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Recipes by Gabriella for New Harvest Oil from Sicily
Recipes by Gabriella for New Harvest Oil from Sicily
A quick ricotta-fava-fennel pasta., White & Green Pasta:
While your preferred pasta is boiling, in a bowl, combine ricotta (ideally fresh sheep’s or goat's milk), raw or steamed green fava or lima beans, abundant chopped wild fennel leaves, and a good amount of ground black pepper. For a heartier meal, add sliced or chunks of steamed, baby artichoke hearts (Italian's best). Transfer the cooked, strained pasta while reserving a ladle of cooking water, to the bowl, add abundant green freshpressed olive oil, and, optionally, swirl a few skewered whole garlic cloves through for just a very light hint of flavor. If needed add a bit of hot pasta water to loosen it up, especially if the ricotta is dense and older.
A quick fish and vegetable dish:
Drizzle oil into a pan to sear fileted cod / monkfish / sea bass with thinly sliced potatoes and young green asparagus, sea salt, whole slices of lemon zest, and slivers of fresh, dried or frozen red chili pepper. It all gets put into a searing hot pan at the same time, at high heat to start for about 2 minutes without tossing any of the ingredients. Then, lower the heat and cover the pan. Flip ingredients after 10 minutes, optionally add a dash of white wine, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Drizzle some more olive oil, and serve. If you haven't added any white wine during cooking you might want to squeeze some fresh lemon on the fish at the end.
Harvested ~ Extracted ~ Bottled October 6 - 17, 2017
A fruity and herbaceous vintage!
Color: deep golden green
Nose: grass, green apple, fruit, herbs
Palate: well-rounded, broad, fresh olive fruit, hints of artichoke and nut, moderately bitter and spicy
Finish: long, lasting, slightly peppery
Texture: silky and buttery
That year's taste and scent profile was very fruity and herbaceous, with moderate pepperiness and mild astringency.
Pasta e Fagioli
“Pasta e Fasoli”
Pasta and Bean Soup
Ingredients
2.5 qt (2,5L) of water • 3 cups (1Lbs/500g) fresh Borlotti or kidney beans, just shelled (=2Lbs/1kg with shells, or 2 cups dry beans, soaked 5 to 8h in water, then drained) • 2 celery stalks • 300g (2 cups) halved Grape tomatoes • 1 medium red onion, peeled • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled • optional: 1 whole carrot, peeled garlic cloves • 1⁄2 cup (7 tbsp/100g) freshpressed evoo • sea salt, as needed • ground black pepper • 400g Ditalini-cut pasta.
Serves 6 to 8 people as a first course
Time: 1h30 excluding bean shelling
Preparation
Bring beans and fresh water to a boil in a double-bottom stock pot. 10min in add the tomatoes, celery, onions, and optionally the carrot & garlic, and cover lowering the heat to simmer for 1h15, or until the beans are tender, lifting the lid to stir occasionally. Remove tomato skins, celery, onions and carrot with a slotted spoon (or remove, purée in a blender and add back in). Salt to taste. Keep in the pot and set aside (or store in the fridge for up to one day in a closed glass jar). In a separate pot cook pasta halfway through in salted water. If bean soup is too dense (if you stored it overnight, reheat now in a pan), add some of the pasta cooking water. Transfer the strained pasta into the beans. They need to be quite soupy to finish cooking for at least 5 more minutes, and knowing that this will regain much density when cooling, don’t skimp on adding pasta water. Finish by drizzling freshpressed olive oil and grinding abundant black pepper.
Sub: You can use chickpeas, lentils, dried peas like this too but they'll need less than an hour cooking time. Taste for doneness.
Harvested ~ Extracted ~ Bottled October 4 - 15, 201 6
An incisively herbaceous vintage!
Color: intensely green
Nose: olive, cut grass, raw artichoke
Palate: fresh, fruity, grassy, hints of tomato vine, slight bitterness
Finish: lasting and delicately peppery
Texture: silky and smooth
That year’s taste and scent profile was deeply herbaceous, with low pepperiness and very mild astringency.
