Prežganka – Traditional Flour Based Soup Recipe

This humble and modest flour-based soup, that used to feed the poorest of the poor, offers a lot more than eyes can meet. It is quite incredible how much taste this dish can deliver considering it only uses a handful of very basic cupboard ingredients.

It is an easy and super quick soup to cook when feeling a bit under the weather, it helps with indigestion problems and alleviates colds and flu.

In the olden days this soup used be served for breakfast along with some slices of bread, and offered to unexpected guest, if there was nothing else in the household, in fact, this dish was created when times were tough with not much available.

This type of soup is sometimes compared to the Roman Egg drop soup, or also known as, Stracciatella in brodo or Stracciatella alla Romana, and to the German variation Einbrennsuppe.

In Slovenia it is called Prežganka, from a word prežgati, meaning browning the flour in butter or oil.

It is very popular up and down the country, not found in the restaurants and exclusively made in the households, particularly liked by small children and elderly.

It offers variations from region to region, for example the use of olive oil, garlic and fresh parsley is more typical of the coastline region, while the use of butter and lard with addition of 1 teaspoon of whole caraway seeds or ground cumin is more typically found in inland, bay leaf and ground paprika are also used.

I am sharing here the recipe for Preažganka from Slovenian Istra how has been made in my family for generations.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 Tbsp olive oil or butter

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled

• 3 Tbsp white all-purpose flour

• 1litre water

• 1 Tsp, or to taste, fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (plus some extra to garnish, optional)

• 2 eggs

• sea salt, to taste

• black pepper, to taste

• bread croutons, to serve, optional

Method

Place olive oil or butter in a saucepan and heat up a bit. Add the garlic and fry it on a gentle heat until it becomes golden in colour. The oil or the butter, depending on what are you using, will be nicely infused with garlic.

Start adding the flour and stir constantly with a small whisk.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Cook for about 6 minutes, or until the flour roux becomes light to dark brown in colour. Be a bit mindful not to burn the flour!

View fullsize

View fullsize

While stirring the roux, gradually add and pour the water. Cook and keep stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick and smooth.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Stir well and add fresh finely chopped parsley. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, season with sea salt, and gently simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.

In meanwhile, crack the eggs in a small bowl, and gently beat with the fork.

View fullsize

View fullsize

When the soup is cooked, slowly pour the beaten eggs in the soup in a thin stream, making sure you stir gently the soup constantly with the fork. Cook further for another 1to 2 minutes.

Ladle the soup into the plates or bowls, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and ground black pepper, optional, and serve hot immediately. You can top it with croutons and turn this soup into even more substantial meal.

Steamed and Marinated Prawns Istrian style Recipe

This uncomplicated dish with its delicate flavour consists of quickly boiling, chilling and dressing the prawn tails with a simple dressing. This dressing is made with olive oil, finely chopped parsley, finely chopped garlic (optional), freshly squeezed lemon juice and seasoned with sea salt. Black pepper can also be added if desired.

It is perfect to make ahead of time and enjoyed as a starter or as a second course.

Traditionally, this recipe would call for Mantis shrimps (from Latin Squilla Mantis) which is a type of mantis shrimp, fished in the shallow sandy lagoons of the northern Adriatic and Mediterranean during colder months of the year. They represent a real seasonal treat and a type of seafood not typically seen anywhere else. This particular variety of shrimp is also widely used to make risotti, it is delicious in fish stew, and used to prepare pasta sauce.

This seafood delicacy is very much valued and appreciated along the north Adriatic coast from Venice to Trieste in Italy, in nearby inland towns, and along the Slovenian coast, where Mantis Shrimp is known as morska bogomolka or morska bogomoljka or in local dialect as kanoče (strong influence from nearby Venice, where these types of shrimp are referred to as canoce, also spelt canocce).

In Italy, this particular type of shrimp has many names, in standard Italian it is called Cannocchia, pannochia or cicala di mare, which literally translates into cicada of the sea.

I am sharing here the family recipe for this simple dish that can be prepared ahead of time and be ready when you are. Enjoy it with some rustic bread to soak up the juices.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500g prawns

For the dressing

• 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or to taste)

• a small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 3g), finely chopped

• small clove of garlic, peeled and very finely chopped, optional

• lemon juice, to taste, optional

• sea salt

• finely ground black pepper, optional

Method

Wash the prawns (or mantis shrimp, if you can get hold of them) under the cold running water.

Place them in a fairly large, shallow pot lying side by side, preferably in a single layer.

Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.

Add a pinch of sea salt and bring to boil, then turn the heat down.

Cover with the lid and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the prawns turn pink in colour.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Remove from the pot and let them cool a bit, i.e. enough to handle them.

Remove the tails from the shell.

Place cleaned prawn tails in a serving dish in a single layer.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Prepare the dressing by putting in a small bowl finely chopped garlic (if using), fresh flat leaf parsley, extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of half of lemon juice or to taste, sea salt to taste and finely ground black pepper to taste (optional).

Mix well so all the ingredients incorporate well.

Spoon over the cooked prawn tails and serve immediately with some fresh crunchy bread and some lemon wedges (optional).

View fullsize

View fullsize

If made in advance, cover with the cling film and put in the fridge.

Take out of the fridge half an hour before serving and add a little more extra virgin olive oil if needed, sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley.

Serve with some bread to soak up the juices.

Clear Beef Broth Soup Recipe

Beef broth is a strained, thin, clear type of a soup, cooked with meat, vegetables and fresh herbs. It is incredibly easy to make, and therefore, a perfect recipe for the beginners.

This soup is very comforting, hearty and delicate but incredibly flavoursome. It can be eaten as a hot starter or as a first course meal, instead of other types of soups, pasta, risotto or gnocchi dishes.

It is also recurrently used as a stock, to make risotto dishes for example, and in countless other recipes.

This is a staple dish in Slovenia where it is almost impossible to imagine a traditional family Sunday lunch without it. It will be prepared and served also during holidays including Christmas, New Year, Easter, and to mark special family celebrations. It is one of the basic dishes in Slovenia together with clear chicken or vegetable broth, and every household will have a little secret how to make the best one.

Slovenian households will almost always have some stored in the fridge or in the freezer, and you will have no trouble finding it on almost every menu as Goveje juha.

If you happen to fall ill with the cold or a flue in Slovenia, you will most surely be offered a hot clear broth to make you feel better as it is used like a “magic cure”.

Along the Slovenian coast the use of fresh marjoram will distinguish this broth from other regional varieties of the recipe found in neighbouring Italy and Austria for example, where this soup is also very popular and very much-loved dish.

I am sharing here my family recipe for this delicious soup.

Ingredients

It will make about 2 litres of broth.

• about 800g beef meat (cheaper cuts like shin of beef/shank or shoulder/beef clod are normally used, these types of meats are quite tough but when slowed cooked over a low heat will result in tender, moist and rich in flavour). You can use chicken meat, with most of the skin removed, or a combination of chicken and beef.

• about 450g oxtail or beef bones (beef marrow bone rings), optional

• 1 parsnip, washed and peeled

• 1 carrot, washed and peeled

• 1 medium onion, peeled

• a piece of celeriac (about 80g), peeled, optional

• 1 celery stick, washed

• a few celery leaves, optional

• a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs (stalks included), washed

• a few sprigs of fresh marjoram, optional

• a few whole black peppercorns

• sea salt

• 4 l cold water

Method

Cut the onion in half and place the two halves of the onion in a small pan (flat sides facing down) without adding any oil or other types of fat.

Fry for a few minutes until blackened slightly, then set aside.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Wash the meat and the bones, and place them in a fairly large pot (big stock pot is ideal if you have one).

Add all the washed and prepared vegetables, and the herbs.

Add the black peppercorns, water and bring to the boil.

View fullsize

View fullsize

With the slotted spoon skim the foam from the surface.

Lower the heat to a minimum and partially cover with the lid.

Check the broth now and again and make sure it is not boiling aggressively, it should simmer very gently for about 3 hours.

Skim regularly the foam from the surface.

When the broth is cooked add sea salt to your taste.

Remove all the vegetables, the meat and the bones from the pot and set aside.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Filter the broth, if you want to end up with a very clear soup (this phase is optional if you do not want a “muddy” looking broth).

Place the colander, lined with clean kitchen towel, muslin cloth, or cheese cloth, over another large pot (big enough to contain all the broth) and gently pour,or ladle, the broth into the lined colander.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Beef broth can be enjoyed clear, on its own, or with a small, shaped pasta (like little stars or orzo pasta), egg type noodles (like vermicelli or tagliolini pasta), croutons, shredded pancakes, grated egg based pasta dough, semolina dumplings, little tortellini, capelletti or passatelli, and Austrian style bread dumplings, just to mention a few.

Vegetables and herbs removed from the broth get normally discarded (except the carrot, parsnip and other root vegetable, which sometimes are cut into smaller pieces and put back into the broth when served).

Meat can be shredded back into the broth, or sliced and eaten as a main dish separately, traditionally it is accompanied by horseradish cream sauce, freshly grated horseradish, mustard, mayonnaise and pan-fried potatoes with onions and pancetta.

Just a thought

You can store the broth in the fridge for 2/3 days. Make sure you cool it first completely and then store it in the fridge, leaving the broth in a pot or transferring it into an airtight container.

