Bertolli

Festive flavours

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:59:06 +0000

Italians love sweet treats and confections throughout the year, but really go all out at Christmas. From traditional baked goods such as citrus-peel bejewelled Panettone and star-shaped Pandoro, to traditional desserts such as zabaglione – a contradiction of textures and flavours where wonderfully rich egg yolks are whisked with sugar and sweet wine until fabulously thick to produce a surprisingly light and aerated mousse. Thought to have been created in Florence in the 16^th century, zabaglione has been a national favourite ever since and no more so than in a small baroque town in Sicily where the sweet wine used in the mixture is made – Marsala. Here the wine is fortified using traditional methods and aged in oak barrels for varying lengths of time, the most expensive versions over a period of many years. My zabaglione is scented with Christmassy flavours including Marsala Superiore which is matured in the cask for at least 2 years. Enjoy this fabulous dessert with some small cantucci or biscotti on the side, or if you can get them, some dark chocolate covered orange sticks. Perfetto!

Christmas-spiced Zabaglione with Marsala

If Christmas could be served in a glass and eaten, then this is it! This super-simple dessert is gloriously light and the addition of warming mixed spice and zesty orange makes it really festive and special. It’s perfect as an alternative to heavy Christmas pudding after an already indulgent meal, or just as good in the summer after a rich barbecue (although I would omit the Christmassy mixed spice and zest in warmer months).

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6

100g caster sugar
5 large egg yolks
125ml Marsala (use the best you can – I use Pellegrino Garibaldi Dolci)
A pinch mixed spice
Finely grated zest of ½ orange, plus extra to serve
Dark chocolate orange sticks, cantucci, or biscotti, to serve

Put the sugar and egg yolks into a large heatproof bowl. Beat with an electric whisk for 5 minutes, until thick and pale.
Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (don’t let the water touch the underside of the bowl).
Add the mixed spice and zest, and continue to whisk for another 12–15 minutes, gradually drizzling in the Marsala as you go, until the mixture almost triples in volume and is light and foamy.
Spoon into 6 glasses or dishes and sprinkle over a little more spice and zest. Serve warm or cold with chocolate-coated orange sticks or biscotti.

Cook’s tip: For variation an English mead or honey wine makes a tasty alternative to Marsala.

Typical Nutrient Values per 108g Serving (inc 50g biscotti)
Calories 374kcal 19%
Sugars 19g 21%
Fat 12.7g 18%
Saturates 3.8g 19%
Salt 0.14g 2%
% of an adult’s guideline daily amount * Based on GDAs for women

Christmas crostini

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:42:51 +0000

Crispy-based crostini are loved across Italy and enjoyed throughout the year. Meaning ‘little toasts’ in Italian these grilled or toasted pieces of bread were traditionally used as a base for other ingredients rather than using plates. These days, they’re loved as a snack or aperitif and toppings abound, including seasonal fare and local favourites from chicken livers, to regional cheeses, meats and chargrilled and marinated vegetables. As Christmas approaches I have combined some of my favourite festive flavours to create my own tasty crostini. I have used crisply baked granary bread as my foundation, as I find this gives some lovely texture and balance to the other ingredients – although white bread would also work well. Once cooled, the bases are spread with a rich and indulgent blue cheese cream, before being topped with caramelised pear slices – soft and hot inside, with a sweet crunchy caramel on their exterior. An ideal foil to a chilled glass of celebratory Prosecco, or crisp and dry sparkling Lambrusco.

Warm pear & blue cheese crostini

These easy crostini are a great accompaniment to Christmas drinks but they also work well as a light lunch with salad at any time of the year.

Prep time: 10 minutes (plus assembly time)
Cooking time: 10–15 minutes
Makes: 24

1 granary baguette
25g Bertolli spread
75g Dolcelatte or other creamy blue cheese
3 tbsp sour cream
2 small, ripe pears
2 tbsp caster sugar

Sprigs of watercress or other salad leaves, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Cut the bread into 24 x 1cm thick, diagonal slices and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spread very sparingly with Bertolli. Bake for 5–10 minutes, until crisp and golden. Leave to cool slightly on a wire rack.
Beat the blue cheese and sour cream together until smooth.
Cut each unpeeled pear into 12 thin wedges and remove the core. Dip the 24 slices into the caster sugar. Warm a non-stick frying pan or griddle over a high heat. Add the pear and cook for 1 minute on each side, or until caramelised and golden.
To assemble, spread the crostini with the blue cheese mixture, top with a piece of warm pear and finish with a sprig of watercress. Sprinkle with a little black pepper, to taste, before serving warm.

