heat. 
  • Purify your sauce , using the emulix (food mill)  getting rid of the vegetables and skins, leaving just the tomato sauce.

Once you have fried your eggplant slices – distribute on a large  surface .

Drain your pasta and amalgamate with 1/2 of of your tomato sauce , the diced eggplants and the ricotta cheese. Mix well in your pan on a low heat .

Now with a fork and spoon gently roll and large  fork of spaghetti on each eggplant.

Rolls your eggplants and place on a baking tray, top with the remaining tomato sauce and place  in the oven for 10-15 minute at 150 °c.

Violà Spaghetti rolls are ready.

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INVOLTINI DI PORK 

400 g of  pork cut in slices and thinned out .

 250 g breadcrumbs : ( 8 slices of white bread grated into crumbs – pinch of salt and pepper – pinch of oregano – 20 g parmesan – hand full parsley and a hand full basil finely chopped – a handful of sesame seeds  )

MIX ALL TOGETHER ) .

 

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* wooden skewers

 *  Slice your pork  -. that they are more or less 7-8 cm wide and 1/2 cm think –

*  Hammer your pork so its lovely and thin.

* Coat in olive oil or vegetable

 * Coat in your breadcrumbs

* Carefully roll your pork slices

* Place 4-5 rolls on your wood skewers
* Gently grill them in a grilled pan  or fried – which has been brushed lightly with some olive oil

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Beverages

Spumante –  Tenuta del abate

White wine – Grillo & Voigner Tenuta del abate

Rosè : Felice Modica

Mandarinetto