Frankie Dettori’s Italian Family Cookbook

Frankie Dettori’s Italian Family Cookbook Frankie Dettori Alex Antonioni Marco Pierre White A sumptuous collection of mouth-watering recipes, heart-warming anecdotes and vibrant photography that bring the warmth of Italy to your kitchen table. Blending the character of Frankie Dettori’s family's traditional Italian home cooking and the sophistication of Marco Pierre White's world-famous kitchens, this is a feast for all the senses.Good food, good wine, good company, good weather … all these are essential ingredients for a slice of the Italian life.Frankie Dettori, everyone's favourite Italian export, is as well known for his love of life as his success on the course. With a chain of family-orientated restaurants under their belts, Michelin-stared chief Marco Pierre White and Frankie Dettori have teamed up once again to transport their special mix of delicious decadence and simple, down-to-earth home cooking.Filled with sumptuous photographs of Frankie's family and the surroundings in which he grew up, as well as charming personal anecdotes, family recipes and sumptuous photographs, ‘Frankie Detorri’s Italian Family Cookbook’ brings you the all best recipes from the restaurant as well as Dettori family favourites and Italian kitchen secrets.Blending mouth-watering recipes, tips and anecdotes, and photographs that exude the warmth and vibrancy of true Italian dining, this is more than simply a recipe book – it's a slice of real Italian home cooking just like mama used to make. DEDICATION (#ulink_0e9103c6-555f-5275-bbc3-320abe19f5f3) For Catherine, Leo, Ella, Mia, Tallulah and Rocco with all my love. And for Marco, for helping me to realize my lifelong ambition to be part of the restaurant business. What a partner to have! Special thanks to Alex Antonioni for all her help picking our brains, and for having the courage to write down closely guarded family recipes. We’d never have got them onto paper without you! We also couldn’t have done without the help of Calum Watson whose patience and resilience is legendary. Thank you, to you, J.C. and the rest of the staff at Frankie’s, for making the photo shoots possible. Thanks also to Efisio Lenti, Head Chef at Ziu Angelini, Porto Pino, Sardinia. Your ravioli is legendary! Finally, many thanks to Peter Burrell, our long-term agent, business partner and friend. It’s been a great ride so far, hasn’t it? CONTENTS COVER (#u9c2c52b7-9f84-5781-933e-4841fe32b262) TITLE PAGE (#u6b85f32d-2cea-5a52-96b4-38145f3de1a9) DEDICATION (#ulink_c74f8792-70ad-53af-8b82-c10b0f3118d6) INTRODUCTION (#ulink_e633bd81-fc35-5543-abfe-622c53330d0c) ANTIPASTI (#ulink_aff044d3-be1c-5ab9-8ea2-497fef7c4781) Starters (#ulink_aff044d3-be1c-5ab9-8ea2-497fef7c4781) INSALATE (#ulink_7849e7f6-4ad9-5194-8f05-ede7afb84689) Salads (#ulink_7849e7f6-4ad9-5194-8f05-ede7afb84689) PASTA E RISO (#litres_trial_promo) Pasta and Rice (#litres_trial_promo) CARNE (#litres_trial_promo) Meat (#litres_trial_promo) PESCE (#litres_trial_promo) Fish (#litres_trial_promo) PIZZA E PANE (#litres_trial_promo) Pizza and bread (#litres_trial_promo) CONTORNI (#litres_trial_promo) Side dishes (#litres_trial_promo) DOLCI (#litres_trial_promo) Desserts (#litres_trial_promo) GELATI (#litres_trial_promo) Ice Creams (#litres_trial_promo) INDEX (#litres_trial_promo) COPYRIGHT (#litres_trial_promo) ABOUT THE PUBLISHER (#litres_trial_promo) INTRODUCTION (#ulink_ecff779f-2379-5974-a78e-d6d4eb2e1e73) Frankie “In Italy, probably more than anywhere else in the world, people live to eat rather than eat to live. All Italians, every single one of them, are passionate about food. In English, if someone is really into food they get called a ‘foodie’, but in Italian there simply isn’t a definitive word for this term. It would never occur to anyone to categorize someone as a foodie – it’s a given. With this kind of attitude you’d think that Italy would be the obesity capital of the world. Yet in spite of being obsessed with food Italians are actually very fussy about what they put in their mouths. Italians simply don’t eat processed foods laden with fat, sugar and salt. Instead, ‘la vera cucina italiana’ is based upon local seasonal produce flavoured with fresh herbs and olive oil. Italians love their food but what they eat isn’t unhealthy. My earliest memories of food and cooking are by most standards fairly sophisticated. My mother’s cooking, whilst simple in technique and not given to fussy sauces, was to say the least eclectic. This is because what she cooked on any given day depended on what fresh produce she found at her local market in Milan. This diversity was compounded by the three blissful months we spent in Sardinia with my grandparents every summer. Every day my Nonna would prepare a wonderful array of fresh local produce. This could be anything from line-caught eels and suckling pigs to homemade cheeses and wild boar. All the vegetables she served were fresh out of the ground from her ‘orto’ (vegetable patch). There were tomatoes the size of a fist that tasted of tomato in a way that I’ve never tasted since, figs so ripe they dripped with syrup, huge succulent peaches and the sweetest grapes I’ve ever tasted. Best of all, my grandparents produced thirty litres of olive oil every year from their own trees. I can still remember the excitement of helping to pick the olives as a young boy. That, my friend, is living. My point is that Italians don’t go in for the ‘chicken nugget’ version of kid’s food – I ate what