Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Braised Fennel

When, it comes to food, it is all or nothing for me. My palate tends to go for flavours that are completely opposites- those, which are delicate, or those that are rather intense.
The following recipe is one, which definitely falls in the “intense” category. I have made it numerous times during the past winter to serve alongside grilled meats and fish (tonight I am serving it with wagyu steaks).
I love the strong, contrasting flavours. Balsamic vinegar acts as the acidulant. Butter balances the acidity and honey adds sweetness. I like to include chili for a touch of heat. A word of warning: don’t overdo do the chilies. Although the flavours in this dish are intense, they should not obviously be inedible. I have made the error of adding too much chili in the past. A pinch of chili should be sufficient. The final dish should be buttery fennel pieces with a sticky, slightly spicy balsamic reduction.

Components
40g butter
Fennel cut into chunks, total weight 500g
Sea salt
Chili powder
50ml balsamic vinegar
20g honey

Process
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the fennel pieces and toss in the heated butter. Cook over a gentle heat for 15 minutes or so- just enough to soften and lightly brown the fennel.
Season with salt and a pinch of chili.
Pour in the vinegar and honey (I mix them together beforehand) and cover the pan.
Braise for 15- 30 minutes or until the fennel is dark and well cooked. The vinegar should be somewhat syrupy, but not overly reduced.
Cooking time will depend on the age and size of the fennel bulbs chosen. Serves 2, as an accompaniment to meat or fish.

Nashi & Prosciutto Crudo

Select a crispy, ripened nashi pear. Remove the skin, cut it into thin wedges and slice away the center and seeds.
Toss the nashi wedges with a few drops of verjuice and a pinch of fresh black pepper. The verjuice will prevent the fruit from discolouring, whilst accentuating the delicate flavour of the pear.
Have ready thin slices of excellent quality proscuitto crudo.
Arrange the pear wedges and prosciutto slices on a flat serving dish.
Sprinkle with drops of the finest balsamic vinegar. Do not be tempted to use a cheap imitation product. The success of the simple dish relies on the application of the best ingredients. Failing balsamic vinegar you can use vincotto or another dark syrupy fruit based vinegar.
Eat immediately. I like to accompany this dish with a glass of pink wine.

Figs, Balsamic, and Parmesan Oil

As today is Valentines Day, I thought a recipe starring figs would be appropriate. Perhaps I have a naughty mind, but I can’t help to think of Adam and Eve, frolicking in the Garden of Eden, wearing nothing but fig leaves.
Biblical banter aside, there is something definitely erotic about figs (in the culinary sense, please!) I love how the soft flesh and sticky seeds combines with fragrant and sweet “Aceto Balsamico”. Serve this simple dish with a plate of fresh goats cheese, thin slices of prosciutto, and crusty bread. A bottle of Pinot noir will complete this gastronomic love affair.
For anyone out there who has found themselves dateless tonight, do yourself a favour- prepare yourself this meal and all feelings of desperation will vanish. The flavours are so divine, you will forget all about your broken heart. I promise. And if that doesn’t satisfy you, then drink the wine until you pass out….

Ingredients
Black figs
Aged Balsamic vinegar (see note below)
Parmesan oil (see note below)
Fresh black pepper

Method
Choose figs which are soft, but not mushy.
Slice them in half and arrange attractively on a plate.
Drizzle over with parmesan oil. Spoon over balsamic vinegar, making sure you get some of the fragrant vinegar in the centre of each fig.
Grind over some pepper and serve immediately. Accompany with a fresh goats cheese and a plate of prosciutto

Note- True Aceto Balsamico is expensive and by Italian law must carry a stamp of approval from the “consorzio”. Prices can fetch up to almost $500 for a bottle aged 100 years. I have tasted such vinegars and the complex flavours bear little resemblance to those vinegars which are sold in supermarkets. I use the authentic product for uncooked dishes and the fake version for cooking. I realize most people would not be able to afford such a luxury condiment, so here is a little trick I learned a few years ago. Dissolve equal amounts of supermarket balsamic with sticky brown sugar. The sugar will add complexity and viscosity to what would otherwise be a flat and lacklustre vinegar.
To make Parmesan oil, steep the rinds of Parmagiano Reggiano in extra virgin olive oil(I cannot bear to throw out any part of this cheese, it is too expensive!) The cheese will scent the oil delicately and it is wonderful to drizzle over finished dishes. If you cannot be bothered with this step, substitute with plain extra virgin olive oil.

Winter in Summer

Nigella Lawson likes to cook summery foods in her native homeland of England to banish the cold weather and cheer herself up. My disdain for summer weather has led me to do just as she does, here in Australia by cooking wintry food. It is only mid summer (and six long weeks to go) but I am dreaming of chunky minestrone, velvety chestnut soup, wild mushrooms, ragu and tagliatelle, roast pork, game birds, rich red wine stews and crème brulee..
Agrodolce is Italian for “sweet and sour” and far superior than the commercially available sauce that goes by the same name.

Polpettine di Vitello al Agrodolce



Ingredients
For the meatballs:
1 onion, very finely chopped
1 sprig of rosemary
2 tbsp extra virgin oil
500g veal mince
Fresh nutmeg
1 heaped tbsp salted capers, soaked in water, and very finely chopped
Fresh black pepper
Fresh white pepper
Sea salt
1 egg (free range of course)
1 tbsp of dried breadcumbs, mixed with a splash of milk

For the Agrodolce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and whole
60 ml wine (red or white)
1 fresh bay leaf
60ml Balsamic vinegar (see note)
60ml water
1 tbsp sugar
Fresh chopped parsley

Method.
Begin by cooking the onion and the whole rosemary sprig in the oil, very gently until the onion is golden brown and beginning to break down. Take your time with this step. It should take about 30 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig - it is only there for fragrance. Add the onion to the veal and combine with all the other meatball ingredients. Season well. The only way you will know if you have the seasonings right is by tasting the mixture. If the idea of raw meat frightens you, then just cook a teaspoonful in a bit of oil. But I really could not be bothered with that, so I just taste it in its crude form. Shape into little meatballs.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan large enough to fit the meatballs comfortably and brown them well. Turn down the heat to low, splash in the wine, add the bay leaf and garlic and pop the lid on. Braise for 45 minutes. Check from time to time all is well and the pan isn’t burning. If the pan appears to be drying out, add some water.
Turn the heat to high, add the sugar and allow it to melt and caramelize. Throw in the balsamic and water and boil furiously until syrupy.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with lots of bread to soak up the dark and sexy sauce. Serves two.
Note- I would not use an expensive Balsamic vinegar (the type that costs $300).That would be a waste. An inexpensive one from the supermarket is fine for this dish.