A seafood pasta with only three main ingredients sounds almost impossible, doesn’t it? This easy seafood meal was born out of necessity rather than a stroke of genius from my side, but it was delicious none the less!

I can never go wrong with seafood and pasta and my family, because it just happens to be their favorite kind of meals, but we were treated to such lovely  seafood whilst on holiday, that it would be a hard act to follow! We had  snoek, lobster and even “olly croc” was thrown in the mix and best of all, I did not have to cook it!

Seafood can be quick to prepare if you make something as simple as Fried Fish on Lemony Potato Salad, or it can be as time consuming ( but delicious) as  my Seafood Potjiekos!  Making a proper seafood salad however takes time! Making your  own mayonnaise, poaching the seafood, chopping, slicing and peeling those prawns are all time consuming tasks….. well no longer.  See, here in Nina’s Kitchen, it is easy cooking all the way! So if I can show you an easy seafood pasta salad with a little twist and tweak here and there, would you be impressed? Thought so, because the race against time has begun!

You see, if I had it my own way, I would gently ease into the new year and allow myself enough leisure to so that the return from our lovely holiday would not be such a shock to my system, but  heck no, we are back into buying stationery, organizing haircuts, covering books and yes….the dreaded Mom’s Taxi  duties! Yesterday was one of those days and the school year has not even started! I literally had minutes between drop-off and fetch from water polo to prepare a meal!

Seafood Pasta Salad

serves 6 people

Ingredients

500 g pasta shells – cooked to packet instructions

1 kg seafood mix

375 ml Steers 1000 Islands Salad Dressing

Additional flavors to add

2 tsp Tabasco sauce

zest and juice of 1 lime

about 1 T chopped mint

Method

Place the seafood mix in a steamer or a pot with a little water and cook/steam until done. Steaming takes about 8-10 minutes and boiling about 5 minutes. Drain and cool off. Cook the pasta, drain and  add a little olive oil so that the shell do not stick to each other. Mix the Island Style Dressing with the other ingredients, taste and adjust accordingly. When the pasta and the seafood have cooled down, add the sauce and serve with lime wedges and a few micro greens!

Tomorrow morning just after the 9 o’clock news, I will be in my seat on RSG ready to share the recipe with you. I will also take you into the kitchens of other bloggers, chefs and interesting South Africans this year. So buckle up, it is going to be an awesome ride. Tune in 100-104FM or listen online here!

Check out the original source here.

Seafood Pasta Salad | My Easy Cooking first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Amatriciana sauce originated in the region of Lazio and hails from the town of Amatrice. The dish is traditionally made using dried pork cheek which is called Guancale. As is the case with many Italian dishes, they have been changed over the centuries. This is my version of Amatriciana – the addition of mushrooms, anchovies and capers is my idea of fun and I can’t find Guancale that often in Durban so have

Spaghetti Amatriciana | Janice Tripepi first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

This goats cheese salad with raspberry vinaigrette completely bowled me over! I know, I know it sounds terribly smug and full-of-myself, but the flavors just all blended so beautifully that I have to pat myself on the back!! I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can cook a whole day and struggle so to match flavors and textures, that by  munch time, my appetite is gone and I just look at my family while they eat. This time however, the goats cheese salad just worked and I ate about half before I even called the family. Fruit and cheese is such a classic combination…goats cheese and fruit…even better!

Fairview makes the most divine goats cheese but the cheese that lands in my shopping trolley rather often these days is the  Crottin, full flavoured, firm, white mould cheese made to a traditional recipe. It is just perfect, perfect in taste and portion size. I have made a salad with this goats cheese before, baking the cheese in the oven for 5 minutes just to soften it slightly. I paired the goats cheese with gooseberries and a passion fruit salad dressing! My family loved it!

This time I wanted to use another summer berry, the raspberry, I think the raspberry is my new favorite summer fruit…..I love the flavor and I love the way it behaves in front of a camera! (Speaking of cameras, my camera had to go in for a service, so all images on this post, was taken with hubby’s iPhone!)

Back to the salad….and this is how my mind works all the time…..

I have the cheese.

I have the fruit.

What else? What will work with it?  – meat or grains or… nuts….. NUTS, YES! How will I add the nuts? Mixed in the goat’s cheese or ….. hang on, what if I crumb the goats cheese! Eureka!

Ok, what leaves – rocket, butter lettuce, watercress…… rocket and mint. Rocket for the salad and mint in the dressing!

Yes, I think I have it! A recipe!

Goats Cheese Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

serves 2

Ingredients

For the goats cheese

2 x  100 g portions  of goats cheese – I used Crottin from Fairview

100 g Macadamia nuts – chopped finely

100 g fresh breadcrumbs

zest of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

1 egg – beaten

2 T flour

vegetable oil for frying

For the dressing

125 g raspberries – ½ for the dressing and ½ for the salad

1 lime – zest and juice

2 t sugar

about 5 mint leaves

2 T extra virgin olive oil

For the salad

2 handfuls of rocket leaves

½ the raspberries

2 nectarines or any other fresh peaches – peeled and sliced

Method

Mix the chopped macadamia nuts and breadcrumbs and add the zest of the lemon as well as salt and pepper to taste. Just remember, the cheese is very salty, so rather under season than over season! To  crumb the goats cheese, simply dust each portion with flour, dip in the egg wash and then in the crumb mixture. Repeat the  egg dip and then the crumb mixture. Place on a plate and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

To make the salad dressing. Place ½ the raspberries and mint leaves in a pestle and mortar and  crush until fine. Add  the lime zest, sugar, lime juice as well as the olive oil and mix. Taste and adjust. What you want is  a perfect balance between sweet and sour! You can at this point strain the dressing through a sieve to produce a really smooth dressing, I however wanted a rustic sauce with texture from the pips of the raspberries!

To assemble the salad

Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot and when the oil is hot, deep fry the goats cheese until golden brown on all sides. This takes about 1 minute, no longer! Remove the cheese from the oil and drain on kitchen toweling.  Place a handful of rocket on two plates, top with the other ½ of the strawberries and the peach slices. Place a portion of goats cheese the middle of each salad and drizzle with the raspberry vinaigrette. Enjoy!

I was not remunerated for the post, I simply love this cheese!

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Check out the original source here.

Goats Cheese Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette | My Easy Cooking first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

These Banoffee Pots were so good, oh my gosh! Salted Caramel on its own, eaten with a little spoon from a glass jar is enough to swoon over! Combine it with ginger biscuits, bananas and cream to make little banoffee pots and you  could be in serious trouble or a state of total indulgence! Trouble only if your New Years resolution was to lose weight, but hey, come on, let’s have one more naughty treat together, shall we?

I have made Banoffee Pie before, in fact I gave it a coffee twist to make Cappacino Banoffee Pies, so why write about it again? Three reasons basically:

1. I asked hubby which of my recipes is his favorite so that I can make it for him on his birthday! I did not expect to hear Banoffee Pie, but he is the man of the hour, so banoffee pie it is!