You can also freeze the broth for up to 3 months.

Fuži – traditional handmade Istrian fresh pasta Recipe

Fuži (together with bleki and pljukanci) is a traditional and very well renowned type of Istrian fresh pasta from Slovenia and Croatia. It uses only two ingredients, it is easy and fun to make, and its shape is really beautiful.

Traditionally it is homemade, and hand rolled with a wooden rolling pin, but these days pasta machine is frequently used for practical reasons.

The origin of the name fuži comes from Latin word fusus, meaning a spindle.

This recipe for fresh pasta is great for the beginners, as there really is nothing daunting about making it, and children love getting involved too.

Generally, when we think of pasta, we have in mind a quick mid-week meal. This type of pasta, however, has been usually made in the households during festivities, holidays or as a Sunday lunch, and it has been traditionally served with chicken or rabbit goulash and sautéed sauerkraut.

It is also very commonly enjoyed with venison stew, braised pheasant, classic beef goulash, asparagus (in Istria wild asparagus when in season), cured ham or pancetta cream-based sauce, mushroom creamy sauce, and of course, the Istrian luxurious white truffle creamy sauce, popular in the autumn.

This pasta is also very delicious paired with any vegetarian and fish-based sauces or any other sauce you might like (different types of pesto).

I am sharing here the recipe for fuži, a fresh homemade pasta that holds a very special place in Istrian gastronomy, and it is frequently found in local restaurants.

Ingredients

Serves 2-4

• 300g plain (all purpose) white flour

• 3 medium eggs

You will also need a wooden kebab stick, or a wooden spoon, to shape the fuži.

Method

Place the flour directly on a working surface, wooden board or a mixing bowl, and make a well in the centre.

Crack the eggs directly into a well.

Using a fork, mix the eggs with the flour, incorporating a little at a time, until everything is combined, and the dough comes together.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Transfer the dough onto a working surface and start kneading. It could take around 10 minutes of kneading for the gluten to develop in the flour and to get a smooth and elastic lump of dough.

Wrap the dough tightly with the cling film or a clean cotton kitchen cloth and let it rest for about 30 minutes at the room temperature.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Unwrap the dough and divide it into 4 pieces. Take one piece of the dough and cover the rest of the dough that you are not working with, with the cling film to prevent it from drying and cracking.

With your hands flatten the piece of the dough you are working with to a thickness of about 0.5cm and lightly dust with flour to prevent it from sticking.

Put the flattened piece of the dough through pasta machine on the widest setting. If you don't have pasta machine, use a rolling pin.

Fold the dough in half, keep rollers on the widest setting, and roll the dough again through the pasta machine.

Flour as needed to prevent sticking, and keep rolling pasta dough through pasta machine reducing the width of the rollers one setting at a time.

Continue rolling until pasta dough has been rolled through the thinnest setting.

At this stage you should end up with a very thin pasta (lasagna) sheet.

Place pasta sheet on a working surface.

View fullsize

View fullsize

With a sharp knife (I used pizza cutter wheel) cut the pasta sheet into 4cm (1½ inch) squares.

Take a wooden kebab stick (some prefer to use the handle of a wooden spoon) and place it on the edge of the pasta square.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Gently roll the stick to get a shape of a fuži, then remove the stick.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Repeat the process with other pasta squares (during this process try to avoid a lot of flour as this will prevent the opposite sides of the pasta square to stick together).

The idea behind shaping this pasta is that the opposite ends of the squares/diamonds are folded over each other, overlapping slightly, and sticking together forming a hollow shaped fuži.

Repeat the process with other pieces of dough.

Just a thought

Fuži can be made ahead of time and frozen. Make sure you place and spread the uncooked fuži in a single layer (so they do not stick together) on a floured baking tray (sheet), wooden board or similar. Place them in the freezer for at least 20-30 minutes, and once frozen separately, put them into freezing bags. When you want to cook them just drop them frozen directly into boiling salted water without defrosting them first.

You can also store already cooked fuži. Cook fresh pasta as soon you make it, drain it and place it in an airtight container, drizzle with a bit of oil and gave a container a little shake. Let it cool completely, cover with the lid, and store in the fridge for a couple of days (the pasta will turn slightly greyish in colour, do not get alarmed, this is perfectly normal).

You can also dry the pasta. Place freshly made fuži onto a floured baking sheet or wooden board and cover the shaped pasta with a clean kitchen towel and let them dry for a few days. Give fuži a gentle toss now and again. Store in a paper bag or in a jar.

Venetian style Rice and Peas Recipe (Risi e Bisi)

This springtime speciality dish Risi e Bisi, meaning rice and peas in Venetian dialect, originated in the north-eastern region of Veneto in Italy. It is a dish that has been long disputed in the culinary world whether it is a very ‘runny’ risotto or a very ‘thick’ soup, and hence whether you should eat it with the fork or with a spoonBeing a risotto or a soup, this dish is absolutely delicious, incredibly satisfying and deeply rooted in the history of the region. It has such a profound cultural significance to the point of being celebrated by the Venetian poet Domenico Varagnolo:

To bless the holy spring,

which makes a garden a paradise,

all I need is a soup bowl,

a soup bowl of our own risi e bisi...

There, in hundreds of tiny little globes,

I savour a tender green jewel of the earth

scattered in a white sea of tender smiles.

Risi e Bisi was one of the key dishes, among a menu of more sophisticated foods and fine wines, that used to be served at the Doge's banquet (Doge is the highest official of the republic of Venice for more than 1,000 years, from the 8th to the 18th century, and symbol of the sovereignty of the Venetian state) on April 25th to mark and celebrate Venice's patron Saint, St. Mark, the Evangelist, since he is the saint who evangelised the people of the Veneto.

This traditional dish served on a feast day also marked the period approaching Easter, the end of winter, and the arrival of Spring, which provided the very first peas in the new season, renowned for being small, sweet and tender.

This dish has been very popular and very much loved along the Slovenian coastline where it is known as Rizi e Bizi. This should come as no surprise since this area is bordering with Italy and was once dominated and ruled by the majestic La Serenissima (‘The most Serene Republic of Venice’) which left behind a significant “foodprint” in the region.

A pea and rice dish is a very family friendly meal and was cooked by my mother on a regular basis when the peas where in season and at their best. Shelling the peas was worth the effort since the final dish is divine in its simplicity and humbleness.

This recipe has remained one of the top favourites among family and friends. Try to make it and you will understand what the fuss is all about and why the Doge requested it every year at his palace...

This is not the dish I would normally cook in springtime as peas are a long way off in the UK where I currently live, but are widely available a bit later in the season. It is well worth waiting for them, and you will end up with unbeatable (late) summer or early autumn supper!

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kg fresh young peas in their pods, shelled (can use 400g of frozen petits pois)

• 1.2 litres good vegetable, chicken or beef stock

• 4 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 small onion (about 100g), peeled and finely chopped

• 50-100g pancetta (salt-cured pork belly) or ham, cubed

• 250g risotto rice like Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli

• 40-50g Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, freshly finely grated

• small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley leaves (about 15g), finely chopped and some extra for garnish

• a knob of butter, optional

• sea salt

• black pepper

Method

Before starting to make the risotto have your boiling hot stock ready to hand for later.

Pour the oil in a low-sided pan, add finely chopped onions and cubed pancetta.

Cook for a few minutes until the onions become soft and translucent and the pancetta begins to release its fat.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add the peas and the chopped parsley, sauté for a few minutes, stirring constantly and making sure that the mixture does not start to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Season with black pepper and add roughly a glass of stock.

Cook the mixture over a fairly high heat so that the liquid evaporates quickly.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add more stock and the rice. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent sticking to the pan, until the first amount of liquid is absorbed.

Start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Cook on a medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked and ready, and the mixture has a distinctly runny consistency.

Finish the dish with a typical Italian “mantecare phase” (when the rice is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat, add a knob of butter (if using), and finely grated Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese. Stir quite vigorously with a wooden spoon to obtain a creamy consistency).

Taste and adjust the seasoning with black pepper (if using) and the sea salt, but the latter might not be necessary since the stocks from the stores, generally speaking, pancetta and the cheese contain salt already.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Serve immediately while still hot and distinctly runny in consistency.

Ladle onto the plates and sprinkle with some roughly chopped fresh parsley to garnish (optional).

Just a thought

A variation of this recipe, which further refines the dish, involves the use of the empty pea pods which get washed, placed in pan with a plenty of cold water and boiled for roughly an hour.

Then they get drained in a colander and the inside of the shells get scraped with the spoon obtaining the green paste which is added to the onion, pancetta, pea and parsley mixture.

I have not been familiar with this process and made aware that this is only done if the peas are organically produced.

Apparently, all the pesticides residues concentrate on the inside of the pea shell and the farmers are very keen on the use of the chemicals as peas are particularly susceptible to pests.

Wine suggestion

Soave Classico DOC "Vin Soave" 2022 - Inama

Summer Risotto with Fresh Tomatoes Istrian Recipe

This light and fresh summer risotto is made with juicy and ripe tomatoes that are in season, and it is a great alternative to a very much loved and more common pasta with tomatoes sauce.

