Salsiccia e Fagioli (Italian Fennel Sausages with Borlotti beans)

Serving grilled pork sausages with Heinz beans is a common sight in the UK, particularly the morning after a night out, where you may pop a couple of slices of buttered toast for to soak up the residue alcohol from the night before.

Who would have thought the Italian also has their take on sausage and beans thou a little more refine and minus the tomato sauce (!!). I'm spoiled to have access to an Italian grocery nearby where they stock proper Italian fennel sausages (as well as other goodies); alternatively chipolata will do just fine. 

As per my previous post, Italian food is all about using simple but the best ingredients you can afford, even the extra virgin olive oil, get the best and most pure stuff you can lay your hands on. Trust me, it really does taste better. 

If you are planning to make this for breakfast at the weekend, don't think this can be made in 15 minutes - O.K. it is possible if you use tinned borlotti beans instead of the dry stuff. I guess my point is don't forget to soak the beans the night before!!

Serves 4

600g Italian fennel sausages (or chipolata) 

3 gloves of garlic, crushed

2 string of fresh thyme, finely chopped

A knob of butter

Extra virgin olive oil

300g dry borlotti beans, soak overnight in plenty of fresh water

1L beef stock

1. Preheat the oven grill to 180. Crush the garlic and thyme in a mortar and pestle, add in a generous dash of olive oil and mix well.

2. Rub the mixture all over the sausages and place them on to the oven grill pan. Let it grill for 20 - 25 minutes or and turn them over halfway. The idea is to cook until they are browned. 

3. Meanwhile, drain the soaked borlotti beans and place them in a large enough saucepan. Pour in the stock, place it on medium heat and bring it to boil then reduce to simmer for for 35 - 45 minutes. They need to be soft enough so they can be mashed easily using a potato masher. 

4. Once they are soft enough drain them but reserve 2 tbsp of the stock. Use a potato masher to crush them lightly so they are slightly broken. If it is looking a little dry, add in the reserved stock. Season with some salt & pepper.

5. Back to the sausages. Once they are cool enough to touch, cut them diagonally. Just before serving, mix in a knob of butter into the beans to give some gloss. Plate the beans and place the sausages on top.

Risotto ai Funghi (Mushroom Risotto)

Only if I could get my hands on some fresh porcini then I would have named this dish "Risotto ai Porcini" instead. Instead I resulted in using Sainsbury's British Speciality Mushrooms, which consist of shiitake, oyster mushroom, eryngii & maitake - well that's what was in my punnet and I believe they all vary slightly. 

However, instead of using bog-standard vegetable/ chicken stock cube I actually invested in some porcini stock cube from my local Italian grocery shop. Whenever I step into that shop its like a kid has gone into a sweet shop. I love to look at everything they have on the shelves, and regardless what I went in for, I always walk out with some truffle mortadella. I will have to dedicate a post on it soon... it is absolutely delectable! 

So let's get back to the risotto... True to most Italian cooking, I kept it very simple.

Serves 2

160g arborio rice

20g dried porcini, soak in hot water for 20 minutes before use

1 porcini stock cube (if you can't find them I would suggest soaking the dried porcini with some extra of water)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 large glass of white wine

3 dollop of butter

200g of speciality mushrooms, cut into bit size

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Soak the dried porcini mushroom in hotel water.

2. Finely chopped the onion; sliced the garlic cloves; dilute the stock cube with boiling water and cut the speciality mushrooms into bite size.

3. Place a frying pan on medium heat, add a dollop of butter, wait for it to melt and sizzle.

4. Add the garlic, cook until lightly brown before adding the speciality mushrooms. The idea is not to cook the mushroom thoroughly but to add some colour and garlic flavour to them. Also be careful they are not overcooked (become watery). Set them aside. 

5. Place a deep casserole dish (I used B size Le Creuset) over medium heat, add the other dollop of butter, wait for it to melt and sizzle then add in the onion. Cook until lightly brown before adding the arborio rice. Make sure the onion mixes well with the rice.

6. Pour in the white wine, stir the rice until the wine is evaporated. Add in the rehydrated porcini and the soaking water. Keep staring. 

7. When the water is nearly evaporated, gradually pour in the stock and keep staring. Add more stock when the rice is looking dry. Repeat this until the rice is cooked to al dente. 

8. When the rice is almost cooked, reheat the fresh mushrooms in the frying pan. Season with some salt & pepper. 

9. Add in a handful of grated Parmesan cheese to the rice and mix well.

10. Just before serving, add the last dollop of butter and mix well. This is to give the rice a bit of shine.

11. Serve up the rice and place the fresh mushrooms on top, then sprinkle with more Parmesan. 

Gressingham duck legs marinated in homemade plum sauce

I haven't had the luxury of time to forage for berries in the wild last year, also the community orchard nearby has been stripped bare by some greedy leeches in the early seasons, so no apples or plums either. Indeed this is very disappointing as my pantry collection requires urgent replenishing!

I recently put my last bottle of plum sauce into use, and just realised I did not write a post on making plum sauce! I gathered over 6kg worth of plums last year and made A LOT of plum sauce. They taste even better after being left on the shelves for a year.

