OLIVE OIL & BLACK PEPPER NIBBLES
150 g /1 cup plus 3 tablespoons Italian ‘00’ flour, plus extra for dusting and kneading
40 g/¼ cup semolina (fine)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
70 ml/⅓ cup dry white wine
70 ml/⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
olive oil, for oiling
Makes 30
Put the flour, semolina, pepper and half the salt in a large bowl. Add the wine and oil and mix to combine. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea/kitchen towel and let rest for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Halve the dough and cut each half into 10 pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered as you work to stop it drying out. Roll one piece of dough into a 50-cm/20-inch long rope. Cut the rope into five pieces, then roll each piece into a 10-cm/4-inch rope.
Connect the ends to form an overlapping ring. Continue with the remaining dough, keeping the rings covered too, as you make them.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4. In a large saucepan, bring 900 ml/scant 4 cups water to a boil and add the remaining salt.
Add the rings to the saucepan of boiling water in batches and cook for about 3 minutes until they float. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to two oiled baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until golden and crisp. Let cool on wire racks before serving with drinks.
CHORIZO, RED PEPPER & PEA FRITTATA SQUARES
4 cooking chorizo sausages (about 60 g/2¼ oz.)
16 eggs
300 ml/1¼ cups crème fraîche/sour cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
150 g/1 cup (about 1 medium) finely chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
130 g/1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 red (bell) pepper, seeded and cut into strips
60 g/2 cups baby spinach
a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
Serves 8–10
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
Place the chorizo sausages on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, drain on paper towels and cut into 1-cm/½-inch slices. Cover and set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 110°C (225°F) Gas ¼. Put the eggs in a large mixing bowl with the crème fraîche/sour cream and lightly beat to combine. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick, ovenproof frying pan/skillet set over low-medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft but not coloured.
Add the sliced chorizo, peas and (bell) pepper strips and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the baby spinach and stir until the spinach just begins to wilt.
Arrange the mix evenly over the bottom of the pan and carefully pour in the egg mixture.
Reduce the heat and gently cook the frittata, moving the egg in a little from the edge of the pan as it cooks (similar to how you would cook an omelette), using a spatula to run around the outside of the pan. You don’t want to get any colour on the bottom of the frittata, so it is key to keep the temperature low.
Continue running the spatula around the outside of the pan to ensure the frittata doesn’t stick.
After about 10 minutes, once it has just set on the bottom and the sides, place the pan in the oven for 15–20 minutes until the frittata is lightly golden and just set in the middle. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
Once cool, cover the pan with a chopping/cutting board and turn it over to release the frittata. Cut it into 4-cm/1½-inch squares and transfer to a plate to serve.
500 g/3¾ cups assorted unsalted nuts (cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, peanuts, blanched almonds, pecans, walnuts)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
100 g/¾ cup pumpkin seeds
1½ tablespoons (about 2 sprigs) coarsely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon dried chilli/hot red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons dark muscovado/packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Makes 650 g (43 oz.)/4¾ cups
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
Spread the nuts on a baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Meanwhile, place the fennel, sesame and pumpkin seeds in a preheated frying pan/skillet set over medium heat. Dry-fry the seeds for a few minutes until the sesame seeds turn golden brown.
Put the rosemary, dried chilli/hot red pepper flakes, sugar, salt and melted butter in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
While the nuts and seeds are still warm from the oven and pan, toss in the butter spice mixture to coat thoroughly.
ARTICHOKE, OLIVE & PROVOLONE PANINI
4 slices panini bread
unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
1–2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
180 g/6 oz. Provolone cheese, grated/shredded or thinly sliced
6–8 marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
65 g/½ cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano
panini press
Serves 2
Preheat the panini press. Brush melted butter on the bread slices on one side. Spread two of the slices with the sun-dried tomato paste on the non-buttered side and set aside.
Top the other two slices of bread with half of the cheese. Arrange the artichoke hearts on top and sprinkle with the olives and oregano.
Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and cover with the other bread slices, tomato side down.
Toast in the preheated panini press for 2–3 minutes or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The bread should be golden brown and the filling completely warmed through.
Cut each panini into quarters before serving.
85 g/¼ cup honey
5 bay leaves
3 rosemary sprigs
250 g/1 cup sea salt
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 small bunch of thyme
1 garlic bulb, cloves removed and flattened with skin on
1.5 kg/3 lbs. 5 oz. lbs. pork belly, skin on
2 litres/quarts olive oil
roughly chopped coriander/cilantro, to garnish
a baking sheet, oiled and lined with parchment paper
Serves 8–10
Begin by brining the pork. Combine the honey, bay leaves, rosemary, salt, peppercorns, thyme, garlic and 3 litres/quarts water in a container large enough to hold the pork.
Place the pork in the brine, cover and set in the fridge for at least 12 hours or overnight.
Remove the pork from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the pork in a large bowl under running water, then pat dry with paper towels.
To confit the pork, preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F) Gas ½. Place the rinsed pork in a roasting pan and pour over the olive oil. Cover with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 4½ hours. The oil will gently bubble and poach the pork until it is soft and falling apart.
Remove from the oven, uncover slightly and let the pork cool to room temperature.
Press the pork so that it has a nice, firm texture by removing it from the oil and placing it, rind side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Reserve the oil for crisping the skin later. Cover the pork with clingfilm/plastic wrap and weigh it down with something heavy like a big wooden chopping/cutting board or a cast-iron roasting dish. Set in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) Gas 7.
Score the skin of the pressed pork with a diamond pattern and cut into 2-cm/¾-inch squares.
Drizzle a clean baking sheet with a little of the reserved cooking oil, place the pork squares skin side down and roast for 15 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crisp.
Remove from the oven and drain on paper towels. Alternatively, you can crisp up the skin by placing the pork, skin side up, underneath a grill/broiler on medium heat for 3–4 minutes.
Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with chopped coriander/cilantro.
CHOCOLATE BITES WITH WHISKY & BLOOD ORANGE CREAM
250 g/2¼ sticks unsalted butter, chopped
200 g/7 oz. dark/bittersweet chocolate, chopped
250 ml/1 cup full-fat/whole milk
80 ml/⅓ cup whisky or brandy
330 g/1⅔ cups caster/granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee
3 eggs
200 g/1⅔ cups plain/all-purpose flour
60 g/2 oz. self-raising/rising flour
25 g/3½ tablespoons cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
candied oranges, to serve (optional)
CHOCOLATE GANACHE ICING/FROSTING
150 g/5½ oz. dark/bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1–2 teaspoons golden/light corn syrup,
125 ml/½ cup double/heavy cream
WHISKY & BLOOD ORANGE CREAM
200 ml/¾ cup double/heavy cream
20 ml/4 teaspoons whisky or brandy
juice of 1 blood orange
2–3 tablespoons caster/superfine sugar
28 x 20-cm/11 x 8-inch baking pan, lightly greased
Serves 10
Preheat the oven to 150˚C (300˚F) Gas 2.
Place the butter, chocolate, milk, whisky or brandy, sugar, vanilla and coffee in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally for 6 minutes or until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Pour into a large bowl, sift in the flours and cocoa and beat until smooth.
Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Let cool completely in the baking pan, then remove.
To make the chocolate ganache icing/frosting, heat the chocolate, syrup and cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, for the blood orange cream, whip the cream, whisky or brandy, blood orange juice and sugar until light and fluffy and set aside.
When the cake has cooled, spread the chocolate ganache icing/frosting over the top and let set. Cut into bite-sized squares and either top with the blood orange cream or serve it on the side, along with the candied oranges, if you like.
60 ml/2 fl. oz. gin
a dash of dry vermouth
ice cubes
green olive, to garnish
Makes 1
Using a mixing glass, chill the gin and vermouth over ice, and pour into a frosted martini glass. Garnish with a green olive.