It is low in budget, healthy, incredibly easy and simple to make, an ideal solution for a midweek lunch or dinner, it can be served as first course or as a main paired with grilled or pan fried fish or meat.

During the whole of the summer season, and especially during the summer holidays, my mother would make this colourful risotto quite often, this is the time of the year when the the tomatoes are at their peak, the ripest and the sweetest, and they are in abundance.

I am sharing here my mother's recipe for this humble and delicious summer tomato risotto served with freshly torn fragrant basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil, you will come back to this recipe time and time again.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 onion (about 100g), peeled and finely chopped

• 500g vine tomatoes or other variety of ripe and sweet tomatoes, washed and roughly chopped

• 300g risotto rice (like Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli)

• a few fresh basil leaves

• 1 litre of hot vegetable broth or stock (you can use instant vegetable stock powder)

• a bit of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

• sea salt

• ground black pepper

• a handful of Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, finely grated, optional

• a knob of butter, optional

Method

Before starting making risotto have your boiling hot vegetable stock ready to hand for later.

Put extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions, a pinch of salt, and sauté for a few minutes on a gentle heat until cooked down and soft.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add roughly chopped tomatoes, a few basil leaves, put the lid on and cook for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. The tomatoes should be fully cooked and broken down.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add the rice and toast it for a few minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Pour or ladle a bit of hot vegetable stock and cook until the first amount of liquid is absorbed.

Start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more (you might not need all the stock).

There should be enough liquid just to cover the risotto, the Italians say that a risotto should be smooth and runny enough to be described as all'onda, on the wave.

Cook on a medium heat, siring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked al dente (meaning fully cooked but still a bit firm when bitten).

It should roughly take between 15-18 minutes for a risotto to be cooked.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with black pepper (if using) and sea salt, but this might not be necessary since the stocks from the stores generally speaking contain salt already.

Stir in finely chopped fresh leaf parsley.

For even creamier texture and a slightly richer flavour you can finish cooking the tomato risotto with a typical Italian mantecare phase (as soon as the risotto is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat, add grated cheese and a knob of cold butter to the risotto, and stir with a wooden spoon quite vigorously).

Serve immediately while the risotto is still hot and a bit runny in consistency.

Ladle the risotto onto the plates and sprinkle with some roughly chopped fresh parsley and a few basil leaves for garnish and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Wine suggestion

Alto Adige Valle Isarco Müller Thurgau DOC "Sass Rigais" 2021 - Manni Nössing

Chicken Stew with Simple Dumplings (Obara) Istrian Style Recipe

This dish must be one of the most comforting foods ever. It is rustic, homely, authentic, it showcases true simplicity at its best, and best of all it is incredibly easy to make.

Onions, celery, carrots, and pieces or chunks of chicken are slowly cooked until the vegetables are completely soft and the chicken slightly browned. Then the water, fresh marjoram, and the seasoning are added, and the stew is then gently boiled for less than an hour. The simple dumplings are then cooked in the hot stew giving it a slightly thicker and velvety consistency.

This dish is part of the traditional Slovenian cuisine (known as Piščančja or Kokošja obara or simply known as Obara) and is very popular up and down the country, with a different regional variations along the way. An array of vegetables (peas, celeriac, cauliflower, leeks etc.) and herbs (thyme, bay leaf, parsley) can be added to the stew. It is cooked in households on a regular basis and can sometimes be found in rustic style restaurants, and then it is eaten as independent meal (main dish).

My paternal grandmother (nona Nada) and my maternal grandfather (deda Anton) made the very best, and they always took a great care and pride to cook one of the humblest peasant dishes.

They both told me that this stew was made from the old chickens that no longer laid the eggs – so everything was used, and nothing was wasted. The meat was quite hard, and tuff and it needed hours of cooking in order to become more tender, but it did provide a very flavoursome and tasty stew. It was then served with simple flour dumplings floating elegantly on top, and sometimes an egg would be added to the basic flour batter for extra richness (one of the variations on the dumplings recipe calls for semolina flour).

This stew is one of the top favourite dishes in the family, and here I am sharing the recipe of my grandparents from Slovenian Istra.

The recipe for the dumplings used for this stew are inspired and originated from Austrian style gnocchi called Nockerel (the batter is made with eggs and flour, then they are cooked in hot boiling water and eaten as a main dish with different sauces, beef goulash being the most common one).

This gastronomic influence will come as no surprise as Slovenia is geographically very close to Austria and was once also ruled by the Austro- Hungarian Empire.

Recipe

Ingredients for the stew

Serves 4-6

• 1 big onion (about 220g), peeled and finely chopped

• 1 carrot (about 100g), peeled and finely chopped or finely grated

• 1 celery stick (about 40g), finely chopped

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 700g roughly of chicken meat like tights, drumsticks, wings, breast

  (chicken pieces that you choose can be on the bone or without, with the skin or skinless, bear in mind that the skin will give the stew more flavour but can also make it too oily and greasy and potentially unpleasant to eat).

  For this recipe I used ½ of the whole chicken and cut it in smaller random sized chunks and removed most of the skin.

• 1 generous Tbsp fresh marjoram, very finely chopped (you can also use dry marjoram)

• 1 Tbsp white flour

• 2 litres of water

• sea salt

• black pepper

  Ingredients for the dumplings

• 200g white plain flour

• 150ml roughly water

• sea salt

Method

Place the olive oil in a stewing pan and add finely chopped onions, celery, finely grated carrots, and the chicken meat.

Season with sea salt and black pepper and cook altogether, very slowly on gentle heat, stirring quite frequently until the vegetables cook down completely and become soft and the chicken is lightly brown and caramelized on the outside. This could take up to 45 minutes, but it is crucial for the success of the dish.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Sprinkle with flour and stir, then add the water, chopped marjoram, and bring to boil.

Turn the heat down, partially cover with the lid, and cook gently for about 45 minutes.

While the stew is cooking prepare the batter for the dumplings.

Put the flour in a bowl and add a pinch of sea salt.

Gradually start pouring the water and mix with the fork until you get the consistency of a quite thick pancake batter. Beat the batter until it gets quite stiff and lump free. Set aside and leave to rest until the chicken stew is cooked.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.

Remove the chicken pieces form the stew. Remove the skin and the bones.

To make the dumplings dip the spoon into the gentle boiling chicken stew (this should prevent the batter sticking to the spoon).

Simply scoop up with a side of a teaspoon a bit of batter and gently drop it in the stew (dipping the teaspoon into the hot stew will help the batter just slide off the spoon, if it does not, help yourself with another spoon).

View fullsize

View fullsize

Repeat the process and drop the dumplings into the hot stew one by one until you finish all the batter.

Cook the dumplings for about 5 minutes in gently boiling stew (do not boil the stew aggressively).

Put back in the stew the pieces of chicken (free of bones and skin) and serve hot immediately.

Just a thought

This stew, like most stew and soups, is best made in advance.

You can keep cooked chicken stew in the fridge in an airtight container for about two days.

This dish freezes very well.

Dumplings can be made using buckwheat flour instead of white plain flour and the amount of water needs to be adjusted accordingly (different types of flour absorb different quantities of liquid).

Dumplings can also be made using the eggs. Crack one egg into a bowl and whisk gently. Add a pinch of sea salt, plain white flour and water as needed to obtain a fairly thick batter.

You can also use two eggs and white flour without the addition of water.

Wine suggestion

Alto Adige Pinot Grigio DOC "Porer" 2021 - Alois Lageder

Spinach Roll made with Potato Gnocchi Dough Istrian Recipe

This classic dish is absolutely perfect in its simplicity, it is Austro-Hungarian in origin, and it represents a great comfort food. It is also vegetarian friendly, and looks quite impressive, but in reality is not that difficult to make. What you need is a bit of extra time to spare in the kitchen. It is the dish that will with no doubt impress your family and friends, whether you serve it as a warm starter or as a main dish.

Potato gnocchi dough roll is filled with spinach, boiled, sliced and traditionally served with the gravy or the juices left after roasting a piece of meat, different types of meat ragù, sage butter sauce and freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, and it can be served in a less traditional way with a tomato sauce.

This dish is typically found in the territories that once belonged to Austro-Hungarian Empire, including Slovenian Istria, where I come from, neighbouring city of Trieste in Italy and the surrounding areas and it used to be prepared exclusively during the festivities. My nona told me that the characteristic filling for this dish along the Slovenian coast would be caramelized onions and pancetta a no use of ricotta cheese in the spinach filling.

This special plate of food is a perfect example of ‘recipes without the borders’ in terms of the ingredients and the name of the dish itself, a true testimony of a gastronomic osmosis between different border cultures.

The name of the dish in standard Italian is Strucolo, which is the Italianization of the Slovenian word štrukelj, which itself has originated from a German word strudel. In fact, in German this dish is known as savoury Potato and spinach Strudel, and has very often a ricotta cheese and sliced cooked ham as a filling.

What is particular about this dish is the way it is cooked, the roll gets wrapped in an old piece of kitchen cloth “straza in the local dialect” and then gently boiled in hot water, hence its name Strucolo de spinaze in straza (Rotolo di spinaci cotto nel canavoccio in standard Italian).