The end result is Gressingham duck legs marinated in plum sauce overnight, grilled and serving with steamed chard, carrots and roast diced potatoes. If I may say so the combination was gorgeous. The earthiness of the chard balanced the sweetness of the plum sauce, which also has a hint of sharpness! 

Serves 2

2 Gressingham duck legs (or duck breasts if preferred) 

2 maris piper potatoes, diced

1 bundle of red Swiss chard, separate the leafs and the stems

250ml of plum sauce 

Dollop of organic unsalted butter

1. Place the duck legs in a freezer bag and pour in the plum sauce then securely seal it. Make sure the legs are coated with plum sauce all over. Leave in the fridge overnight. 

2. The next day, peel and dice the potatoes, as well as peel and prepare the carrots. You may prefer leaving the skin on which is also fine.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

4. Place a frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot enough add a dollop of butter, wait for it to sizzle then place the duck legs on skin down and cook for 8 - 10 minutes until brown.

5. Transfer the duck legs into a baking tray and carefully pour in the plum sauce so it doesn't touch the skin. Sprinkle a generous amount of sea salt on top.

6. Put the diced potatoes into a separate baking tray, season with salt & pepper and a generous amount of oil. Massage them and place both the duck legs & potatoes into the oven, with the duck legs on the higher shelve. 

7. Cook in the oven for an hour or so. It is OK to have duck a little pink in the middle and that's how I have mine, so feel free to adjust the timing in accordance to your taste. 

8. Make sure the potatoes are periodically tossed and turned so they don't become stuck to the tray.

9. Around 20 minutes before the duck legs are ready, boil the kettle and place the carrots & stem of swiss chard into the steamer and steam for 15 minutes or until soften. Add in the swiss chard leaves and steam for further 5 minutes.

10. Plate up the duck legs, diced potatoes and vegetables. Before ordaining the dish with the plum sauce juice, you may wish to spoon out as much of the duck fat as possible.

The Classic Milano Panettone

Christmas is only round the corner (again), how time flies... Being a childless adult with no responsibilities, apart from the food and an excuse to have lots of gatherings, I am indifferent about the festive period. Lots of people generally putting so much emphasis on the whole thing, the pressure of having a good time is such an anticlimax. 

For most workers we can effectively have 10 days off work - the perfect length for a holiday somewhere away from the frenzy, and that's precisely what I am doing, jetting off to soak up some winter sun and top up my Vitamin D. Before we jet off, there are guests to be entertained, food to be made and consumed!!

I do enjoy good quality mince pies, especially there freshly baked ones by a local baker. That said, i am not a fan of Christmas pudding or Christmas cake. In the same boat and struggle to think of something Christmasy to serve your guests as pudding? Well, the Italian panettone could be your saviour. This sweet bread loaf/cake originates from Milan, and you will be amazed how much tastier to make your own. 

Because it is a bread/ cake loaf, the preparation time is rather long. If you are thinking of making some at night to take into the office in the morning, I would recommend allow 2 days for this process. If you are preparing this in the morning for a evening meal then that should allow enough time. 

Instead of getting a special panettone tin I used a muffin instead. I also think it is nice to serve mini one.

 1st batch

2nd batch

Wrapped a couple up as gift

Make 6 (muffin size)

250g good quality plain flour

250g Italian 00 grade flour

200g caster sugar

160g good quality butter

12g easy bake yeast

4 large free range eggs

3 free range egg yolks

150g sultanas

80g Waitrose Italian cut mixed candied peels

Zest of 1 lemon

15ml pure vanilla bean paste

A splash of milk and warm water

A shot of brandy

1. Combined the 2 flour and put them trough a sieve.

2. Measure the sultanas and soak them with a shot of brandy mixed some warm water. Leave to one side.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast with a splash of milk mixed with warm water. 

4. Mix in 75g of the combined flour, knead until smooth then shape into a ball. Slash the dough with a cross over the surface and place into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave it to rise in a warm place. This should take approximately 45 minutes.

5. When the dough has doubled in size, add an addition 250g flour and 2 eggs. Knead until smooth. 

6. Add 100g of sugar and knead until the sugar is mixed into the dough completely. Add 60g of butter and knead again until it is well combined. Again, leave it to rise in a bowl covered with cling film in a warm place. The dough should double in size in an hour or two.

7. Once risen, Add 2 eggs, 3egg yolks and the remaining flour into the bowl and knead until smooth. Add in the remaining sugar and knead until the sugar is mixed into the dough completely. Add the remaining butter and knead again until it is well combined. 

8. Mix in the sultanas, lemon zest, candid peels and vanilla bean paste. Mix for 5 minutes and again leave it to rise in a bowl covered with cling film in a warm place for another 2 or 3 hours.

9. Meanwhile, oil the muffin tin and line it with muffin casing or greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven at 200°C. 

10. Carefully transfer the dough mix into each mould. Let it for 5 minutes or so for it to rise a bit further before baking.