La Caponata di Enza
“A capunata di Enzù”
Cousin Enza’s Sicilian Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
Chunk/dice 1 peeled red onion (1-1.5 cup) • 2-3 celery stalks, cleaned • 2-3 fresh San Marzano tomatoes • 2-3 oval eggplant (about 2 lbs) • 2-3 green bell peppers (avoid watery pulp) • 3⁄4 cup (100g) pitted, quartered green olives • 2 tbsp tiny capers (in vinegar or salt brine in which case soak/rinse) • 1⁄2 cup (7 tbsp/100g) freshpressed evoo • 1⁄4 cup (0,5dl) red wine vinegar • Sea salt, as needed • 1 tbsp sugar.
Serves 6-10 people (side or main dish)
Time: 1h15
Preparation
1) Salt eggplant in colander 30min • 2) Blanch celery 5min • 3) Heat 3 tbsp oil into wide-bottomed pot to sweat onion 2min • 4) Add strained celery and tomato over medium heat • 5) Wash salt off eggplant, pat dry, sweat in a pan with 4 tbsp hot oil to shrink through water evaporation rather than frying and browning, 10min • 6) Add bell peppers (Optional) to vegetable pot, cover and cook at least 3min, then add eggplant to pot • 7) Cook over medium heat with lid on for 30min or, tasting it, until vegetables are soft (allow a little bite to celery) • 8) Mix in vinegar, sugar, two pinches of salt • 9) Cook 5min uncovered, then add pitted olive bits and capers. Switch off flame. Toss well, let rest 20min, then taste to adjust salt-vinegar-sugar. Present: Serve at room temperature or cool as it can stay in the refrigerator for three days.
Harvested ~ Extracted ~ Bottled 25 September – 2 October 2015
A subtly hot vintage!
Color: young grass field green
Nose: rumpled grass, raw artichoke, green apple, green almond
Palate: buttery avocado fruit, pepper, slight raw olive bitterness, mild astringency
Finish: long with some heat
Texture: light and smooth fluidity
This year’s profile is subtle yet peppery.
Pesto Verde Ricetta di Famiglia
“Pesto Verde Becchina”
My Family’s Green Pesto
Ingredients
3 cups basil - 1 c. flat parsley - 3 peeled garlic cloves - ¾ c. pinenuts - 1 c. toasted skinless almonds - ½ c. chopped pecorino (Romano, Siciliano, or other sheep’s cheese) - 1 c. grated Parmigiano or Grana - 8 whole cherry tomatoes or ½ c. canned pelati - 1 pinch sea salt - 2 ice cubes - 1 cup+ freshpressed extra virgin olive oil - 70g short pasta per person (measure or weigh pasta raw); best shapes caserecce, fusilli, trofie, gigli, ruvidelli.
Serves 5 people
Time: 45 min
Preparation
Blend all except Parmigiano and oil in a food processor (sharp blades), short pulses, with ice. Drizzle in oil until consistency is creamy but chunky. Boil pasta al dente, reserve two ladles of cooking water, strain. Transfer pasta back to pot, off heat. Quickly add pesto, toss and add pasta cooking water as needed. Transfer to serving bowl. Serve with Parmigiano. Note: the pasta absorbs the pesto as it cools so if you need to wait for a late guest, reserve the pasta cooking water to reheat it and add as needed to revive/soften the sauced pasta directly. Only add a little bit of water, for creaminess, not to make it soggy.
Harvested ~ Extracted ~ Bottled 7 to 16 October 2014
An elegant and smooth vintage!
Color: lively peridot green
Nose: olive, cut grass, ruffled new wheat, green apple, raw artichoke
Palate: fresh, fruity, herbaceous, hints of green tomato and young almond
Finish: lasting and subtly peppery
Texture: silky and delicate
This year’s profile is deeply fruity and harmonious, with light pepperiness and astringency.
Pasta al Matarocco, ricetta di Marsala
“Pasta cu matarocco e ca muddica”
Trapanese Raw Chunky Pasta Condiment
Ingredients
350-400g busiate trapanesi (caserecce short pasta) from grano duro siciliano (Sicilian durum wheat flour) or even better from Castelvetrano’s tumminia flour; 6 ripe, fragrant tomatoes (peeled, deseeded); 2 peeled garlic cloves (the red skinned variety, pref. aglio rosso di Nubia); 1⁄2 loosely packed cup basil leaves; 1⁄2 cup (50g) blanched almonds (pref. from Avola); 1 cup freshly grated half aged pecorino siciliano cheese; up to 1⁄2 cup freshpressed olive oil; 1 generous pinch sea salt (pref. from Mozia); 1 sliver fresh or dried, moderately hot chili pepper. Optional: a sprinkle of chopped flat parsley; 1⁄2 cup very fine breadcrumbs from hard crust, gently toasted over medium to low heat in a non-stick pan with a 1 tbsp drizzle evoo while tossing throughout (10-15min).