Sadly this dish is very rarely found in the restaurants and almost exclusively prepared in households with a wide variety of fillings, (sautéed mushrooms and sliced cooked ham) and very often fresh pasta is used instead of potato gnocchi dough, and there are also a number of sweet variations using different types of fruit and nuts.I am sharing here my nona's recipe for this very special and traditional spinach roll made with potato gnocchi dough and simple spinach filling that still today is prepared during festive periods or to mark a special occasion.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 people

For gnocchi pasta dough

• 500g floury, yellow fleshed potatoes e.g. King Edward, Maris Piper, red skin potatoes (avoid new potatoes and choose the potatoes that are more or less the same size)

• 150g all purpose flour, plus some extra

• 1 small egg (can use just egg yolk of a medium or big egg)

• sea salt, a pinch

For spinach filling

• 450-500g fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed

• 15g butter

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• sea salt

• nutmeg, grated

For sage butter sauce

• a few fresh sage leaves, roughly torn

• 150g butter

• Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, finely grated, for serving

Recipe

Method

Potato gnocchi dough

Wash the potatoes, with the skin on,  under cold running water.

Place the potatoes, with their skin on, in a pot or in a large saucepan, add plenty of water so the potatoes are completely submerged in the water and bring to boil (you can use boiling hot water directly from the kettle to reduce cooking time).

After the water has come to a boil,  cook for about 20-30 minutes or until tender.  Cooking time will obviously vary depending on the size of the potatoes you are using. You  can check that the potatoes are fully cooked by inserting the toothpick into the potato, it should easily enter the pulp of the potato.  Alternatively, you can steam the potatoes or cook them in the microwave oven.

While the potatoes are cooking prepare the spinach filling (see below).

When the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander and let them cool enough to handle, then remove the skin.If the potatoes are still quite warm to handle, the best way to remove the skin is to stick the fork through the potato and peel it using a knife.

On a working surface or on a large wooden board (you can use a pasta board if you have one), pass the potatoes through a potato ricer.

Make a well, add the flour and a pinch of sea salt.

Make another well in the middle of the flour and crack the egg in it.

View fullsize

View fullsize

With the fork slightly whisk the egg inside the well, and as you do so pick up the flour as you go around the well.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Mix together and form a soft dough which should not stick to your fingers or the surface. If this is the case add a little flour at a time.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Spinach filling

Put the washed spinach in pot with hot boiling water and blanch it for a few minutes.

Drain in the colander and let it cool down a bit. When cold enough to handle, squeeze out by hand as much as liquid as you can.

Place the spinach on a chopping board and finely chop.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Put the butter and olive oil in a non stick frying pan and let the butter melt. Add the spinach, a pinch of sea salt and a good grating of nutmeg.

Sautéed for a few minutes, stirring frequently then turn the heat off and set aside.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Allow to cool completely.

Cut a piece of a non stick baking parchment into a 50 x 40cm rectangle and place it on the working surface and sprinkle it lightly with the flour.

Place the gnocchi dough on the baking parchment and, with the help of slightly floured rolling pin, spread out the gnocchi dough roughly in the shape of a rectangle 38 x 29cm.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Spoon the spinach mixture over the dough and spread it evenly.

View fullsize

View fullsize

With the help of baking parchment start rolling up the dough into the shape of a log from a long end (as if you were making a Swiss roll).

Press down each end to seal, and wrap the paper around the roll.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Tight the ends with the kitchen twine, alternatively you can wrap the roll in an aluminium foil to help the roll keep its shape.

Place the roll in a pot, making sure you choose the pot big enough to accommodate the roll sitting horizontally without bending it (use a fish pot if you have one or an oval shape pan).

Fill it with water, can be boiling hot straight from the kettle, so the roll is almost completely submerged, the water should just cover the roll.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Bring to boil, turn the heat down, cover with the lid, and gently simmer for 30 minute.

Remove the roll onto a chopping board and allow to cool for a few minutes.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Cut the twine, unwrap the roll and remove the baking parchment.

Slice the roll with a very sharp knife (slicing will be easier if you wet the knife with cold water).

View fullsize

View fullsize

Place the slices onto serving plates and spoon over a few tablespoons of sage butter and sprinkle with plenty of Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, and a little bit of finely freshly grated nutmeg, this is optional but it really does enhance the delicate flour of the dish.

Alternatively you can also gratinate the dish. Arrange the slices in a previously buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with plenty of Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, spoon over a few tablespoons of melted butter and gratin in a previously hot oven at 200C, for about 20 minutes, or until nice golden in colour. This is a great option if you want to make the dish ahead of a time (simmer the roll, wrap it in aluminium foil and keep it in a fridge for up to a day before slicing and baking).

Sage butter

Put the butter in a small saucepan, heat it gently and add the sage leaves. Cook on a gentle heat until the butter begins to colour and the foam has subsided.

Wine suggestione

Colline Pescaresi Passerina IGT "Chronicon" 2021 - Zaccagnini

Sea Bass Risotto Istrian Recipe

Sea bass risotto is light, creamy and flavoursome, it is made with very simple and delicate in flavour ingredients.

This dish is a true testimony to honest and uncomplicated cooking. It might not be the most colourful dish, it is modest, and humble in its appearance, but it most surely delivers in flavour. It will delight all the generations around the dinner table and will be enjoyed by the most reluctant fish eaters due to its very mild “fishy taste”.

This Venetian inspired risotto is made with fresh sea bass, a very much appreciated fish. It is one that is considered to be a real delicacy, and is very often represented in the antique mosaics by the Romans. A good quality fish stock is pretty much essential to the success of this risotto. Home made fish stock is very easy and quick to make, it is fresh, resourceful, sustainable and incredibly satisfying and economical since you are using up every part of the fish.

What are the origins of this type of risotto? The fishermen sold the precious filets of fish in the market, and so to provide for their families, they used the left-over bones and heads, which they cooked to form the most delicious stock that was then used for cooking this type of risotto.

Venetian style risotto is very popular along the Slovenian coast, where I come from, an area once part of ‘La Serenissima,’ the Most Serene Republic of Venice. Sea bass or sea bream risotto is found in most good fish restaurants and cooked in local households on a regular basis.

I am sharing here my family's recipe for this rustic fish based risotto, that can equally, and proudly sit on elegant plates during a more formal dining setting.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

Fish Stock

• 500g roughly, sea bass or sea bream (1 big fish or two smaller in size) washed, cleaned, gutted and scaled (fishmonger will be happy to do this for you)

  You can use other type of sustainable white fish like hake, pollack, and flat fish, avoid oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna, as they are too fatty and will make your stock greasy and unpleasant.

  You can make the stock using just the bones, again only from the white fish. You will need about 1kg of these, the fishmonger will sell them very cheaply or even given for free.

• 1 small bay leaf or ½ of big one (fresh or dry)

• a few whole black peppercorns (about 6)

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled

• 1 carrot (about 40g), peeled

• stick of celery (about 40g)

• 1 shallot or a piece of anion (about 40g)

• small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, washed

• extra virgin olive oil, a drizzle

• sea salt

Risotto

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 shallot or onion (about 40g), peeled and finely chopped

• 300g risotto rice (like Vialone Nano, Arborio, Carnaroli)

• fish chunks removed from previously cooked sea bass or sea bream

• 1 litre of hot fish stock

• knob of butter

• handful of freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, optionala

• small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 4g), finely chopped

Method

Fish Stock

Start by preparing the fish stock.

Place the fish in a pan, big enough to accommodate the fish lying flat (if using 2 fishes lie them next to each other or one on top of the other).

Add a few black whole peppercorns, clove of garlic, bay leaf, a generous pinch of sea salt and about 1.5 litres of cold water.

Bring to boil, turn down the heat, cover with the lid, and gently cook the fish for about 10-15 minutes.

When almost cooked, remove from the water, place on a big plate and allow to cool a bit.

When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and the fish meat from the bones in medium size chunks, put them in the bowl, cover so the fish pieces do not dry, and set aside for later use.

Put the head and the bones back in the pot, in the same water in which the fish was cooked.Add a carrot, celery stick, shallot or onion, fresh flat leaf parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Cover with the lid and gently simmer for about 30 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Place the fine sieve over a saucepan and pass the stock through a sieve. Discard the head, bones and cooked down vegetables.

Put the saucepan with the stock back on the stove, on a very minimum heat, put the lid on and keep it warm and ready to hand for later use.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Risotto

Place the oil in a pan and gently sauté chopped shallots or onions until soft.

Add the risotto rice and toast a bit, stirring constantly to avoid sticking to the pan.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add the fragments of sea bass or sea bream.

Start gradually adding ladles of hot fish stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

There should always be enough liquid just to cover the risotto.

Cook on a medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked al dente, meaning fully cooked but still a bit firm when bitten.

Removing from the stove, add a knob of cold butter and a handful of freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese and finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. Stir with a wooden spoon, quite vigorously, in order to develop its delicious creamy texture.

The risotto should be smooth and runny enough to be described by the Italians as risotto all'onda, meaning risotto on the wave.

Serve immediately while the risotto is still hot.

Just a thought

To cut the corners, you can make this risotto by using fresh sea bass or sea bream fillets and using a high quality store bought fish stock.

Sea bass risotto will keep in the fridge for a couple of days in an airtight container.

It can be enjoyed at room temperature as well, and is not suitable for freezing.