11. Place a small bowl of water in the oven before place the muffins onto the lower shelve of the oven. Bake of 5 minutes, take them out and slash a cross on the surface of each panettone (this is to stop them expanding into muffin tops in the heat), place a dab of butter int he middle of the intersection of each, return to the office and cook for further 10 minutes before reducing the heat to 180°C and cook for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on the ovens' power and efficiency.

12. To test if the panettone is cooked, put a skewer all the way though in the middle. If it comes out clean and not sticky then it is ready.

Merry Christmas!

Boiled Dumplings (水餃) with Szechuan Red Oil Sauce

Dumplings are one of my favourite food. Pan fry, boiled, steamed, deep fry.... I love all forms of dumplings and can never have enough of them. Making them is not difficult at all, especially if using pre-made wrappers. All that is required is to chop some vegetables. marinade the meat and let the wrapping commence. 

Making your own wrapper is an entirely different story. My partner and I learned how to make dumplings from scratch and they really do taste different. The wrapper has more textured, or perhaps they taste better because it usually takes over 2 hours just to make a just a dozen... 

Wherever possible we would purchase free range belly pork at the butcher and has it minced fresh. The result is quite remarkable. Pre-minced meat usually is more watery which dampen the wrapper so they don't keep the shape as well. More importantly there is a different in taste and quality. I would recommend giving this a go.

The veg that goes in the dumplings is usually Chinese chives, which is widely available in Asian supermarkets and has a distinctive garlicky taste to it. Alternatively pak choi or cabbage is just as good although lacking the garlicky flavour. 

Now the marinade. The meat is usually marinaded in light soy, sesame oil, ground white pepper,  chicken powder and Shaoxing wine. Mix all the ingredients together until the meat becomes a little sticky before mixing in the Chinese chives or any kind of vegetable of your choice. 

Here are the 3 different ones I've made recently. The sauce that goes on top is Szechuan Red Oil Sauce. I don't always follow the exact recipe, especially the coriander bit as it doesn't always make it on to the shopping list!

Szechuan Red Oil Sauce

First you need to make some infused dark soy sauce:

100ml dark soy
100ml water

1 tsp of sugar

1 tsp of ground cumin

1 star anise 

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine

1. Place everything but Shaoxing wine in the frying pan and bring to boil then let it cook on low heat for 10 minutes. 

2. Take it off the heat and mix in the Shaoxing wine.

Now the Szechuan Red Oil Sauce:

1 tbsp Szechuan pepper oil

1 tbsp of chilli oil (add more or less depending on personal taste)

1 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped

1 tbsp of spring onion, chopped

1 tsp of sesame oil

2 tbsp of the infused dark soy sauce (as above)

1. Mix all everything but the spring onion and coriander together.

2. Add the spring onion and coriander just before serving.

3. Pour over the dumplings and enjoy.

Homemade Hummus Dip

One of my life goal for this year is to get fitter, and I am aiming to achieve this through exercise and better eating habit. I don't eat badly but I can eat better. My weakness is crisps, or strictly peaking anything snacks that are crunchy and savoury! 

I am trying to cut down/ out of this bad habit, and replace it with something healthier, hummus dip. OK, shop bought hummus dip is not that fantastic, I mean check out that traffic light labelling on the front. Hummus dip is extremely simple to make, and the key tool to success is a mini food chopper. 

I would like to say that after many trial and error I may have finally mastered the best hummus dip, in terms of consistency and flavour! 

400g of chickpeas in water

80ml of rapeseed oil

1 1/2 tsp of salt

1 juice of lemon

2 cloves of garlic

2 1/2 tbsp of tahini paste

A sprinkle of paprika 

1. Rinse the chickpeas under cold tap water and drained.

2. Place all the ingredients in to the mini food chopper and blitz until smooth.

3. Scoop hummus into a glass bowl or any container you wish to use and sprinkle with paprika.

Great with carrot or celery sticks. For something crunchy, serve with wholegrain crackers.

Beef congee (牛肉粥)

Congee is especially comforting and cleansing when I feel under the weather or when overindulge. There are so many kind of congee, chicken, fish, pork, beef or better still, plain ones. The congee recipe remain largely the same but mix in with different ingredient.

Serves 2

180g of rice

150g minced beef

1/2 cube of organic chicken stock cube

Dash of sesame oil

1.2L water
1 tbsp of mirin
Pinch of white pepper

1. Season the rice with a pinch of salt and a dash of sesame oil. Soak in cold water for at least a couple of hours before cooking (preferably overnight as this process helps to breakdown the rice).

2. Bring the water to boil, stir in the rice. Turn the heat up and keep staring for 5 minutes.

3. Bring the heat down, cover and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, marinate minced beef with mirin, salt & white pepper.

5. Back to the congee base. Turn the heat up, break up the chicken stock cube and add, stir for 10 minutes. This is a very important step as it helps to break up the rice. If the consistency becomes too think, add some boiling water to dilute.

6. Take the congee base off the heat, stir in the minced beef, keep staring and break up the lumps.

7. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.