the adults ate and learned to love and respect the provenance of food from a very young age. It’s not unusual in Italy for five- or six-year-old kids to start drinking a little wine mixed with water, especially if it is ‘fatt’in casa’ (homemade), i.e. with Nonno treading the grapes. I think this contributes hugely to fact that Italian kids don’t binge drink. They are so used to being around alcohol that it negates the mystery and disposes with the ‘it’s naughty so I’ll do it’ issue. I’m happy to say that my kids love their food and are not fussy, finicky eaters. I’m sure this is because they eat proper food, not so called children’s food. Sure, Catherine tries to sneak in extra vegetables here and there but overall they do OK. My son Leo will try anything once. We gave him prawns the other day and he loved them. There was even a time when all he wanted for breakfast was fish – he’s clearly his father’s son! It’s also important for me that my kids recognise their Italian roots, so we eat a lot of Italian in my house, balancing it out with the odd shepherd’s pie and bangers and mash, which I also love. This book is all about bringing good food into your home. My mission, and yours if you choose to accept it (I’ve always wanted to say that!), is to get families to sit down together to enjoy great food and, more importantly, each other’s company on a regular basis. Sunday lunch in my house is sacrosanct – woe betide anyone who doesn’t show. It’s the one day of the week we all catch up on each other’s news, gossip and the good and not so good bits of the week that was. My kitchen at home is completely open plan and is in fact an extension of the dining room and playroom, which in turn lead into the garden. When I cook at home there are always least half a dozen people milling around me (as well as assorted cats and dogs) playing, talking, tasting, laughing, bickering and, of course, opening the odd bottle of wine. When the food is ready everyone sits down together and I get a nice warm feeling in my bones, being surrounded by those I love. As they say in Italy, ‘ La cosa pi? importante e mangiar in famiglia, cos? si capisce tutto di tutto’, which roughly translated means, ‘the most important thing in life is to eat together as family: only then can you comprehend what’s really going on the lives of the people closest to you’. I have a funny feeling that these wise words will prove invaluable when my kids are teenagers.” Frankie Dettari Marco “The greatest culinary influence in my life came from having an Italian mother who was a natural-born cook. Her family lived just outside Genoa where I used to spend my summer holidays as a little boy. My earliest food memories are of my mother picking me up from the school gates at midday to go home for lunch. I must have been about five years old. It was only ever the two of us and I’m not sure why my elder brother didn’t join us and instead stayed on for school dinners. Maybe she still regarded me as ‘the baby’ – or perhaps she had already spotted my interest in food. When we ate we’d talk and giggle our way through lunch. I think the reason this had such a lasting impression on me is that those simple meals were always filled with happiness. Mum cooked simple food intelligently and with great deal of attention to detail. She always used seasonal produce. In winter she’d make hearty soups with root vegetables, pulses and a little rice or pasta with a sprinkling of Parmigiano. In summer we’d have delicate broths studded with podded peas and lots fresh, soft herbs or perhaps a vegetable rice salad or simple spaghetti ‘al burro’ (which remains to this day my favourite pasta). She steered clear of fussy food and heavy sauces. Sometimes lunch would be just a very ripe tomato with a little salt, olive oil and, perhaps, some bread or a piece of cheese. But even a simple snack like this was made with love and a great deal of care and thus still lingers in my memory. Her food philosophy was to buy the best quality that you can afford and to let the flavours speak for themselves. I believe my mother’s inherent understanding and appreciation of food is a major component in the DNA of most, if not all Italian women. They seem to posses an uncanny knowledge and love for cooking and its ability to nurture. Italians always adhere to the principle that a great meal is not about expensive ingredients. On the contrary, some of the best food in Italy stems from ‘la cucina povera’, ‘the kitchen of the poor’, which understands the importance of allowing Mother Nature to do her job as supplier of our groceries, meat and fish. All that is left for the cook to do is to present her produce in the purest and simplest way. My mother died when I was six, leaving my father, a chef, to look after three young boys traumatised by their loss and in need of stability and love. My old man wasn’t an outwardly affectionate father but he was always very correct and dependable. He demonstrated his love for us in the way he knew best, through food. We had very little spare money and fortunately, with hindsight, we were too poor to buy the tinned produce that was so fashionable at the time. Dad had always cooked a little at home, but his forte had been full English breakfasts at weekends. Now that he was stuck with all the cooking he expected all of us to muck in. We were dispatched to pick apples, forage for rhubarb and collect blackberries. As soon as we were old enough to learn how, he also sent us out to shoot rabbits and