Recipes
Limoncello Icecream
A simple, delicious ice cream recipe using Vin Alto Limoncello.
4 large egg yolks
250 g castor sugar
600 ml cream
120 ml Vin Alto Limoncello
30 ml lemon juice
Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar until it is light in colour and thick. Add the Limoncello and juice and whisk in briefly to combine.
Beat the cream with the remaining sugar until it has the consistency of softly whipped cream. Gently fold both mixtures into one another, and then freeze.
Serves 6 ^ top
Limoncello Trifle
8 small or one large trifle sponge 700g blackberries
200 g blackcurrant jam 2 eggs separated
1 x 200 packet amaretti biscuits 100 g caster sugar
250 ml Vin Alto Limoncello 750 g mascarpone
juice of half a lemon 50 g flaked almonds
Split the trifle sponge/s and make sandwiches of them, using 150 g of the jam, then wedge them into the base of your trifle bowl. (a glass bowl shows off the layers best ).
Reduce the amaretti biscuits to rubble in the processor and, reserving some crumbs for sprinkling over the top at the end, scatter most of them evenly over the sponges and then pour over them 150 ml of the Limoncello.
Heat the remaining 50 g of jam with the lemon juice slowly and tumble in the fruit, just warming through. Tip these over the sponges.
Whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar until a smooth and yellow paste. Still whisking, drip in another 50 ml Limoncello and continue whisking until light and moussey. Whisk in the mascarpone until all is smoothly combined. Add the remaining 50 ml of limoncello.
In another bowl whisk the egg whites until firm, but not dry and fold into the mascarpone mixture. Spread evenly and gently over the blackberries in the glass bowl.
Can be covered with cling film and left in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Before eating, toast the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until they are turning gold. Mix them with the reserved amaretti crumbs and sprinkle evenly over the top of the trifle.
Serves 12-14 ^ top
Limoncello Zabaglione
5 organic egg yolks
¼ cup caster sugar
½ cup Vin Alto Limoncello
¼ cup dry white wine (Vin Alto Unwooded Chardonnay)
In a large heat proof bowl combine the egg yolks, sugar and whisk together briefly (alternatively, a double sauce pan can be used).
Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, so that the water does not touch the bowl. Continue to whisk for approximately 12 minutes, while gradually and slowly adding the Limoncello and dry white wine. The mixture should be thick and creamy and well combined. Remove from the heat and continue to whisk for 5 minutes.
Serve warm in individual dishes.
Serves 6 ^ top
Limoncello Sorbet
250ml water
2 cups sugar
Lemon zest
150ml Vin Alto Limoncello
50ml fresh lemon juice
Boil water with sugar, while stirring, together with the zest of a lemon. Cool and add Vin Alto Limoncello and fresh lemon juice. Freeze until required (approx. 8 hours). ^ top
Italian Dip
6 tinned anchovies
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp capers
small handful fresh chives chopped coarsely
small handful fresh Italian parsley
1 cup mascarpone cheese
Put all the above ingredients into a food processor and whizz until smooth. ^ top
Pate di Tonno
(Tuna Fish Pate)
150g unsalted butter
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
400g canned tuna in oil
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh tarragon, finely chopped
10 anchovy fillets, chopped finely
½ cup Oloroso sherry
freshly ground black pepper
Use about 50g of butter and cook onion and shallot until soft and transparent. Add herbs and anchovies. After a few minutes, add the sherry and let it evaporate. Add the remaining butter, cut into pieces, and let it melt gently, making sure it does not bubble.
Put the drained tuna and the butter mixture into a food processor, removing the bay leaf. Mix well (for about 5-10 minutes) until mixture becomes a very pale colour.
Taste for seasoning and add pepper if necessary. Pour into a bowl and leave in refrigerator until it becomes hard.
Variation: You can add 1-2 large boiled, mashed potatoes to the pate to make it go further or lighten the taste.
Serves 6 ^ top
Parmesan Mousse
Fresh cream
Parmesan cheese (this must be top quality Italian Parmesan cheese such as parmigiano reggiano)
Black pepper
Paprika
In a double saucepan gently heat equal quantities of fresh cream and freshly grated parmesan cheese, eg. 1 cup cream, 1 cup cheese, seasoned with black pepper and a pinch of paprika.
