Recipes From Our Kitchen

Insalata di Rinforzo ~ ‘Reinforcement’ Salad

Serves 4 to 6

Rinse the cauliflower. Cut into small florets and cook in boiling salted water for about 7 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook – it should still be a little crunchy. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again. Place in a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and place in the fridge to cool.

Meanwhile, cut the pickled peppers in half, remove the stalk and seeds, and cut into strips. Cut the anchovies into small pieces. Once the cauliflower is cold, place in a clean bowl with the olives, capers, pickled peppers, anchovies and pickled vegetables. Season with salt, pepper, a splash of vinegar and a drizzling of olive oil. Mix well and leave in the fridge for at least 3 or 4 hours before serving. This salad is often served on a bed of escarole.

Pair with Feudi Dubl Brut.

Pickles are notoriously difficult to match with wines, and the only real choice is bubbles. We’ve chosen Feudi Dubl Brut made from 100% Falanghina grapes, which offers a delicate persistent perfume and notes of ginger on the tongue, with mineral notes keeping the palate clean. A great all-round choice and doubles up as the perfect aperitivo!
http://dubl.it/

Spaghetti e Vongole – Spaghetti with Clams

Serves 4

Preparation

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Rinse the clams in several changes of cold water. Discard any that are open or damaged.

Cook spaghetti according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat a very generous swirl of olive oil in a large pan, add the garlic and chili, then fry gently for a few moments. Stir in the tomatoes (if using), then add the clams and the wine, and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the clams are open. (Discard any clams that do not open.) Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain, then tip into the pan with the clams along with the parsley and toss together. Serve in bowls with bread for mopping up the juices.
**If you prefer, you can leave out the tomatoes. Also, some people like to shell about a half of the cooked clams and adding them back to the sauce before tossing with the pasta.

Pair with Marisa Cuomo Furore Bianco.

Made in a winery perched on the hillside directly overlooking the sea, it should be no surprise that this delicious white made from Falanghina and Biancolella grapes makes the perfect partner for spaghetti with seafood. With its delicate perfume of fruit and Mediterranean herbs and its generous well-balanced flavour, this wine is a winner.
http://www.marisacuomo.com/vini/furore-bianco.php

Baccalà Fritto

Baccalà is salted dried cod. It needs to be soaked at least three days before using. At Christmastime, most fishmongers sell pre-soaked baccalà, otherwise you can do it at home.

Serves 4

If the baccalà fillets still have skin on, remove it by lifting a little of the skin near the tail and pulling slowly in the opposite direction. Then, feel gently along the fillets, and using a pair of tweezers, remove any bones. Cut the fillets into thick chunks about 8cm (3 ½ in) by 4cm (2 in). Place the flour in a bowl and roll each piece of baccalà in flour, gently shaking to remove any excess. Heat the oil in a small deep pan to 180°C (360°F) and fry the baccalà in batches, turning every so often so it cooks evenly. After about 5 minutes or when the fish is fried to a deep golden color, remove from oil and place on kitchen paper to drain. Serve piping hot.

Pair with Ciro Picariello Fiano di Avellino.

Rich in minerality, the crispness of this Fiano cuts nicely through the oil in the dish. Stoney notes are balanced by warm peat, straw and white flowers, and the lingering aftertaste is well suited to the decisive flavor of the baccalà.
http://www.ciropicariello.it/Vini.html

Insalata di Baccalà

Baccalà is salted dried cod. It needs to be soaked at least three days before using. At Christmastime, most fishmongers sell pre-soaked baccalà, otherwise you can do it at home.

Serves 4

If the baccalà fillets still have skin on, remove it by lifting a little of the skin near the tail and pulling slowly in the opposite direction. Then, feel gently along the fillets, and using a pair of tweezers, remove any bones. Cut the fillets into large chunks and cook in a large pan of boiling water for about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the baccalà and leave to cool slightly. Using your hands, break the pieces of baccalà into small pieces and arrange in a flat serving dish. Season the baccalà with a little salt (check first – it may already be salty enough), and a drizzling of olive oil and lemon juice. Garnish with a little chopped parsley.

Pair with Casa D’Ambra Per’ E’ Palummo.

For our insalata di baccalà, we’ve chosen a light red that is nevertheless big on flavour and will make the perfect accompaniment for this salad. Ruby red and with a delicate wine-infused bouquet, this wine is light enough not to overcome the fish but also rich and complex enough to compliment the big flavors the baccalà has to offer.
http://www.dambravini.com/

Roccocò – Christmas Almond Cookies

Serves Makes about 25 cookies

• 500 g (4 cups) plain flour
• 500 g (2 ½ cups) sugar
• Scant teaspoon baking ammonia (or baking powder)
• 2 teaspoons of pisto (mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, star anise & vanilla)
• 400 g (14 oz) toasted whole almonds
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• Grated rind of 1 mandarin
• 200 ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) warm water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (360°F). In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking ammonia and pisto. Then stir in the almonds and grated lemon and mandarin rind. Add the warm water and mix well with your hands to form a soft dough. If the dough is too dry, add a little more warm water. Turn the dough onto a work surface dusted with flour and knead briefly (adding a little extra flour if necessary) until it is not too sticky anymore.

Cut off small pieces of dough and roll them into thin strips about 15cm (6 in) long and 2cm (3/4 in) wide. Shape the logs into a doughnut shape, making sure the ends overlap a little. Place the roccocò on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with the beaten egg. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool then store in an airtight container. These cookies will keep well for a couple of months.

Pair with Castello Ducale Meteora.

Campania has some great passito wines on offer these days, and this offering from Castello Ducale in Benevento is deep amber yellow in color with a rich, natural sweetness. With its perfumes of citrus fruits, straw and honey, drink this wine with dry spiced cookies or desserts with cream.
http://www.cantinacastelloducale.com/