hares, and to fish for eels, trout or anything else we could land. Nothing went to waste, everything got eaten. We hunted to feed the family, not for leisure and it ignited a passion for hunting and fishing that remains with me to this day. It is my belief that before you can be a great cook you have to understand the providence of food and respect Mother Nature and her bounty. Today, the most important thing in my life is my kids. Nothing comes before my family. Nothing. In my three Michelin star days I cooked with my ego and not with my heart in order to gain and keep those oh-so-precious stars. I was rarely at home with my kids. They would come to see me between services at my restaurant in the Hyde Park Hotel for about half an hour every day, which wasn’t very satisfactory for any of us. In fact, my children are the reason I took the momentous decision to give back my stars. It was the only way I could spend a lot more time with them. My little ones mean the whole world to me – certainly more than three Michelin stars ever could. I would like this book to get families back round the dinner table and eating good food. Don’t just buy the book, have a quick flick through, then stick it back on the shelf with all your other glossy celebrity-endorsed cookbooks. This is not what Frankie and I are trying to achieve. Use it, note the recipes that Frankie and I loved as kids, which in turn are loved in equal measure by our own children, and try them out on your kids. Educating your children on the joy of good food and eating well is as important a duty for parents as teaching them good manners and how to love each other. If this book ends up covered in flour and sticky finger prints and with the odd note in the margin, then and only then will you have realized its true value.” Marco Pierre White FRANKIE’S BAR AND GRILL Frankie “Sometimes in life we find ourselves in the right place at the right time doing stuff we didn’t imagine we would ever get involved in. The first time I ever met Marco was when I popped into Drones, one of his restaurants in London, for a quick bite before heading home. He was also there having dinner and came over to join us for a glass of wine. The conversation soon turned to food and restaurants. London is positively teeming with restaurants, there is no doubt about that. Every possible permutation and nationality of cuisine known to mankind is widely available, yet I’d always found it hard to find good family-friendly restaurants which are ‘happy meal’ or kiddie menu-free zones. I suddenly found myself in a heated conversation with Marco. Why aren’t there more restaurants that cater for families? Why don’t the ones that exist serve real food that all the family will love? I don’t serve my kids frozen chicken nuggets at home, so why would I go to a restaurant to pay for the privilege of doing so? And why can’t family restaurants be stylish enough to keep the grown-ups happy but also informal enough so we can relax there with all the kids? What I wanted was a bit of family glamour! Who would have thought that my passionate outcry would be instrumental in bringing a touch of Italian family values and lifestyle to a series of restaurants? As a jockey I have to be extremely disciplined about what I eat. They say that men think about sex once every seven minutes. Well, not this man! It’s food I can’t stop thinking about. And as I can’t eat what I want when I’m racing, my next favourite thing is to talk food. Doing just that with a charismatic, incredibly knowledgeable, three-starred Michelin chef was, for me, pure paradise. Marco and I spent the next couple of hours coming up with a wish list of what our perfect family restaurant would offer, from the d?cor and the general feel of the place to which of our favourite family recipes we’d make sure were on the menu. It was a fantastic evening. I left Marco at Drones around 11pm, having enjoyed some of the best carpaccio I had ever eaten along with a glass of my favourite Italian red wine, Sassicaia. (It was just the one glass, but it meant I had to run an extra fifteen minutes in a ski suit the next morning to burn it off. I kid you not!) Marco called me the next day. He had, literally overnight, come up with a blueprint for a family restaurant called Frankie’s (how flattering is that?) and asked me to go into business with him. The concept that he had come up with was pure genius and I didn’t hesitate to say ‘I do’. Thus the unlikely marriage of Frankie Dettori, little Italian jockey and (whenever possible) bon viveur, and Marco Pierre White, Michelin-starred chef and infamous raconteur, came to be. The incredible thing about Marco is that once he has the bones of a great idea he is capable of turning it into a reality in double-quick time. And so it was that Frankie’s was born three months later in Knightsbridge, London, with everything I had been looking for in a family restaurant – and so much more I didn’t even know I’d wanted until I got it. The d?cor was entirely down to Marco, as it is with all of his restaurants, for, despite employing an army of designers and experts, ultimately most of the ideas come from him. He has a remarkable eye for detail and seems to know instinctively what works and what doesn’t. For Frankie’s he wanted a classical look that would exude fun with that all-important shot of glamour. He lined every inch of wall space with floor-to-ceiling mirrors then hung six huge glitter balls from the ceiling. The finished product was