Serves 4 people
Time: 20-30 min
Preparation
Coarsely crush salt, peperoncino, garlic, then basil, almonds, tomatoes in a mortar adding the oil (save 1 tbsp for later) and cheese at the end, or briefly put all ingredients through your food processor while pasta is being cooked al dente in salted boiling water. Sauce must stay chunky! Combine with perfectly strained pasta and serve with a dash of freshpressed evoo. Optionally garnish with muddica atturrata (toasted breadcrumbs) and parsley. Tip: this condiment minus the cheese and toasted breadcrumbs is wonderful for bruschetta too (as a grilled bread topping)!
Harvested ~ Extracted ~ Bottled 7 to 16 October 2013
A zesty and balanced vintage!
Color: bright green
Nose: olive fruit, freshly cut grass, green apple, young artichoke
Palate: fresh, extraordinarily fruity, with hints of artichoke and delicate young green almond, moderately spicy
Finish: long and subtly peppery
Texture: silky and light
This year’s profile is particularly fruity and gentle with a subtle pepperiness and moderate astringency.
Melanzane arrostite
“Milinciane arrustute”
Roasted eggplant (aubergine)
Ingredients
Choose the round variety with purple skin, not the skinny or oblong bitter one. Rinsed. Ends cut off and sliced into 1.5 inch-thick slabs.
Serves 2 people per eggplant (side-dish or appetizer)
Time: 45 min
Preparation
Place in a colander with sea salt, corse or fine, to cover each slice. Place heavy plate or object on top to help drain. Prepare tomato-flesh with minced red garlic, shredded basil, and 2 tbsp of freshpressed olive oil (use fresh, flavorful tomatoes removing the skin and seeds, crushing the flesh). Place aside in a bowl. Heat a large nonstick pan (medium hot). Rinse eggplant and pat dry. Place slices into pan, and allow to roast for about 7-10min on each side till brown to dark-brown. Place roasted slices on a wide plate. Drizzle about 2 tbsp of the new extra virgin olive oil, then place a tsp of tomato-scramble on top of each slice, spreading a little. Sprinkle a pinch of fior del sale sea salt from Trapani. Ready. Serve at room temperature or cold.
Harvested ~ Extracted ~ Bottled 8 to 18 October 2012
A happy, harmonious vintage!
Color: vibrant, deep green
Nose: olive fruit, freshly cut grass, green apple, mint, green banana
Palate: fresh, fruity, hints of artichoke and delicate young green almond, pungent and spicy, moderately bitter
Finish: long and pleasingly peppery
Texture: silky and light
This year’s profile is particularly harmonious with all notes evenly balanced, and moderate astringency.
Uova affogate nella salsa
“Ova affucati ‘nta la sarsa”
Poached Eggs in Tomato Caper Sauce
Ingredients
10 fresh, small-sized farm eggs - 1L cherry tomato sauce or passata or grossly pureed plum tomato or san marzano pelati (1 quart - 4 cups) - 40g minced Pantelleria capers, salted, soaked under running cold water for 30min before using (¼ cup-1.5 oz) - 10g chopped flat-leaf parsley (½ cup) - 10g minced basil (½ cup) - 20g pureed onion (½ cup) - 1 whole, peeled red-garlic clove - 1 sliver of fresh lemon zest - 1 whole bayleaf - 1 split “long pepper” - 4 tbsp freshpressed extra virgin olive oil (2 oz) - 1 chunk red chili pepper, medium hot – 1 or 2 tsp Trapani or Mozia seasalt to taste (at the very end!).
