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.

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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.

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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).

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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

Meat Patties Istrian Style Recipe

These comforting, satisfying and sinfully delicious meat patties are a real crowd pleaser; they are crunchy on the outside, moist, tender and juicy on the inside.

They have a rustic appearance and are made with minced beef and pork combined with stale pieces of bread previously soaked and softened in milk, and fresh parsley, marjoram, onions, garlic, sea salt and black pepper are added to flavour and season the meat mixture which is then shaped into patties and shallow fried.

These meat patties can be served as a starter or as a main meal, great as a sandwich filler and brilliant to take on picnics.

This recipe represents one of the most popular family dishes in Slovenia, made and enjoyed on a regular basis as a midweek meal or a weekend lunch or dinner and it is particularly loved by the children.

This is a staple dish along the coast of Slovenian Istra, it is called by the locals Polpete, a dialect word very clearly influenced by the neighbouring Italian Polpette, that have some regional variations from North to South of Italy (the meat mixture would almost always include some kind of grated cheese, Parmiggiano Reggiano and Grana Padano are the two types of cheeses most frequently used).

Istrian polpete distinguish themselves from other variations by using fresh or dry marjoram, a herb that very commonly grows and thrives along the Slovenian coast with its mild Mediterranean climate, and characterizes quite specifically many savoury dishes in Istrian cooking, offering distinctive flavour.

I am sharing here this simple but special recipe for this scrumptious meat polpete that have been made and enjoyed in my family for generations, as a child I could never had enough of them.

Some things in my family just never change...

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 250g minced beef

• 250g minced pork

• 2 soft white baps or some stale bread (roughly 130g)

• 150ml milk

• 1 Tbsp fresh marjoram, finely chopped (can use dry marjoram)

• a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 15g), finely chopped

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

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and pressed

• 1 medium egg

• sea salt

• black pepper

• white dry breadcrumbs for coating the patties (roughly 150-200g)

• oil for frying

Method

Cut or tear with your hands white baps (or any other type of stale bread you are using) into small pieces and put them into a bowl.

Pour over the milk, mix well and leave to soak for a few minutes until the bread is completely softened (if necessary, squeeze out gently with your hands excessive milk).

While the bread is soaking in milk, prepare the meat mixture.

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Put both minced beef and minced pork in a fairly large bowl. Add finely chopped onions, crushed garlic, finely chopped fresh parsley and marjoram, egg, generous pinch of sea salt, black pepper and softened pieces of bread.

With your hand mix very well all the ingredients, almost using a squeezing action, to thoroughly combine the mixture (if you end up with bigger bread pieces just break them with your fingers).

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Shape the mixture into patties (I ended up with thirteen meat patties).

Coat in breadcrumbs and press a bit so the breadcrumbs adhere well, shake off gently any excessive breadcrumbs.

Repeat the process until you have used all the meat patties.

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Pour the oil into a large frying pan, about 1 cm, enough to cover the bottom of the pan and heat it over a medium heat (how much oil you need will depend on how big your frying pan is).Cook breaded patties over a medium heat, turning once or twice, until crisp and golden brown.

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Transfer fried meat patties into a dish lined with kitchen paper to allow excess oil to be absorbed.

If the patties are lined in a layer, make sure you put a kitchen paper between each layer.

Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold with mashed or oven roasted potatoes, a side salad or a side vegetable dish of your choice.

Just a thought

You can store cooked patties in an airtight container in the fridge for about two days.

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

If you are not in a rush, it is a good idea to chill the meat mixture in the fridge for a bit, (about 30 minutes or more) this will make it easier to handle and to shape the patties.

Meat mixture or raw, uncooked breaded patties are suitable for freezing (safely defrost and refresh the breadcrumbs coating before shallow frying, this is done because the breadcrumb coating gets a bit wet and soggy when you defrost the patties).

Wine suggestion

Dolcetto d'Alba DOC "Barturot" 2021 - Ca' Viola

Easter Sweet Plaited Bread (Tičice) Istrian Recipe

This celebratory sweet bread is similar to Jewish Challah, and is very flavoursome, soft and fluffy. It is made with yeasted enriched dough, and is shaped into a plait (or braid), and decorated with hard boiled eggs. It is very popular and traditionally baked during Easter festivities in Slovenian and Croatian Istra, Dalmatia (in Croatia) and in neighbouring Trieste in Italy and its surrounding areas.