Whisk while the cream is heating until the parmesan has melted and the mixture is frothy, light and starting to thicken slightly.
Leave to cool and give another quick mix with a wire whisk before refrigerating overnight.
Spoon into small individual bowls to serve, sprinkled with a very fine dusting of paprika for decoration.
This mousse is delicious served with slices of country style bread, brushed with garlicky olive oil and then grilled. ^ top
Margaret's Fruit Bread
3 cups of dried fruits e.g. figs, apricots, sultanas
2 cups wholemeal flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole nuts such as toasted hazelnuts, almonds, brazil nuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of allspice
2 eggs, separated
½ cup milk
Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and add the milk and egg yolks.
When well combined, whisk the egg whites together and add to the mix.
Grease and paper line a loaf tin and spoon in the mixture, smoothing the top evenly.
Bake at 220°c for about an hour, covering with foil for the last 15 minutes or so.
This fruit bread is delicious served as part of a cheese board. ^ top
Polpette in a Red Wine Sauce
(Small Venison Patties)
For the Polpette
500g Venison mince
200g Pork mince
1 cup finely chopped mixed herbs (e.g. Italian parsley, coriander, oregano, sage, thyme)
½ cup full bodied, dry red wine (Vin Alto Di Sotto or Merlot Montepulciano)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 rounded tsp salt
5 cloves crushed garlic
25g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce
1 large onion
1 clove finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp plain flour
1 stock cube
¾ to 1 cup red wine (Vin Alto Di Sotto or Merlot Montepulciano)
1 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
Mix all ingredients for the polpette together, apart from the butter and oil, and chill for one hour.
Mix ingredients again and divide into 8 portions. Make into small balls by rubbing the mixture firmly in between palms - this helps keep the mixture together in the pan - then flatten slightly into patties.
Melt butter and oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat until it is a little smoky - be careful not to burn the butter. Add polpette and fry on each side for 4 mins until just cooked through.
Remove polpette and cover loosely with foil. Fry onion until transparent. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Mix in flour until oil is absorbed then slowly add wine. Crumble in stock cube then add pepper and parsley. Reduce down, adding more wine if necessary. Serve over polpette and good Italian pasta.
Serves 4 ^ top
Venison Medallions in Brown Butter Sauce
500g Venison medallions
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
100g butter
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Marinade the venison in the olive oil and garlic for at least 2 hours. Heat the vegetable oil over a very high heat until smoky. Add venison and cook for 1 minute each side (for 1cm thick pieces).
Remove venison. Reduce heat and melt butter in the pan. Add Worcestershire sauce and mix with the butter and meat juices. Return venison to the pan, turn in the sauce for 30 seconds and serve piping hot.
Serves 4 ^ top
Bisnonna's Pasta Sauce
500g venison mince
5 tbsp cooking oil
2 finely chopped large onions
2 finely chopped carrots
100g finely chopped pumpkin
1 finely chopped zucchini
5 crushed cloves garlic
1 cup torn basil leaves
½ cup dry, red wine (e.g. Vin Alto Di Sotto)
3 x 400g tins of Italian crushed tomatoes
5 tbsp of Italian tomato puree
4 beef stock cubes
1 tsp salt
black pepper
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a large pan and sauté the carrots, onion, pumpkin and zucchini over a medium heat until the onion is soft and transparent. Turn the temperature down to low, add the garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Do not let the garlic brown. Add the basil and sauté for 2 minutes more. Increase the heat and add the wine, tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cubes, salt and pepper. Stir until thoroughly mixed and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, place the lid on the pan and simmer gently for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the mince over a medium heat until brown.Add to the sauce, replace the lid and continue simmering over a low heat for one hour.You will need to stir more frequently as the sauce gets thicker. Serve over good Italian pasta and with a crisp green salad or use for Bisnonna's lasagne recipe.
Serves 6-8 ^ top
Bisnonna's Lasagne
1 quantity of Bisnonna's Pasta Sauce
60g butter
50g plain flour
850ml milk
¼ whole nutmeg, grated
1 bay leaf
dried lasagne sheets
40g good quality parmesan cheese (e.g. parmigiano reggiano), grated
salt and black pepper
Make the béchamel sauce by placing 50g of the butter, the flour, milk, bay leaf and nutmeg into a medium size saucepan over a medium heat and season generously. Whisk constantly until the butter melts and the mixture thickens slightly. Turn the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf.