Serves 4 people
Time: 45 min
Preparation
In a large pan, sauté, without allowing to brown, the onion, garlic, bayleaf, lemon zest, chili, in 3 tbsp olive oil, over medium heat. 10min. Add the tomato sauce. Simmer covering the pan for 20 min. Stir in the capers, basil and parsley, lowering the heat. Gently break the eggs onto the sauce base, one by one. Cover and cook on low heat for 15min. Taste for salt, add if necessary. Serve eggs and sauce warm, with a drizzle of 1 tbsp of the new oil, and fresh ciabatta or semolina bread. Variation: mix beaten eggs, 1 cup toasted breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated pecorino Nero di Sicilia or Parmigiano cheese, forming balls or patties, to cook in the sauce instead of whole broken eggs.
Harvested ~ Extracted ~ Bottled 11 to 18 October 2011
A zesty and balanced vintage!
Color: bright green (think wheat field in the Spring)
Nose: very grassy & fruity (green banana meets freshly mowed lawn)
Palate: full, slightly bitter, with a spicy kick along the backside (like raw artichoke and freshly picked baby fava beans)
Finish: long and delicately peppery
Texture: light and smooth (almost weightlessly silky)
This season’s medium fruit harvest and hot autumn climate result in a spicy yet balanced flavor.
Frittata di bietole (or giri or gedi)
“Frittatedda di zalache”
Omelette with chard
Ingredients
The variety of chard needed is a tender, small-stalked leafy green which can be reddish at times (Swiss chard is close), known in Italian as “bietola da foglia” or “erbetta”; or substitute with young spinach: 3 to 4 handfuls of stems - 6 to 8 fresh, beaten eggs - 2 or 3 peeled and halved garlic cloves - fresh chilli pepper - 1½ tbsp olive oil - sea salt.
Preparation
Separate and rinse the greens (if using organic vegetables, soak in water and 1 tsp baking soda to allow for any “visitors” to come floating up to the surface, scooping them away). Place the dry-spun greens into a hot skillet, in which you will have poured at most 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and a piece of medium-hot, chilli pepper, only minutes earlier (don’t allow the garlic to brown though, and watch out for splatter). Sprinkle with sea salt. Cover and let greens wilt over medium heat. Sauté to make sure all leaves are cooked. Remove the vegetables from the pan and add them to a bowl with the eggs and ½ tbsp olive oil (no worries if a bit of sautéing juice falls in too). Mix and pour back into a hot skillet over low heat. Cover and flip halfway through cooking. Or, to avoid the flipping hassle, pour batter into a cast-iron pan or cake mould and place in oven at medium-heat on the lowest rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Harvested ~ Extracted ~ Bottled 7 to 14 October 2010
Color: Intensely green
Nose: well-balanced fruity bouquet
Palate: mild green banana
Finish: slightly peppery
Texture: light and smooth
This season’s small crop and rainy while hot autumn climate result in a delicate and balanced flavor.
Pasta al vino e olio nuovo
Drunken Pasta with New Oil
Ingredients
1.5-2 bottles of white wine (preferably anything but Chardonnay) - 1 peeled whole clove of the freshest garlic - 2 dried bay leaves - 1.5 to 2 lbs dry pasta from the start (choose a large short cut such as paccheri or pennoni, or a long flat cut such as candele or festoni) - 1 cup of grated semi-aged pecorino and parmesan cheese - 4-5 tbsp of new oil - freshly ground black pepper- sea salt.
Serves 8-12 people
Time: 30 min
Preparation
Pour white wine in a deep non-stick pan or pot. Add garlic, and if no fresh laurel is available, then bay leaves, 1 generous pinch of salt. Start on high heat, and add pasta. Cooking it like you would a risotto, allow it to simmer, add at least 2 tbs of new oil and gradually more white wine (another bottle may suffice) until all of it is absorbed by the pasta. In other words you keep tasting the pasta for texture and add only as much liquid as needed for the pasta to reach, ideally, an al dente stage, at which point it is done. Do not oversalt while cooking given that at the end you will add cheese to season. Toss vigorously and finish with 2 more tbsp of new oil and quite a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Remove clove and bayleaf before serving. Enjoy as hot as possible! Drizzle some more freshpressed olio on pasta while serving to keep it from sticking.
Harvested ~ Extracted ~ Bottled 10 to 17 October 2008
Color: intensely green
Nose: grassy & fruity nose
Palate: spicy palate
Finish: peppery
Texture: light and smooth
Pasta e Cavolfiori Bolliti
“Pasta cu li brocculi vugghiuti”
Pasta with Boiled Cauliflower
Ingredients
1 cauliflower head, cut into florets - 1 pound of durum-wheat linguine or spaghetti, broken to the same length as the florets - diced pecorino primo sale (young pecorino cheese, suppl. with young manchego if former not available), to taste (a lot!) - grated parmigiano - freshpressed olio to taste - freshly ground black pepper - chopped parsley - sea salt.