2. We are still at our holiday house and I wanted to just make a quick version of the banoffee pie, hence the crumbed ginger biscuits (leftover from Christmas)

3. I need a delicious treat for my RSG listeners to start off 2013!

The star of these Salted Caramel Banoffee Pots is indeed the salted caramel! I know you can use the tinned caramel if you are in need of a sweet fix and tinned is all you have, but homemade salted caramel is just so much better and in these Banoffee Pots totally sublime! I would in fact recommend that you double up the recipe and keep the caramel in a jar in the fridge…… if you can controll yourself and not sneak to the fridge every half hour to have a spoonful, the salted caramel is perfect for:

- drizzling over piping hot flap jacks

- use as a dipping sauce for grilled pineapple for a delicious dessert

- warmed up and drizzled over ice-cream

- decorating cakes or cupcakes

Salted Caramel

makes about 300 ml

1/2 cup WHITE sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2  teaspoon fleur de sel (or coarse kosher salt)

Place the sugar in a pot and allow to melt. Once the sugar starts to caramelize, watch the pot carefully as it burns very quickly.  When the sugar has caramelized into a lovely golden color, remove the pot from the stove and start to beat in the butter and cream. Keep stiiring until it thickens. Add the salt and cool.

Banoffee Pots

to make 8 individual servings

300ml salted caramel

250 ml cream whipped

16 small ginger biscuits – crushed to coarse crumbs

3-4 bananas – click here and see how to prevent bananas from turning black!

Simply layer all the ingredients in the small glasses, beginning with a little salted caramel and ending with some cream and a final drizzle of caramel! Make in advance and serve with tiny spoons!

Tomorrow 3 January is my hubby’s birthday!! Luckily for all of us there is one day in the year when everybody has to fuss over you and treat you a bit! “Well tomorrow is our turn to treat you, Dad to a day of fun and family time! Thank you for all you do for us, being a super dad and a wonderful husband! You inspire is, help us and love us  all so passionately and for that we are forever grateful! “

“We love you dad!!”

Check out the original source here.

Banoffee Pots with Salted Caramel | My Easy Cooking first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Lobster or “kreef” as we know it here, must be the epitome of wealth and indulgence for any South African who heads towards the coast for his/her annual leave! Wet suit sales and diving equipment sales shoot through the roof as eager beginner divers spend their hard earned cash on all the necessary equipment to only to go and pack it away after the holidays. This decision is usually taken just after they’ve spent a small fortune on lobster or crayfish in a restaurant.
It is the season now to get hold of crayfish, lobster or “kreef”, but there are a few very important guideline to consider:

The season for recreational fishing of west coast rock lobster will open on the 15th November 2012 and close on the 1st of April 2013.
The following conditions for the west coast rock lobster recreational fishing season will apply;
• From the 15th of November to the 18th of November 2012, fishing will be allowed every day
• From the 19th of November to 14th of December, fishing will only be permitted on weekends
• From the 15th of December to the 31st of December, fishing will be allowed every day
• From the 1st of January 2013 to the 1st of April 2013, fishing will be allowed on weekends
and on public holidays.

The bag limit has been set at four west coast rock lobsters per person per day and the size
restriction is 80mm carapace length.

Permits will only be issued to persons above the age of 12 years.

Recreational permit-holders collecting and landing of west coast rock lobster may do so only
between 08h00 – 16h00. The rock lobsters must be landed by 16:00.

Any west coast rock lobster caught, collected or transported shall be kept in a whole state. West coast rock lobster caught with a recreational permit may not be sold by any person.
Recreational rock lobster permits are obtainable from the Post Office or from the Department’s Customer Services Centre at a cost of

R92, 00 per permit and is valid for the entire recreational fishing season.

My Advise to you is to be responsible, after all we only have one shot at this place called Earth!

- Do NOT buy from vendors or just anybody with only a recreational permit, make sure they have a proper license

- If you take out your own lobster, stick to the limit of how many is allowed

- Do not buy or take out undersize lobster

After all this, let’s face it, lobster is very expensive if you do not take it out the sea yourself! So, we use it sparingly and maybe if you are in the same boat, these quick recipes will help to satisfy the cravings without the sting of having to spend a small fortune!!

How to cook a lobster?

- If you have live lobsters, place them in the freezer for about 8 minutes.

- Bring a big pot of sea water to the boil ( of course this is best done on the beach, ahhhh!) otherwise just add a good handful of salt to tap water

- Once the water boils, add the lobsters and cook until the whole lobster is red and if you pull at one of the antennae, it comes off easily

Then, for me there is no better way to eat lobster than this…… drizzled with lemon butter. To make the lemon butter, simply melt real butter and add some fresh lemon juice to it!!

You can also try your hand at this simple Lobster Pasta recipe!

This morning just after 9 I will be making a Alikreukel or “olly croc” pot with the Joubert family from Kuilsriver Cape Town. On my search for the best outdoor-cooking dish of this holiday, I bumped into this family who has been camping in Onrus quite a few years now and cooks just about anything and everything on the open fire.
Alikreukel or “olly croc” is a sustainable seafood to be found in rock pools and on reefs. It is a green substitute for abalone which is now on the red list.

When harvesting Alikreukel from the sea, the law at the moment states that every permit holder, is allowed 5 full sized alikreukel per day! Please do not exceed this!

Joubert’s Olly Croc pot

Serves 6 people

20 olly croc or Alikreukel
2 onions finely chopped
2 cloves garlic – crushed
2 T olive oil
250 g button mushrooms
2 large potatoes – peeled and diced
250 ml cream

Method

Place a big pot of seawater on the fire, bring to the boil and add the Alikreukel(olly croc) and boil for 20-25 minutes or until the “door” of the alikreukel comes out as well as all the flesh! Remove from the pot and clean all the perriwinkle shaped flesh. Chop the remaining flesh fine or use a mill to ground the alikreukels. In the meantime, heat some oil in a black pot, saute the onions, garlic and potatoes until partially cooked. Add the ground alikreukel and simmmer until the pot comes together and the potatoes are soft.

Add salt and lots of ground black pepper. Place on the table with rice and a few wedges of lemon or lime. Enjoy!

Thank you to the Joubert Family from Kuilsriver for a most memorable day at their campsite!
Tune in every Thursday morning just after 9 when I share recipes, ideas and hints to make cooking easy and loads of fun!

Check out the original source here.

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Most foodies know this fool proof method but I am surprised at how many people still use the old drop-for-drop-oil-method.  The big secret behind this recipe is to add the ingredients in a narrow vessel/container in the right order…  egg, water, vinegar, oil – this is critical

Two Minute Stick Blender Mayonnaise Recipe | Life is a Zoo Biscuit first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

When I saw trout at the market yesterday, I couldn’t help but remember my son’s first fish he ever caught! Oh, the excitement! At the time he was only 10 years old and I thought it was pretty cool for him to master fly fishing for the first time and catch a trout! We were in Franschoek for our annual youth camp and before we started setting up the kitchen, we literally walked across the road to the The Fish Hatchery in Franschhoek to try our hand at fly fishing! It was also my first attempt at cooking trout and turned out to be a most memorable dinner!