It is best eaten fresh straight away, on its own with tea, coffee, or sweet wine, or paired with, as is traditionally the case, with cooked ham, and a selection of cheeses or cold dry cured meats. It is equally very delicious toasted the following day with some butter or jam.

This traditional recipe for sweet bread can be distinguished from other recipes for sweet bread across Europe by the addition of dark rum or grappa in the dough for extra flavour, and by the quantity of eggs used. This makes the bread have a heavier and slightly denser texture and richer taste, but this also means that it also requires a longer proofing time.

The eggs in the bread have symbolic significance in Christianity. Eggs represent new birth, new life, and are a reminder of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. Traditionally, new converts to Christianity were baptised on Easter Sunday, representing their new birth in the faith, and new life in the Church. During the Middle Ages eggs were also a real treat to eat on Easter Sunday since they were forbidden during Lent, the 40 days of fasting before Easter.

Most of the time every household back home would bake two kinds of bread: the dough would be divided in half, and one kind is pinca bread, and is shaped like a regular round type of bread, but with cross-shaped incision on the top (representing Christ’s Crucifixion), and the other kind of bread, using the other half of the dough, is tičice, the braided variation with a hard boiled egg.

I am sharing here the recipe for this very traditional Easter sweet bread that has been made in my family for generations, it will make your holiday even more special!

Recipe

Method

This recipe will make 2 braided breads.

To make sweet bread plait, follow the recipe for basic sweet bread (pinca).

After the dough has risen and doubled in volume, remove it from the bowl.

Tip it onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough in half.

Divide one half of the dough into 3 equal parts (cover the other half of the dough with the tea towel to prevent it from drying).

Roll each piece of the dough into 3 logs.

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Join and pinch the ends of all 3 logs together to start shaping them into a braid.

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Pinch the opposite end of the braided dough together.

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Place it on a baking tray previously lined with baking parchment.

Repeat the process with the other half of the dough.

Decorate the plait with hard boiled eggs (you can use the eggs previously decorated and dyed, see my recipe how to decorate and dye the eggs, Easter Eggs Dyed with Onion Skins Recipe). Place hard boiled eggs at the end part of the braid, pressing down a bit, almost creating a little nest where the egg can sit.

Brush both plaits with the egg whites.

Allow braided loaf to rise in warm, draft free, room for about 1 hour.

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Bake in the preheated oven at 180C for about 30 minutes, tent it with the aluminium foil halfway through if the top starts browning too much.

Once baked, take from the oven.

Transfer on a cooling rack and let it cool a bit.

Best served fresh still a bit warm.

Just a thought

Best eaten freshly baked on the same day.

Store leftover sweet bread in an airtight container for up to three-four days.

You can toast the slices and enjoy them with butter, jam, peanut or almond butter or use it to make French toast or bread and butter pudding, delicious!

Wine suggestion

Fior d'arancio Colli Euganei Spumante Dolce DOCG 2021 - Alla Costiera

Easter Eggs Dyed with Onion Skins Recipe

The tradition and the roots of dyeing the eggs over the Easter Period of celebrations now might be linked by many to modern and commercial aspect of Easter, but as a matter of fact, it takes us back to the history of the celebration of these events. It is believed that the custom of dying or colouring Easter Eggs started with the early Christians in Mesopotamia.

The eggs were dyed in various colours to represent and symbolise different aspects of the Easter story, yellow represents the resurrection, blue represents love and red represents the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the Cross for the sins of the world.

This tradition would spread over time through Catholic and Protestant churches in Europe, even though in pagan cultures eggs were a symbol of rebirth and fertility, and the arrival of Spring. It is another example of the early Church adapting, transforming existing pagan rites, and rituals to the Christian story and its message for the world.

In Slovenian Istra, where I come from, and all the regions of Slovenia, dying eggs during the Easter festivities is a deeply rooted tradition and has passed, luckily, the tests of modern times; Christians and non-Christians can get involved with this fun and family friendly activity. One of the most popular and inexpensive way to colour the eggs is using onion skins.

