Thank you to all who have continued reading our blog.
Mike and I have experienced a rather somber week, involving the well being of a friend of ours. As a result I have not stepped foot into the kitchen to cook anything at all, this week.
I wish I could divulge more as to why I have chosen to not write this week, but this story is one of a serious nature and we do not believe it to be appropriate to be told here.
We will be back next week. Once again thank you for your continued support.

Paul and Mike.

Wicked Polenta

I have a confession to make.
I, The Gourmand am guilty of using polenta of the “instant” variety.
I admit also, that I enjoy preparing it this it this way, and I take pleasure in eating it too. Yes. I am guilty as a kitchen rat. I am not the gastronomic puritan you thought I was.
Making polenta the traditional way is not for me. I have decided after years of enduring burns from stirring boiling mush and scorched saucepans to wash afterwards, that from now on I will leave that method to the Italian nonnas. May God bless their blistered hands and burnt pots.
Here is how I do it the easy, wicked way:

For two people weigh out 200g instant polenta. In a saucepan bring 800ml of water to the boil. You can use milk instead of water for a richer dish. Add salt, or small stock cube if you like (another kitchen sin!).
Sprinkle the polenta into the boiling water, give it a quick stir, pop a lid on and turn the heat to low. Allow it to simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and beat in 100g of grated fontina cheese and 50g unsalted cultured butter. You can substitute blue cheese or a swiss style cheese if it suits the dish to which the polenta is to accompany.
Serve immediately with what you will. I like polenta with tomato braised sausages, like they do in Italy.
It reheats successfully in the microwave. Another sin! Some one get a priest before I commit yet another culinary offense!

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.

Darkest Chocolate Mousse

Components:
150g first-rate dark chocolate (85% cocoa fat), broken into pieces
15g unsalted cultured butter
1 free-range egg
30ml amaretto, brandy, cognac, rum etc or other liqueur
or espresso coffee (freshly brewed)
2 free-range egg whites
50g authentic vanilla sugar (or caster sugar)
250ml cream (35% fat)


Process:
Over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter in the bowl you intend to serve the mousse. Do not allow the bowl to touch the hot water- chocolate is a very sensitive product and will burn if it becomes too warm.
Remove the bowl from the heat and blend in the egg and chosen liqueur or coffee.
In a separate bowl, pound the egg whites with a whisk until they form soft peaks.
Continue to whisk the egg whites, adding the vanilla sugar 1 tsp at a time, until all the sugar has been incorporated. The egg whites should be thick and glossy (i.e. meringue).
Fold a few spoonfuls of the meringue into the chocolate to soften the mixture, and then fold in the rest of the meringue using a large metal spoon.
Whip the cream in a separate bowl.
Fold the whipped cream very, very tenderly into the chocolate meringue. Do not overwork the mixture- the cream will turn to butter, if combined too aggressively.
Make even the surface of the mousse using a spoon or spatula, and wipe the edges of the bowl with a tissue.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Decorate the chocolate mousse as you wish. I like to adorn mine with excellent cocoa powder and rosettes of whipped cream. Serves four people.

Minestrone d'inverno

Lets get one thing straight, this is not an attractive soup. In fact, it is damned ugly to the eye. But do not allow looks to deceive you- it is beautifully sweet and full of flavour.
There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding as what constitutes “minestrone”.
In Australia people seem to think it’s a tomato flavoured broth with soggy pasta. This is so far removed as to what Italian minestrone is that I find it hilarious. Very simply, you choose the freshest of vegetables in season and simmer them with stock until you have a thick chunky soup. The result will be a delicious vegetable soup in which not one particular vegetable stands out. All the vegetables will be well cooked and almost falling apart, their flavours merging pleasantly.
Minestrone is prepared all year round. The time of year will dictate exactly what goes into the soup. Artichokes, asparagus, broad beans and spinach would go into a springtime minestrone. In summer you would make your minestrone with peas, new waxy potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini and serve it at room temperature with a spoonful of fresh pesto. During autumn you could use chestnuts, fennel, squash and wild mushrooms. And in winter you could try cavolo nero, leeks or savoy cabbage
I must admit I am not a fan of pasta in minestrone. I sometimes include rice (like they do in Lombardia) but this soup is so substantial, I often don’t. If you do decide to add rice, cook it separately and only mix it into the soup as you eat it. This way the rice will remain firm and wont become sodden left hanging around in the leftover soup.
And just one more thing, I have specified proper homemade stock in this receipt. Genuine stock will give the soup a luscious, velvety texture. I am not going to be a “Soup Nazi” and insist you use the real thing. You can use stock cubes- I promise I wont report you to the culinary police!

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
40g unsalted cultured butter
100g pancetta, cut into small cubes
2 red onions
5 carrots, peeled
5 celery stalks, peeled
2 leeks, white parts only
5 potatoes, peeled
½ savoy cabbage
1 bunch silver beet, rinsed and stalks removed
Fresh sage, chopped
2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Fresh stock, enough to cover the vegetables
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Freshly grated Grana Padano, to taste

Method
Chop the vegetables into small cubes (about the same size as the cannellini beans). The cabbage and silver beet should be shredded finely.
In a large soup pot melt the butter with the oil over a low heat.
Begin by gently sautéing the pancetta in the butter and oil.
Add the vegetables to the butter, oil and pancetta in the order listed and sauté each one for a few minutes before adding the next vegetable.
When all the vegetables (except the cannellini) have been gently sautéed in the pot, add the sage, cover with stock and simmer gently for 1- 2 hours.
Add the cannellini and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
You can adjust the consistency to thicken, by pureeing a small amount of the soup, or by adding a touch of water to thin the texture.
Add Grana Padano to taste and check the seasoning. Serve in soup bowls, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and more Grano Padano.
This amount makes a big pot of soup, enough for many serves. You can leave out the pancetta if you are vegetarian. I like to add it because it adds a nice depth of flavour.