Whilst this is the season to be jolly and whilst many people flock to our coastal towns and restaurants to eat fish and seafood, we all have to try and be sensible about what and where we eat so that our resources will be protected. According to WWFSASSI, trout it s a green choice, so you can eat it with a clear conscience. As a matter of fact, the Norwegian Salmon and trout was lying next to each other in the market, the salmon is on the Orange list and the trout on the Green list…… make the right choice, next time you shop!

My children are away, visiting granny and grandpa, so hubby and I are creating and cooking up new recipes and ideas for which we don’t always have time during the year when having to cope with work, school and church activities! So we bought two pieces of trout and we are going to cook it his way/my way!

I have always wanted to cure trout or salmon, I like the idea of adding a little chemistry to my cooking every now and then, so my way of preparing this trout ended up being ….

Home-cured Trout with Red Onion, Lime and Wasabi Vinaigrette

serves 1

To cure the trout

200 g trout – bones and skin removed

250 ml coarse salt

150 ml sugar

zest of 1 lemon

1 stick lemon grass – grated

1 sprig fennel – finely chopped

Method

Mix all the ingredients except the trout and place half of the mixture in a glass bowl. Place the trout on the mixture and cover with the other half of the mixture. Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours. After 3 hours, remove trout from the salt and clean thoroughly. Serve with fingerling potatoes and this light and fresh vinaigrette!

Red Onion, Lime and Wasabi Vinaigrette

makes 100 ml

Ingredients

1 small clove garlic – very finely chopped

20 ml chopped red onion

juice and zest of 1 lime

a pinch of sugar

1 sprig coriander – finely chopped

80 ml lemon-infused olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2½ ml wasabi

Method

Mix all the vinaigrette ingredients and serve with the home-cured trout and fingerling potatoes!

To find out more about Hubby’s dish ( which I think was the winning dish), watch this space!

A Blessed Festive Season everyone. It is the season of giving….give joy, happiness, love and kindness to one another!

Check out the original source here.

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This Spaghetti with Clams and Artichokes is Janice Tripepi’s “Best Pasta Dish of the Year”.

Spaghetti with Clams and Artichokes Recipe | Janice Tripepi first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Who makes the best meatball in South Africa? The search was on, after our epic meatball cook-off with the judges of the TV series Dinner Divas! I wanted to know who makes the best meatball and what is their secret. I received numerous entries and the secret ingredients used, were as colorful as our precious nation!

Now, firstly I have to say, this competition was totally subjective…… I wanted to know! My benchmark or my frame of reference was simple….I want a meatball that tastes like the ones I remember from my childhood. I have many stories to share about Griet, our cook, who worked for us for so many years. Amongst all her beautiful attributes, was the fact that she cooked the most delicious meatballs in the most unconventional way. All she had available, was good beef, salt, pepper, bread and onion and maybe some days a little  fine cloves!

The secret I have come to learn is that the secret is NOT in the ingredient list, but in the COOKING METHOD. Griet knew that, but I have only realised it know. You see, Griet used to braise about 3 onions in a pot( not Le Creuset…just a common old Hart pot) until the onions where all brown and caramelly. She then made the meatballs and placed the meatballs on top of the braised onions, almost filled the pot with water and then merrily started cleaning the house from the far end, leaving the meatballs to do their own thing! Every now and then, she would just come and have a peep to see if the meatballs needed a little extra water. By lunch time they were done….The result…..soft marrow-like meatballs with the most divine rendered-down gravy you can imagine. That my dear friends was what I was looking for.

…and then I received this recipe!

The cooking instructions were simple – braise with onion long and slowly! I knew it, I had a winner. I had Griet’s winner! The lucky lady who made my tastebuds jump with joy, is Doreen van der Berg, of Gugulethu! Well done Doreen, your meatballs made me miss my childhood and Griet!

Check out the original source here.

Meatball Challenge Winning Recipe | My Easy Cooking first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Having enough snacks for the onslaught of family and friends over this festive period is the nightmare that most of you have to deal with whilst reading this. Snacks can be anything from a platter of ice-cold freshly sliced fruit to cheese and biscuits. The point is, if you do not wake up with a new recipe everyday like I do, it can cause a threat to not only your self image, but also your wallet.

Well, here is some helpful hints and tips to take the sting out of entertaining. Stock up on a few basic ingredients and you are ready for the hungry crowds.

Pantry Items

smoked mussels

tins of sardines

canned tomatoes in all flavors – Mexican, Italian and Indian

Canned corn

canned tuna and salmon

caramel

cream

artichokes

asparagus

beans- butter beans, baked beans, kidney beans

chickpeas

Fridge Items

a variety of cheese – goats cheese, parmesan, cheddar, Emmenthaler, Grand Pandano ricotta, mozzarella

fresh fruit  – pineapples, berries, watermelon, melon, peaches, cherries

fresh vegetables – brinjals, cucumbers, tomatoes, baby marrows, mushrooms, celery, spring onions, avos

cream, Greek yogurt, sour cream, relishes and chutneys

cold meats and cured sausages

gherkins and pickle onions

marinated brinjals, peppers and mushrooms

eggs

Bakery Items

an assortment of fresh breads or bake your own

packets of biscuits

tortillas

taco shells

fresh bread rolls

fresh pizza dough

For these delicious Blue Cheese and Fig Snacks I used some of my fridge and pantry cupboard ingredients and I must say they were delicious. The judges on the Dinner Diva Show did not think so, but my family and friends did and in the end, that is all that matters… so here it is then….

Blue Cheese and Fig Snacks

Makes 12

Ingredients

250 g white cheddar – coarsely grated

100 g Fairview Blue Rock

6 Nulaid Jumbo eggs

100 ml Greek yogurt

Micro herbs

3 T  Rhodes Red Fig Jam

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Mix the white cheddar cheese, yogurt and eggs together. Spray a muffin pan with Spray ‘n Cook and spoon the cheese/egg mixture into the 12 muffin moulds. Top the mixture in each pan with crumbed blue cheese. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the quiches are firm to the touch. Remove and serve with some micro herbs and Rhodes Red Fig Jam

More Snack Ideas for the Festive Season

Black Forest Ham, watercress and Camembert Rolls

Caponata

Delicious with ciabatta or a cheese or two

Thai Vegetable rolls

Mushroom Pate

Falafels

Check out the original source here.

Christmas Snack Recipes for the Festive Season | My Easy Cooking first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Biscotti are best served with a nice cappucino to dunk them in!

Oh I just love this time of year.  I moan and groan about the crowds in my supermarket and the traffic and the rain, but deep down I have a warm ember glowing and it’s called Christmas.  TrickyRicky is a fanatic!  He turns from an emotional, semi-level headed (if there IS such a thing) Italian into an emotional, shopping crazed, panetone eating, unstable Italian.  You just can’t stop him and it’s best to restrict his exposure to shopping Malls to the very minimum.