Wine Suggestion

Soave Classico DOC "Calvarino" 2020 - Pieropan

Golden Prawn Tails Istrian Recipe

This dish is a real seafood delicacy, and a real treat, made with prawns or langoustines tails, which are sweet, delicious, and cook in minutes. Tails are coated in flour and egg, and then very briefly deep fried until golden, this a one of the top crowd pleaser dishes, never seems to be enough of them to go around.

Golden prawn or langoustine tails are easy and quick to prepare, a perfect warm starter, makes the best finger food for any party or celebration, and works well as a main course too.

Back home, on the Slovenian coast, this dish is traditionally made with precious and expensive langoustine tails, rather than prawns, it is therefore a celebratory dish enjoyed during the festivities and to mark special occasion, it is more like a restaurant meal treat, a favourite of mine when I was a child. You will find this dish in seafood restaurants, škampi na pariški način, which literally translates to langoustines “Parisian style”. My extensive research brought me no answers as to why the name of this dish is called what is, and so if anyone is reading this blog and knows the answer I would love to hear it!

Golden langoustine tails is most definitely one of the top family favourites, and here I am sharing my mother's recipe.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 700g roughly, prawn or langoustine tails (can use frozen and previously defrosted)

  If you are buying fresh whole prawns or langoustines, you will need around 1200g (they need to be cleaned, peeled and deveined).

• 100-150g plain white flour, for coating

• 1-2 eggs, lightly beaten

• sea salt

• black pepper

• oil for frying

• juice from ½ - 1 lemon, optional

• some fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped, optional

Method

Tap dry you prepared prawn or langoustine tails with kitchen paper or clean kitchen towel.

Place the flour in a bowl or shallow plate.

Crack the eggs into a bowl or shallow dish, add a pinch of sea salt and whisk gently.

Coat prawn tails in the flour and shake off the excess.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Dip in egg mixture, turn to coat, letting excess egg drip back into the bowl before putting it into oil.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Lower coated prawn tails into a hot oil and fry briefly until fully cooked through and golden brown in colour. That's it!

With a slotted spoon, transfer fried tails onto a plate or a dish previously lined with kitchen paper to allow excess oil to be absorbed.

Remove the kitchen paper and place your golden prawn tails onto a plate or serving dish.

Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, and if you wish to add some freshness to the dish, give them a squeeze of lemon juice.

Best served hot immediately with some mayonnaise or tartar sauce.

Sautéed Mushrooms with onions, garlic and fresh parsley Istrian Recipe

Sautéed mushrooms in olive oil with onions, garlic and fresh parsley is super delicious in its simplicity, it is vegetarian and vegan friendly, and one of the most versatile dishes.

The Slovenian coast, where I come from, this is the most traditional way of eating sautéed mushrooms. It can be served on a bed of soft cooked or grilled polenta or with scrambled eggs and some rustic crunchy bread to go with it.

This nourishing delicacy with its intense flavour is a fantastic side dish alongside roasted chicken, pan fried chicken breast, steaks or other grilled meats.

Mushrooms, in terms of flavour and texture, are a great substitute and alternative to a meat dish and therefore make a very satisfying main course served with mashed potatoes or cooked rice, on toasted bread or bruschetta, as topping on a pizza, as a base for a risotto, a soup, a stew, or a sauce, used in a sandwich, and is a great topping for a canapé.

This dish would be traditionally cooked with wild mushrooms picked by the locals in the late summer and in early autumn in the fields and in the shadows of the dense woods and forests.

Most commonly picked mushrooms would be porcini, chanterelles and parasols, the latter being a real treat when coated in breadcrumbs and shallow fried. Wild mushrooms would also be preserved in olive oil, dried and frozen to be enjoyed during the months when they are no longer in season and impossible to forage.

Slovenians are a very keen and passionate mushroom hunters and local authorities impose increasingly strict limitations about the quantity of the mushrooms allowed to be foraged.  

I carry with me very fond  childhood memories of long walks with my maternal grandparents, close relatives, or family friends, and returning home with a wicker basket full of wild mushrooms. It was rather magical, despite the fact, that as a small girl, I never quite managed to encounter in the woods any wizards, elves, or dwarfs featured in many European folk tales for the children.

I am sharing here this simple but super tasty recipe that you can make with wild or store bought mushrooms.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 800-900g mixed mushrooms of your choice (I used a combination of chestnut mushrooms, baby button mushrooms, Oyster, Shiitake, King Oyster and Portobello mushrooms), cleaned and sliced

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• onion (about 90g), peeled and finely chopped

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

• fresh flat leaf parsley (about a handful),  finely chopped

• sea salt

• black pepper

Method

Put olive oil in a fairly large shallow cast iron dish or frying pan, add finely chopped onions, crushed garlic, a pinch of sea salt and cook for a few minutes on a gentle heat until the onions become soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add sliced mushrooms and stir in with the onions and garlic. Add sea salt and black pepper.

Cook the mushrooms on a medium heat, for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, or until all the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are fully cooked, but still firm (al dente).

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Turn the heat off and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.

Serve hot or at room temperature on a bed of soft cooked or grilled polenta, mashed potatoes, on a toasted bread or bruschetta, as topping on a pizza, as a base for a risotto, a soup or a sauce, and excellent with scrambled eggs and some rustic crunchy bread. 

Just a thought

Keep sautéed mushrooms in an airtight container in the fridge for no longer than 2-3 days.

This dish is not suitable for freezing.

Pljukanci-Traditional Istrian handmade rolled Pasta Recipe

Pljukanci is a handmade, traditional Istrian variety of pasta, most commonly found along the northern coastline of Slovenia and Croatia. This is the quickest and the easiest way to make your own pasta, no pasta machine or any knowledge of pasta making is required. This seriously delicious type of pasta with incredibly pleasant chewy texture is hand made by simply rolling a small piece of dough between the palms of your hands or on a clean working surface or a table. 

Making Pljukanci with my nephew Dan (in grey T-shirt), my son Jakob, and my sister in law Tatjana - Summer 2022 in my nona’s garden in Koper, Slovenia

In the past, Pljukanci were created during the time of extreme poverty with significant shortage of food, but there was one thing in abundance, the ingenuity of local people to create mouthwatering dishes from the most humble, basic and simple ingredients. Pljukanci are a perfect example of this, this type of pasta is made of nothing else but flour, sea salt and water, sometimes eggs and bit of extra virgin oil would be added. Pljukanci were a everyday meal to fill up the stomach, nowadays, they represent a celebratory dish, a dish you pick up from the menu when you go out with family and friends to mark a special occasion. 

Pljukanci would commonly be served with different types of sauces made with local, seasonal ingredients like, wild asparagus and Istrian Prsut (Istrian dry cured ham), wild mushrooms, goulash sauce cooked with different kinds of meats, black or white truffles, or simply with top quality extra virgin olive oil and freshly grated hard cheese.  

Incredibly satisfying to make, if have never made pasta before, start with this one, children can make this with no problem, it is a bit like playing with Play-Dough. 

This pasta dish made with pljukanci will just instantly make you feel better, there is something so cosy and warm about them, pair them with any sauce you like, you cannot go wrong, well, maybe not making enough of them...

Recipe

Ingredients 

• 500g all purpose white flour or 00 flour 

• 2 smallish eggs or 1 bigger egg (weight the cracked eggs and add enough water to obtain the total amount of 250ml of liquid). For example, I used 2 small eggs weighing 104g so I added 146ml of lukewarm water.

• lukewarm water, as needed (this will depend on the size and the weight of the eggs you are using)

Method 

Place the flour in a mixing bowl or directly on a working surface or a wooden pasta board (if you have one). Make a well in the centre of the flour and add salt and beaten eggs.

Stir with the fork or a wooden spoon, then start adding water, bit by bit and incorporate well all the ingredients .

View fullsize

View fullsize

Mix until well combined. 

Transfer the dough onto a clean surface or wooden pasta board.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Work the dough gently (no proper kneading required) until it becomes compact, elastic, and not sticky.  

Cover the dough in cling film, and allow the dough to rest for about 30 min. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Pinch small pieces from the dough (roughly the size of  a hazelnut) and roll each piece between your palms or on a clean working surface until you get long thin compact pasta shapes, thinner at the ends and thicker in the middle.  

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Repeat the process until you finish all the dough.

Pljukanci to dry a bit in about 30 min. 

To cook the pljukanci, bring large pot of salted water to boil, and cook pljukanci for about 10 minutes or until “al dente”.  

Drain or take pljukanci out using a skimmer and transfer in the pan with the boiling sauce. Make sure you always keep a bit of cooking liquid and add a bit to it in a frying pan together with the pasta and the sauce, and you will surprised what lovely velvety consistency this creates. 

Strain, and combine with your favourite sauce and serve hot immediately. 

Just a thought

You can make Pljukanci without the eggs, just add 250ml of lukewarm water to the flour.

Djuvec Rice with Bell Peppers and Tomatoes Istrian Recipe

Djuvec (frequently spelled Ðuveč and pronounced Joo-vetch) is a one pot rice dish, and a bit of a hidden gem in the gastronomic world.  It is very commonly found in South-Eastern Europe in countries like Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and other Balkan countries, and  perhaps it is not very well known to the rest of the world. 

