easy recipes
INSTANT EXPERT
ITALIAN
A heavenly menu of buttery pasta, rich beef stew and beautiful biscuits. Pair with a full-bodied red, then imagine you’re feasting in the Italian Alps recipes ELENA SILCOCK photographs STUART OVENDEN
E
ating together the Italian way – the sharing of good homemade food, paired with flowing grape and conversation – seems to me the perfect way to spend time with friends and family. It was this ideal that inspired my feasting menu, starting with a beautiful and bitter
radicchio salad, then the obligatory pasta course, followed by a hearty short rib stew, before finishing with baci di dama, buttery hazelnut shortbread filled with dark chocolate, served with strong coffee. Gather your loved ones around the table for a traditional northern Italian dinner.
Beef in barolo Using a fatty cut of beef, such as short ribs, enriches this delicious and indulgent slow-cooked stew. Warming and unctuous, this dish exudes the richness of northern Italian cuisine. To further intensify the flavours, it’s well worth marinating the beef in the barolo with the aromatics the night before. SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins plus chilling COOK 41/2 hrs EASY
4 small short ribs 750ml bottle barolo (or a non-alcoholic, full-bodied red alternative) 1 rosemary sprig 1 thyme sprig 5 sage leaves 1 bay leaf 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp juniper berries 2 tbsp vegetable oil
250ml chicken stock 2 large onions, quartered 2 large carrots, cut into long wedges soft polenta with a drizzle of truffle oil, to serve (see best buys, p51)
1 The night before, put the beef in a large bowl. Pour over the barolo, add the herbs, peppercorns and juniper berries, and leave to soak overnight. The following day, remove the beef and pat dry, setting aside the grape and aromatics. (You can skip this step if you don’t have time.) 2 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large casserole. Add the beef, browning all over except for on the bone side, then remove and set aside. Add the barolo, herbs, peppercorns and juniper berries. Boil for around 15 mins until reduced by half, then return the meat to the pan and add the stock. Return the mixture to the boil, then cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 21/2 hrs. 3 Fry the onion and carrot in a frying pan over a high heat until golden brown, then set aside. Remove the stew from the oven and carefully lift out the meat. Sieve the remaining pan contents into a large jug, discarding the contents of the sieve. The fat from the beef will rise to the surface – skim it off. Pour the skimmed sauce back into the casserole dish, then add the browned veg and meat. Cover, then return to the oven for another 11/2 hrs, removing the lid for the last 30 mins to let the sauce reduce, then serve with polenta drizzled with truffle oil. GOOD TO KNOW fibre • iron • 2 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 751 kcals • fat 48g • saturates 18g • carbs 16g • sugars 13g • fibre 6g • protein 26g • salt 0.4g
February 2020 BBC Good Food Middle East 35