Cook’s tip: If you are having a party you can make all the separate elements in advance (to the end of step 3), then assemble the crostini at the last minute.

Typical Nutrient Values per 40g Serving Adult GDA % of an adults GDA*
Calories 76kcal 4%
Sugars 3.5g 4%
Fat 2.7g 4%
Saturates 1.2g 6%
Salt 0.38g 6%
* Based on GDAs for women

Buon Natale!

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:31:30 +0000

There can be few other places on this planet that ‘do’ family meals quite like the Italians. Large gatherings, drawing together multiple generations, sharing a lovingly prepared meal of seasonal ingredients, often enjoyed over many long, enjoyable hours with an almost deafening soundtrack of laughter and gregarious conversation! I guess the closest we really come to such an event in the UK is at Christmas when families and friends come together and embark on sharing an epic feast! This month, my recipes have been inspired by my travels in Italy and include some traditional festive ingredients. There are some tasty crostini, perfect for a party, starter, or light meal and a fabulously light Christmas-spiced dessert, both perfect as part of your own Christmas feast. Click here to find out more.

Perfect pastries

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:08:40 +0000

Every restaurant and market I came across in Greece was selling Baklava – beautiful little golden squares of filo pastry layered with butter and nuts and gilded with super-sweet sugar syrup – each little piece ready for a dessert or as a sweet bite with coffee or tea. They seemed as Greek to me as Retsina or Spanikopita but there are many places in the Middle East that claim Baklava as their own. Indeed, I found one document recently that suggested that it originated from China! In trying to get to the bottom of this I have turned to the renowned authority on Middle Eastern Cookery Claudia Roden. In her book Middle Eastern Food Claudia states that ‘the pastries are not mentioned in medieval Persian or Arab works, and seem to have made their appearance in the region during the time of the Ottoman Empire. Can they be Turkish in origin, or Greek? Greek I suspect.’ So I’m with Claudia and the rest of Greece – Baklava is theirs and jolly good it is too! Not content with leaving things just as they are, however, I returned from Greece and decided that a savoury version of this tasty pastry could be really rather interesting. So here is my creation, flavoured with rich red onion marmalade and feta cheese – just like the sweet version you need very little to hit the spot!

Savoury feta & onion Baklava with honey

Baklava has long been enjoyed across Greece and Turkey as well as the Middle East, but it’s traditionally a sweet pastry filled with chopped nuts and drenched in honey or syrup. This is my savoury version, which uses ready-made onion marmalade to save time.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30–35 minutes
Serves: 8–10

1 x 340g jar of good quality onion marmalade
2 tsp ground cinnamon
20g bunch dill, roughly chopped
100g walnut pieces
75g Bertolli spread, melted
12 sheets (approx. 40 x 30cm or 250g) filo pastry
200g feta, crumbled
75g Greek Malaka cheese (or cow’s milk cooking mozzarella), coarsely grated
2 tbsp clear honey
Tzatziki and salad leaves, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Mix the onion marmalade, cinnamon and dill together in a bowl. Blitz the walnut pieces in a food processor into slightly smaller pieces, but avoid grinding to a powder as you want plenty of texture.
Grease a small metal roasting or cake tin (approx. 20–30 x 20cm) with some melted Bertolli. Line the base and sides of the tin with a sheet of filo, brush with Bertolli and repeat to make 4 layers of pastry (cover any remaining pastry with a damp tea towel between uses).
Spread half of the onion mixture over the pastry, top with half of the walnuts, half of the feta and the mozzarella. Arrange another 4 layers of filo over the top, brushing with Bertolli between each one. Top with the remaining onions, walnuts and cheeses. Pull any overhanging filo at the sides of the tin over the top of the filling. Finally top neatly with the last 4 layers of filo, each brushed with Bertolli, folding them to fit. Lightly score the top in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife. Sprinkle lightly with a little cold water.
Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle with honey and serve warm or cold with salad leaves and spoonfuls of tzatziki.

Cook’s tip: If you would rather not use ready-made marmalade or have some onions that need using, slowly cook several thinly sliced onions in some Bertolli spread, a touch of caster sugar and balsamic vinegar over a low heat until golden. This will take about 40 minutes. Season to taste with more sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper, then leave to cool before using.