This vegetarian and vegan friendly dish is one of my absolute favourites, it is incredibly simple and quick to make, healthy, and is really delicious. It is also a very practical dish. It can be prepared ahead of time, and it makes a fantastic addition to more familiar picnic foods and buffets at parties. 

Djuvec is always a big hit with friends and family at the barbecue gatherings, as it is  traditionally served at a room temperature as a side dish, and makes a great paring to pan fried or grilled vegetables, fish or  different type of meats like Ćevapčići (small pieces of rolled grilled mince meat) and Ražnjići (grilled pork meat on skewers). 

It can also be served hot or warm as a main mail, maybe with a side salad, as an alternative to a tasty, and perhaps,  more frequently cooked, well known and much loved a classic Italian risotto. 

It is often made during the summer, end of summer and early autumn with main ingredients being onions, red, orange or yellow bell peppers and tomatoes, and often peas, ajvar (sweet roasted red pepper spread) and powdered paprika is added to a basic recipe to create a very common variations of this dish. 

I am sharing here my mum's super delicious one pot pepper and tomato rice dish that she used to make time and time again, just try it, I promise you, you will came back to this “off the beaten track recipe” that my family and my friends simply adore, and cannot get enough of it. 

Recipe

Ingredients 

Serves 4-6 

• 3 Tbsp virgin olive oil or olive oil 

• 1-2 onions (about 250g), peeled and finely chopped 

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed 

• 2 red bell peppers (about 400g), wash, dry, remove the seeds and white filaments and cut into small cubes (for this recipe you can also use yellow or orange bell peppers or a combination) 

• few vine tomatoes or other types of ripe and sweet tomatoes (about 300g) washed, quartered and roughly chopped 

• 1 Tbsp tomato paste 

• 300g long grain rice 

• 600ml vegetable stock or instant vegetable stock powder 

• sea salt 

• black pepper 

• fresh flat leaf parsley for serving, roughly chopped, optional 

Method 

Place olive oil in a fairly large shallow cast iron casserole dish or frying pan, add finely chopped onions, crushed garlic, a generous pinch of sea salt and  cook for about 10 minutes on a gentle heat until the onions become soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add small cubes of bell peppers and stir in with the onions and garlic, cook further for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Transfer roughly chopped tomatoes to the pan, add tomato paste, mix and cook for 10 minutes or so  or until the tomatoes are soft and cooked down, stirring occasionally. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add the rice to the pan, stir with the onion, pepper and tomato mixture 

Toast the rice for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Pour vegetable stock in the pan and bring to boil. 

Turn the heat down to a minimum, put the lid on and cook for about 20 minutes without stirring. 

Halfway through cooking time, very gently move about the rice with the fork. 

Serve hot or at room temperature. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Sprinkle some roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, optional.

Just a thought 

This dish is not suitable for freezing and will keep in an airtight container in a fridge for a few days. 

Wine suggestion

Alto Adige Valle Isarco Kerner DOC 2021 - Pacher Hof

Sautéed Aubergines with garlic and parsley Istrian Recipe

This simple and rustic aubergine side dish is light and full of flavour. It can also be enjoyed in less traditional way, spread on bruschetta, toasted bread, as a topping on a pizza, and it can be mixed with rice, or used as a base for a pasta sauce. 

Sautéed aubergines in garlic and parsley infused oil is an unpretentious dish, very easy to make and typically prepared in the households along the Slovenian coast, where my nona lives. She told me that her family had a lovely vegetable garden where aubergines grew during the summer months and early autumn. The best ones were picked and sold on the market, just across the Italian border, in Trieste, where they fetched good money. Only the wonky and imperfect ones, but most certainly not less tasty, were left behind for domestic use. They were cooked in delicious home-made extra virgin olive oil flavoured with garlic and fresh parsley and accompanied by potatoes or polenta. 

This is not the dish that you would normally find in restaurants, with the glimpse of sadness in my nona's eyes, and a slight sense of embarrassment, she explained to me that this dish is “too simple” and  is part of what  “the modern world” defines as “the food of the poor” (more widely known as the Italian concept of Cucina Povera). However, it is slightly intriguing, since without her realizing it, this is precisely one of the kinds of dishes that are becoming increasingly popular and appreciated by many people. 

What is interesting about this dish is that visually cooked aubergines resemble more closely mushrooms than aubergines. This is why Italians call a very similar and typical aubergine side dish from the Campania region in southern Italy, Melanzane a Funghetto (Mushroom-style aubergines ). 

I am sharing here my nona's recipe for this delicious and humble sautéed aubergines with garlic and  fresh parsley. 

Ingredients 

Serves 4 

• 1 kg aubergines 

• 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled 

• handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 13g) plus some extra for garnishing,  finely chopped 

• sea salt 

• black pepper, optional 

Method 

Wash the aubergines and dry them, remove the stem. 

Cut each aubergine into quarters lengthwise and check for the amount of seeds. If there is a considerable amount of seeds, eliminate and remove the central part containing the higher concentration of the seeds.   

Cut the rest of the aubergine into a fairly small and thin regular-sized chunks. 

Transfer the aubergine pieces into a colander, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and place it over a bowl or into the sink so the bitter juices can drain away (avoiding the aubergines to taste bitter) during a sweating process (about 30 minutes).  This phase will help to loose the liquid avoiding the aubergines tasting bitter.   Squeeze very gently. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Pour the oil in a fairly large frying pan and sauté a whole garlic until golden in colour . 

Stir in chopped parsley and add aubergine pieces. 

Mix well so all the aubergine chunks are coated in oil and parsley. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Simmer in an open pan, on a fairly gentle heat, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking at the bottom of the pan and burn, or until they release most of their liquid and the skin starts to have the same kind of texture as mushrooms. The aubergine pieces should be nice and  soft but not mushy. 

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and black pepper. 

Fish out and remove garlic clove, discard. 

Sprinkle with a bit of roughly chopped fresh parsley. 

Serve hot, warm or at a room temperature. 

Just a thought

Aubergines cooked this way are mainly served as a side dish but they can also be enjoyed in less traditional way, spread on bruschetta, toasted bread, canapes, as a topping on a pizza, and they can be mixed with rice, or used as a base for a pasta sauce. 

Wine suggestion

Collio Friulano DOC 2021 - Ronchi di Cialla

Courgette risotto Istrian Recipe

Courgette risotto is a perfect choice if you want to make a light and elegant dish, but one that is delicate in taste and yet filling. Summer risotto is incredibly easy to make, and during the summer months, when courgettes are in full season and in abundance, choosing this delicious vegetable to cook with seems almost an obvious choice.

This is not a risotto you will find in the restaurant menus on the Slovenian coast, it is cooked in the households that almost always keep a slab of pancetta in the fridge, and whenever possible grow courgettes. This recipe, since Istria is geographically so close to Veneto region in Italy, where there are a great variety of risotti recipes, it should be no surprise that courgette risotto has been created, and cooked on a regular basis and enjoyed by generations.

This risotto will cover all occasions, it is a perfect rustic and informal choice for a mid week lunch or dinner, but has nothing to dread if it is served in a more formal setting.

I am sharing here my mother's summer courgette risotto, most of the time made with freshly picked courgette that my paternal grandfather used to grow in his vegetable patch.

If you happen to grow your own courgettes and have courgettes flowers as well, and not quite sure what to do with them, use them in the risotto, just chop them roughly and cook together with sliced courgettes.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300g risotto rice (like Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli)

• courgettes 430g roughly, sliced

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, 80g roughly

• 50g pancetta, finely sliced (can use cubed pancetta, sliced bacon, lardons or pork sausage meat), optional for a vegetarian variation

• small clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

• 1 litre of hot chicken broth or stock (can use vegetable broth or stock)

• sea salt

• fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped, optional (for garnish)

• generous knob of butter, optional

• a handful of Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated, optional

Method

Before starting to make the risotto have your boiling hot chicken or vegetable broth or stock ready to hand for later.

Wash the courgettes and pat dry them with kitchen paper or clean kitchen towel.

Trim off the ends of the courgettes and slice or cut into smaller pieces (if the courgette is big, cut in half first, then slice lengthways into quarters, then chop into smaller chunks)

View fullsize

View fullsize

Put olive oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions, pancetta, crushed garlic, a pinch of salt and cook on a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions become soft and translucent.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add courgette pieces and cook for a few minutes until they soften a bit.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add the risotto rice and toast for a bit , stirring constantly to avoid sticking to the pan.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Pour or ladle ½ litre (500ml) of hot chicken or vegetable broth or stock.

Cook until the first amount of liquid is absorbed then start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

There should always be enough liquid just to cover the risotto.

Cook on a medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked al dente, meaning fully cooked but still a bit firm when bitten, it should roughly take between 15 -18 minutes for a risotto to be cooked.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt, but this might not be necessary since the stocks that come from the store generally speaking are salty already!

For even creamier texture, you can finish cooking the courgette risotto with a typical Italian mantecare phase. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add grated cheese and a bit of cold butter to the risotto when it is almost finished, and stir with a wooden spoon quite vigorously in order to develop its delicious creamy texture. This phase is optional.

Sprinkle with some roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and finely grated Parmiggiano Reggiano Cheese (only if you have not used it already in the mantecare phase) and serve immediately while the risotto is still hot.

