APERITIVO

◁ VICTOR ED IL CORNETTO

Victor’s recipe for ham and Munster cheese croissants

PER 4 AMICI (2 CROISSANTS)

• 2 all-butter croissants
• 100g (3½oz) Munster cheese (Victor loves Munster, which is why we’ve chosen it, but there are plenty of other good alternatives. We’re still hotly debating which is best.)
• 200g (7oz) herb-cooked ham
• Cucumber, finely sliced into rounds (optional)

1Cut the croissants in 2 lengthways and divide the Munster equally between each bottom half. Add the ham and close the croissants.

2If you have a sandwich toaster or panini press gathering dust in your cupboards? Now is the time to use it. Warm your croissants on the toaster grill for 3 minutes. They will come out nicely browned, with the cheese melted. No sandwich toaster? The grill in your oven will work just as well (on a high heat for 5 minutes).

◁ OLIVE YOU

Olives with herbs, fresh chilli and garlic

A recipe from Puglia, for nibbling alongside an aperitif. Treat yourself, as any time is always the right time for a little aperitif. You deserve it.

PER 10 AMICI

• 1kg (2lb 3¼oz) green olives preserved in brine
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
• 50g (1¾oz) Aleppo chilli
• ½ bunch fresh oregano, finely chopped
• ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 600ml (2½ cups) extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB
• 1 olive leaf, for garnish (optional)

1Put the olives in a bowl and add the garlic, fresh chilli (beware, this is hot!), oregano, parsley, olive oil, Aleppo chilli, salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Garnish with the olive leaf, if using.

2E basta, it’s ready! Transfer to a small ramekin, add the olive leaf, if using, set alongside a glass of spritz, and there you are – in Rome!

MEASUREMENTS FOR DUMMIES

Since it is sometimes scary to dive in without having exact quantities, we thought it would be useful to share with you our love of both Q and B.

‘QB’, what on earth is that? Quanto basta – literally ‘as much as required’, meaning ‘to taste’. True devotees of Italian cooking know that this provides scope to avoid following the rules down to the last detail. You don’t have to guess quantities, but you are strongly encouraged to follow your instincts and trust your judgement. It’s like riding a scooter in Naples or promising yourself ONE spritz on a terrace and ending up ordering a second – everything is decided on the spur of the moment.

Even so, here are some tips to make cooking your dinner that bit easier:

• Whatever your measuring cup may say, rest assured that, roughly speaking, 1g (gram) = 1ml (millilitre).
• When you come across a bunch or half a bunch of herbs, bear in mind that 1 bunch generally amounts to 100g (3½oz). And, when it comes to the choice of herbs and their quantities, you always have the last word. You decide when enough is enough.
• A teaspoonful of sugar or butter weighs around 5g (under a fifth of an ounce).
• A tablespoonful of oil or vinegar weighs around 15g (just over half an ounce).
• 250ml of milk, cream or water is always the equivalent of 1 glass (unless you only drink pints) or a US cup.

So, now you have the key to make the perfect dish, or almost . . . Because, really, the most important thing in cooking is to put your heart and soul into it. When you prepare a meal with plenty of love, everything will go smoothly.

QB*

◁ BIG BALLS THEORY

Arancini with Scamorza cheese and Treviso leaves

Fun fact: in Sicily, there is a controversy raging over whether one should say arancino (masculine) or arancina (feminine)? In Palermo, this delicacy is feminine (arancina) and comes in the form of a large ball, but in Catania it is a triangle (in reference to the shape of Mount Etna) called (in the plural) arancini. Avoid confusing the two if you want to get out of an Italian deli in one piece.

PER 4 AMICI

• 1 red radicchio (or Treviso lettuce, a kind of large pink-and-white chicory popular in northern Italy)
• ½ white onion
• 350g (generous ¾ cup) rice
• 100g (3½oz) Scamorza (or a provola affumicata – as it is smoked, the water has already evaporated from the cheese, avoiding any surplus moisture)
• 20g (¾oz) butter
• 45g (1½oz) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 glass red or white wine
• 100ml (scant ½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

1Chop the onion and sauté it in a saucepan in the olive oil. Julienne (slice into thin strips) the red radicchio, add half of it to the saucepan and mix with the onion. Add the rice and toast it over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until it becomes translucent.

2Deglaze the saucepan with half of the wine, drink the rest (cheers!) and heat the mixture for 3–4 minutes to allow the liquid to evaporate. Add around 500ml (generous 2 cups) hot water and stir. If you think the rice needs a little more cooking, don’t worry because it should have a little bite: the rice needs to be crunchy to go onto the next stage. However, if you really think that it is undercooked, add a little more water and cook for another 5–6 minutes. We’ll let you be the judge – you’re the boss. Add the butter, grated Parmigiano and the rest of the radicchio. Mix, cover the saucepan and leave to rest at room temperature for 4 minutes.