He gives money to absolutely EVERY street child and homeless person that he meets and wants his whole family over for dinner every night.  He insists on a dinner and drinks and panetone with his favourite Christmas tipple, Asti Spumante with the family for the ‘Dressing of the Christmas tree’.  He surely is very precious.

These biscotti are made just for my TrickyRicky.  His dear mum used to churn out barrel loads of biscuits at various times of the year.  Her biscotti were often laden with fennel seeds which filled the home with heady comforting aromas.  So, I make biscotti; lots of them!  They are baked twice thus ensuring that TrickyRicky gets his ‘biscotti scented house’ fix for the season.

I am very grateful for his ‘emotional’ side and for the fact that he holds his family so very close to his heart.  He would truly lay down his life for any one of them!  And personally, I love to see my grown man cry!

Biscotti

I made two batches – the first one with cranberries and pistachio nuts because these two ingredients just say ‘Christmas’ to me, and the second batch with hazelnuts and chocolate chips because I personally love this combination and am greedy!  I have also given you Nonna Lilly’s recipe for biscotti with fennel seeds and almonds.  So you have a nice selection to choose from.  Package them up and give them as gifts when you go visiting.

Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

Cranberries and Pistachio Biscotti!

Dried Cranberries and Pistachio Nuts just say ‘Christmas’ don’t they!

Ingredients

125g butter

1 cup castor sugar

3 eggs

3Tbs Brandy

The zest of one lemon

1 1/2cups plain flour

¾ cup self-raising flour

1/2tsp salt

100g dried cranberries

100g pistachio nuts

Method

Cream the butter and castor sugar well and add the eggs one at a time.

Cream your butter and castor sugar and the eggs one by one, beating well inbetween.

Add the brandy and lemon zest

Add the eggs one by one.

Sift the flours and salt and add to this mixture

Add the cranberries and pistachio nuts.

Add the pistachio nuts and cranberries to the dough

Let this dough rest in the fridge for about 1 hour then remove and separate the mixture into two equal amounts.

Cover the bowl and put the dough in the fridge to rest for an hour.

Make two large sausages out of each half and bake on a greased baking sheet for 20 -25 minutes at 180d.

They are ready when the dough is slightly golden in colour.

Let them cool down then cut into biscuits.  I find that it’s best to cut them with an electric knife if you have one as this method results in neater looking biscuits.

Cut the biscotti on the diagonal and arrange on a lightly greased baking tray to cook for the second time. Bi-scotti means ‘twice-cooked’ in English.

Place them on lightly greased baking sheet and bake again for 30 minutes or until they are dry and have crisped up nicely.  They should be quite hard, like a rusk.

To serve: Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve with a nice cappuccino or cuppa tea!

Serve with a dusting of icing sugar ‘snow’ !

Hazelnut and Choc Chip Biscotti

Choc chip and Hazelnuts …….. yum!

Ingredients

125g butter

1 cup castor sugar

2Tbs instant coffee dissolved in 1Tbs hot water

3 eggs

3Tbs Brandy

The zest of one lemon

1 1/2cups plain flour

¾ cup self-raising flour

1/2tsp salt

100g hazelnuts – toasted either in a dry pan on the stove top or in your oven

100g chocolate chips

Method

Cream the butter and castor sugar well and add the eggs one at a time.

Add the brandy and lemon zest

Sift the flours and salt and add to this mixture

Add the coffee essence

Coffee essence …. 1Tbs water 2Tbs good instant coffee granuals.

Add the chocolate chips and Hazelnuts.

Let this dough rest in the fridge for about 1 hour then remove and separate the mixture into two equal amounts.

Make two large sausages out of each half and bake on a greased baking sheet for 20 -25 minutes at 180d.

They are ready when the dough is slightly golden in colour.

Let them cool down then cut into biscuits.  I find that it’s best to cut them with an electric knife if you have one as this method results in neater looking biscuits.

Place them on lightly greased baking sheet and bake again for 30 minutes or until they are dry and have crisped up nicely.  They should be quite hard, like a rusk.

To serve: Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve with a nice cappuccino or cuppa tea!

Oh I just love this time of year.  I moan and groan about the crowds in my supermarket and the traffic and the rain, but deep down I have a warm ember glowing and it’s called Christmas.  TrickyRicky is a fanatic!  He turns from an emotional, semi-level headed (if there IS such a thing) Italian into an emotional, shopping crazed, panetone eating, unstable Italian.  You just can’t stop him and it’s best to restrict his exposure to shopping Malls to the very minimum.

He gives money to absolutely EVERY street child and homeless person that he meets and wants his whole family over for dinner every night.  He insists on a dinner and drinks and panetone with his favourite Christmas tipple, Asti Spumante with the family for the ‘Dressing of the Christmas tree’.  He surely is very precious.

These biscotti are made just for my TrickyRicky.  His dear mum used to churn out barrel loads of biscuits at various times of the year.  Her biscotti were often laden with fennel seeds which filled the home with heady comforting aromas.  So, I make biscotti; lots of them!  They are baked twice thus ensuring that TrickyRicky gets his ‘biscotti scented house’ fix for the season.

I am very grateful for his ‘emotional’ side and for the fact that he holds his family so very close to his heart.  He would truly lay down his life for any one of them!  And personally, I love to see my grown man cry!

Biscotti

I made two lots – the first one with cranberries and pistachio nuts because these two just say ‘Christmas’ to me, and the second batch with hazelnuts and chocolate chips because I love this combination and am greedy!

Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

Ingredients

125g butter

1 cup castor sugar

3 eggs

3Tbs Brandy

The zest of one lemon

1 1/2cups plain flour

¾ cup self-raising flour

1/2tsp salt

100g dried cranberries

100g pistachio nuts

Method

Cream the butter and castor sugar well and add the eggs one at a time.

Add the brandy and lemon zest

Sift the flours and salt and add to this mixture

Add the cranberries and pistachio nuts.

Let this dough rest in the fridge for about 1 hour then remove and separate the mixture into two equal amounts.

Make two large sausages out of each half and bake on a greased baking sheet for 20 -25 minutes at 180d.

They are ready when the dough is slightly golden in colour.

Let them cool down then cut into biscuits.  I find that it’s best to cut them with an electric knife if you have one as this method results in neater looking biscuits.

Place them on lightly greased baking sheet and bake again for 30 minutes or until they are dry and have crisped up nicely.  They should be quite hard, like a rusk.

To serve: Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve with a nice cappuccino or cuppa tea!

Hazelnut and Choc Chip Biscotti

Ingredients

125g butter

1 cup castor sugar

2Tbs coffee essence or 2Tbs instant coffee dissolved in 2Tbs water

3 eggs

3Tbs Brandy

The zest of one lemon

1 1/2cups plain flour

¾ cup self-raising flour

1/2tsp salt

100g hazelnuts – toasted either in a dry pan on the stove top or in your oven

100g chocolate chips

Method

Cream the butter and castor sugar well and add the eggs one at a time.