I am sharing here how the eggs have been decorated with fresh herbs leaves and flowers and dyed with onion skins in my family for generations.

The beautifully decorated and dyed eggs would be put in a wicker basket together with cooked ham, sweet Easter Bread (Pinca) and taken to Mass on Holy Saturday or early on Easter Sunday to be blessed, and only after being blessed, the food was taken from the basket, shared and enjoyed.

Recipe

In this recipe I am using different types of leaves from fresh herbs to decorate the eggs before dying them. If you are short of time however, or not feeling up to the task, you can easily skip the step of decorating the eggs and just colour them, and they will be equally beautiful.

Ingredients

• 12 eggs at room temperature (white or brown shell eggs or a mixture of both). You can easily change the quantity of the eggs used according to your needs.

• big mixing bowl full of dry onion skins (from yellow or red onions or a mixture of both), roughly 3-4 handfuls

• 2 Tbsp white vinegar

• 1 egg white

• a selection of fresh herbs and flowers (from the garden or a meadow)

You will also need

• some old ladies’ nylon tights (quite thin,15 Denier or less)

• scissors

• cotton thread or thin string

• paint brush

• a big pot

• vegetable oil

Method

Cut the tights into 10-15cm wide strips (this size of the “pocket” should accommodate nicely the egg)

Lightly brush the inside of the herb leaf or flower with a paint brush dipped in egg white.

Gently place it on the egg, press it lightly to help it stick.

Brush the edges of the herb leaf or flower with the egg white so it adheres better to the egg (preventing the herb or flower moving around). Leave to dry just for a few minutes.

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Carry on with the process until you decorate all the eggs with herb leaves or flowers.

Place the decorated egg inside the tights strip, wrap it tightly around the egg, this will allow the decoration to stay in place and not move around (you will need to stretch it a bit and adjust the strip of tights).

Tie the end with a thread or a thin string, or stretch the tights pocket a bit and make a knot.

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Put half of the onion skins in the pot.

Place decorated and prepared eggs into a pot on top of the onion skins.

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Cover the eggs with the remaining onion skins.

Add cold water so the eggs are completely covered and submerged in water.

Pour two tablespoons of white vinegar.

Bring to boil.

Turn the heat down and gently simmer for about 30 minutes.

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Turn the heat off and leave the eggs to cool completely.

Allow the eggs to soak (check the eggs for desired colour).

You can leave the eggs to colour for about 4-6 hours, you can leave them to colour for longer or overnight (I leave mine overnight for practical reasons). The longer you leave them to soak, the darker they will get. You can also remove half of the eggs after a few hours and the rest of the eggs the following day (in this case you will end up with some eggs being lighter in colour compared to the ones that were left to soak for longer).

Remove the eggs form the pot.

Cut off the tights with the scissors, remove decorative herbs with the help of some kitchen paper.

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Dry the eggs with kitchen paper.

If desired, wipe gently the eggs with a bit of vegetable oil. This will give them a beautiful shine.

Display the eggs in the basket.

Sautéed Leeks Istrian Recipe

This dish is simple and rustic, and is made with humble leeks, a vegetable that is very often overlooked, but in this recipe they proudly take central stage, and take no time or trouble to cook.

Raw leeks are almost inedible but when cooked they become sweet, mellow, and taste delicious on i their own as a side dish or used as a base for risotti or soups. Sautéed leeks are also fantastic as a filling, together with some cheese, for a grilled sandwich.

Leeks are omnipresent at vegetable markets but they are at their best during the coldest months of the year, October through May, and better yet, they are packed with nutrients and antioxidants.

I am sharing here my mother's recipe for this incredibly easy way of cooking the leeks. This vegetable side dish would be on our dinner table quite often during colder month when perhaps the range of vegetables on offer to buy was slightly more limited compared to the variety you can find during warmer months of spring and summer.

Try to make it, you might start reaching out for this humble and inexpensive vegetable a bit more often, if you are not doing that already...