Porcini, Sage and Blood Orange Risotto

This risotto sounds bizarre in concept. But in truth it is soothing and comforting to eat and not unusual at all in flavour. I like to believe the flavours merge together quite harmoniously. Don’t think of this dish as orange flavoured. Rather think of it as orange scented. The porcini in itself is assertive, both in taste and aroma, with the orange part lending an agreeable subtle quality.
As for everything I cook, the quality of ingredients used in this dish is extremely important. Choose good meaty slices of porcini instead of small unidentifiable pieces. Yes, they are expensive, but a small amount will go a long way. It is more economical to buy a one-kilo bag instead of many small 10gram packs. The added advantage is you will have an abundant amount of porcini in the kitchen cupboard waiting to be used during the entire year. Somehow I don’t feel too guilty using an expensive product when I have a lot of it.
As for the oranges, I used a hybrid navel / blood orange I found at the green grocer. I didn’t think much of this pseudo breed. I much prefer the real thing. If you can get pure blood oranges use them. They have a distinctive and wonderful aroma.
Sometime ago I wrote in one of my posts that Arborio rice made a poor risotto, and that I preferred to use carnaroli or vialone nano rice for their superior grain. Since writing that post, I have experimented with one brand of Arborio produced in Italy. I am very pleased to now write that I have been producing excellent “risotti” with this particular product. I guess all Arborio rices are not of the same in quality. As patriotic as I am, Australian Arborio rice is terrible and I do not recommend it all. Do try out different brand names if you are not satisfied with the one you are using.
And on a final note, I am not going to pretend the unique idea for this dish is mine. It is from the renowned River Café in London. The original recipe is printed in their “River Café Cook Book Easy”. I have adapted the recipe to suit my own palate.

Ingredients
Homemade Italian style stock, 1-2 litre (stock cubes are unacceptable)
30g dried porcini
100g swiss brown mushrooms, quatered
Fresh sage leaves
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
200g arborio, carnaroli, or vialone rice
1 blood orange, zest finely chopped and juiced
Grana Padano to taste, freshly grated
Unsalted cultured butter, about 50g cut into small cubes.
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Method
In a small bowl, soak the porcini with enough boiling water to just cover, for 15 minutes. Strain the porcini, reserving the liquid. Rinse each individual porcino slice under a tap of running water. Porcini are notorious for harbouring dirt; taste a slice if you are unsure. Strain the porcini liquid through unscented tissue paper and add to the stock.
In a saucepan heat 1- 2 tbsp of oil over a low heat. Add the garlic; do not allow it to colour. Add the swiss browns and cook gently for about 10 minutes. Put in the porcini slices and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Set aside. Heat the stock in a separate pot, and keep it hot.
In the saucepan you have chosen to prepare your risotto, gently heat the remaining oil with the onion. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Do not allow the onion to colour.
Add the rice, turn up the heat and sauté for 1- 2 minutes, or until the rice has changed colour slightly.
Turn the heat back to medium and add 1 ladleful of hot stock. Stir the rice and season with salt, keeping in mind that the cheeses added at the end is salty.
When the rice has absorbed the stock, add another ladleful. Continue in this fashion until the rice is plump, al dente and creamy. It will take about 20 minutes. Use as much stock as you think it needs. I haven’t given a precise amount of stock needed because I have never measured it, preferring to cook with my eyes and tastes buds. At this stage you can stir in the reserved porcini/ swiss brown mushroom mixture.
Turn off the heat. Add freshly grated grana to taste, the butter, orange juice and zest.
Mix gently to combine. Add more stock if you think it needs it- risotto should be moist and wavy.
Check the seasoning and serve. Enough for 2.

Beef Sausages Baked with Potato, Onion & Bay

I am forever trying to come up with exciting ways to dish up the humble sausage. This is one method of many. It’s undemanding and just the thing for those nights when one starving, but not in the particular mood required for complex food preparation.
This dish will be one hundred times better if you use first-rate sausages. Purchase them from a fine butcher, and inquire as to what he puts in the sausages. If he is not sure, keep walking and try someone else. Needless to say, keep clear from supermarket sausages as well. My past experiences have proven them to not be worth the trouble cooking.
The same goes for the potatoes. I like King Edwards when it comes to roasting. Desirees are a good alternative. Baked potatoes tend to have more flavour if you leave the skin on them. Less effort for more flavour- seems like a good idea to me.

Ingredients
6 first rate beef sausages
5 small King Edward potatoes, halved
3 small onions, halved
4 bay leaves
Thyme sprigs
Duck fat
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
A few drops of Muscat vinegar
Dijon mustard, to serve

Method
Preheat the oven to 180c.
Place all the ingredients except the vinegar and mustard in a baking dish in one layer. Use the duck fat to anoint the individual pieces of sausage and vegetable.
Sprinkle the potatoes and onions with a touch of salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour.
During this time, turn the sausages and vegetables over as they brown, making sure everything cooks evenly.
Five minutes before removing from the oven, sprinkle a few drops of vinegar into the cut side of the onions.
Serve straight from the tin with Dijon mustard. Enough for 2 people.