"Buona Festa della Mamma!" (Week 11 - Italy)

A big cheer could be heard when we pulled this out of the ‘hat’. My son asked if we could have more than one meal from Italy, so we decided to have a week of Italian food. Then my husband realised that it was Mothers Day and he had promised to do cooking for the weekend. He quickly offered to take us all out for breakfast, so we wouldn’t want too much more, which just left him with Sunday. He was a star, and spent ages on Saturday preparing the meal for Sunday – and it tasted just as good as mine! He did John Torode's big hearty meatball meal, a family favourite and it was lovely. Tiramsu is my favourite pudding, and this is what my husband and son did for pudding on mothers day. However, this  scored low as the cream was over whipped, too much coffee and the top was sprinkled with cocoa powder by a 7 year old; as you can imagine it went everywhere and lots of it.  Normally, this rates in the 80/90’s score; but not on this occasion -  although 100% for effort and I did finish up all the leftovers! I have made ciabatta in the past, but didn’t this time around. I have also previously attempted panettone (twice) and have collected 2 cooking scars as they were awful – we couldn’t eat it. I have never made something that was inedible, I was optimistic for my second attempt, and it was slightly better, but still not enjoyable and not really fit for consumption.  I love panettone and often bulk buy them at Christmas; so I thought I would give it another go and used Paul Hollywoods recipe as he said “You cannot fail with this”. He wasn’t too far off, I didn’t have a machine to help with the labour, but a very keen 7 year old who worked the dough well enough to create a pretty good attempt. Maybe that is where I went wrong the previous occasions, I didn’t use child labour! (No need to comment on this, as I am joking.) My mother’s old recipe book, which was published in 1968 had some funny ideas on how to make spaghetti bolognaise and had a number of recipes that included brains in them; none of which I followed! Italian is always popular, so I have left out bolognaise and pizza recipes, as we all have our own tried and tasted recipes and just included the other options; as well as that panettone masterpiece!


Next week we are off to Haiti, a warmer climate but as far from the eclipse as you could get. Write again then...

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Parma Ham Chicken.………………………………………………77

Panettone......…………………………………………………………80

Polpetino (Meatball macaroni pasta)......…………...….90

Tiramsu......................................................................63

 

Wanted to cook:

Chicken Cannelloni

 

 

Parma Ham Chicken

Source: “Chicken, simple and straightforward” Gina Steer

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

Salt and freshly ground pepper

12 slices parma ham

2 tbs olive oil

350g / 12oz ribbon pasta

1 garlic glove, peeled and chopped

1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and diagonally sliced

400g tin of tomatoes

Juice of 1 lemon

150ml / ¼ pint crème fraiche

3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Pinch of salt

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

 

Method

1. Cut each chicken breast into three pieces and season well with salt and pepper. Wrap each chicken in a slice of parma ham to enclose completely, securing if necessary with either fine twine or cocktail sticks.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken, turning occasionally, for 12 – 15 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions, or until ‘al dente’.
4. Add the garlic and spring onions to the frying pan and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, lemon juice and crème fraiche. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer, covered for 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley, and sugar, season to taste, then return the chicken to the pan and heat for 2-3 minutes, or until piping hot.
5. Drain the pasta thoroughly and mix in the chopped parsley, then spoon on to a warmed serving dish, or individual plates. Arrange the chicken and sauce over the pasta. Garnish and serve immediately.
    
    

Panettone

[I did 1 7g yeast sachet, and halved the rest of the ingredients)

Source: Paul Hollywood

Ingredients

500g strong flour

50g caster sugar

14g fast acting dried yeast

7g salt

5 eggs (room temperature)

140ml warm milk

 

Mix the above well; machine is best, for about 5 minutes. You need to see ‘string’ forming.

NB: I did not use a machine, so worked the dough longer (or rather my son did!)

Add 250g softened butter. Mix well, until it leaves a buttery sheen on strands of dough.

 

Fruit:

120g Cherries

120g raisins

120g sultanas

120g currants

 

Mix all the fruit in. Then you need to chill it down – as it is (a) too wet and (b) needs to ferment the yeast. Put it into the fridge overnight.

Flour the bench and knock the dough back and shape for the buttered tin. Leave to rise at room temperature for 1- 2 hours. You should get a dome shape, which needs to be egg washed and then popped into a pre-heated oven 180F for 20 – 25minues, then 150F for 35 minutes.

Once out of the oven remove from the tin (which is unlike a cake).