Add the brandy and lemon zest

Sift the flours and salt and add to this mixture

Add the coffee essence

Add the chocolate chips and Hazelnuts.

Let this dough rest in the fridge for about 1 hour then remove and separate the mixture into two equal amounts.

Make two large sausages out of each half and bake on a greased baking sheet for 20 -25 minutes at 180d.

They are ready when the dough is slightly golden in colour.

Let them cool down then cut into biscuits.  I find that it’s best to cut them with an electric knife if you have one as this method results in neater looking biscuits.

Place them on lightly greased baking sheet and bake again for 30 minutes or until they are dry and have crisped up nicely.  They should be quite hard, like a rusk.

To serve: Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve with a nice cappuccino or cuppa tea!

Nonna Lilly’s Biscotti all’Anice

Carissima povera Nonna Lilly, la vita senza te sembra vuota xxx

Ingredients

125g butter

1 cup castor sugar

3 eggs

3Tbs Brandy

The zest of one lemon

1 1/2cups plain flour

¾ cup self-raising flour

1/2tsp salt

100g roasted almonds

2Tbs aniseed

Method

Cream the butter and castor sugar well and add the eggs one at a time.

Add the brandy and lemon zest

Sift the flours and salt and add to this mixture

Add the aniseed and almonds

Let this dough rest in the fridge for about 1 hour then remove and separate the mixture into two equal amounts.

Make two large sausages out of each half and bake on a greased baking sheet for 20 -25 minutes at 180d.

They are ready when the dough is slightly golden in colour.

Let them cool down then cut into biscuits.  I find that it’s best to cut them with an electric knife if you have one as this method results in neater looking biscuits.

Place them on lightly greased baking sheet and bake again for 30 minutes or until they are dry and have crisped up nicely.  They should be quite hard, like a rusk.

To serve: Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve with a nice cappuccino, espresso or cuppa tea!

As always

Buon Appetito

Xxx

jan

Nonna Lilly’s Biscotti all’Anice

Ingredients

125g butter

1 cup castor sugar

3 eggs

3Tbs Brandy

The zest of one lemon

1 1/2cups plain flour

¾ cup self-raising flour

1/2tsp salt

100g roasted almonds

2Tbs aniseed

Method

Cream the butter and castor sugar well and add the eggs one at a time.

Add the brandy and lemon zest

Sift the flours and salt and add to this mixture

Add the aniseed and almonds

Let this dough rest in the fridge for about 1 hour then remove and separate the mixture into two equal amounts.

Make two large sausages out of each half and bake on a greased baking sheet for 20 -25 minutes at 180d.

They are ready when the dough is slightly golden in colour.

Let them cool down then cut into biscuits.  I find that it’s best to cut them with an electric knife if you have one as this method results in neater looking biscuits.

Place them on lightly greased baking sheet and bake again for 30 minutes or until they are dry and have crisped up nicely.  They should be quite hard, like a rusk.

To serve: Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve with a nice cappuccino or cuppa tea!

Don’t forget

Turn on the telly!

Have a cappuccino …. and some biscotti!

as you watch the First of the Finals Challenges!

Hint:  It’s a mystery

As always

Buon Appetito

Xxx

jan

Check out the original source here.

Nonna Lilly’s Christmas Biscotti Recipe | Janice Tripepi first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

My Life Today ……………………………….. in pictures! Can’t chat!

Spring Cleaning ……… RESPECT!

The Grim Reality!

‘Moi’ at the end of the day ………….

 So it’s a quickie post today!

When I was in Cape Town for the shooting of the Dinner Divas Show Daniele invited a few friends over for drinks and a light dinner.  I really didn’t have much time to spare to prepare the usual two course meal and all I could muster, from his sparse cupboards and fridge was a dressed Camembert, a piece of beef fillet to make some  Beef Carpaccio which was served with crusty breads, salads and some fabulous wine that I bought at a wine tasting in Kloof Street on a previous visit.

With so many friends popping in for drinks this Christmas, a dressed Camembert can literally be on the table in all its ‘gooey’ glory in a matter of minutes!

Camembert dressed with Apricots, Crispy Pancetta, Nuts, Thyme and Honey

 Dressed Camembert

Camembert, pancetta, chopped apricots, fresh thyme and mixed nuts.

Ingredients

1 Camembert (if you have the time, leave it out and open all day to ripen)

120g slice of pancetta or bacon

100g sliced dried apricot

80g mixed nuts salted is fine

a frew sprigs of thyme

honey for drizzling

Method

Pancetta chop into a small dice

 Chop the pancetta into a small dice and fry in a little olive oil with a few sprigs of thyme until nice and crispy on the edges.

Fry with a touch of olive oil and a few sprigs of thyme.

Slice or chop your apricots up and top the cheese with them and the nuts.

Slice your apricots up and place on top of the cheese together with the nuts

Add the fried pancetta and top with thyme leaves.

.

Drizzle the whole Camembert with plenty of your favourite honey.  This is a far healthier option than the traditional sugar glaze.

Top with plenty of your favourite honey. Here I am using litchi blossom honey.

 And in just ten minutes … it’s ready!

.

Here is the platter of Beef Carpaccio ….

Beef Carpaccio

The sun is actually shining here today in KZN …… YAY!

Don’t forget to tune into SABC2 this Saturday Morning for the First Challenge of the

Dinner Diva Finals

It’s a ….

As always

Buon Appetito

Jan

xxx

Check out the original source here.

Honey, Nut and Pancetta dressed Camembert | Janice Tripepi first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Filet Americain served in a nest of Pomme Fritte

At this time of the year when Durban is hot and steamy here on the East Coast of South Africa, Fillet Americain or Steak Tartare as you probably know it; finds its primal way onto the dinner table in la casa Tripepi.  When I met TrickyRicky back in the 70′s, the very idea of eating raw meat shocked this little English girl’s socks right off and I resisted even tasting the dish for many years.  Funnily enough it was only when I expecting my son Daniele, that I found myself craving it and I have often marvelled at how it’s possible to crave something that you have never eaten?  Very ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ if you ask me!  Perhaps I wanted to share in and understand the happiness that this dish seemed to bring to the family.

 Before arriving in South Africa, the Tripepi family spent 10 years living in the Belgian Congo which is now called Zaire.   My father-in-law, Salvatore Tripepi, known to the whole family as Nonno Toto, made his way there as a young man with two small children to work on his brother-in-law farm.  One opportunity led to another and soon enough he had his own construction company and in time he made enough money to buy a coffee plantation, a shop and opened a brick factory.

Life in the Congo was typically Colonial and the community of Belgians and Italians entertained constantly which resulted in the Tripepi’s adopting a few Belgian dishes into their cooking arsenal.  This particular Belgian dish was first introduced to them at a luncheon at the home of Madame Courboin who was Nonna’s best friend.