Typical Nutrient Values per 243g Serving
Calories 428kcal 21%
Sugars 26.7g 30%
Fat 23.7g 34%
Saturates 8g 40%
Salt 1.74g 29%
% of an adult’s guideline daily amount * Based on GDAs for women

Winter warmers

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:32:00 +0000

I say ‘winter warmers’ but I hadn’t been in Greece long before I realised that food is rarely served warm, let alone hot. Instead, foods are generally served tepid so, I discovered, that the real flavours of the food have a chance to come out – too hot and the flavours just don’t develop or seem to marry in quite the same way. There is also much to be said for resting food, especially meat after cooking so that the muscle relaxes and the juices have a chance to seep appealingly throughout the dish. On my first night in Crete I ate late, as everyone else seemed to be doing, at about 10pm. Despite the balmy summer temperatures I ordered stifado, a rich meat stew usually cooked with rabbit. Out it came from the kitchen, just tepid, accompanied by some simple boiled potatoes served at the very same temperature. The stew was rich and thick, packed with Greek flavours – cinnamon, cloves, tomato and plenty of herbs. The meat was tender and soft with bones that cried out to be picked over by hand and sucked clean! In years gone by I’d eaten Pastitsada in Corfu, a similarly rich, fragrant stew cooked with beef. This recipe below is my combination of these two wonderful dishes, brought together with an English twist – light, golden dumplings scented with fragrant Greek herbs such as dill, rosemary and thyme. Perfect!

Rich beef Stifado stew with Greek herb dumplings

Stifado is a slow-cooked Greek stew usually made with rabbit or hare and scented with plenty of cinnamon and clove. Here beef makes a great alternative and dumplings complete a British twist on a Greek classic.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Serves: 6

50g Bertolli spread
400g shallots, peeled
800g braising steak, cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 small cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
4 bay leaves
750ml beef stock
250ml red wine

For the dumplings:
150g self-raising flour
150g shredded suet
2 heaped tbsp finely chopped mixed herbs (dill, thyme, rosemary and oregano are very Greek and a really good combination)

Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3. Warm a 22–26cm ovenproof casserole dish over a high heat. Add half of the Bertolli. When melted add the shallots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the remaining Bertolli to the pan. When melted, cook the beef in small batches until it’s a rich mahogany colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and continue until all the meat is browned. Return all the meat to the pan.
Add the remaining stew ingredients. Season to taste and stir well to combine. Bring to the boil, then cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and add the shallots to the pan. Re-cover and return to the oven for another hour.
About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time start making the dumplings. Sift the flour and a generous amount of salt and pepper into a bowl. Add the suet and herbs and mix well. Gradually mix in up to 100ml of cold water (you may not need it all) with a round-ended knife until the mixture comes together into a soft dough. Shape the mixture into 6–12 balls.
Remove the stew from the oven and increase the temperature to 200°C, gas mark 6. Gently place the dumplings onto the surface of the stew. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes or until the dumplings are golden. Serve immediately with seasonal vegetables.

Cook’s tip: When faced with peeling lots of shallots, place them in a bowl and cover in boiling water for a few minutes. This will soften the skins and make them much easier to peel.

Typical Nutrient Values per 327g Serving
Calories 442kcal 22%
Sugars 3.6g 4%
Fat 26.7g 38%
Saturates 12g 60%
Salt 1.07g 18%
% of an adult’s guideline daily amount * Based on GDAs for women

Gourmet Greece

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:27:23 +0000

As winter sets in I must admit to having greeted the increasingly cold, dark nights with glee. For me it heralds the season of unctuous, slow cooked dishes that warm the soul. Such recipes sit so comfortably in these colder climes, but rarely spring to mind when thinking about the Med. However, slow-cooked recipes are regulars on menus throughout the region and throughout the year, from rich boar stews in Corsica and Northern Italy, to slow-cooked tender octopus in Spain. But it is Greece that seems to have a particularly rich heritage of stews, roasts and braises and so this month my inspiration comes from there. To find out more about my travels in Greece click here.