3Spread the rice out on a baking tray, in a thin layer, to allow it to cool quickly. Make small rice balls (about 50g/1¾oz each), enclosing a small piece of Scamorza inside each one. Once all the balls are ready, mix the flour with the glass of sparkling water in a small bowl until you obtain a smooth batter (neither too liquid nor too creamy).

4Dip each ball into this mixture and then into the breadcrumbs. Deep-fry the balls in a heavy-based saucepan half-filled with piping hot sunflower oil for 4–5 minutes. Turn the balls regularly to ensure that they are browned on all sides. Remove from the heat and dry the balls on a paper towel in order to remove any excess fat. Eat them with your hands while they are still hot. The arancini should be able to ‘make a telephone call’, as they say in Italy: you want to be able to see a fat string of cheese, like an old-style telephone cable, when you tear into them.

◁ PANELLE DI CECI

Chickpea fritters

These little wonders come from Sicily. In Italy, they are eaten in sandwiches along with aïoli. Scrumptious!

PER 4 AMICI

• 500g (3½ cups) chickpea flour
• 1 bunch of parsley, leaves picked and chopped
• 1.3 litres (5½ cups) water
• Sunflower oil QB
• 20g (1 generous tbsp) fine salt

1Add the chickpea flour to a saucepan of salted water, whisking to avoid any lumps.

2Simmer over a medium heat, all the while whisking constantly (we’re watching you!). When the mixture starts to thicken, leave it to cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring every 2–3 minutes with a wooden spoon.

3Add the parsley leaves to the saucepan after removing it from the heat. Spread the contents of the saucepan on a baking tray in a layer 3cm (a generous inch) thick and leave to cool at room temperature. When the dough has firmed up sufficiently, cut it into pieces (to whatever size your prefer) and then fry in a deep saucepan half-filled with piping hot sunflower oil.

4To round off the dish, serve the fritters with a little salsa verde (if you have enough time – see here). Put up your feet and enjoy the moment. Just try not to scoff the lot!

◁ MOZZARELLINE FRITTE

Breaded mozzarella balls topped with basil pesto

PER 4 AMICI

• 500g (1lb 1½oz) small mozzarella balls
• 2 eggs
• Plain flour QB
• Breadcrumbs QB
• Sunflower oil QB
• Pesto alla genovese QB (if you have a little extra time, turn to here to find out how to make a really, really good homemade version)

1The day before (hopefully you will have opened this book by then): put the mozzarella balls in the fridge, in a colander set over a bowl. Leave them there overnight. The idea is to dehydrate them a little by draining off some of their liquid.

2On D-day, whisk the eggs, and generously dunk the mozzarella into them, then dip into the flour and, finally, the breadcrumbs. Repeat.

3Deep-fry the balls in a heavy-based saucepan half-filled with piping hot sunflower oil until browned. Leave to rest for 2–3 minutes before serving. To serve, arrange the mozzarelline fritte on a plate in the centre of the table, accompanied by a small bowl of basil pesto.

Attenzione a non scottarvi !

◁ SPRITZ-TEASE

A little bit of history. In the first half of the 19th century, Venice formed part of the Austrian Empire; Austrian soldiers, officials and tradesmen ruled the roost. These Austrians were not used to the high levels of alcohol in the local wines served in the taverns. Thus began the tradition of asking a waiter ‘to water’ wine to dilute it. This practice, known as ‘spritzen’ in German, gave rise to spritz. As there was no Aperol to hand in this period, the resulting cocktail consisted solely of white wine and sparkling water.

So what’s the story nowadays? (Venetian) Spritz is an alcoholic cocktail much loved as an aperitif throughout Europe and further afield.

How is it prepared? It consists of a sparkling white wine (normally prosecco) and a bitter liqueur such as Campari (to obtain a dark red colour) or a much sweeter variant, such as Aperol (for a more orangey colour). This enticing mixture is rounded off with a dash of soda water and a slice of fresh orange.

Its less well-known versions include a black, amberish spritz based on Cynar and a white spritz (known as a ‘Hugo cocktail’ or ‘St-Germain spritz’) which contains elderflower liqueur.

RECIPE FOR A GOOD SPRITZ

Combine, in the following order:

• A generous helping of ice cubes (enough to fill ¾ of a glass)
• 4.5cl (1½fl oz) Aperol*
• 10cl (3¼fl oz) prosecco
• 5cl (1¾fl oz) sparkling water
• 1 slice of orange or lemon or an olive

◁ FRISELLE BÜNDCHEN

Crazy slices of toasted sourdough piled with a medley of tomatoes

PER 4 AMICI

• 4 friselle (available in an Italian gastronomia – deli – but if you can’t find them, toasted slices of stale sourdough bread will do)
• 200g (7oz) Datterini tomatoes
• 1 beef tomato
• 1 bunch Sicilian mountain oregano (this can be found, but if you can't get hold of it, use standard oregano instead)
• 1 bunch basil
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 200ml (1 scant cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB

1Roughly chop both kinds of tomato any way you wish. This is a very casual recipe. Season with the oregano, basil (saving a fresh leaves for garnish), vinegar, oil, pepper and salt, then mix thoroughly. Dip the friselle into a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds.