Just a thought

Courgette risotto can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days in an airtight container.

It can be enjoyed at room temperature as well and is not suitable for freezing.

You can freeze the onion, courgettes and pancetta base and defrost when deciding to make a risotto.

With a leftover courgette risotto you can make some arancini (staple Sicilian stuffed rice ball, coated in breadcrumbs and fried)

Wine suggestion

Roero Arneis DOCG 2021 - Malvirà

Crispy Breaded Courgettes Istrian Recipe

Crispy breaded courgettes is one of the most most loved dishes and a total crowd pleaser. It consists of slicing the courgettes, dredging them into a flour, then dipping them into whisked eggs, coating them with breadcrumbs and quickly shallow fried them until golden and crispy, which makes them utterly delicious, irresistible and scrumptious, you just cannot stop eating them! This dish will become an instant hit and breaded courgettes will disappear from the serving plate in no time!

Try to prepare courgettes this way when they are in full season and abundant, I can almost guarantee you, that the most reluctant courgette eaters will be converted in eating this summertime vegetable with delight.

This dish is also fun to make, and if you have children, try to involve them in the breading process, they will absolutely love it, but make sure they are as far away as possible, in a nicest way, during frying.

Breaded courgettes are ideally eaten hot as soon as they are fried with some mashed potatoes, a seasonal salad, but also incredibly delicious at the room temperature and offered as a part of a buffet, great used as a filler in a sandwich (add a bit of fresh rocket salad and spread a slice of bread with a bit of mayonnaise, basil or vegetarian pesto, and you will have a sandwich that is to die for).

This dish can be made ahead and stored which makes it an ideal picnic food, you bring this dish with you on a picnic, and you will stand out from the crowd and have no chance to bringing back home any leftovers...

I am sharing here my mother's recipe for crispy breaded courgettes, one of whole family's absolute favourite plates of food.

I simply adored this dish as a child, and nothing much has really changed since...

Ingredients

Serves 4

• fresh courgettes, medium size (approximately 700-800g)

• 2-3 eggs (the number of the eggs needed depends on their size and on the quantity of the courgettes you are using)

• dry breadcrumbs

• plain flour

• sea salt

• black pepper, optional

• oil for frying

Method

Wash the courgettes under cold running water and dry them with the kitchen paper or a clean kitchen towel.

Place the courgettes on a chopping board and cut off the ends.

With the knife or a mandolin slicer, slice the courgettes into a 4-5mm thick slices (if the courgettes are big, and you find them difficult to slice vertically, cut each courgette in half first, and then slice).

View fullsize

View fullsize

Prepare three dishes for flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.

Put the flour in a wide shallow bowl, dish or on a plate (I just use a piece of baking paper, fold it when I finish, and use it the next time)

Put the eggs in another shallow bowl or dish (big enough to accommodate one or two slices of courgettes at the same time) whisk lightly and season with sea salt and black pepper, if using. I suggest you use two eggs to start with, and crack another one, if two are not enough.

Put the breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl, dish or plate.

Start the breading process.

Dredge each slice of courgettes into flour making sure everything is coated and gently shake off the excess.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Dip the floured slice of the courgette into a whisked egg, turn to coat, make sure all the sides are covered in egg, and let drip off excessive egg.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Coat in breadcrumbs and press a bit so the breadcrumbs adhere well and shake off gently the excess.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Repeat the process until you have used all the courgette slices.

Breaded courgettes can be shallow fried or baked in the oven.

Frying method

Pour oil into a large frying pan, about 1cm, and heat it over a medium heat (how much oil you need will depend on how big your frying pan is)

Once oil is hot, add breaded courgette slices, a few at time without overcrowding the pan (this will bring the oil temperature down)

Fry for about one minute on each side or until the breadcrumbs turn golden-brown in colour.

Transfer fried courgettes onto a dish lined with kitchen paper to allow excess oil to be absorbed.

If the slices are lined in layers, make sure you put a kitchen paper between every layer.

Baked in the oven method

Line large baking tray with a non stick baking parchment and place sliced bread courgettes on a tray, one next to each other, spray or drizzle with olive oil and bake in a preheat oven at 200 C static or equivalent for about 20 minutes or until golden-brown in colour.

Just a thought

I have shared here the basic recipe for crispy breaded courgettes, but if you wish to add additional flavour to the dish, you can add some fresh finely chopped flat leaf parsley in whisked egg and some grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese in breadcrumbs.

You can store crispy breaded courgettes in an airtight container in the fridge for about two days.

This dish is not suitable for freezing.

If you wish to prepare this courgette dish in advance, it is a good idea to store the uncooked and not fried breaded slices of courgettes in an airtight container in the fridge, and just before frying, “refresh” the breadcrumbs coating by covering the slices in breadcrumbs once again, this will give you a crunchy coating.

A vary tasty variation of this dish is using mushrooms or aubergines instead of courgettes.

Wine suggestion

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut - Nino Franco

Risotto Primavera Venetian inspired Recipe

This classic spring vegetable risotto, using any seasonal spring vegetables, must be one of the most loved and popular dishes for all generations. This risotto is rustic, simple, and filling, and represents a genuine plate of food that puts a smile on anyone's face with the array of colours on the plate offered by the vegetables.

It can be enjoyed as a first course meal, which is traditionally what it is in Italy, or as a main course with a nice salad on the side.

This vegetarian risotto really celebrates the new season of vegetables, it is light but full of freshness and flavour and it is very satisfying. You can vary the recipe using different vegetables and combinations according to what is in season, just mix and match the vegetables that are your top favourites, add a handful of fresh roughly chopped baby spinach or broad beans a few radishes for example.

My mother has made this risotto time and time again, it was a regular mid week meal, we knew we had risotto primavera but it would be slightly different every single time depending on the variety of vegetables she would find available in the season from the market or from my paternal grandfather's vegetable patch. 

Ingredients 

Serves 4 

• 300g risotto rice (like Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli) 

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

• 1 celery stick (about 30g), finely chopped 

• 1 medium courgette (about 113g), sliced or diced 

• 1 medium carrot (about 90g), peeled and sliced or diced 

• 1 medium onion (about 100g), peeled and finely chopped 

• green asparagus (about 100g), wash, trim off the wooden ends and finely slice the stalks leaving the tips whole 

• green beans (about 50g), sliced 

• fresh peas in pods (about 300g), remove the peas from the pods (can use frozen petits pois, about a handful) 

• 1 tomato (about 170g), roughly chopped 

• sea salt 

• fresh flat leaf parsley (about 4g), finely chopped 

• 1 litre hot vegetable or chicken broth or stock (you can use instant vegetable or chicken stock powder) or hot water 

• Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, finely grated for serving, optional 

Method 

Before starting making risotto have your boiling hot vegetable or chicken stock (or just hot water) ready to hand for later. 

Put extra virgin olive oil in a pan,  add finely chopped onions, carrots and celery and sauté for a few minutes on a gentle heat until cooked down and soft. 

Add all the other vegetables (except asparagus tips, if using).

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add the parsley, and cook on a gentle heat for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Add the rice and toast it for a few minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking to the bottom of a pan. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Pour or ladle ½ litre (500ml) of hot vegetable or chicken stock, or hot water. 

Cook until the first amount of liquid is absorbed then start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. 

Cook on a medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked al dente, meaning fully cooked but still a bit firm when bitten, it should roughly take between 15-18 minutes for a risotto to be cooked. 

Add the tips of the asparagus, if using, a few minutes before the end of cooking time. 

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt, but this might not be necessary since the stocks from the stores generally speaking contain salt already. 

Serve immediately while the risotto is still hot and a bit runny in consistency. 

Ladle the risotto onto the plates, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese and garnish with some roughly chopped fresh parsley. 

Just a thought 

For even creamier texture, you can finish cooking the asparagus risotto with a typical Italian mantecare phase. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add grated cheese and a bit of cold butter or cream to the risotto when is almost finished and stir with a wooden spoon quite vigorously in order to develop that delicious creamy texture.

Wine suggestion

Šataraš - Bell peppers, onions and tomato Balkan inspired stew with scrambled eggs Recipe

Šataraš (pronounced Satarash) is a stew like dish made with fresh bell peppers, ripe sweet tomatoes, onions, and scrambled eggs, it is similar to Shakshuka which has a sunny-side up eggs and makes a perfect main meal choice in the summer when the vegetables used for the dish are in full season. This dish is very well known in the Balkan regions but not so much to the rest of the world.

Eating šataraš just make you happy, and it feels like having a sunshine on a plate, as the addition of the eggs makes this dish colourful, extra flavourful and filling, it is also healthy and fresh.

This is one of my absolute favourite childhood dishes and if you like bell peppers this recipe is one of those you will come back to it time and time again as the recipe is very easy to make and the base can be cooked well in advance.

This dish is normally homemade and not found in the restaurants, it is typically served for lunch or dinner but it is also a great choice for breakfast or brunch.

Šataraš travelled from the neighbouring Balkans and stayed in Slovenian Istra, where it has been a very welcomed guest and has been enjoyed by the generations of locals in the area where gastronomy has been strongly shaped and enriched by the Balkan culinary traditions as well as Venetian and Austro-Hungarian.