Note: The most common type of cauliflower in Sicily is not white, but light green. The taste is very similar to the white cauliflower but sweeter and richer.
Serves 8 people (first course)
Time: 30 min
Preparation
Boil the cauliflower florets from the farmers market in 2 quarts of water, salted with 1,5 tablespoon large sea salt crystals. Midway through (about 15 min.), add pasta. Cook all ingredients al dente (about 8-10 min. more). Drain the water. Place the boiled pasta and cauliflowers in a service dish. Sprinkle with chewy pecorino cheese. Drizzle generously with oil. Dust with pepper. Allow for flavors to combine for 5 to 10 min. by placing the dish in the grill or oven. Finish with grated parmiggiano to taste and parsley. Serve hot.
Olive Condite
"Alive Cunzate"
Seasoned Cracked Olives
Ingredients
whole green olives, brined (not Castelvetrano-style cured though!)
extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic clove, peeled and minced
Celery leaves, finely chopped
Parsley leaves, chopped
Optionally:
1-2 peeled carrots, chopped
Dried oregano
Whine vinegar to taste
Note
They are a Sicilian staple that is fresh and flavorful, yet such a simple concept: olives with some fresh vegetables for seasoning and a drizzle extra virgin olive oil.
Alive cunzate are a part of almost any antipasto, aperitivo or cocktail hour in Sicily because they are as delicious when served as an accompaniment to pecorino cheese, caponata or stuffed sun dried tomatoes as they are just popped in your mouth as you converse with friends at your local bar. This recipe just happens to be perfect for the Fall, when green olives (olive verdi) are harvested. For those who are fond of stronger flavors, use green olives that haven't spent more than a month or two in brine (water alone, or fermented in salt & water), with their natural bitterness still preserved, whereas green olives that have been in brine at least 6 months or since the previous' year’s harvest may be more suited for those who don't like a bitter taste.
Time: 10 min
Preparation
Remove the needed amount of green olives from their brine; rinse them; brush some olive oil on skins to keep shiny; or crush them with a meat pounder or flat stone just to crack them open a little (no smashing); place in a bowl, add olive oil, chopped flat-leafed parsley and/or celery leaves, just a hint of minced peeled garlic; toss and allow to rest for an hour before serving.
They are ideally suited as appetizers to accompany mild or aged goat or sheep’s milk cheeses, and hearty breads (basically a Sicilian farmer’s lunch minus the scorching heat and the shady olive tree). Alternative: add chopped carrots, some oregano or marjoram and a dash of red wine vinegar to the preceding mix.
Pane Condito
"Pani Cunzatu"
Seasoned Black Bread
Ingredients
A round loaf of about 1 pound / 500g
extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
3-5 diced cherry tomatoes (optional: remove seeds)
Fresh cracked black pepper
Oregano
Fine sea salt
Optionally:
½ cup young sheep’s cheese (pecorino primo sale, ideally, or manchego)
A few tinned anchovy filets, preferably rosy and fresh packed in oil, or salt-packed sardines
Note
Another excellent recipe used very frequently here in Castelvetrano, it is usually made with the city’s exclusive “pane nero”, “black bread”, but any type of crusty, hearty bread will do just fine.
Time: 10 min
Preparation
Warm it in the oven, whole. Then remove it, slice it in half lengthwise and plate it. Scatter garlic, tomatoes, and cheese on top of the warm bread. Add anchovies whole or cut into chunks (or crushed and chopped into the oil, then drizzled), a very generous drizzle of freshpressed green olive oil, a light sprinkling of salt, black pepper and oregano. Press the two halves together like a sandwich or enjoy open faced.