 

 

Polpetino (Meatball Macaroni Pasta)

Source: John Torode

Serves 8

150ml / ¼ pint olive oil

2 large onions, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

100g / 40z fresh breadcrumbs [I have made with/ without these and both works]

50ml / 2 fl oz milk

500g / 1lb 2oz quality beef mince

500g / 1lb 2oz Italian sausages (about 8) meat squeezed from the skins

200ml / 7fl oz red wine

2 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

500g pack macaroni

White sauce:

50g / 2oz butter

50g / 2oz plain flour

600ml / 1 pint milk

100g / 4oz grated tasty cheese, such as mature cheddar or Gruyere

 

1. Make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a medium pan, then stir in the flour. Keeping the heat high, whisk in the milk and bring to the boil, whisking until smooth and thickened. Season the sauce with a good pinch of salt and some pepper, then stir in most of the cheese. Set it aside covering it with cling film, to stop a skin forming. (I make the white sauce last).
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based casserole or frying pan, then add the onions and garlic and a real good pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook slowly and gently until the onions are soft but not coloured. Take half the mix out and mix with the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, lift the rest of the onions out of the pan, leaving the oil behind. Set aside.
3. Mix the mince and sausage meat, chopped parsley and lots of salt and pepper into the breadcrumbs. Mix really well with your hands until the whole thing becomes pasty rather than lumpy. Shape into the size of ping-pong balls, then heat the pan again and brown the balls in batches in the leftover onions oil. Remove the final batch,  then return the reserved onions to the pan with the wine. Bubble over a high heat, scraping the bottom of the pan, then stir in the tomatoes and meatballs. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Can be made up to 2 days ahead, or frozen.
4. Heat oven to 200c / 180C fan GM6 and boil the macaroni according to the packet. Drain well, then mix with meatball sauce. Tip into the largest ovenproof dish you have. Top with the white sauce, (warm it a bit if it is slightly solid) then scatter with the remaining sauce. Bake for 34-40 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
    
    

Tiramasu

Source: “World Table” Marks and Spencer’s publication

Serves 8 (we halved the ingredients for us)

Ingredients

2 tbsp ground coffee

250ml boiling water

125ml Marsala (optional – I have used baileys before)

250g sponge fingers

310ml whipping cream (I use double)

40g icing sugar, sifted

500g mascarpone cheese

2 tbsp marsala, extra

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

 

Method:

1. Place coffee and water in coffee plunger; stand for 2 minutes before plunging. (we used instant) Combine coffee mixture with marsala and cool for 10 minutes.
2. Place half the biscuits in single layer, over the base of a 2 litre dish, drizzle with half the coffee mixture.
3. Beat cream and icing sugar in a small bowl until soft peaks; transfer to a larger bowl. Fold in combined mascarpone and extra marsala.
4. Spread half the cream mixture over the biscuits in the dish. Submerge the remaining biscuits, one at a time, in coffee mixture, taking care that the biscuits do not become so soggy that they fall apart, place over the cream layer. Top biscuit layer with remaining cream mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
    
    
    

Chicken Cannelloni

Source: “Chicken, simple and straightforward” Gina Steer

Ingredients

Serves 6

50g / 2oz butter

2 garlic gloves, peeled and finely crushed

225g / 8oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

450g / 1 lb fresh spinach, blanched

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp plain flour

300ml / ½ pint chicken stock

150ml / ¼ pint dry white wine

150ml / ¼ pint double cream

350g / 12oz skinless boneless, cooked chicken, chopped

175g / 6oz parma ham, finely chopped

½ tsp dried thyme

225g / 8oz precooked cannelloni tubes

175g / 6oz Gruyere cheese, grated

40g / 1 ½ oz parmesan cheese, grated

Sprig of fresh basil, to garnish.

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C / 375F / GM5, 10 minutes before cooking. Lightly butter a 28x23 cm (9x11 inch) ovenproof baking dish. Heat half the butter in a large heavy-based frying pan, then add garlic and mushrooms and cook gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the basil and spinach and cook, covered, until the spinach is wilted and just tender, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then spoon into the dish and reserve.
2. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan, then stir in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, stir in the stock, then the wine and the cream. Return to the heat, bring to the boil and simmer, until the sauce is thick and smooth, then season to taste.
3. Measure 125ml / 4 fl oz of the cream sauce into a bowl and add the chopped chicken, Parma ham and the dried thyme and then season to taste. Spoon the chicken mixture into the cannelloni tubes, arranging them in 2 long rows on top of the spinach layer.
4. Add half the Gruyere cheese to the cream sauce and heat, stirring, until the cheese melts. Pour over the sauce and top with remaining Gruyere and the parmesan cheeses. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil and serve immediately.