On researching the origins of this dish, I can confirm that Filet American is the Belgian version of the infamous and well-loved Steak Tartare, and is made with either minced beef or horse meat (perish the thought!).  It is served in two different ways; firstly as a snack known as a ‘martino’ which is a slice of rye bread toasted and topped with anchovies in oil and then a thick layer of the Filet Americain on top and secondly, the Mme Courboin’s way, with Pommes a lumette and salad.  I must try the rye bread and anchovy version!  I love anchovies and just know that I would enjoy it this way!

This is one of those ‘emotion fuelling’ meals that all but reduces my dear TrickyRicky to tears of pure joy.  His face lights up and his fingers reach immediately for his cell phone when I say the words Filet Americain; he invites his brother Renato over to share this dish with them.  For TrickyRicky this highly spiced raw meat brings back the wonderful and happy memories of his childhood in Aba, of his two late brothers Mario and Sergio, of a time when he and his younger brother Renato played innocently in the African bush catching snakes and hunting insects, and of afternoons with his sisters playing records and dancing in the lounge.

This is very primal and sexy food I think and I have in the past, served heart shaped mounds of this topped with a raw egg to TrickyRicky for a romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner!  Very raw-nchy! To great effect I may add too!

It is written that our sense of smell has the longest memory of all of our senses. I would agree with this as one whiff of a turkey in the oven catapults my mind through time where it joins hands with a host of other memories like touch, smell and sound.   Isn’t food all-encompassing for it offers up so many sensory promises – sight, sounds, smell, taste and touch!

There is magic in food me thinks!

Filet Americain

Serves 6

This is one of those dishes that should reflect your palate.  The quantities of the flavourings below are merely a guideline.  If you enjoy more spicy food then by all means increase the amount of Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce etc.   TrickyRicky recently ate this oldie at Havana, one of Durban’s best aged meat restaurants.  They added 1Tbs of a red pepper, onion and chilli relish to the basic ingredients as listed below and the result was absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed the crunchy texture it gave to the dish and the sweetness of the peppers was fabulous.

Many different cultures have their version of ‘raw meat’ dishes.  I have eaten the Lebanese version of this dish Kebbeh, which is made with minced lamb, bulgur wheat and dressed with a minced chilli, garlic and olive oil dressing.  Again, I absolutely loved it!  So this is the kind of dish that you can make your own by playing around with the ingredients and make them your own.

Ingredients

Make sure that your beef is at room temperature.

700g beef fillet at room temperature, dry it off well and leave it out, covered for the day

100g drained capers

½medium red onion or shallot finely diced

1Tbs olive oil

½ lemon – juiced

2tsp Dijon or French mustard

5Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

1Tbs Tabasco Sauce

1 egg yolk

Salt & freshly ground Black Pepper

5ml A squeeze of lemon

Method

Trim of any fat or sinew on the outer edges of the fillet.

Sharpen you knife before you start this job!

Slice the fillet up into 5 steaks.  Flatten out using the back of your hand.

Use the heel of your hand to bash the fillet flat! Great stress reliever!

My kitchen assistant Tino-the-claw-Tripepi was on hand to polish off the off-cuts!

Tino-the claw-Tripepi enjoying the off-cuts! He has been known to steal a whole steak before now …..

Sharpen you knife well and finely dice the steaks – it’s best to make cuts about 5mm apart across the whole steak, then turn your chopping board around and chop 5mm cuts diagonally across.

Mae cuts 5mm apart right accross the whole flattened piece of fillet.

This way you get a really nice even tiny dice.  It’s not a good idea to do this in a food processor as the blade action results in a paste which tends to be a little slimy and pasty, however, if you like it this way that is fine.

Make cuts 5mm apart, turn your chopping board and do the same in the opposite direction, resulting in a good neat dice.

Garnets!

Garnets!

Place in a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, Worcester sauce and Tabasco sauce.

Add the capers, onion, salt and pepper and mix well.

Add this mixture to the meat with a fresh egg yolk

Mix all the yummy flavouring together.

Mix this all together well and check for seasoning.

Separat one fresh free-range egg and add the yolk to the mixture.

Allow this mixture to stand for about 20 minutes and then taste again –

I always find myself adding a little more of this or a little more of that to tweak the taste just before serving

TrickyRicky adjusting the flavour by adding a touch more salt!

Serve with freshly made REAL potato chips – the thinner the better.  The traditional Pomme a lumette are ‘match-stick chips’ that are very fine.  As the name suggests, they are as thin as match sticks and fried until crispy.  So if you have exceptional knife skills or a special appliance that cuts out ‘match stick chips’ then make them and fry them until crispy and serve them well drained, hot and well sprinkled with salt.

.

It’s spring clean week this week in la casa Tripepi.  Anything that has not been used or worn in the last 6 – 8 months is a gonna!   Need to make some space for Santa’s goodies!

I have to confess – after writing this post throughout the day yesterday, ALL I could think about, and TrickyRicky too for that matter was Filet Americain!  So off we popped to Havana Grill at the Suncoast Casino to indulge!

Filet Americain (Steak Tartare) It is served as a starter at a cost of R65 and comes with

minced garlic, chopped olive, chopped cornichons, chopped capers, diced red green and yellow peppers, chopped green chili, pepper relish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco Sauce, black pepper and salt – with freshly toasted bread.

Not the best picture I am afraid, it was taken will my cell phone. You can serve the filet Americain in this way if you like with each flavouring placed separately on each plate.

And TrickyRicky and I sighed, oohed and ahhhed our way through the meal with huge grins on our faces!

Don’t miss Episode 9 of DINNER DIVA’S

This Saturday Morning at 08.30am

SABC2

Nina Timm of  http://www.my-easy-cooking.com/

Kristy Snel of http://food-monger.com/

and little old ‘moi’ go for it in the Diva Kitchen.

The brief is as follows:

Prepare a FESTIVE or SPECIAL OCCASION meal for 4-8 people in 3 hours!

Hint : I went totally seafood and prepared a Bridal Rehearsal Dinner for 6 people!

If it could swim …. I cooked it!

See you then!

Forthcoming attraction:

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Christmas Gifts from your kitchen ….

Cranberry & Pistachio,  Hazelnut, Coffee & Choc Chip Biscotti

As always

Buon Appetito!

Check out the original source here.

Filet Americain | Steak Tartare Recipe | Janice Tripepi first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

This Spaghetti al Tonno Recipe’s pasta sauce is one that you won’t find on any local Italian restaurant menus. However, tuna is a common store cupboard ingredient in Italian homes and often finds its way into the pasta pot.

Spaghetti al Tonno, Tuna, Mushroom and Tomato Spaghetti in 10 minutes | Janice Tripepi first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Mfino & Ricotta Quiche is ideal for a summer lunch or your picnic basket!

Traditionally Mfino is served one of two ways, either fried and reduced down with onion, spring onion, garlic and chilli or fried and mixed with mielie porridge.