Braised Rabbit
Ingredients
1 young rabbit (no more than 2.5 lbs)
4 whole canned tomatoes
New or months-old extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots cut into rounds
1 bay leaf
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
Black peppercorns
Dried oregano
¾ ounce salt packed capers, rinsed
1 cup dry white wine
Salt to taste
Note
The rabbit should be cut into the following pieces:
1. Head and neck
2. 2 hind legs, separated
3. 2 front legs, separated
4. The bottom half of the rabbit, divided into 3 pieces
5. The top half of the rabbit, divided into 3 pieces
6. The liver and the heart (personally I don’t use lungs)
Serves about 6 people
Time: 1h 30min
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 480°F. (150°C). Chop the tomatoes and set aside.
Cover the bottom of a Dutch oven with olive oil (great from last year’s harvest).
Place the rabbit pieces into the pot and add the garlic cloves, chopped onion, carrot rounds, chopped celery, capers, a generous sprinkling of both black peppercorns and oregano, the bay leaf and salt to taste.
Place the pot into the oven and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
At this point, stir the ingredients, add white wine and let it evaporate.
Once evaporated, add the chopped tomatoes, stir again, cover the pot and let cook in the oven for 45 minutes.
Note:
The type of rabbit will affect the amount of liquid released during the cooking. A wild rabbit will release less liquid, while a farm raised rabbit will release more. It is important that the rabbit remain rather dry during the cooking process, so if the rabbit releases a lot of liquid, one should avoid adding water. One the other hand, one should add a few tablespoons of water if the rabbit does not release enough liquid and is too dry. Check on the liquid halfway through the cooking time.
If the rabbit is too dry, one could also slightly reduce the oven temperature (355-375°F / 180-190°C), or if too moist, remove some of the liquid released.
Coniglio in cocotte
Ingredienti
1 giovane coniglio (dal peso non superiore a kg 1,2)
4 pomidoro interi pelati
olio extra vergine di oliva
4 spicchi di aglio
1 cipolla media, affettata non molto finemente
2 carote tagliate a rondelle
1 foglia di alloro
1 gambo di sedano, tagliato fine
una generosa presa di pepe nero in grani
una manciata di origano
circa 20 grammi di capperi, dissalati
1 cup dry white wine
Sale quanto basta
Nota
Sezionare, o far sezionare dal macellaio, il coniglio nel modo seguente:
1. Testa e collo (a chi piace e non è impressionabile)
2. 2 spalle, separate (diciamo che si tratta delle cosce anteriori)
3. 2 cosce posteriori, separated
4. Parte inferiore della carcassa (quella ricca di polpa), divisa in 3 pezzi
5. Parte superiore della carcassa anch’essa, divisa in 3 pezzi
6. Fegato e cuore (personalmente non utilizzo il polmone)
Serve ca. 6 persone
Tempo: 1h 30min
Preparazione
Portare il forno a 250°C e predisporre la polpa dei pomidoro (servirà al momento opportune).
Coprire il fondo della cocotte con olio (va molto bene quello prodotto l’anno precedente).
Deporre nella cocotte tutte le parti del coniglio precedentemente sezionato, aggiungere gli spicchi d’aglio, la cipolla, il pepe, le carote, l’alloro, il sedano, l’origano, i capperi e il sale.
Lasciar rosolare nel forno ben caldo per circa 10 minuti senza coperchio.
Rimestare e bagnare con un bicchiere di vino bianco secco e lasciar evaporare.
Aggiungere il pomidoro, rimestare, mettere il coperchio e lasciar cuocere nel forno per circa 40-45 minuti.
Nota:
E’ importante che il coniglio nella cottura rimanga piuttosto asciutto, nel caso deponesse molto liquido si eviterà ogni aggiunta di acqua. Aggiunta necessaria (qualche cucchiaio) se, al contrario, si asciugasse troppo in fase di cottura. E’ quindi necessario fare una verifica a metà cottura.
Nel caso si presenti troppo asciutto si può optare per la riduzione della stessa temperatura del forno (180°-190°C). Nel caso contrario si può togliere si può togliere il liquido in eccesso nel corso della cottura. Questa incertezza è dovuta al fatto che se il coniglio è selvatico depone poco liquido, se invece è di allevamento depone abbondante liquido.
