Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Gizzi Erskine’

Conchiglioni Stuffed with Kale, Spinach and Ricotta

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 12 February 2023| Leave a Comment »

Who can resist a stuffed pasta shell? In this one the joy is the balance between fresh ricotta, iron-rich kale, and a rich tomato sauce.

Wine Suggestion: We’d suggest the open, accessability of a youthful Barbaresco from Piedmont, as opposed the depth and moodiness of a Barolo. We have at hand Pico Maccario’s rendition that has a sense of fun which is sometimes lost by winemakers trying to make the next best thing … and we applaud them; wine is to be drunk and enjoyed too.

Conchiglioni stuffed with kale, spinach and ricotta – serves 4

  • 250g kale, stalks removed
  • 100g spinach
  • 1 green chilli, roughly chopped
  • handful of parsley leaves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 250g ricotta
  • 50g Parmesan, grated
  • ½ nutmeg, grated
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 200g conchiglioni
  • 750ml slow-cooked tomato sauce
  • 125g ball of mozzarella

Blanch the kale in lots of salty boiling water, then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and straight into a bowl of iced water. Repeat with the spinach but cook for just 30 seconds.

Squeeze all the water out of the spinach and kale and put into a food processor. Add the chilli and parsley, then whizz for a few seconds. Scrape out into a bowl and add the ricotta, 30g of the Parmesan, the numeg, and lemon zest. Stir well to combine, then transfer to a piping bag.

Preheat the oven to 220C/200 Fan/Gas 7.

Bring a large pan of salty water to the boil and cook the pasta for 10 minutes – it should be a little more than al dente. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle.

Pour the tomato sauce into a medium-sized baking dish.

Pipe the kale mixture into the pasta shells and settle them snugly into the tomato sauce, pushing them down a little. Tear the mozzarella over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan.

Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes, then serve with a green salad.

(Original recipe from Slow by Gizzi Erskine, HQ, 2018.)

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Moules à la Créme

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 13 August 2021| Leave a Comment »

Mussels are a Friday night staple in our house, they’re such good value and sustainable too. We find a creamy, garlicky sauce hard to resist. You will need some fries or crusty bread to go alongside.

Wine Suggestion: It’s a while since we had Muscadet but mussels cried out for some, so Domaine de la Chauviniere’s signature Muscadet sür lie Sèvre et Maine was duly opened and thoroughly enjoyed. This wine is so reliable, plus not too expensive so you won’t mind using some in the dish too much.

Moules à la Crème – serves 4

  • 20g butter
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 5 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
  • 2 shallots, very finely chopped
  • 2-3 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1kg mussels, scrubbed
  • 350ml white wine
  • 75ml double cream
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan, then add the garlic, shallots, thyme and bay leaf and cook gently for 5-8 minutes or until softened and starting to brown.

Add the mussels and wine, then cover and cook for a couple of minutes or until the mussels have opened. Strain the mussels over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid.

Return the liquid and bay leaf to the pan, bring to the boil and reduce by half. Add the cream, lemon and plenty of black pepper, then return the mussels and shallots to the pan and add the parsley. Put the lid back on and bring up to the boil for another minute. Serve in warm bowls with fries or crusty bread.

(Original recipe from Restore by Gizzi Erskine, HQ, 2020.)

Read Full Post »

Roasted Cauliflower, Preserved Lemon and Chilli Pasta

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 2 January 2021| 4 Comments »

This pasta dish by Gizzi Erskine certainly packs a punch. Roasted cauliflower is a bit trendy at the moment but we don’t think we’ll tire of it and the additions of preserved lemon, chilli and cream makes a great combination.

Wine Suggestion: The Edetària via Edetana Blanc from DO Terra Alta, near Tarragona in Spain is an old vine Granacha Blanca (70%) with the remainder being Viognier. Wonderfully bright and pure with both an exotic lushness and cream on the palate as well as a blindingly salty, mineral finish. Bravo to the winemakers.

Roasted cauliflower, preserved lemon and chilli pasta – serves 4

  • 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets, and the inner leaves
  • 100ml olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for roasting the cauliflower
  • 40g rye bread, blitzed into breadcrumbs (we used some stale sourdough which worked perfectly too)
  • 250g ditali pasta, macaroni, mezzi, rigatoni or orecchiette
  • 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 dried chilli, crushed
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 200g sour cream
  • 80g Parmesan, grated
  • a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
  • 2 preserved lemons, pips discarded and skin thinly sliced
  • grated zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to very hot, about 260C/Gas 10 or as high as your oven goes.

Spread the cauliflower and leaves on a baking tray, drizzle over 1 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt. Toss with your hands to coat in the oil. Roast in the hot over for 15 minutes, until cooked through and browned, a bit of charring is fine.

Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and fry until crispy and golden, then drain on some kitchen paper and set aside.

Cook the pasta in lots of very salty water for a couple minutes less than the pack instructions, it will finish cooking in the sauce. Drain, and keep 100ml of the pasta cooking water in case you need to thin the sauce later.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the rest of the oil in a separate frying pan with the garlic and chilli and cook gently for 5 minutes, until softened, then set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks, cream and Parmesan together in a bowl. Put the pasta pan back over a medium heat and stir in the egg mixture, then the garlic and chilli oil, parsley, preserved lemon, lemon zest and plenty of black pepper. Mix for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, check for seasoning and stir through the roasted cauliflower. You can loosen a little with the reserved pasta cooking water if needed. Serve on warm plates with the crispy breadcrumbs sprinkled over and a little extra Parmesan if you like.

(Original recipe from Restore by Gizzi Erskine, HQ, 2020.)

Read Full Post »