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Monday 8 October 2012

Seafood Risotto or Risotto ai Frutti di Mare


  Risotto ai frutti di mare (seafood risotto) is a classic Italian dish which doesn't require any expert Chef skills but with little patience throughout the preparation, the end result will definitely taste outstanding. In this recipe I used mussels, clams, prawns and squids.

Ingredients:

400 gr. Carnaroli Rice
350 gr. Shelled Prawns
350 gr Squids
1 kg. Clams
1kg. Mussels
1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Celery
1 Carrot
1 Red Chilli
500 ml. Fish Stock
1 Glass White Wine
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil


  Preparation:

  Start preparing the seafood by cleaning the mussels and the clams keeping in mind to discard any open or broken shell, then soak them in a bawl of cold water for at least one hour.After this time, put them in a pan over high heat and cover with a lid.When all shells are open turn off the heat and strain the water they left trough a sieve and keep aside for later.Shell most of the clams and mussels but keep few with shells to garnish the risotto in the end.



 Next step, eviscerate and peel the prawns and squids and wash thoroughly with fresh water.Finely chop all the veg (onion, garlic, celery and carrot) and add them to a hot pan but use only half onion this time and keep the half for later when we cook the risotto.Fry gently on low heat the veg for 10 mins then add the squids which you cleaned and cut into rings earlier and continue frying for another 5 mins before you add the prawns to the mixture.Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 mins and take off the heat and set aside.

  At this point start cooking the risotto by adding oil to a large pan on a medium heat then add the the other half onion finely chopped and fry until translucent. Now add the Carnaroli rice to the pan and let infuse that onion oil for few mins before adding the white wine and let evaporate the alcohol.When the wine is reduced ,start adding the fish stock but 1 or 2 ladles at time.Repeat this process adding little stock until the rissoto is almost  cooked aldente and add the mixture of cooked prawns and squids to the pan.Continue cooking for 5 mins and add the shelled mussels and clams and stir over heat everything for couple of mins and turn off the heat.








       Finely chop the parsley and sprinkle over risotto and cover with a lid.Leave to rest for 5 mins before serving.




   
 Serve immediately and garnish with few unshelled mussels and clams that I've asked to keep aside earlier .




   Enjoy this lovely risotto!

   











Thursday 29 March 2012

Chicken with Cream and Mushrooms Sauce

                                     


  Chicken with Cream and Mushrooms is a delicious,silky lovely dish made with juicy,tender chicken breasts .To make this I was inspired by a French classic called Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons ( sorry my french ) to which I add my little twist ....

Ingredients:

4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts
2 shallots
1 clove garlic 
300 g small chestnut mushrooms
200 g fresh double cream
1 spring fresh thyme
300 ml chicken stock
1 glass white wine
1tbs Dijon mustard 
20 g plain flour
50 g butter
3 tbs olive oil
salt & pepper
chopped parsley


Preparation:

  Start by preparing the chicken and the veg ready to be cook as so,cut the chicken breasts into 2 cm cubes,finely chop the shallots and garlic then,slice the mushrooms .Figure 1

Figure 1
   In a preheated pan put the olive oil and the butter and gently fry the shallots and garlic mixture on a low heat for 10 mins until they soften ,then add the chicken .Cook for 10 minutes on all sides and then season well with salt and pepper before adding the sliced mushrooms. Figure 2 & 3
    Add the thyme and white wine and cook for 5 minutes to let the alcohol evaporate.


Figure 2
Figure 3











   In a different small pan ,melt 20 g butter and add flour to form a roux ,then add the chicken stock stirring continuously .When you finish you should have a nice bechamel sauce. Figure 4 & 5


figure 4
Figure 5










   Add the bechamel to the chicken/mushroom mixture ,then add the Dijon mustard and the fresh cream and continue cooking for another couple of minutes until the sauce has thickened. Figure 6 ,7 ,8 ,9

Figure 6
Figure 7











Figure 8
Figure 9










  Make the last adjustments like adding more salt or pepper if necessary  ,and sprinkle with the chopped parsley before serving. Figure 10 ,11


Figure 11
Figure 10

























Wednesday 28 March 2012

Thai Red Chicken Curry with White Rice


Thai red curry is definitely one of the most fragrant and sumptuous recipe that go well with chicken or shrimps and can be made as spicy you like from mild to very hot.
I will share my own style of red chicken curry recipe I've cooked lately...