COUSIN ENZA’S ORANGE & APPLE OLIVE OIL CAKE
Ingredients
2 small sweet oranges (1 is enough if big)
2 whole eggs
1,5 (= 30cc, ca. 150 G-200g) glass sugar
3 (= 60cc, ca. 300 G) glasses of flour – half cake flour, half durum flour (semolina but finer)
1 bag of baking powder (pane degli angeli incl. vanilla)
1 apple, washed, peeled and cored
½ (ca. 10cc volume = ca. 100 G) glass of bitter chocolate chips
½ (= ca. 10cc) glass of fresh extra virgin olive oil
powdered (icing) sugar for serving
Note
An alternative to finishing with icing sugar: serve glazed and stuffed with dairy-free lemon cream
125 G. water
150 G. sugar
30 G. starch
30 G. oil or butter
2 lemons (finely grated zest and juice)
Place all the ingredients into a sauce pan and cook over low heat stirring until the glaze thickens (the glaze keeps thickening when it cools down too, and it goes quickly, so prepare it after the cake is done and already out of the oven, so as to avoid having to reheat the sauce to return it to a fluid spreadable state). Optionally slice and stuff it with this jelly too.
Serves 10-14 people
Time: 1h 30min
Preparation
Purée coarsly in a blender the first 3 ingredients (removing pits from oranges and cutting them into big chunks, rind included).
NOTE: the oil can be added at this stage too, or later, see below; try both versions to see which one works best for you…
Blend / sift flour and baking powder together.
Add the pureed mixture to the dry flour mixture.
Add pieces of apple (medium sized pieces), the chocolate chips and, if not added earlier, the oil.
Mix / beat very dynamically (the lightness of the cake depends on this beating energy and the quality and freshness of the oil).
Pour into a non-stick mold previously oiled and lightly dusted with flour and place into the oven.
Place into the oven at 350 F (170-180 C) for about 30-35min.
Stick a toothpick into the center of the cake to check if it is baked through (wood should come out clean).
Take mold out of the oven, let it cool for 30min, remove cake from mold, and dust with powdered sugar.
Decorate with seasonal fresh fruit (pomegranate kernels; slices of orange or pink grapefruit; mandarin pulp; with whichever fruit strikes your fancy).
Ideally served with fresh fruit sorbet (apple and calvados sorbet; vanilla and Cointreau gelato; “Gabriella’s green lemon jelly” sorbet with mint; plain white sorbet with milk or ricotta).
LA TORTA ALL’OLIO DI CUGINA ENZA, CON ARANCIA E MELA
Ingredienti
2 arance (dolci)
2 uova intere
1,5 (= 30cc, ca. 150 G-200g) bicchiere di zucchero
3 (= 60cc, ca. 300 G) bicchieri di farina metà tipo grano duro, e metà tipo “00”
1 bustina di lievito bertolino o pane degli angeli vanigliato
1 mela lavata, sbucciata e mondata
½ (ca. 10cc volume = ca. 100 G) bicchiere di cioccolato
½ (= ca. 10cc) bicchiere olio
zucchero a velo per servire
Nota
In alternativa allo zucchero a velo, servire con una crema al limone:
125 G. di acqua
150 G. di zucchero
30 G. di amido per dolci
30 G. di olio o burro
2 limoni da usare sia il succo che la buccia
Mettere tutto in un pentolino e fare cuocere a fuoco lento fin quando non si addensa il giusto per coprire ed eventualmente anchce farcire la torta.
Serve 10-14 persone
Tempo: 1h 30min
Procedimento
Frullare quasi a purée ma non proprio i 3 primi ingredienti (rimuovere i semi dalle arance, non trattate, lavate e asciugate, e tagliate grossolanamente buccia inclusa).
NOTA: l’olio può essere aggiunto anche in questa fase (vedi sotto per l’alternativa); provare comunque entrambe le versioni…
Unire la farina al lievito.
Unire il composto frullato al composto di farina.
Aggiungere la mela spezzettata (pezzi medi), le scaglie di cioccolato e l’olio.
Amalgamare molto energicamente (da questa forza, e dalla qualità e freschezza dell’olio dipenderà la leggerezza della torta).
Infornare a 170-180 gradi C. per 30-35 minuti circa.
Con lo stuzzicadente verificarne la cottura (infilarlo al centro della torta e ritirarlo – se giunta a perfetta cottura, il legno risulterà asciutto).
Sfornare, lasciare raffreddare 30min, sformare, e cospargere di zucchero a velo.
Accompagnare e decorare con frutta di stagione (cicchi di melograno; fettine d’arancia o di pompelmo rosa; filetti di manderino; a fantasia).