French fancies

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:48:05 +0000

Driving up into the Corsican mountains, surrounded by hundreds of verdant-topped chestnut trees, it is easy to see why they have become central to the local cuisine. Their sheer volume also explains the myriad of diverse uses for chestnuts in Corsican kitchens. They are blanched, roasted, dried and even ground into flour. The flowers are also used to full effect in the production of fabulously unique chestnut honey and the leaves used as a coating for cheeses and meats to add flavour and to keep foods moist and preserved. I’ve long been a fan of chestnuts in my cooking. They are relatively low in fat and high in carbohydrates, the exact opposite to other nuts. However, before my visit to Corsica I had never used chestnut flour. I’ve been on a mission ever since to find some fabulous recipes and uses for it. It’s great for baking as it has a mild, nutty flavour and texture, and is gluten free which is a great boon for those struggling with an intolerance, especially when baking. It’s also good for using as a coating before frying and for thickening sauces, or, as the Tuscan’s do, to make pasta. In this recipe the flour is used to make some delightfully light cupcakes topped with a honey-flavoured cream cheese frosting. I made the batch in the photo on a really humid day so the icing refused to behave, but you should have a much thicker icing which will swirl beautifully – just remember not to over mix it or it will become runny.

Chestnut muffins with honey-cinnamon frosting

These tasty muffins are gluten free and use crème fraîche rather than butter, but you won’t feel like you’re missing out as they are utterly indulgent and delicious!

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Makes: 12

4 medium eggs
separated 125g caster sugar
200ml crème fraiche
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
125g chestnut flour (see cook’s tip for stockists)
2 tsp baking powder (gluten free if required)

For the frosting:

200g extra light soft cheese (gluten free if required)
400g icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp clear honey, such as French Chestnut honey
Ground cinnamon, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Place the egg yolks and caster sugar into a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk for 1–2 minutes until pale and thick. Stir in the crème fraîche and orange zest. Sift over the flour and baking powder and whisk in to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold the whites into the cake mix until completely combined. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes, until risen and just firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a rack. If you aren’t a frosting fan, or just can’t wait, serve the cakes immediately simply dusted with icing sugar.
Alternatively to make the frosting, wait until the cakes are completely cool, then whisk the cream cheese, icing sugar and honey together until smooth. Divide generous spoonfuls between the cakes and use the back of a spoon to swirl the frosting attractively. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon before serving.

Cook’s tip: Several supermarkets and health food shops/delis sell chestnut flour, or you can buy it by mail order from www.shipton-mill.com

Typical Nutrient Values per 83g Serving
Calories 250kcal 13%
Sugars 12.1g 13%
Fat 9.6g 14%
Saturates 5.7g 29%
Salt 0.36g 6%
% of an adult’s guideline daily amount * Based on GDAs for women

All about the olives

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:19:44 +0000

Corsica has long been famous for its olives and the oil that they produce, and rightly so. The island’s plump, sun-ripened fruit give way to some of the most incredible herbaceous, flavoursome oil I have ever tasted. In fact, the olive is so precious to the people of Corsica that each year they have a festival devoted to the gorgeous little fruit. I was lucky enough to join in with the celebrations last year (click here to read more about it) and tasted olives and oils in all sorts of guises – from young first harvest oil using firm and slightly bitter fruit, to super rich and ripe black olives with wrinkly skins permeated with salt and dried herbs. Either way the presence of olive groves nestled within the Corsican Maquis, where wild rosemary, thyme, myrtle and others grow, undoubtedly give the olives and their oil a quite unique and utterly delicious flavour. The recipe below uses dry-cured wrinkly black olives (often known ironically as ‘Greek-style’ olives, which are readily available from all supermarkets) combined simply in a variation on a French favourite – tarte tatin.

French olive, thyme & onion tarte tatin

This recipe is a twist on a couple of French classics – pissaladière and tarte tatin. It works wonderfully as a starter or light meal with some zingily-dressed salad leaves, and tastes great with the addition of some salty anchovies if they’re your thing.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45–60 minutes
Serves: 4–6

850g onions (about 3 large)
50g Bertolli spread, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
75g pitted ‘dry-style’ black olives, halved
230g pack ready rolled puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Cut the onions into thin slices and place in a roasting tin. Add the Bertolli, sugar, vinegar, and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Mix well, then spread out in an even layer. Roast in the oven for 30–35 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onions become sticky and golden. Remove from the oven and mix in the olives.
Increase the oven temperature to 220°C, gas mark 7. Tip the onion mixture into a well-greased 22–24cm round, shallow cake or tarte tatin tin. Spread out evenly over the base.
Unroll the pastry and cut a circle that is slightly larger than the top of the tin. Place the pastry over the onions and tuck it in around the sides like a blanket. Prick well with a fork to let the air escape and keep the pastry crisp.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edge to release the pastry. Place a large plate over the tin and invert the tarte onto the plate, shaking well to remove everything from the tin. Cut into wedges and serve with dressed salad leaves.