Butter the bottom and sides of an ovenproof dish with the remaining butter. Place one layer of lasagne sheets on the bottom then one third of the pasta sauce and one quarter of the béchamel sauce. Repeat this layering of lasagne, pasta sauce and béchamel sauce twice more, then finish with a layer of lasagne and the remaining béchamel sauce. Scatter the parmesan over the top and cook in the oven at 180 °c for 45 minutes or until the top browns.
Leave for 10 minutes before serving with a crisp, green salad.
Serves 6-8 ^ top
Balsamic Venison Shanks
4 venison shanks
2 tbsp plain flour
6 tbsp olive oil
4 finely sliced white onions
½ cup finely chopped rosemary and sage
5 crushed cloves of garlic
100ml balsamic vinegar
400ml dry, red wine (e.g. Vin Alto Di Sotto)
salt and black pepper
Place the flour in a plastic bag and add salt and pepper. Place shanks in the bag and toss around so they are well coated with the seasoned flour.
Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy pan that has a lid, over a medium high heat and brown the venison on all sides. Remove from the pan.
Heat the remaining oil, turn the temperature down to medium, add the onion and sauté for 15 minutes or until they just turn brown. Add the herbs and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Do not let the garlic burn. Increase the heat, add the wine and vinegar and allow to reduce for a few minutes. Lower the heat, add the venison shanks, cover with the lid and simmer gently for 3 to 3½ hours. Baste the shanks occasionally with the juices and add more wine if necessary.
Serve with the pan juices over good Italian pasta or with sautéed potatoes and a green vegetable which can soak up the juices, such as broccoli.
Serves 4 ^ top
Roast Venison Shanks
4 venison shanks
6 tbsp olive oil
2 finely chopped large onions
8 coarsely chopped carrots
1 tbsp each of finely chopped sage, thyme and rosemary
350ml dry, red wine (e.g. Vin Alto Di Sotto)
1 x 400g tin of Italian plum tomatoes
300ml chicken stock
salt and black pepper
Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy pan which has a lid over a medium high heat and brown the venison on all sides. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the pan.
Heat the remaining oil, turn the temperature down to medium, add the onion and carrots and sauté for 15 minutes until soft but now brown. Add the herbs and cook for 5 minutes. Increase the heat, add the wine, tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, add the venison shanks, replace the lid and simmer gently for 3 hours, turning the shanks occasionally.
Serve with the pan juices over good Italian pasta or with sautéed potatoes and a green vegetable which can soak up the juices, such as broccoli.
Serves 4 ^ top
Vitello Tonnato
1.5kg nut of veal
45g canned flat anchovy fillets, drained
1 clove garlic, sliced thinly
2 medium carrots (240g), chopped finely
3 trimmed sticks celery (225g), chopped finely
2 medium brown onions (300g), quartered
6 sprigs parsley
1.25 litres (5 cups) chicken stock
1 & 1/2 cups (375ml) dry white wine (Vin Alto Unwooded Chardonnay)
1 & 1/2 tablespoons capers
Tuna Sauce
3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil
1 egg yolk
100g canned tuna, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup (60ml) cream
Using tip of sharp knife, make shallow cuts along length of veal. Cut four anchovy fillets into 1cm lengths; reserve remaining anchovies. Insert anchovy pieces and garlic into each cut in veal. Place veal in large saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute, uncovered. Drain veal; rinse under cold running water.
Return veal to pan with carrot, celery, onion, parsley, stock and wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, partly covered, about 1 & 1/2 hours or until veal is tender. Remove veal from stock; leave to cool. Reserve 1/4 cup stock for sauce; cool. [Can be made a day ahead to this stage and refrigerated, covered.]
Cut veal into thin slices. Dip veal into sauce and arrange in overlapping slices around plate. Serve remainder of sauce seperately; sprinkle with capers.
Tuna Sauce
Cover reserved anchovy fillets with water; stand 10 minutes. Drain; pat dry with absorbent paper. Place oil, egg yolk, tuna, anchovy and juice in blender; blend until smooth. Place mixture in small bowl; stir in cream and reserved stock. [Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered.]