2Drain the friselle and arrange them on a plate, then place the tomatoes on top. Allow the bread to absorb the tomato juices for at least 5 minutes.

3Dress with the remaining basil leaves (it is impossible to overdo basil). And now, tuck in! Your mission, if you agree to accept it, is to avoid spilling all these lovely little tomatoes on yourself.

◁ CHEESE POPS

Crispy fried Caciocavallo for cheese lovers

PER 4 AMICI

• 500g (1lb 1½oz) Caciocavallo cheese (if not, Emmental will work fine)
• 2 eggs
• Plain flour QB
• Breadcrumbs QB
• Sunflower oil QB
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB

1Cut the cheese into squares of around 4 × 4 cm (1½ × 1½in). Place the eggs in a stainless-steel bowl (or any other to hand), season with salt and pepper, and then beat them with a fork. Dip the pieces of cheese in the flour and then in the egg. Dip them in the egg once again and then, finally, dip them in the breadcrumbs.

2Fry these lil ‘pops’ in a heavy-based saucepan half-filled with piping hot sunflower oil for at least 3–4 minutes. Remove and toss quickly on paper towel to dry, and place them as the centrepiece of your table. You are a pronto star.

◁ BRUSCHETTA VITELLO TONNATO

Bruschetta with veal and tuna sauce

PER 4 AMICI

• 2 large slices of sourdough bread
• 240g (8½oz) high-welfare rose veal cushion
• 15g (2 tbsp) anchovy fillets in oil
• 20g (¾oz) capers in coarse salt (these are available in all Italian food shops)
• 250g (9oz) tuna in oil

• 1 lemon
• 150ml (¾ cup) sunflower oil, more or less (‘a sentimento’, as Virginia would say)
• Olive oil QB

1To cook the vitello: in a frying pan, sear the veal on all sides to brown it thoroughly. Finish cooking it in the oven at 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/GM 4 for 20–25 minutes (it should remain pink in the middle), then remove and leave to cool; collect the juices for use in the salsa tonnata, then slice.

2For the salsa tonnata: using an electric hand mixer at a medium speed, combine the whole egg and 2 yolks in a bowl. While still mixing, squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice, add the juices from the veal and gradually (and gently) pour in the sunflower oil. The sauce should have the consistency of a mayonnaise.

3Add the anchovies, tuna and then the capers (rinsed) to the sauce in the bowl. (Our top caper tip is that you need to soak these little gems for a good 5 hours, but as you’ve only just opened this book and your guests are due to arrive in 24 minutes . . . Then just give them a good wash.)

4Mix the sauce again till smooth. To finish, put a drizzle of olive oil into a frying pan and toast the 2 slices of bread until golden brown.

5Transfer the toasted sourdough to a plate, arrange the slices of veal on top and spoon big dollops of sauce onto the meat (generosity is a virtue!). If you’re feeling fancy, a little lemon zest is the ultimate finishing touch. Sono pronte!

◁ CROCCHETTE AL TARTUFO

Incredible croquettes with capocollo and black truffle

PER 4 AMICI (12 CROCCHETTE)

• 200g (7oz) capocollo (which can be replaced by any dryish cooked meat such as Prosciutto di Parma, spianata or salame piccante)
• 1 large white onion
• 1 medium-size black truffle in season (around 25g/1oz)
• 60g (2oz) butter

• 450ml (scant 2 cups) whole milk
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB

1Prepare the béchamel

Melt the 70g (2½oz) of butter in a saucepan. Add the flour then stir with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth paste. Simmer for 1 minute, pour in the cold milk while it is still on the heat and whisk the paste to eliminate any lumps. Cook for 3–4 minutes until thickened. The sauce should be neither too thick nor too runny. Add salt and pepper, then set the béchamel aside at room temperature. We’ll use it later.

2Thinly slice the onion and soften in a saucepan with 60g (2oz) of butter. Chop the capocollo into small cubes and transfer these (lovingly) to the pan with the butter and onion. Cook for a further 2 minutes. The secret? Do not overcook the cured meat otherwise it’ll be too salty. Pour in the bechamel and sprinkle with the grated truffle. Don’t worry, you're allowed to use a grater for this – it’s not a sin.

3Transfer the mixture to the flattest tray you have and allow it to cool. A whole night in a cool place will only improve its consistency (In Italy, we leave it to cool on the balcony), but if you’re preparing it to be eaten on the same day, 25 minutes in the freezer will do the trick. After this rest of a few minutes (or a night, depending on your schedule), apply oil to your lovely hands (to stop the mixture sticking to your fingers) and form oblongs of about 5–6cm (2–2½in) long. Dip each in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs, and repeat. Put all the oblongs in the fridge for around 20 minutes before deep-frying them in a heavy saucepan half-filled with piping hot sunflower oil until golden brown. Finally, scatter over a little freshly grated truffle (yes, again! We are obsessed) on top before serving. As much as you want; it’s your home after all.