This recipe is based on Diana Henry’s recipe in Pure Simple Cooking

 

• 8 chicken pieces, thighs are the tastiest
• 2 onions
• 1.5 lbs. potatoes
• ½ cup olive oil
• Several unpeeled garlic cloves
• 5 sprigs of rosemary
• Salt and pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut the onions into ten wedges and the potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, into about the same size. Place the potatoes, onions and garlic in a roasting pan. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary and toss the vegetables. Place the chicken pieces among the vegetables. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked.

This dish takes well to other vegetables too. We often throw in carrots and zucchini. For vegetables that cook quickly like zucchini be sure to add them for just the last 10-20 minutes.

 

This makes a wonderful condiment for chicken salad or for stuffing deviled eggs. I served it with chilled poached chicken and finely sliced fennel.

•  7 oz. tuna packed in olive oil, drained
  
• 2.5 oz. pickles
  
• 1 tablespoon of salt packed capers, rinsed
  
• A handful of fresh parsley
  
• Juice of ½ a lemon
  
• 2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
  

In a blender, mix the tuna, capers, pickles, parsley and lemon juice (I add a little at a time to keep the sourness in check). Gradually blend in the olive oil until you reach the consistency desired.

 

 

 

 

•  4 fennel bulbs
•  1-2 oranges
•  Olive oil
•  Black pepper
•  Salt
•  Black olives, optional

 

1. Remove tough outer layers of fennel and slice off the bottom base. Cut into paper thin slices crosswise with a mandoline or a very sharp knife (in this case, split in half and place fennel on flat side for better control). Place fennel slices on plate.

2. Peel oranges with knife, remove white pith and thinly slice. Lay orange slices on fennel, drizzle with olive oil (we strongly suggest using the best quality of olive oil) and season with black pepper and salt. Add fennel fronds as a garnish.

 

 

  

• 1.3 lbs. cauliflower florets
  

• 7 ounces vegetable broth

• 3.5 ounces cream

•  1.75 ounces white wine

•  0.5 ounces flour

• 1 shallot 

• a few saffron threads

• butter

• grated parmesan or grana

• vinegar

• salt

 

 

 

 

Boil the cauliflower florets in salted water with a spoonful of vinegar for 3-4 mins. Remove them from the water and let them cool.

 

Sautee the minced shallot in butter, add the white wine and let simmer until almost evaporated. Add the broth, bring back to a simmer and add the cream.

Mix 0.7 ounces butter with the flour and whip into the simmering sauce. Add the saffron and cook for 5-6 mins. Correct seasoning and add 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan.

 

Preheat oven to 475. Place the cauliflower in a buttered gratin dish, cover with the sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and add a few dabs of butter. Cook in oven until golden brown.

 

NB: Like most European recipes the ingredients here are measured by weight, and you will need a kitchen scale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (serves 2, but can easily be doubled)

• 1.5-2 lb. whole gray mullet (or other firm white fish), scaled and innards removed
• 1 orange, 1 half sliced, 1 half whole
• 1 small bunch of sage
• Olive oil
• Salt
• 1-2 garlic cloves cut in half
  

 

  Rub  fish inside and out with garlic and olive oil, squeeze juice of half an orange over it and sprinkle with salt. You can either cook it right away or cover and refrigerate to cook later on in the day. 

In a roasting pan lined with parchment paper, make a bed of sage leaves and place fish on top with its marinade. Place some sage leaves and the garlic inside the fish. Cover with more sage and orange slices. Put into preheated 355 F oven and cook 15-20 min or until eye is cloudy. Serve at once.

 

 

• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar 
  
• 2 T softened unsalted butter
  
• zest of 1 lemon (about 2 t)
  
• 3 large eggs separated
  
• 4 T lemon juice
  
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  
• 1 cup milk or half&half
  
• 2 T white granulated sugar

 

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
In a bowl beat the sugar, butter and lemon zest until creamy.
Add egg yolks to above mixture and beat until well blended. Alternately blend lemon juice from one lemon with flour and milk or half&half. 
Beat whites with 2 T white granulated sugar until they make a nice meringue. Fold this into the batter.
Pour into a 1 1/2 qt (6 cup) baking dish buttered and lined with some granulated sugar. Set dish in a larger pan and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the side of the baking dish.

Bake about 35-45 minutes until top is set.

 

This dessert begs for whipped cream – heed its call. Raspberries, candied violets, mint and rosemary all make wonderful garnishes. We chose pomegranate to keep it seasonal here.