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a side dish

• 900g - 1kg leeks, cleaned and chopped or sliced

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 Tbsp butter

• sea salt

• black pepper

Method

Rinse the leeks under cold running water and pat dry with a paper or clean kitchen towel.

Place the leeks on a chopping board and with a sharp knife cut off the dark green leaf ends of the leek and the muddy tip of the roots (keep the green ends for the stock if you wish or discard).

Cut each leek in half from top to bottom and slice further into thin stripes.

Place sliced leeks into a colander and wash thoroughly under the cold running water. Leeks need a good cleaning before using, as dirt often gets stuck between the layers of leaves as they grow.

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Put the butter and the oil in a frying pan, heat it up a bit and allowing the butter to melt.

Transfer the leeks into a pan, add sea salt and black pepper .

Cook on a medium heat, stirring now and again, for about 10-15 minutes, or until the leeks are cooked to a desired consistency (some prefer them very soft and others quite crunchy with a bite).

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

Viennese Style Breaded Pork Escalopes Recipe

This dish from Vienna that has conquered the world is a total crowd pleaser, one of the most loved ones, and is an instant hit. It consists of dredging meat escalopes into a flour, then dipping them into whisked eggs, coating them in breadcrumbs and quickly shallow fried them until golden and crispy which makes them utterly scrumptious and irresistible.

Breaded meat escalopes are ideally eaten hot as soon as they are fried with some mashed potatoes, a seasonal salad, or Austrian style potato salad. They can also be served with boiled potatoes and some melted butter, and freshly chopped parsley, and a wedge of a lemon (optionally squeezed on escalope once fried). They are also incredibly delicious at the room temperature and offered as a part of a buffet, and they are also great used as as a filler in a sandwich (add a bit of fresh rocket salad and spread a slice of bread with a bit of mayonnaise, and you have a sandwich that is to die for).

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

This dish is typically found in the territories that once belonged to Austro-Hungarian Empire, including all the regions of Slovenia, where I come from, (referred to as Dunajski Zrezek or Pohani zrezek na dunajski način in standard Slovenian). This dish is so much adored that it is almost classed as a national dish. It is found on the menus in just about every restaurant and is prepared on a weekly basis in many households.

Breaded pork escalopes are also very strongly present among other imperial dishes in the neighbouring city of Trieste in Italy, and the surrounding areas where they are called by the locals Wiener Schnitzel (also spelled Wienerschnitzel, this is, however, a protected term by Austrian law and should be exclusively used when veal is used to make this dish). In the rest of the Italy this dish is known as Bistecca or Cotoletta alla Milanese, and this is where it could potentially get very confusing...

The origin of this gorgeous plate of food is very much disputed, it is believed that Wiener Schnitzel cames from Milan, in northern Italy, very close to Austria (it was part of the Habsburg Austrian Empire in the mid-nineteenth century). However, sometimes the credit for its creation goes to the Spaniards (Wiener Schnitzel was introduced by the Spanish Troops of Charles V to Vienna via Italy), and another fascinating theory suggests a Turkish origin of the dish.

I think I will not enter any more into this dispute regarding the origins of the best known speciality of Viennese cuisine, and one of the national dishes of Austria, and leave it to the expertise of culinary historians.

My mother has made this dish time and time again, the success and excitement are always guaranteed!

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 pork escalopes, each weighing roughly 130g (for this recipe you can use different types and cuts of meat, chicken or turkey breasts and lamb cutlets for example work well)

• all purpose (plain) flour, enough for coating about 100g

• 2 medium eggs, slightly beaten

• dry breadcrumbs, enough for coating, about 100g

• sea salt

• black pepper, optional

• 1 lemon, cut in 4 wedges, optional, for serving

• sunflower oil or other neutral tasting oil for frying

Method

Pound thoroughly the meat cutlets (not too thin) using the flat side of the meat mallet.

Season the meat on both sides with sea salt (and black pepper, optional).

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Prepare three dishes for flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.

Put the flour in a wide shallow bowl, dish or on a large 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 the slice of meat) and whisk lightly.

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

Start the breading process.

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

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

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

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

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Pour the oil into a large frying pan, about 1cm, enough to cover the bottom of the pan 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 meat slices, one or two at the time without overcrowding the pan.