Cook’s tip: Try making mini versions in 6 x 10cm Yorkshire pudding tins.

Typical Nutrient Values per 238g Serving
Calories 309kcal 15%
Sugars 9.1g 10%
Fat 21.2g 30%
Saturates 6.5g 33%
Salt 1.13g 19%
% of an adult’s guideline daily amount * Based on GDAs for women

Feasting in France

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:13:09 +0000

French food is frequently described as some of the best in the world, unless you’re in Italy when clearly that would never be suggested! As I made my way around the Med on my Bertolli travels last year I decided to head to Corsica, as close to Italy as it is to France, to see if a combination of these two culinary big guns could create something better than their separate parts. I wasn’t disappointed. Other than being stunningly beautiful and gloriously laid back, the Mediterranean island of Corsica proved to be a haven for fabulous foods. From creamy, rich ice cream from beachside cafes, to perfect, flavour-packed chestnuts from the snow-capped mountains, Corsica seemed to have a bit of everything for the perfect break – or maybe even the perfect home? Since my return I’ve had many ‘Chocolat – The Movie’ style daydreams of relocating to a Corsican village and opening up a small tea room, surrounded by the aroma of freshly baked cakes and biscuits and an adoring audience of food-loving locals. Back in my kitchen with a bump, but with plenty of inspiration, I’ve been using some of my favourite Corsican ingredients – olives, honey, herbs and chestnuts – to create some seriously tasty dishes, both savoury and sweet. Click here to see my top two and read more about my Corsican odyssey and the food I found there.

Potty about Padron peppers!

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:04:32 +0000

Some may say that the spectacle that is the annual festival of peppers in the tiny village of Herbon, North West Spain, is a little eccentric. As a spectator there last year I found it to be utterly charming and a lot of fun! Each August a procession of adorned tractors make their way from the village to the larger neighbouring town of Padron. With horns tooting, fire crackers exploding and streamers being fired into the air this convoy is just the start of a tremendous festival that goes on long into the night. It is a chance for all the villagers to try the new season’s peppers, provided free for everyone together with great hunks of rye bread. The dainty little peppers are simply cooked in oil and served scattered with handfuls of sea salt and are a staple offering on tapas menus throughout Spain. Their hidden secret is that one in every 30 or so is chilli-hot, due to the naturally varying amounts of capsaicin (the natural compound that gives chillies their heat) in each one. Fortunately for us, these little Russian roulette peppers are now available in the UK, so here’s my small culinary celebration of the padron pepper, with a tasty chorizo crumb scattered over in place of salt. To see some videos of last year’s festival click here.

Padron peppers with crispy chorizo crumbs

Padron peppers should be cooked and served very simply. This recipe coats the cooked peppers in a layer of flavour-packed, savoury crumbs which makes them even tastier and very moreish!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6 as part of a tapas selection (4 as a light lunch)

50g chorizo picante
25g stale bread, white or brown
1 tbsp thyme leaves
25g Bertolli spread
400g Padron peppers
Sea salt, to serve

Dice the chorizo into 1cm pieces. Place the chorizo and the bread into a food processor and blitz to make fine crumbs. Stir in the thyme leaves.
Warm a large, attractive frying or paella pan over a high heat. Add the chorizo crumbs and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring often until golden and crisp. Spoon onto a plate and keep warm.
Return the pan to the heat and add the Bertolli. Add the peppers and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until softened and starting to colour.
Sprinkle over the crumbs and some sea salt, toss together and take the sizzling pan to the table to serve. A chilled beer or glass of white wine is all you need to complete this tasty tapa.

Cook’s tip: Several supermarkets and delis sell Padron peppers in the UK, or you can find out about local stockists from www.padronpeppers.com

Typical Nutrient Values per 84g tapas serving. % of an adults GDA*
Calories 68kcal 3%
Sugars 1.3g 1%
Fat 4.8g 7%
Saturates 1.4g 7%
Salt 0.56g 9%
* Based on GDAs for women