(Serves 4)

• 1 lb. moscardini (or regular octopus), beak, eyes and entrails removed
• 24 oz. crushed tomatoes
• Pitted black olives (I used Taggiasche olives)
• Garlic
• Olive oil

Heat oil in a large casserole or saucepan. When heated add garlic. Once garlic begins to give off a fragrance add the moscardini or octopus and lightly sauté. (Add a cup of white wine, if desired). Pour in crushed tomatoes and cover. Once the liquid begins to bubble lower heat and simmer covered for about 45 mins, stirring every 10-15 mins. 10-15 mins before turning off the heat add the olives. Test for doneness, octopus should be tender. Remove octopus and some of the sauce and set aside. If the octopuses are large, cut them into manageable pieces.

Use the remainder of the sauce for pasta and serve the octopus as an entrée. 

(serves 2-4)

• 1.5 lbs thawed octopus, beak, eyes and entrails removed
• ½ lb. potatoes
• Parsley, chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic clove (optional)

 

 

1. Rinse the octopus and place it in a pot with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. When water boils, lower flame to a simmer, and cook for about an hour or an hour and half. IMPORTANT: to keep the octopus from hardening, let it cool with the cooking water. This can take an hour or more, so it’s a good idea to do this the morning of or the day before making the dish.

2. Boil the potatoes (you can skin them and cut them into chunks to speed up the process, but they keep their shape best if boiled whole with skins on). Let cool. Cut the potatoes and octopus into bite size pieces. Rub a bowl with garlic (if desired), add potatoes and octopus. Dress with generous olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley. Cover and refrigerate so that the potatoes and octopus soak up the flavor. Boiled or steamed vegetables like carrots and zucchini also make nice additions. 

 

• 2.2 lbs tenere ascolane olives*
  
• 1 ounce soft bread crumbs
  
• 2.8 ounces grated parmesan
  
• 1 egg
  
• zest of ½ lemon  
• nutmeg/cloves
  
• 200-250 ml white wine
  
• salt
  
• 1 celery rib
  
• 1 carrot
  
• ½ onion
  
• 3.5 ounces chicken breast
  
• 3.5 ounces pork
  
• 3.5 ounces beef
  
• extra virgin olive oil
  
• bread crumbs
  
• 2 eggs
  
• flour
  
• ½ liter olive oil (or other oil for frying)

Chop celery, onion and carrot and sauté in extra virgin olive oil for 15 mins or until softened. Add cubed beef, pork and chicken. When seared, add white wine, lower heat and cook for about an hour (or until cooked through).

While the meat is cooking, remove olive pits with a paring knife. Cut around the pit in a spiral motion like when peeling a fruit skin in one piece – this is the only way to pit the olive in order to keep its shape intact.

 

When the meat and vegetable mixture is cooked, check for salt, let it cool and then reduce it to a puree in a meat grinder. Add the lemon zest, a pinch of nutmeg and cloves, the egg, soft bread crumbs and parmesan, mixing until uniform. Let it rest for a few minutes.

 

Stuff each olive with enough filling to fill the empty space from removing the pit.

 

Once all the olives have been filled and “rescrewed” back into their original shape, bread the olives by dipping them first in the flour, then in the beaten eggs and finally in the bread crumbs.

 

Fry in hot olive oil until dark gold.

 

 

NB: Like most European recipes the ingredients here are measured by weight, and you will need a kitchen scale.

 

*the oliva tenera ascolana is a large green olive native to the area of Ascoli Piceno. Though tradition calls for it in this recipe, this olive type is not easily available in the U.S. The tenera ascolana is cured in brine and not with vinegar which gives it its soft flavor, so look for a green olive cured similarly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 2 lbs. whole broccoli

• anchovies preserved in oil3 to 5
  

• 1 medium garlic clove, minced

• 1 small chili pepper

• Olive oil

• Pecorino romano or parmesan cheese

• 1 lb. orecchiette or other small pasta

 

 

 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cut off the broccoli stalks and add the broccoli to boiling water. Cook for five minutes or until tender. Remove broccoli with tongs, and cut the florets into bite size pieces (I like mine quite small so they melt when sautéed). Keep the water for cooking the pasta.

2. Put about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide casserole or saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, anchovies and crushed chili pepper. When the anchovies have dissolved add the broccoli and sauté for several minutes

3. In the meantime, bring the water back up to a boil and add the pasta. If the broccoli is too chewy or dry, add a ladleful of the pasta water. Just before the pasta is al dente, drain and add it to the broccoli mixture. Cook for a minute over medium high heat. Add a generous portion of grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese and serve.