Fry roughly for about 2 minute on each side or until the breadcrumbs turn golden-brown in colour.

Transfer fried escalopes into a dish lined with kitchen paper to allow excess oil to be absorbed.

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

Just a thought

I have shared here the basic recipe for breaded pork escalopes, but if you wish to take this recipe up a notch, you can add some fresh finely chopped flat leaf parsley in whisked egg and some grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese or some dried herbs of your choice in the breadcrumbs.

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

This dish is not suitable for freezing.

If you wish to prepare this dish in advance, it is a good idea to store the uncooked and not fried breaded slices of pork 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 that is vegetarian friendly is using mushrooms, aubergines or courgettes instead of the meaty element.

Wine suggestion

Etna Nerello Mascalese DOC "Passorosso" 2020 - Passopisciaro

Austrian Style Sweet Pull Apart Yeast Buns Recipe

These soft, fluffy and airy sweet yeast buns are filled with apricot jam and are simply irresistible. This baked treat is similar to a crown loaf, it breaks into 12 individual rolls which makes it perfect for sharing, and they transport very well to take on a picnic.

As soon as they are baked the outside is lightly golden and slightly crispy but the crust becomes soft when the buns cool down.

They can be enjoyed as a dessert and are perfect for breakfast, great with tea or coffee, and kids love them as a snack, any time of the day, with a glass of milk or hot chocolate.

They are Austrian in origin (Buchteln plural form and Buchtel singular) where they are very commonly served with the vanilla sauce. These sweet buns are unknown to many people, and because they are slightly off the beaten track, this makes them a bit of an undiscovered treasure. However, they are very popular in Slovenia which borders Austria, and was once part of Austro-Hungarian Empire.

I remember that these buns were baked in school for our mid morning snack, accompanied by a hot drink. The aroma of freshly baked buhteljni (this is what they are called in Slovenian) would travel through the corridors into the classrooms – disrupting at times our concentration! Indeed, just before the break we children would get so excited the teachers found it almost impossible to contain us.

Here I am sharing the recipe of my maternal grandmother, stara mama Iva, she baked them often on a regular basis, they went down as a real treat every single time, and she never seemed to bake enough of them...

Recipe

Ingredients

This recipe makes 12 buns

• 400g all purpose (plain) flour

• 40g butter, melted and slightly cooled

• pinch of sea salt

• finely grated lemon zest of one unwaxed lemon

• ½ Tsp vanilla extract

• 2 medium eggs, at room temperature

• 140ml semi-skimmed or full fat milk, lukewarm

• 60g caster sugar

• 5g (1 ½ Tsp) dry fast-action yeast

• apricot jam or a jam of your preference for the filling

For the glaze

• 40g melted unsalted butter for the brushing

For serving

• icing sugar or vanilla icing sugar for dusting

Method

Put the sifted flour in a large mixing bowl and add the sea salt to one side of the bowl.

Make a well, pour in lukewarm milk and add the yeast.

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In a separate smaller bowl, add the eggs and whisk them lightly. Add the sugar, melted and slightly cooled butter, and vanilla extract.

Pour the egg mixture to a big mixing bowl and add finely grated lemon zest.

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Stir the mixture with the fork first so all the ingredients come together, incorporate, and combine well to make a fairly sticky dough.

Tip the dough into a lightly floured working surface and knead by hand for about 10-15 minutes, adding a little extra flour if needed.

The dough should be very soft, shiny and elastic.

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Transfer the dough to a large lightly oiled container or bowl. Cover tightly with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about at least 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Form into a sausage and divide into 12 equal pieces.

Flatten them to the thickness of about 1cm to obtain mini pizza shaped discs. You can do this by using floured rolling pin or stretch the dough with your hands.

Put one teaspoon of apricot jam in the centre, on top of each circle, and close the ends well. Do not try to be overgenerous with the jam, if the filling gets on the edges of the disc, it is almost impossible to seal them because the dough will stop sticking. Wrap the dough around the filling, pinching and sealing it tightly You should end up with 12 parcels.