awesome, a perfect blend of tradition and fun that just oozes glamour. Everyone fell in love with the four-foot wide glitter balls, me and the kids included. In fact, we liked them so much I nicked one and it’s now hanging in the TV room at home, all four feet of it. My wife Catherine was less than convinced it belongs there, but she was outvoted four to one. Democracy is a wonderful thing, especially when the kids are on your side! Frankie’s opening night was a star-studded event. Madonna and Guy Ritchie (now regular customers), Claudia Schiffer and Matthew Vaughn, Philip Green and Larry David were there, to name but a few, and from that very first night Frankie’s created a buzz that has increased in volume to a now deafening roar. In the space of two short years we have opened three more Frankie’s restaurants in London: in Selfridges, Chiswick and Putney. We have just opened up in Dubai and Shanghai as well, with plans for Las Vegas in the pipeline. Amazing. I was in Frankie’s with my brood just a few days ago and when I looked around the restaurant it warmed the cockles of my little Italian heart to see tables of families of all age groups, from grandparents to toddlers, laughing, eating, drinking and having a great time. ‘We’ve done it,’ I thought, ‘now there really is a great restaurant for families.’” Marco “The night Frankie popped into Drones for a quick supper was the catalyst for an idea which had been brewing in me for some time: to open a family restaurant that would serve good food with a lot of fun and a little bit of glamour thrown in for good measure. When Frankie and I got talking, I knew I’d found the perfect partner for my venture. His vision of what a good family restaurant should offer and his absolute faith that ‘la famiglia’ is the central component of life mirrored my own. We also had the perfect research group available to us. Between us we had two wives, three grandmothers, two grandfathers and, most important of all, eight kids aged between one and seventeen who all had very clear ideas of their own about what they wanted from a restaurant. When it came to the menu Frankie and I followed my mother’s philosophy of buying the best and allowing the ingredients to speak for themselves. As well as classical Italian dishes, such as pizza, pasta and the traditional meat and fish, I was also keen to have a good quality burger on the menu along with a few unusual additions, like roast belly of pork and the much underrated calf’s tongue. Of course, the restaurant business is not just about food: it’s also about entertainment. I wanted to make sure that everyone who ate at Frankie’s would be a little happier when they left than when they came in. With the help of Jean Cristoph, my operations director, and Calum Watson, my executive chef, we turned Frankie’s from an idea into a reality. Two years on, given the amount of families we have coming through the doors every week, it would seem we have achieved our goal.” CHEF’S NOTE When cooking I don’t always season with salt, especially when it comes to meat; I like to season using chicken stock cubes (Knorr is my preference). I add a pinch or two when cooking vegetable soups and all meat sauces and gravies. Firstly, this is more forgiving than salt and, secondly, when finishing sauces you don’t have reduce them as much to reach their desired flavour. This makes the finished product lighter rather than over-reduced and over-strong in natural salt. When cooking vegetables, a crumbled cube in the water vastly improves their flavour. Another great use is when roasting a chicken: create a light paste using chicken stock cubes and some olive oil, then spread this over the breast of the chicken and inside the cavity walls of the bird, rather than seasoning with lots of salt. Too many chefs turn their noses up at certain products, but when you think about it a burger is not a burger without ketchup; an English breakfast is not a breakfast without HP sauce; fish and chips are not the same without malt vinegar; and that great British institution the ham sandwich is not a proper ham sandwich without English mustard. Let’s not forget that good food is all about flavour, so never be afraid to cook with these products. Many acclaimed restaurants have these ingredients and more in their dry goods stores and chefs use them freely and without compunction. Good eating. Marco Pierre White ANTIPASTI (#ulink_ed77c441-3a23-50de-bf98-747f0b879bc4) STARTERS (#ulink_ed77c441-3a23-50de-bf98-747f0b879bc4) PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA CON FICHI (#ulink_d393a286-52c8-56d6-8965-7f71d39187d4) Parma ham with figs (#ulink_d393a286-52c8-56d6-8965-7f71d39187d4) LINGUA DI VITELLO CON MOSTARDA DI CREMONA (#ulink_f6d0cfe5-f592-5a3c-80f6-042e4a3423fe) Cold calf’s tongue with Mostarda di Cremona (#ulink_f6d0cfe5-f592-5a3c-80f6-042e4a3423fe) CARPACCIO CON MOSTARDA (#ulink_cdc399f3-6d38-5363-b04d-551c07f03084) Carpaccio of beef with a mustard dressing (#ulink_cdc399f3-6d38-5363-b04d-551c07f03084) COZZE ALLA MARINARA (#ulink_6af42ab3-359b-548a-b048-60886e8dea54) Moules ? la marini?re (#ulink_6af42ab3-359b-548a-b048-60886e8dea54) MINESTRA DI LENTICCHIE (#ulink_9d5dc602-a00b-52c8-8464-f1ce291df4c8) Lentil soup (#ulink_9d5dc602-a00b-52c8-8464-f1ce291df4c8) MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA CAPRESE (#ulink_b26af586-ff7b-569c-bf79-c810f8c584b9) Mozzarella and tomato salad (#ulink_b26af586-ff7b-569c-bf79-c810f8c584b9) MINESTRONE DI VERDURA (#ulink_79c1b7f6-0678-5b66-b91b-1b6324bfcaec) Minestrone soup (#ulink_79c1b7f6-0678-5b66-b91b-1b6324bfcaec) STRACCIATELLA (#ulink_15e35a18-eceb-57dd-ba2a-55c9d76a869d) Stracciatella ‘egg-drop’ soup (#ulink_15e35a18-eceb-57dd-ba2a-55c9d76a869d) PASTA E FAGIOLI (#ulink_c67d5aa2-00dd-51a3-a5ef-4f349a49d26c) Pasta and bean soup (#ulink_c67d5aa2-00dd-51a3-a5ef-4f349a49d26c) PEPERONI FARCITI AL TONNO (#ulink_97edacb8-ca57-5317-b89a-d30999d06c32) Roast bell peppers with tuna, pine nuts and olives (#ulink_97edacb8-ca57-5317-b89a-d30999d06c32) COZZE RIPIENE (#ulink_86676210-48ef-5105-bd07-a01cc8423aae) Baked stuffed mussels (#ulink_86676210-48ef-5105-bd07-a01cc8423aae) PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA CON FICHI (#ulink_162bf77e-fc05-5e10-b311-d8c854be85d2) Parma ham with figs (#ulink_162bf77e-fc05-5e10-b311-d8c854be85d2) 24 finely cut slices of Parma ham 4 ripe figs, peeled and quartered Serves: 4 Preparation time: 5 minutes Divide the Parma ham between 4 plates. Place the figs in the centre, and serve. Marco “This dish reminds me of happy days spent with my mother’s sister, Zia Luciana, in Genoa. I love the wonderful combination of slightly salty ham with sweet figs. Buy your prosciutto from a good Italian delicatessen and have it sliced paper-thin off the bone in front of you. The figs, either green or black, should be soft to the touch. I believe in sourcing the very best ingredients and allowing the food to speak for itself, without the need for anything else on the plate, even seasoning.” LINGUA DI VITELLO CON MOSTARDA DI CREMONA (#ulink_9f0becd1-d287-5d3b-9b42-67a033a93adb) Cold calf’s tongue with Mostarda di Cremona (#ulink_9f0becd1-d287-5d3b-9b42-67a033a93adb) 1 calf’s tongue 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped 1 onion, halved 2 celery sticks, roughly choped 1 whole bulb of garlic, halved 1 bay leaf 1 small jar of Mostarda di Cremona, fruits chopped and syrup reserved FOR THE SALSA DI ERBE: a handful of fresh basil leaves a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley 1 anchovy fillet 3 tablespoons Parmesan 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 dessert spoon lemon juice sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Serves: 8 Soaking time: 48 hours Preparation time: 10 mins Cooking time: 3? hours To prepare the tongue for cooking, soak it in cold water for 48 hours, changing the water at least every 6 to 8 hours. Combine all the Salsa di Erbe ingredients in a food processor, and whiz until it is the consistency of thin cream. After soaking, place the calf’s tongue in a large pan of cold water, bring to the boil, then refresh under cold running water. Place the tongue back in the saucepan, and add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic and bay leaf. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3? hours. Remove the tongue, peel off the outer skin (it should come away quite easily) and then refresh under cold water. Once cooled, slice it thinly. To serve, spoon the Salsa di Erbe on to 4 plates and then add a layer of the thinly sliced tongue. Sprinkle over the chopped Mostarda di Cremona and a little of its accompanying syrup. Frankie “I ate this dish many times when growing up in Milan, so I was keen to have it on the menu at Frankie’s. Calf’s tongue is Italian peasant cooking at its finest and Mostarda di Cremona, which is available in most Italian delis, contains whole fruits that have been steeped in a clear, sugary syrup, laced with pure mustard. The end product packs quite a punch, akin to the Japanese horseradish Wasabi, although the Mostarda of my youth seemed less sweet and a helluva lot stronger.” CARPACCIO CON MOSTARDA (#ulink_4923156d-17b6-5f8c-981d-7648e0c4438a) Carpaccio of beef with a mustard dressing (#ulink_4923156d-17b6-5f8c-981d-7648e0c4438a) 200 g fillet of organic Aberdeen Angus beef extra virgin olive oil 4 handfuls of wild rocket, washed and dried thoroughly FOR THE DRESSING: 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons coarse-grain mustard 1 teaspoon lemon juice a dash of Worcestershire sauce 200 ml vegetable oil sea salt Serves: 4 Preparation time: 15 minutes Chilling time: 2 hours Wrap the beef fillet tightly in cling film and place in a freezer for approximately 2 hours. For the dressing, whisk the egg yolk with the Dijon and coarse-grain mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Then slowly pour in the vegetable oil, whisking all the time. Season with the salt. To serve, remove the beef fillet from the freezer, unwrap it and – using a very sharp, serrated knife – slice it as finely as you can. (Your fillet should yield approximately 32 slices.) Divide the beef slices between 4 plates and brush lightly with the olive oil, using a pastry brush. Drizzle with the mustard dressing and scatter over the rocket leaves. Frankie “This is the dish that brought me and Marco together for the first time. To me, it’s the perfect supper for when I come home late from a day’s racing, as it’s relatively light but the meat and the intense flavours of the dressing are satisfying. I eat this as a main course, although in most Italian households it’s regarded as a starter, served with a few mixed leaves and a nice glass of red.” COZZE ALLA MARINARA (#ulink_a896146f-af5a-5b28-9733-6256d090e070) Moules ? la marini?re (#ulink_a896146f-af5a-5b28-9733-6256d090e070) 200 g unsalted butter 200 ml extra virgin olive oil 8 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 garlic clove, crushed ? medium onion, finely chopped 1 fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped 1 kg fresh mussels, washed and de-bearded 3 tablespoons white wine Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Whisk the butter in a food processor, until doubled in volume and light and creamy. Trickle in the olive oil, keeping the food processor going, until the oil is fully incorporated. Pick off the leaves from 4 of the thyme sprigs and mix into the olive oil mixture with the garlic. In a large saucepan, add the onion, chilli, mussels and white wine. Cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat until all the mussels have opened (the big mussels will take longer than the small ones). Pour off half the cooking liquid, then stir in the butter and olive oil mixture. To serve, divide the mussels between 4 bowls, spoon over the juices and garnish with the reserved sprigs of thyme. Marco “Mussels make a wonderful meal. My dad loved cooking mussels so I think of it as quite a male dish. It seems to be popular now to serve mussels with very finely cut chips. But, for my money, the only way to eat mussels is untidily, discarding shells as you go, with a good hunk of fresh bread to mop up all those gorgeous winey, fishy juices at the bottom of the bowl.” MINESTRA DI LENTICCHIE (#ulink_cf5416fa-7c71-5692-abbf-d5aeaf59af0a) Lentil soup (#ulink_cf5416fa-7c71-5692-abbf-d5aeaf59af0a) 1 kg puy lentils 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 carrots, roughly chopped 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped 2 leeks, roughly chopped 3 shallots, roughly chopped 10 fresh sage leaves 1? litres water sea salt and freshly ground pepper 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, to serve 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to serve FOR THE VEGETABLE STOCK (MAKES 1? LITRES): 2 carrots 1 large onion 2 celery sticks 1 bay leaf 1 whole garlic bulb, halved 6 peppercorns 2 leeks, whites only 3 litres water Serves: 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1? hours Put all the ingredients for the vegetable stock into a large saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve and set aside. Soak the lentils in cold water overnight, then refresh under a running tap. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil, add the carrots, celery, leeks and shallots and gently cook over a low heat until softened. Add the lentils, sage leaves, vegetable stock and water, bring to the boil and then simmer for 45 minutes until the lentils are soft to the bite. Transfer to a blender and liquidize until smooth. Season to taste. Serve in warmed bowls and top each with a tablespoon of Parmesan and olive oil. Marco “Italians love their hearty vegetable soups. We don’t go in for or simple consomm?s, as we like our soups with big flavours and lots of texture. This is one of my favourites and, again, it all comes down to the quality of the ingredients. I remember sitting in my mother’s kitchen watching her chop the vegetables and, as the dish took shape and started to bubble on the stove, somehow, all felt right with the world.” MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA CAPRESE (#ulink_ca533a5d-1a5d-54c6-b5ab-710e4e8ac879) Mozzarella and tomato salad (#ulink_ca533a5d-1a5d-54c6-b5ab-710e4e8ac879) 4 x 125 g balls of Mozzarella di Bufala 2 ripe avocados 12 cherry tomatoes, halved 16 basil leaves 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil sea salt Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Place a mozzarella ball in the centre of each plate. Peel and quarter the avocados and place 2 quarters either side of the mozzarella balls. Then add the cherry tomatoes and basil leaves. To serve, drizzle over the olive oil and season with sea salt. Frankie “This dish must be on every Italian restaurant menu in the world, and when done correctly, it’s the best. The most important thing to remember is that the ingredients must be absolutely tip top. Mozzarella di Bufala is easy to find in most delis and is a world away from the Danish mozzarella available in most supermarkets. The tomatoes also need to be ripe and fragrant, the basil fresh and aromatic, and the avocados well ripened. If not, turn the page and make another dish!” MINESTRONE DI VERDURA (#ulink_e929f776-3dc2-57a9-88bf-743f6927c0f7) Minestrone soup (#ulink_e929f776-3dc2-57a9-88bf-743f6927c0f7) 225 g dried cannellini beans 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium carrot, chopped ? celery stick, plus a handful of the celery leaves, chopped 225 g ripe tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped ? teaspoon sugar 1? litres water 500 g broad beans, shelled 225 g spring greens or green cabbage, shredded 50 g short pasta (such as penne, macaroni, fusilli) 1 generous handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley sea salt and freshly ground black pepper lots of freshly grated Parmesan, to serve 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to serve Serves: 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Soaking time: overnight Cooking time: 55 minutes Soak the cannellini beans in cold water overnight. Then drain, place in a heavy-bottomed pan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, drain and refresh under a cold running tap. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook gently over a low heat for about 15 minutes, until softened. Add the tomatoes and the sugar, and simmer for a further 10 minutes, stirring often. Pour in the water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, skimming off any foam that may rise to the surface. Add the cannellini beans, broad beans, spring greens (or cabbage), pasta and parsley, and simmer for a further 8 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, ladle into warmed bowls, stir in a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with the freshly grated Parmesan. Frankie “The classic Italian soup, that is so much more than just a bowl of soup. To me, it evokes a feeling of well-being and a time when families ate together, when Sunday lunches were sacrosanct and when my nonna’s minestrone soup was on the menu. She would pick all the vegetables and herbs from her own vegetable plot and would take hours cleaning and chopping the ingredients. The end result, with a sprinkling of Parmigiano cheese, was just heaven.” STRACCIATELLA (#ulink_c7a4f791-bb00-540b-8f1c-0649f591796b) Stracciatella ‘egg-drop’ soup (#ulink_c7a4f791-bb00-540b-8f1c-0649f591796b) 3 medium eggs 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 litre chicken stock sea salt Serves: 4 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes Whisk the eggs with the parsley, Parmesan and lemon juice. Place the chicken stock in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Using a metal spoon, slowly pour in the egg mixture, stirring all the time, so that long ribbons of egg are formed. Season to taste, take off the heat and serve in warmed bowls immediately. Frankie “This is a get-well-soon, cuddle-in-a-bowl, cure-all soup. Based on the classic Italian brodo (chicken stock), this is our version of the famous Jewish penicillin. The addition of lightly beaten eggs and Parmigiano cheese is inspired.” PASTA E FAGIOLI (#ulink_35502b20-ecef-5160-a5f3-b395826b2c5e) Pasta and bean soup (#ulink_c7a4f791-bb00-540b-8f1c-0649f591796b) 300 g dried cannellini beans 3 garlic cloves a sprig of fresh sage 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 300 g dried short pasta (such as macaroni, fusilli) a sprig of fresh rosemary ? small fresh red chilli pepper, roughly chopped sea salt and freshly ground black pepper a large handful of freshly grated Parmesan Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours 15 minutes Soaking time: overnight Soak the beans in cold water overnight. Then drain, refresh and place in a saucepan with 2 of the garlic cloves, the sage and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cover with cold water, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 2 hours, or until the beans are soft and well cooked. (Check the water level during cooking and add more as required.) Drain and discard the sage sprig and garlic cloves, and keep warm. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water, according to the packet instructions. While the pasta is cooking, heat 5 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan and gently fry the rosemary sprig, remaining garlic clove and chilli for 5 minutes. Then remove and discard the rosemary, garlic and chilli and pour the remaining olive oil over the beans. When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water. Combine the pasta with the beans, add a little of the reserved cooking water, season, and then sprinkle on the Parmesan. Frankie “I love pasta e fagioli. It’s a really warming dish and perfect for when I’ve just come back from a hard day’s training. It’s incredibly soporific; a bowl of this and a glass of red wine, and I’m out for the count! Not one for when I’m racing but just the thing for when it’s wet and cold and blowing a gale outside.” PEPERONI FARCITI AL TONNO (#ulink_d7406c53-6fdb-5b6f-95c5-be0e6e53ad0c) Roast bell peppers with tuna, pine nuts and olives (#ulink_d7406c53-6fdb-5b6f-95c5-be0e6e53ad0c) 4 large red Romano peppers 4 tablespoons pine nuts 100 g canned Italian or Spanish tuna, in olive oil, drained 20 green olives, stoned and chopped a large pinch of dried chilli flakes 3 tablespoons lemon juice extra virgin olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Serves: 4–6 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Place the peppers in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Then remove the skin, de-seed them and cut into quarters lengthways. While the peppers are roasting, toast the pine nuts on a baking tray in the oven until they begin to change colour (about 2 minutes). In a bowl, mix the tuna, olives, pine nuts and chilli flakes with the lemon juice. Place a tablespoon of the tuna mixture on the inner side of each pepper quarter, and roll inwards to form a tube. Place on a serving dish, with the join of the pepper facing down. Drizzle with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and serve. Frankie “The one time of year I’m pretty relaxed about what I eat is when I’m on holiday in Sardinia with my family and friends. This makes a lovely light lunch or supper, and is a great dish if I’ve been overdoing the carbs or indulging in Mr Ravioli’s homemade pasta!” COZZE RIPIENE (#ulink_347f01de-487f-5a3e-82cd-f54ade24dfd5) Baked stuffed mussels (#ulink_347f01de-487f-5a3e-82cd-f54ade24dfd5) 2 kg fresh mussels 100 g spinach leaves 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan 4 garlic cloves, chopped grated zest of 1 lemon 1 egg, beaten sea salt and freshly ground pepper 50 g natural breadcrumbs 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Wash the mussels well, de-beard them and put them in a large saucepan. Cook over a medium heat until they all open (no need to add water as the wetness from the