I am an ardent fan of Kobus van der Merwe’s blog, Sardines on Toast.   I envy his ability, and more to the point, the opportunity he gets to create delicate and artistic plates of food anointed with what can only be described as ‘soupçons’ of exquisite flavours.  His use of indigenous plants and foraged ingredients makes my toes curl with delight and I have been promising myself for the longest time that I would make an effort to explore said indigenous plants and their flavours.

I would describe the provision of meals in la casa Tripepi as the perfect antithesis of Kobus’ artistry.  It has taken years for me to introduce the mere notion of ‘meat free’ meals and plates of food that don’t cry out for a break from the tonnage deemed to be the acceptable amount of food to be served on a plate.

Once a month, Monique attends a local clinic with a friend of hers.  Dressed up to the nines, Monique and friend, toddle off together like two dressed turkeys gobble-gobbling their way down the road.  Their day always includes a stop at a local market that sells everything from combs to fruit and veg.

I love to mosey around shops and markets and always keep my eyes open for interesting plates, glasses etc. for my blog posts.  I often see enamel kitchenware with the requisite amount of “wear and tear” as to render them totally desirable for blog posts calling out my name.  One glance at the price tag and I generally drop them like a hot potato.   R250, 00 for a chipped, second hand jug is just ridiculous and makes a mockery of the humble, most affordable and practical enamel ‘family’ that was designed and manufactured for the ‘lower income’ shopper.  I get the whole, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure thing, but to pay such a price just doesn’t feel right!

With this in mind, I armed Monique with R150, 00 in cash and asked her to purchase a large enamel bowl at the market, a bowl big enough to serve pasta or salad to ‘la famiglia’ and guests on any given Sunday.  I suggested that should she have any money left over, she could buy me some bunches or “hands” as Monique puts it, of fresh Mfino; an indigenous ‘baby leafed spinach’ equivalent.

Mfino is a small leafy herb similar to spinach.

Later on that day, Monique arrived home with a whole host of enamel-alia!  One large shallow enamel basin perfect for pasta, six small enamel plates, two enamel bowls with lids and five bunches of beautiful fresh Mfino.  And the cost for all of this was just R72, 00.  This feels so very right and I cannot wait to fill that beautiful big bowl with homemade fettuccini bathed in a summery tomato and Mfino pasta sauce and serve up portions on the small plates.  As for the required ‘wear and tear’, I could fling them around the garden a bit I suppose, but I will go ‘au naturel’ I think!

5 bunches of Mfino washed and ready to cook

Monique and I discussed the various cooking options for our five bunches of Mfino and decided that, for a first time out, a traditional approach would be best.  This would allow me to get to grips with the flavour and texture in order to invent something a little more interesting in the future.   Traditionally Mfino is served one of two ways, either fried and reduced down with onion, spring onion, garlic and chilli or fried and mixed with mielie porridge.

Mfino & Ricotta Quiche

Preheat your oven to 200d

My Enamel Kitchenware ….

Ingredients

For the Mfino

5 bunches of Mfino or 500g spinach

1 onion finely chopped

6 spring onions chopped

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 red chillies finely chopped

Salt & pepper to season

I have added two chopped chillies to my Mfino which may seem like quite a lot – and it is, but I am going to be adding this to a quiche filling so I need plenty of flavour to give the quiche a nice kick in the mouth! The 5 bunches of Mfino yielded abut 2 cups of cooked mfino, and didn’t use the whole lot in this quiche I had about half a cup left over , which I ate!  Gotta taste!

Method

Wash and clean the Mfino in plenty of running water

In a pot large enough to take all of the Mfino, brown the onion, spring onion, garlic and chilli in a little olive oil.

Add the washed Mfino and stir well.  Place a lid on the pot and cook on a moderate to high heat until all of the water has evaporated.  This will only take about 10 – 15 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

5 cups of cooked mfino will yield about 2 cups once cooked.

The Quiche Pastry

Out comes my UTA Quiche recipe again this pastry is rich and light and melts in your mouth.

Ingredients

200g flour

80g butter

1Tbs cold water

1Tbs olive oil

5ml salt

Method

Place all of the above into your food processor and pulse about 8 times or until the ingredients form a crumbly dough.  Pour this into
your greased pie dish and using your hands mould it to form a pastry base.

The Quiche Filling

Ingredients

4 eggs

150ml of cream

180g ricotta cheese

100g good strong cheddar/ pecorino/ parmesan cheese

Black pepper

 1/4tsp grated nutmeg

Paprika to sprinkle on the top of your quiche

Method

Arrange the ricotta cheese in the pastry shell

Add the Mfino

Add the good strong grated cheese

Whisk together the eggs, cream and nutmeg and pour over the filling

Add the egg & cream mixture making sure that you get it into all the nooks and crannies

Top with a sprinkle of paprika – I just like the colour that this gives!

Baked at 200d for 30 minutes

Serve with some fresh lightly poached asparagus in garlic butter and a side salad.  This would be ideal for a picnic basket to take to the beach.

The good news is that TrickyRicky woofed the quiche down and is very keen to join me in the kitchen to see what else we can make with this local herb.  Monique suggested that we use the Mfino with polenta much in the same way as she cooks the Mfino with mielie meal!  I have some ideas and will report back!

Great News!

Dinner Divas is moving into the Semi Final Stage which sees

Usha Singh

and

Zirkie Shroeder

go head-to-head in the Diva Kitchen!

The brief is to prepare a Festive or Special Occasion Meal for 4 – 8 people in 3 hours!

Now, THAT is a lot of cooking!

See you there!

Here is the link to another quiche favourite in la casa Tripepi

Pork Sausage, Caramelised Onion and Fresh Sage Quiche

We are off to Whispering Waters up in the Midlands for a long weekend to attend a wedding.

Taryn Makaab is one of the most talented dancers that I have even seen, she has danced all over the world and runs her own dance studio, Break Thru dance company in Durban.  We have known Taryn all her life and are so excited and happy to see her marry the love of her life Shawn this weekend at Netherwood!  I have my camera and will post some pics next week.

Congratulations to Taryn and Shawn

and

to Mike and Charmaine, her parents, as their family grows!

I just love weddings!

Note to self: lots of tissues for TrickyRicky!

Have a wonderful weekend.

As always

Buon Appetito

xxx

jan

Check out the original source here.

Mfino & Ricotta Quiche Recipe | Janice Tripepi first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Duck & Pork Rillette: Last December my BFF Carol (of Underberg fame) arrived for a weekend at my home in Durban arms laden with three plump ducks, two rabbits, a gazillion eggs and a ton of veggies; all bounty from her beautiful farm.   I love to eat duck but mostly only ever buy breasts from ‘The Duck Lady” stall at Shongweni Market for Asian style salads.  I did once buy a whole duck and attempted to reproduce the iconic Asian style glazed, crispy duck for pancakes et al.  Well, after two long days of dunking it in boiling water three times, blow drying it with a hair dryer, poaching it, frying it and goodness knows what else I produced enough meat for a few hoisin smeared, cucumber baton stuffed pancakes and vowed never to attempt it again.