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Lightly grease a 23cm round, deep springform cake tin. You can use other shapes of baking trays, just make sure they are greased to prevent the buns from sticking.

Place the parcels, one next to each other, so they are snug and touching with the seam side down in a non stick baking tray. Melt the butter and brush the top and all the sides.

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Leave to proof for a second time, for about 30min, by covering them with a clean kitchen cloth in a warm room with no draft until they are nicely risen and puffed up.

Bake at 180º static in the preheated oven, on the middle shelf, for about 30minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

The buns should be lightly golden on top and well risen.

Leave in the tin for about 5 minutes, then release the sides of the tin.

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Remove and place the sweet buns to a wire rack to cool.

Dust the buns with regular or vanilla icing sugar and enjoy.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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

Carnival Sweet Crackers Istrian Recipe

These delicate, fragile, irresistible and crispy pastries are traditionally associated with Carnival (Pust in Slovenian), and they are super tasty, so light and flaky that they just simply melt in your mouth.

They have a deep connection with Christian, especially Catholic, liturgical festivities like the Carnival season, the time of the year in which eating in excess, and gastronomic indulgence was allowed by the Church before the start of fasting and austerity during Lent, culminating with the Easter celebrations.

To make this crumbly sweet dessert is very easy, sweet dough is rolled out very thinly, it then gets very quickly fried, and it is during the frying process that this wafer thin rectangles of pastry contort into the strangest shapes. When they cool down completely they get covered in a generous dusting of icing sugar to delight children and grown-ups alike.

Together with fritole and jam filled doughnuts they are a very common sight in the pastry shop windows offering to by-passers a very cheerful Carnival atmosphere.

There are many different names for these sweet wafer-like treats throughout Italy, bugie in Piedmont, frappe or sfrappole in Emilia, cenci and donzelle in Tuscany, chiacchiere and lattughe in Lombardy to name just a few.

It is believed that they originated in the region of Veneto, where they are known as Galani or Crostoli, although their origin is being disputed and other Italian regions have claimed the credit for them.

On the coastal part of Slovenian Istra, once being part of what was called, “The most Serene Republic of Venice,” these sinfully delicious and and fragrant little delights are almost a symbol of the Carnival season, and are called, and known by the locals as hroštole, hroštule or krhki flancati in standard Slovenian.

Traditionally, they are made in quite large quantities as they are meant to last for the whole period of Lent, you will find them in rectangular shapes, but the strips of dough can be cut in different shapes like diamonds or squares, you can cut thinner strips and make knots (bows) or create rafioi (or rafioji) folded like ravioli biscuits that use jam or preserve as a filling.

These sweet Carnival temptations have been part of my life. My nona used to make them every year in huge quantities, and I am sharing here her recipe, and her little secret, she adds a bit of single cream to the dough mixture...

Recipe

Ingredients

• 250g all purpose flour (white plain flour)

• 3 egg yolks (room temperature), lightly beaten

• 2 Tbsp milk

• 3 Tbsp dark rum or grappa (can use Marsala, brandy or similar)

• finely grated lemon zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

• 2Tbsp lemon juice

• 50g sugar (caster or granulated)

• pinch of sea salt

• vanilla icing sugar or plain icing sugar, for dusting, to serve

• oil for frying

Method

Sift the flour in a fairly large mixing bowl and add lightly beaten egg yolks, milk, rum or grappa, finely grated lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and a pinch of sea salt.

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Mix well with the fork to incorporate all the ingredients, then gather with your hands to form a fairly firm dough.

Adjust the wetness of the dough by either adding a little flour at the time if the dough is too wet, and on the contrary, gradually adding a bit of milk if the dough is too dry.

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Transfer the dough onto a working surface and work the pastry mix quite intensely for about 10-15 minutes. You should end up with a smooth and elastic dough that does not stick to your hands or the surface, it should be firm, bur fairly soft to the touch.

Shape it into a ball and wrap in cling film and leave it to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, ideally about 1 hour.

Divide the dough into smaller portions (about 150g).

If you have a pasta machine, this is the time to use it, alternatively a rolling pin will do the job just fine.

With the palm of your hand flatten slightly the first portion of the dough.