Serves 6 ^ top
Pumpkin, Ricotta & Sage Cannelloni
600g butternut pumpkin, chopped
200g ricotta
12 cannelloni tubes
410g can tomato purée
1 cup grated tasty cheese
2 tablespoons sage, coarsley chopped
mixed salad leaves, to serve
Preheat oven to moderate, 180°C. Lightly grease a 2-3 litre shallow ovenproof dish. Place pumpkin in a large pan of salted water. Bring to the boil. Cook for 5-10 minutes until tender. Drain well and mash. Transfer to a large bowl. Cool.
Blend ricotta and sage into pumpkin. Season to taste. Spoon or pipe into cannelloni tubes. Pour half the tomato purée over the base of the prepared dish. Sprinkle with half the tasty cheese, and top with a single layer of cannelloni tubes. Top with remaining tomato purée and cheese.
Cover dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 15-20 minutse until cannelloni is tender and lightly browned. Serve with salad and crusty bread if desired.
Serves 4 ^ top
Broccoletti Stufati
(Braised Broccoli)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 kg spouting broccoli, cut into florets
salt and pepper
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and broccoli and cook over a low heat, stiring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add 150ml water, cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until tender. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium and reduce any excess cooking liquid before serving.
Serves 4 ^ top
Courgette & Feta Tarts
2 rolled sheets puff pastry, thawed
4 medium courgettes, trimmed
1 egg, beaten
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground balck pepper
100g feta, crumbled
1/3 cup pitted black olives
Heat oven to 200°C. Cut pastry sheets in half legthways and transfer to two baking trays. Score a 1cm border around the edge of each pastry rectangle and prick centre of pastries all over with a fork.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel long thin strips from the courgettes. Brush pastry with beaten egg. Arrange sliced courgette to cover the centre of each pastry rectangle, taking care not to cover the scored edges. Brush courgettes with olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper, then scatter with crumbled feta and olives. Bake for 15 minutes ir until pastry is puffed and golden brown.
Serves 4 ^ top
Self Saucing Lemon Pudding
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for ramekins
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for ramekins
Pinch of salt
Grated zest of 1 large lemon
3 eggs, seperated
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
Heat oven to 160°C. Butter four 6-ounce ramekins, individual ceramic pie pans, or glass custard cups. Coat with sugar. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and salt. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until crumbly. Mix in the lemon zest and egg yolks. Mix in the flour, then the lemon juice and milk.
In a seperate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture. Ladle into the prepared ramekins. Set the filled ramekins in a baking pan and pour hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. bake for about 25 minutes, or until the puddings have set. Cool puddings (still in ramekins) on a wire rack for 20 minutes before serving. Serve in ramekins or invert onto plates and garnish.
Serves 4 ^ top
Honey & Thyme Semi Freddo
1 vanilla pod
55g sugar
4 large fresh free-range eggs, separated
500ml double cream
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
pinch of salt
Remove the seeds from the vanilla pod by scouring down the length and scraping the seeds out of each half. Whisk the vanilla seeds and sugar with the egg yolks in a large bowl until pale. In a second bowl whisk the cream until soft peaks form. (Important - do not over-whip). Then in a third bowl whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form very firm peaks (this is when you can pull the egg whites in any direction and they will stay like it). At this point add the honey, thyme leaves, cream and egg whites, to the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold in. Immediately scoop the contents into your chosen container. Cover with clingfilm and freeze until you're ready to serve it. ^ top
Crash Hot Potatoes
16 small, round potatoes
salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fennel or caraway seeds
small handful of thyme sprigs
Heat the oven to 250°C. Don't peel the potatoes. Just bung them into a pot of salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for around 15 minutes, until they'll take a skewer without too much resistance. They should be just about cooked, without being soft.
Drain the potatoes and arrange on a lightly oiled baking tray. Use a potato masher to squash each potato flat, until it is twice its original diameter. Brush the tops with olive oil, and scatter with sea salt, black pepper, fennel seeds and thyme sprigs. Bake the potatoes on the top shelf of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until crisp and golden. Serve hot.
Serves 4 |