With my freezer bulging at the seams all I could think about was a duck rillettes.  I put the word out on Facebook that I was looking for a recipe for this French favourite and Cindy Taylor of The Only Cin sent this Fran Warde recipe back to me in a flash.  My heart beamed in the knowledge that I had the perfect starter for a special luncheon that I was planning.   My first go at this dish, I pretty much stuck to Fran’s recipe but as I ate it I could imagine a few more flavourings that would suit my palate and give it a bit of a Tripepi twist!

Seeing as I had never made a rillette before I consulted my epicurean crystal ball, the Larousse Gastronomique to find out more about the finer points of creating said dish.  A rillette is described as, “A preparation of pork, rabbit, goose or poultry meat cooked in lard (shortenings), then pounded to a smooth paste, potted and served as a cold hors d’oeuvre.”  Well, there you have it.

Durban is so incredibly hot in December that I generally try to put a cold starter on the table which is not easy when you have a household of Italians baying for pasta.  Never the less, after some rather dangerous comments about how the dish resembled cat food, they woofed the whole lot down.  The benefit of this dish is that you can make it days in advance which, as we all know, makes for easy entertaining especially at this time of the year when there are just so many celebrations.

My niece Melisa announced her engagement three weeks ago and planned a cheese and wine party to celebrate this wonderful moment.  She gladly accepted my offer of a duck and pork rillettes to add to the table.  I had the perfect opportunity to make another of these rather special creations and to put my own stamp on it.  Cooking for celebrations is my absolute favourite and the outcome was truly worthy of such a special occasion.  With Christmas coming up this would make a wonderful starter for your lunch or a perfect canape if you are throwing a cocktail party for friends.

Duck & Pork Rillette with Port Prunes & Green Peppercorns

My Version of Fran Warde’s Duck Rillette

Ingredients

1 whole duck

500g pork belly

2 onions peeled and halved

6 carrots peeled

3 sticks of celery washed and cut in half

500ml red wine

6 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled

2Tbs mustard seeds

4 bay leaves

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

6 juniper berries

500ml chicken stock

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper season well

4Tbs fresh green peppercorns, drained

10 prunes soaked overnight in some Port and a sprig of rosemary

2 packets of smoked streaky bacon

Method

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2.

Add the giblets to the roasting pan for extra flavour

Joint the duck and place the pieces together with the pork into a roasting pan, add the carrots, celery, onions, bay leaves, rosemary, juniper berries, wine, chicken stock, garlic cloves, mustard seeds and seasoning and stir well.

All ready for a slow roasting to bring out all the flavour.

Cover with the lid or some tinfoil and place in the oven to cook for 3 hours.  The duck I bought came with a full set of beautiful plump and very healthy giblets; add them to the roasting pan if you get them in your duck they will add lots of flavour to your rillette.

Prepare youself for the first aromas of Christmas in your home … so festive!

Remove the pan from the oven and pour off fat and juices through a sieve set over a bowl. If you have some muslin cloth, line your sieve with it and pour the juices through again, if not just sieve the juices a few time to make sure that there are no bits in it.   Allow the meat to cool a little.  Remove all of the duck meat from the carcass and remove all of the pork meat from the fat.  As you are removing the meat break it up into small pieces and place it a separate bowl.

Line a loaf tin or silicon mould with the bacon as I have done in the photo below.  You need to leave enough bacon hanging over the edge to fold over and close the top of the rillette.

I have lined the loaf “tin” with bacon and left enough hanging over the edge to close up the rillette before baking.

Add a layer of the meat mixture making sure to press it down firmly with your hands to compact the meat and avoid air bubbles

Sprinkle on a layer of fresh green peppercorns

Add another layer of meat and arrange the drained prunes down the centre

Prunes soaked in Port and fresh rosemary for a day.

Drain the prunes and arrange down the centre of your rillette. Add the port to your pan juices which you boil down to pour over your rillette before serving.

Add another layer of meat

Add a layer of the roasted onion, green pepper corns and top with carrots trimmed to square them off.

A layer of the sweet roasted onion, some more green peppercorns and cubed carrots ….

Top with another layer of the meat and close the bacon to seal the rillette.

Make sure that you compact the meat nicely by pushing it down with your hands

Pour in as much fat from the roasting pan as you can and bake at 180d for about 10 minutes or just long enough for the bacon to brown on the top.

Close up the bacon and pop it in your oven for about 10 15 minutes to cook the bacon and add a little colour for presentation.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

It is best to use an electric knife to cut nice neat slices.

The finished rillette.

I boiled the drained pan juices (no fat) and reduced them to about 1/3 of a cup of sauce and poured this over the rillette when I served it.

Serve with Melba toast or crusty bread and a salad – add a dollop of your favourite pickle for a little zing!

Slice the rillette with an electric knife and serve with crusty bread or melba toasts and a good dollop of your favourite pickle and an ice cold glass of your favourite vino.

This is the original recipe that I made last year.

FRAN WARDE’S DUCK RILLETTE

RILLETTES DE CANARD AU POIVRE VERT

Traditionally this is a dish that is made with the carcass of the bird. This is why I love French cooking; nothing is wasted and every part of the animal is used to create its own dish. I have chosen to make this dish with duck legs as it yields more than the traditional one, but do try making it with duck carcass if you ever have some left over.

Preparation: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour setting.

Cooking: 2 ½ hours.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 duck legs

300g pork belly

200ml white wine

2 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled

1tsp crushed mustard seeds

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

2tsp fresh green peppercorns, drained

Toasted bread slices to serve

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Place the duck and pork into a roasting pan, add the wine, garlic cloves, mustard seeds and seasoning and stir well. Cover with foil and place in the oven to cook for 2 ½ hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and pour off fat through a sieve set over a bowl. Place the meat in a separate bowl and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Remove the skin and bones from the duck and shred the meat by hand. Remove the rind and any small bones from the pork and again shred the meat. Mix well, add the peppercorns, then place the mixture in a terrine, pressing down with your hands.

This is the rillette that I made last year I did add extra booze and a few aromatics like bay and rosemary and a good big slosh of brandy. You know your family and the flavours that they enjoy- don’t be afraid of making a recipe your own.

Heat the fat again and pass through a piece of muslin to strain. Pour the fat over the meat, making a thin layer on top. Place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour. It can be stored for up to 1 week. Serve at room temperature with toasted bread.

I served this rillette with a delicous Chardonnay chutney that I bought at a wine farm in Cape Town. The rillette is rich so a pickle or chutney served to cut through the richness of the dish.

Damon tucking into his lunch!

This Saturday Dinner Divas (SABC2 @ 08.30am) features two incredible cooks

Usha and Kate The Spice Girls.

Don’t miss it!

Have a wonderful Friday and as always

Buon Appetito

Xxx

jan

Check out the original source here.

Duck and Pork Rillette with Port Prunes and Green Peppercorns | Janice Tripepi first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

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