Ideale servito con sorbetto di frutta fresca (sorbetto mela e calvados; gelato vaniglia e Cointreau; sorbetto di “gelée di limoni verdelli Gabriella’s” e menta; sorbetto bianco, di fior di latte o ricotta).
Baked Grouper
Ingredients
Large handful of whole or diced green olives
3 bay leaves
Zest of 1 lemon (whole rind, without pith, not grated)
1/2 glass white wine
A good amount of olive oil
A few capers packed in salt, rinsed
A couple of semi-dried cherry tomatoes, halved
A few whole red garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
A piece of fresh or dried hornet chilli pepper
Salt and pepper
Note
Grouper (cernia in Italian) is a meaty, deep-sea fish that Sicilians often filet and cook in the oven or in a pan, allowing it to simmer for a while with a series of ingredients straight out of the pantry.
Tip
Oftentimes cooks throw a few lemon slices complete with rind, pith, pulp and pits, into their fish-dishes or stuff them into or cover a whole fish belly before placing it into the oven. This happens to cause the fish, sauce and any potatoes or vegetables accompanying the fish to taste bitter, an effect which also worsens through lengthy cooking. The solution to avoid this is extremely simple: only use the thinly cut zest and in pieces big enough not to accidentally land under someone’s teeth. Nobody wants to chew on a roasted slice of lemon zest.
Serves 6 to 8
Time: under 1h
Directions
Salt and pepper the cleaned fish filets and set them aside. Then take the rest of the ingredients, minus the wine, and mix them together in a large bowl with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Heat up some olive oil in a large skillet, add the grouper and surround it with the vegetables. If you would like, add thickly sliced, peeled potatoes to the bottom of the pan as a bed for the fish, obtaining an easy one-pot pièce de résistance close to a Tajine or stew. Don’t forget to cover with a lid from the 10th to the 30th minute. After a half hour has passed, add the wine and let it evaporate completely. When everything is cooked to your liking, remove the garlic cloves if you so prefer, divide into servings and enjoy! Total cooking time is about 40 minutes over medium-low heat; adjust depending on fish size and quantity.
Note: You could also cook this in a 350°F (180°C) oven for the same amount of time…just add the wine from the beginning… the rest of the directions are the same!
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
1 medium egg yolk
1 tablespoon brandy
No butter, but 1,5 to 2 tbsp evoo (better even freshpressed)
2 medium egg whites
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tbsp double cream
175g/6oz dark chocolate, melted and kept warm.
Chocolate Mousse developed by a Swiss Chef
In the mid-nineties in Switzerland a famous Swiss Gault-Millau, Michelin-starred chef developed a signature bitter chocolate mousse. His main ingredients? Used to be Valrohna chocolate (Arriba quality from Ecuador), now Felchlin chocolate, and a uniquely near perfect green and fresh extra virgin olive oil from Sicily. He added a touch of cream to take away some of the shine olive oil lends to the mousse, he said. The recipe is quite traditional otherwise: egg yolks, sugar, bain-marie melted chocolate, whipped egg whites, a tiny dab of whipped cream. The actual recipe remains a mystery, however, I would try the following recipe adpated from Chef Peter Gorton, from Chocolate Trading Co., UK.
Chef’s recommendations
For the dark chocolate opt for either the Valrhona 61% block (1kg) or the Le 68% bar (250g) as this wouldn’t be too much of a jump in cocoa content.
Martin Dalsass of Ristorante Santabbondio in Sorrengo-Lugano specifies that any olive oil flavors completely vanish in the mousse 24h after it was prepared, since the chocolate’s natural butter is much stronger and takes over. Which is why you need a strong olive oil. Result: a much lighter, less pasty mousse under the palate.
Serves 4 (makes 400g/14 oz)
Time: 30-45 min + chilling time
Directions
Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Beat in the egg yolk, brandy, half the oil, and 1/2 tablespoon of the cream. Off-heat, add the remainder of the olive oil gently dripping it in while energetically whipping the mixture cold. Separately whip the rest of the cream until it stiffens, then fold carefully into the chilled chocolate mousse mixture.
In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually whisk in the castor sugar and continue whisking until stiff but not dry. Gently fork the egg whites, a little at a time, into the chocolate mixture until well combined. Spoon the mousse into 4 ramequins and chill.
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