Ingredients: 

4 large chicken breasts(skinless & boneless)
5 spring onions
200 gr sugar snaps
1 little jar of char-grilled peppers
1 cm piece of ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 or 2 fresh red chilies
1tbs brown sugar
1 lime(zest and juice)
1 can of coconut milk
wilted spinach
3 curry leaves

Preparation:


-For the curry sauce ,cut 3 spring onions into chunks,clean and chop the ginger and garlic and place them in a food processor with a cutting blade attached,together with a the grilled peppers and whiz for few seconds.Add salt and fresh chilies to that,the brown sugar and lime zest and juice and whiz again to form the curry paste.Figure 1 & 2
Figure 1
Figure 2










-Cut the chicken breast into 2 cm pieces and put them in little bowl together with half of the curry paste to marinate for 15 mins.Figure 3
Figure 3
-Heat 3tbs cooking oil in a wok and add the marinated chicken breasts to fry over high heat for few mins,stirring continuously to brown the meat.Figure 4
Figure 4
-Add the rest of curry paste and simmer all stirring occasionally for couple  mins before adding the sugar snaps,wilted spinach curry leaves and the rest of spring onions which you previously cut into small pieces.Continue to simmer on medium heat  until the chicken and the veg are cooked.Figure 5


Figure 5


-Add the coconut milk and cook all for 1 minute or not too long anyway before serving.Figure 6 & 7


Figure 6
Figure 7







White Rice:
Figure 8

1 mug filled with long grain rice
2 of same mugs of water
1 dash of olive oil

Put the rice in pot and add water  twice the rice amount in this case a tea mug of rice/2 mugs of water and a splash of olive oil.Season with salt and cover to  simmer on low heat for 8-10 mins allowing the rice to fully cook.Figure 8




Wednesday 21 March 2012

Pasta with Mushrooms, Bacon and Tomatoes



Tortiglioni alla Boscaiola

This is a classic Italian dish, most enjoyed in the fall when you can find the beautiful fresh Porcini mushrooms. But in my recipe I will use chestnut mushrooms with some dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in water.

Ingredients:
(Figure 1)

400 gr pasta (any pasta will do)
1 onion
400 gr mushrooms 
300 gr peeled tomatoes
120 gr pancetta 
50 gr black olives
olive oil
ground pepper 
chopped parsley
Figure 1

Preparation:

Step1:- clean the mushrooms & cut them into slices 
-slice the olives and chop the tomatoes after you peeled and seed them

Step 2:- in a hot pan start browning the pancetta, while in another pan fry the chopped onion until soft then add the mushrooms and cook for few minutes(Fig2&3&4)

Figure 2
Figure 3









Figure 4
Step3:-place the pasta in plenty salted water and cook them al dente (*one minute less then it says on the packet)
-go back to the sauce and add the olives, tomatoes and the pancetta to your sauteed mushrooms (Fig 5)

Figure 5
-cook the sauce for 7-8 minutes, until tomatoes are soft(Fig 6) and by that time the pasta should be al dente
 
Figure 6
  Step4:-drain the pasta and pour into the sauce pan (Fig 7)
Figure 7
-toss well to coat the pasta with the rich sauce and finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley(Fig 8)
Figure 8

Serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese!!(Fig 9)

Figure 9

Saturday 17 March 2012

Mussels in White Wine Sauce and Cherry Tomatoes





Ingredients:
1kg Fresh Mussels
2 x Cloves of Garlic
300g Cherry tomatoes 
200 ml White Wine
Basil Leaves
Parsley (chopped)
Preparation:
Step1:Clean well the mussels,unless your fishmonger did already and set them aside in fresh salted water.This will help loose fine grains of sand inside the shells. (Fig 1)
Figure 1
Step2:Add 3 tbs good olive oil in a hot pan and fry the finely chopped garlic on medium heat until turns golden.
Step3:Now add the mussels and the cherry tomatoes cut in half together with the wine and cover.(Fig 2&3&4)

Figure2 
Figure3








Figure4
-Let cook on high heat until all mussels shells opened and the alcohol evaporate.

Step4:Sprinkle around the fresh basil leaves and the chopped parsley. Serve immediately with toasted ciabatta !
 
















Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs


Ingredients:
500g Spare Ribs
1x Egg
Soy Sauce
Honey
Rice Vinegar
Cornflour
Salt
1 cm peeled and chopped piece of Ginger

Preparation:

Step1:-Add 3 tbs of cooking oil to a hot smoking wok and braise the ribs at high heat for 5 minutes as in Fig.1
Then fill the wok with boiling water and continue cooking for 15 minutes until the ribs are 70% cooked.Drain the water and place the spare ribs in a bowl with salt,vinegar,egg and cornflour to marinate for 10 min.
Fig.1
Step2:.In a different bowl combine together soy sauce,honey and cornflour to make the sauce.
Step3.-Place the wok back on the high heat with 3 tbs of oil and add the marinated spare ribs to cook until they turn golden,then add the sweet and sour sauce.Fig.2
Fig.2

Step4.Toss everything for couple of minutes and serve immediately.
Fig.3