washing will be sufficient). Discard any that don’t open, remove the meat and reserve the shells. Steam or cook the spinach leaves in boiling water for a minute or two, roughly chop them and place in a bowl. Add the Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, egg and seasoning, and mix well. Place each mussel on a half shell and cover with a generous dollop of the Parmesan and spinach mixture. Sprinkle on the breadcrumbs and drizzle over the olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve while still hot. Frankie “There’s something irresistible about eating mussels in Italy; they just taste different. It could be because I remember as a boy collecting mussels from the beach and then rushing home to give them to my mother for that evening’s meal. This is how my mum cooks mussels. If, like me, you need to avoid carbohydrates, leave out the breadcrumbs, although they do add a really nice crunch.” INSALATE (#ulink_a98c1aa5-fdee-56e8-b41d-c9a446dece04) SALADS (#ulink_a98c1aa5-fdee-56e8-b41d-c9a446dece04) INSALATA DI RUCOLA E PARMIGIANO (#ulink_57e365f8-fafd-5b35-842e-bcbe1ff14915) Rocket and Gran Padano salad (#ulink_57e365f8-fafd-5b35-842e-bcbe1ff14915) INSALATA DI PERA, CICORIA E GORGONZOLA (#ulink_1255dc87-5e6d-51e0-b0a8-39ce37d39425) Chicory, pear, walnut and Gorgonzola salad (#ulink_1255dc87-5e6d-51e0-b0a8-39ce37d39425) TONNO E FAGIOLI (#ulink_d3fc9169-c58a-5d9b-9ee7-65c32364242b) Tuna and bean salad (#ulink_d3fc9169-c58a-5d9b-9ee7-65c32364242b) VITELLO TONNATO (#litres_trial_promo) Cold veal with a tuna and caper sauce (#litres_trial_promo) INSALATA ALLA TORPINO (#litres_trial_promo) Walnut, spinach and pomegranate salad (#litres_trial_promo) INDIVIA CON ACCIUGHE (#litres_trial_promo) Warm endive salad with garlic and anchovies (#litres_trial_promo) INSALATA DI PATATINE, ROSMARINO, POMODORINI E OLIVE (#litres_trial_promo) Warm salad of saut?ed rosemary potatoes with cherry tomatoes and black olives (#litres_trial_promo) INSALATA AL BALSAMICO (#litres_trial_promo) Saut?ed Prosciutto di Parma and balsamic vinegar salad (#litres_trial_promo) INSALATA DI PISELLI (#litres_trial_promo) Fresh green pea salad (#litres_trial_promo) INSALATA DI RUCOLA E PARMIGIANO (#ulink_c9a592d4-86d9-55a6-93e2-7ad1e1126619) Rocket and Gran Padano salad (#ulink_c9a592d4-86d9-55a6-93e2-7ad1e1126619) 8 handfuls of wild rocket 65 g Parmigiano di Gran Padano, thinly shaved FOR THE DRESSING: 150 ml extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar a small pinch of sugar and salt Serves: 4 Preparation time: 5 minutes For the dressing, whisk the olive oil into the balsamic vinegar very slowly, until emulsified. Season with a small pinch of sugar and salt. To serve, place the rocket leaves in a bowl and drizzle over the dressing. Top with the shaved Parmesan. Marco “This brilliant Italian salad became wildly popular in London restaurants a few years ago. And this was when chefs started mucking about with it, adding all manner of things, such as pine nuts, bacon, croutons or, God help me, poached eggs. I don’t add anything as this dish stands up on its own either as a starter or light lunch, or as an accompaniment to a grilled or roasted meat dish.” INSALATA DI PERA, CICORIA E GORGONZOLA (#ulink_95bb8d18-f268-5dfc-bef0-0900b07f374d) Chicory, pear, walnut and Gorgonzola salad (#ulink_95bb8d18-f268-5dfc-bef0-0900b07f374d) 100 g caster sugar 2 ripe Conference pears, peeled and chopped into 1 cm cubes 4 heads of yellow chicory, halved and with the bitter core cut out, and thinly sliced lengthways 40 g walnuts, roughly chopped 100 g Gorgonzola, cut into 1 cm cubes FOR THE DRESSING: 25 g walnuts 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 150 ml walnut oil a pinch of sugar salt Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes To make the dressing, place the walnuts and white wine vinegar in a food processor and, with the motor running, trickle in the walnut oil until emulsified. Add a pinch of sugar and season to taste. Sprinkle the caster sugar into a pan and cook over a high heat for a few seconds until the sugar begins to caramelize and turn golden brown. Then add the cubed pears and cook for 10 minutes until they begin to caramelize. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. To serve, place the sliced chicory, walnuts and Gorgonzola in a bowl, add the caramelized pears and sugar, mix in the dressing and divide between 4 plates or bowls. Marco “When I bring the kids to Frankie’s for an early supper, I always try to eat with them and this is one of my favourite light suppers. Gorgonzola is a fantastic cheese - it has the bite of a good Stilton, tempered with the creaminess of a Taleggio, and is perfect with the crunchy walnuts and sweet pears.” TONNO E FAGIOLI (#ulink_c75f8566-4fd9-5f04-ae0e-ae9ca9ae967b) Tuna and bean salad (#ulink_c75f8566-4fd9-5f04-ae0e-ae9ca9ae967b) 400 g good quality tinned Italian or Spanish tuna in olive oil, drained 3 tablespoons lemon juice 100 ml extra virgin olive oil 1 red onion, sliced very finely a handful of fresh basil leaves sea salt and freshly ground black pepper FOR THE FLAGEOLET BEANS: 400 g flageolet beans, soaked overnight 1 carrot, halved ? onion 1 celery stick ? bulb of garlic 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 bay leaf Serves: 4 Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию (https://www.litres.ru/alex-antonioni/frankie-dettori-s-italian-family-cookbook/?lfrom=688855901) на ЛитРес. 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