This recipe really lends itself to variation. Take out the anchovies or the hot pepper, or try with ricotta.

 

• 2-3 whole hakes, about 2.5 lbs. total
  
• rosemary branches
  
• whole lemon
  
• garlic
  
• extra virgin olive oil
  
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Clean and scale fish, or better yet have your fishmonger do it for you.

Rub with olive oil, place rosemary branches, garlic and a few lemon slices in, on and under fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let marinate for an hour or more.

 

Heat oven to 400 F. Cook until eye is opaque.

 

 

 

• 1 lb. Romanesco broccoli
• ½ lb. sausage
• 1 lb. short pasta such as rigatoni or farfalle
• Pecorino Romano cheese
• Olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves unpeeled
• Bay leaf

 

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot.

2. In a casserole or large saucepan heat olive oil. Crack the garlic with a knife and sauté in the olive oil along with a bay leaf. Crumble sausage and sauté until cooked through but not browned and crispy. Remove bay leaf and garlic cloves.

3. Cut the Romanesco broccoli florets into small bite sized pieces. When the water boils, add salt and then the pasta. Add the broccoli florets when the pasta has six more minutes to cook. Drain pasta and broccoli and add to the sausage. Sprinkle with grated Pecorino Romano and mix over medium high heat to combine.

 

 

• 8 scampi (about 1.75 lbs.)
  
• 10 ounces risotto rice
  
• 7 ounces white wine
  
• 5.3 ounces cleaned escarole
  
• 3.5 ounces white onion
  
• 1.4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
  
• bay leaf
  
• salt

 

Remove the heads and shells of the scampi and put them in a pot with 2 liters of water.

Add the white wine, onion and bay leaf and bring to a boil for 30 mins. Filter and taste for seasoning.

 

Cut the escarole into thin strips. In a casserole heat half the oil and add the rice, toasting it for 1 minute. Add the escarole and some of the hot broth. Cook the rice until al dente, adding broth as needed. Split the scampi tails in two and add to the still hot rice, stir in remaining oil, cover and let rest for 2 mins.

 

For fanatics: after filtering the broth, crack the scampi claws and remove the meat. Add with scampi tails to risotto.

 

NB: Like most European recipes the ingredients here are measured by weight, and you will need a kitchen scale.

Serves four

Adapted from a La Cucina Italiana recipe

½ Savoy cabbage, hard stem removed, leaves sliced into short thin strips

1 small onion or a couple of shallots, diced

7 ounces of sausage, crumbled in bite-size pieces

1 ¾ cup rice

White wine

Vegetable or chicken stock (we’ve also done it with just water)

Butter

Olive oil

Parmigiano-Reggiano

In a pot heat up the stock. While the stock is heating up, sauté the onion or shallots in some butter and olive oil until soft in a casserole.  Mix in the Savoy cabbage and cook for about 10 minutes covered (add water if necessary). Stir in the sausage. Once the sausage is mostly cooked, add in the rice and sauté for a minute. Pour in about ½ a cup of white and let evaporate. Cook the rice by ladling in enough boiling stock or water to cover. As the stock reduces, cover the risotto with more broth until the rice is al dente. Stir in a slab of butter and grated parmesan.

 

Serves 4-6

• 1 lb. Spaghetti

•  4 oz. bottarga (or more or less, depending on your taste) 

• Parsley, chopped 

• Hot pepper 

• 1 garlic clove, chopped 

• Extra virgin olive oil

 

Cook the pasta less than al dente.

While cooking the pasta, heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a pan large enough to hold the spaghetti.  Add the garlic and hot pepper. Add the pasta and a ladleful of its cooking water, coat and cook until al dente.

Take the pan off the heat and transfer the spaghetti to a bowl. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, grate as much bottarga as you like, toss and serve immediately.

Serves 4

• 2/3 lb. short cut pasta like farfalle or fusili
• 5.3 oz. ricotta
• 3.5 oz. tuna packed in olive oil, drained
• 1.75 oz. arugula (or fresh herbs like basil and parsley), chopped
• About 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ a lemon, optional (I omitted it)

 

While you cook the pasta, in a blender combine the tuna, ricotta, lemon juice and olive oil. Add about three ladlefuls of the pasta’s cooking water. Blend until smooth.

Drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. Toss with tuna and ricotta dressing and chopped arugula. Serve immediately or at room temperature.