I am sharing here my mother's recipe for šataraš with which she has delighted us during long hot summer months. If you do try it, then I think you will soon realize how delicious this dish truly is in its humble simplicity.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 bell peppers, a combination of yellow and green (each bell pepper weighing about 200g), wash, dry, remove the seeds and white filaments, and cut into strips (you can use more or less peppers according to your preference)

• 4 vine tomatoes (each weighing about 150g) or other types of sweet and ripe tomatoes, washed and roughly chopped (use more or less tomatoes according your liking)

• 1 onion (about 170g), peeled and finely sliced

• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 4 eggs

• sea salt

• black pepper

• fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped, for serving, optional

Method

Place extra virgin olive oil in a fairly large frying pan, add sliced onions, a pinch of sea salt and cook for about 10 minutes on a gentle heat until the onions become soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add strips of bell peppers and stir in with the onions. Cover with the lid (the steam will help to cook down and soften the peppers) and cook on a gentle heat for up to about 30 minutes.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add chopped tomatoes, cover with the lid, and cook on a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20-30 minutes, or until tomatoes are cooked down and soft.

If the mixture has too much liquid (this will depend on how watery the tomatoes you are using are) take the lid off and cook further for a few minutes or until all of the liquid evaporates.

View fullsize

View fullsize

In a small bowl crack the eggs, slightly whisk, add sea salt and pepper.

Pour the egg mixture over the pepper stew, mix and stir and cook until desired consistency.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Sprinkle with roughly chopped fresh parsley, optional, and serve immediately with plenty of rustic crunchy bread.

Just a thought

This dish is best served hot, equally delicious at room temperature.

You can prepare pepper, onion and tomato stew well in advance, keep it in a fridge in an airtight container for about 3 days, and pour the whisked eggs on a pepper base just before you want to complete the dish and ready to serve it.

The pepper stew (without the egg) is also great served with grilled and barbecued meats, a great base for a risotto or a pasta dish, and it can also be enjoyed with polenta or an egg frittata.

Pepper, onion and tomato base is suitable for freezing.

Wine suggestion

Salento Negroamaro Rosato IGT “Calafuria” 2021 - Tormaresca

Egg frittata with wild herbs Istrian Recipe

Egg frittata with wild herbs is a very simple and rustic dish, quick to make and a perfect recipe choice for an easy and uncomplicated midweek or weekend lunch, dinner, brunch or breakfast.

It is delicious when eaten hot, but equally very tasty at room temperature or cold, it can be made ahead, providing a great picnic solution, and frittata cut into small bite size pieces will make a brilliant finger food feeding larger groups served together with some drinks.

This humble frittata is a very traditional dish in the Slovenian Istra where I grew up, it is similar to an omelette, it is Italian in origin (Italian word frittata roughly translates to “fried”) and to me, is more than just a quick meal solution.

This type of frittata together with other two most common variations (frittata with dry sausage and frittata with wild asparagus and pancetta) represent a real speciality in Slovenian Istra which, due to close geographical proximity to Italy, made this dish very popular and is referred by locals as Fritaia de erbe, Fritaja, Fritata or Frtalja, Fritaia, and all of these words derive from the Venetian word fritaia, given Venice's domination of the region.

Both my paternal and maternal grandfathers loved all variations of frittata and would have them for merenda (a dialect word, from Italian meaning snack) indicating in the past a quite substantial late morning breakfast (a slightly less sophisticated version of a “modern” brunch) for pheasants, farmers, fishermen and workers. They all started work at dawn, so by mid morning, when they finished working, and before returning home for lunch, they were all quite hungry, and more than ready to have some food to replenish the energy. Nowadays, merenda indicates a light mid morning or mid afternoon snack, that can be savoury or sweet, and of course, children always push for a sweet option...

Both my grandfathers would pick up wild herbs (spring providing the widest range) when returning home from spending a morning working in their vegetable gardens, orchards or olive groves, in which case egg frittata with wild herbs would be prepared for lunch or dinner.

Wild herbs frittata and other types of frittata were for a long time considered a dish for only the poorest people, but thanks to new gastronomic traditions, they are very proudly back on the menus of many homes and restaurants, and given the true dignity they deserve. They are quick and cheap to prepare, have low caloric intake, and are abundant with nutrients from freshly picked herbs in the local area.

I am sharing here a very easy family recipe for this modest frittata. All you need to do is take a nice walk in the natural world around you - forests, meadows etc., and pick some seasonal wild herbs. What can be easier than that?

Well, if you are mainly in an urban area, you can skip the walk and use store bought baby spinach, wild rocket, some fresh basil and flat leaf parsley and you are ready to go...

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 100g-150g (about 4 full handfuls) fresh mixed wild herbs, washed and finely chopped

  In this recipe I used wild garlic leaves, wild fennel, stinging nettle, dandelion leaves, mint, chives, lemon balm, sage, marjoram, flat leaf parsley, basil.

  You can also use store bought baby spinach, wild rocket, any combination, proportion does not really matter as long as you have more or less the total amount of fresh herbs stated in the ingredients list.

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 8 medium sized eggs (in this recipe I calculated 2 eggs per person)

• sea salt

• black pepper

Method

Wash thoroughly fresh mixed herbs, dry them using a salad spinner, if you have one.

Finely chop the herbs and set aside.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk well, add sea salt and black pepper.

Add finely chopped herbs into a mixing bowl and mix well with the egg mixture.

Put extra virgin olive oil in a fairly large non stick frying pan (28cm or 30cm) and heat it up a bit.

Pour the egg and wild herbs mixture into a pan, cover with a lid (glass lid with steam hole works very well if you have it) and cook on a gentle heat.

The frittata is ready and cooked when the underside is set and the egg mixture on the surface no longer has “runny and raw” consistency.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Hold a plate upside-down over the pan and turn the two over together so that the frittata inverts on to the plate. Slide the frittata back into the pan and cook for a further minute or so.

Fresh herbs frittata can be eaten and enjoyed warm, room temperature or cold and will make a complete meal accompanied by some salad, fresh crunchy bread, soft cooked or grilled polenta and it also makes a great sandwich filler.

If you want to enjoy it Istrian style, pour yourself a small glass of red wine.

Just a thought

This type of frittata will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for about two days and is not suitable for freezing.

In this recipe, I have chosen to cook the frittata in a traditional way, on the stove with a lid, as my family has always used this method. However, if you are familiar cooking the frittata in the oven, and that is your preferred method, it is perfectly fine to do so.

Wine suggestion

Friuli Colli Orientali Ribolla Gialla DOC 2021 - Torre Rosazza

Pork risotto Venetian inspired Recipe

Pork risotto is a perfect recipe when you want to rustle up a quick meal, using only a few fresh simple ingredients. This risotto is easy and uncomplicated to make, and is a delicious, creamy, and very comforting meal. I would not be surprised if it becomes your all time favourite risotto recipe.

The actual name for this pork risotto is Risotto all'Isolana that originated, and is famous in the area of Isola della Scala, situated between Verona and Mantua, in the region of Veneto in Italy. This is where Vialone Nano (type of short grain risotto rice) is widely cultivated. The authentic recipe for this risotto includes the use of two types of meat, a combination of veal and pork, and ground cinnamon, and this is how it is also cooked and eaten in Venice.

In Slovenian Istra, however, where I grew up, and where numerous dishes were inspired from Venetian cooking, it should be no surprise that an Istrian variation of this risotto was created using only pork and omitting ground cinnamon, as this exotic spice was difficult to get hold of, and was out of reach for most locals, and only used to make desserts and puddings.

This type of risotto is a risotto of my childhood and is the one that my mother used to prepare very often, and here I am sharing her recipe.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400g pork shoulder steaks, trimmed off excessive fat and diced

• 300g risotto rice (like Arborio, Vialone Nano or Carnaroli)

• 1 medium onion (about 150g), peeled and finely chopped

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 litre of beef or other meat stock (home made or good quality store bought stock)

• few leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped

• one sprig of fresh rosemary, needles removed and finely chopped

• sea salt

• black pepper

• Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, finely grated, to serve (optional)

Method

Before starting making risotto have your boiling hot beef or other meat stock ready to hand for later.

Place in a pan extra virgin olive oil, finely chopped onions, crushed garlic and trimmed and diced pork shoulder steaks.

Add a pinch of salt, a bit of black pepper and gently fry on a fairly low heat until the onions become soft and translucent and the meat light brown in colour.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add finely chopped herbs and about 100ml of water. With a wooden spoon mix and scrap all the bits and pieces from the bottom of the pan, deglaze and cook further for a few minutes on a gentle heat until all the water evaporates.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Add risotto rice and toast briefly, stirring constantly to avoid sticking to the pan.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

Cook on a medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked al dente, meaning fully cooked but still a bit firm when bitten, it should roughly take between 15-18 minutes for a risotto to be cooked.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and black pepper, but this might not be necessary since the store bought stocks are, generally speaking, salty already.

Serve immediately while risotto is still hot and rather liquidy, smooth and runny or as the Italians would describe it, all'onda, meaning on the wave.

Ladle the risotto onto the plates and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese.

Just a thought

Pork risotto is not suitable for freezing.

Wine suggestion

Marca Trevigiana Raboso IGT 2018 - Gatti