Sprinkle with a little bit of flour and roll it out with the pasta machine to the widest thickness.

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Fold the short sides of the sheet of dough towards the centre.

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Continue to roll the sheet of dough using an increasingly thinner setting on the pasta machine each time.

Stop rolling when you reach the last and the thinnest setting, and the dough sheet reaches the thickness of about 2mm.

Repeat the process with the remaining portions of the dough.

If you are using rolling pin, roll each portion of the dough to the thickness of a coin, roughly 2mm.

Using a knife or a pastry (cutting) wheel, cut the rolled sheets of dough into rectangles (about 5 x 10 or 2-inch x 4-inch).

Make a couple of incisions in the middle of each strip (parallel to the long side on each one).

This will help the sweet crackers to expand during frying.

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Strips of dough can be cut in different shapes, you can cut thinner strips and make knots (bows).

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You can also create rafioi (or rafioji) folded like ravioli biscuits (to make these, you do not want your pastry to be rolled out too thin). Cut out circles (size of your preference). Place a dab of jam or preserve of your choice in the centre of each circle, fold in half. Pinch well to close and fry.

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Heat the oil in a frying pan, bring it to the temperature of 170° C.

When the oil reaches the right temperature, place 2-3 (this will depend on the size of your frying pan) rectangles of the dough into the oil.

Fry them turning them on both sides until they are golden brown.

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With the help of slotted spoon or a skimmer remove the crackers.

Place them on a tray or a big plate previously lined with kitchen paper allowing to drain.

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Allow to cool completely, sprinkle with plenty of icing sugar.

Pile them in criss-cross layers on a plate and serve.

They are very fragile so be careful not to break them.

And be mindful of the fact that when you eat them you will be, almost inevitably, covered slightly in a bit of crumbs and icing sugar, is all part of the experience, it is Carnival after all!

Just a thought

These sweet Carnival crackers are best enjoyed as soon as they are made.

They can be stored for about 2-3 days in an airtight containers.

Istrian Pesto Recipe

This quintessentially Istrian Pesto, is a paste like mixture, made with cured pork fat or pancetta, garlic, fresh flat leaf parsley, and sea salt, it is used for adding extra flavour and aroma to the dishes, but equally delicious spread on a slice of fresh or toasted bread.

Istrian food and dishes are quite poor, born out of necessity, and were made from what was available and seasonal.

In the past, people of this land had to be very resourceful and creative with the ingredients they had, and think of ways to enrich poor peasant food, and they came up with ways to flavour what could potentially be bland tasting stews and soups. So, a taca or pest, as locals call it in dialect, was created.

Istrian pesto has very little in common with the Italian styles of pesto sauces used as condiments for pasta, except for the name pesto, which originates from the Italian word pestare (to pound or to crush).

My nona told me that taca (as she refers to it) was used instead of precious cuts of various meats, that would otherwise give the most wonderful taste, but was reserved for special occasions and most certainly not added to everyday meals. 

She went on to tell me that this Istrian paste was exclusively made in the households, done by hand using a very sharp knife with which you could cut this fairly soft cured slab of fat, made from the back fat of the pigs. These delicate slabs of fat were then cured in sea salt for a few months, and the fully cured piece of fat, which is predominantly whitish in colour has a hint of pink, and is rather “sweet” in flavour since fresh pig meat does not absorb salt.

There always has been a strong connection in the region, reminiscent in this country, to the rural life described in many of Thomas Hardy’s novels, to the kind of local culture that comes with a life of hard labour on the farms and fields. Farmers would eat the cured fat either for lunch or as a snack, it would be very thinly sliced on a piece of rustic bread and accompanied by fresh tomatoes, and by a bicerin (a dialect word of Italian origin, indicating a small glass) of red wine. This type of eating kept them strong and fit.My nona also explain to me that there have been times when families kept their own pigs, and nearly everyone in the region was curing the fat in their typical Istrian cellars, which provided the right temperature, and the level of the humidity for the optimum results of the curing process. I very clearly remember my grandfather (nono as I used to call him), curing the fat and hanging it on big metal hooks to dry.

This Istrain taca is not available in the food stores to buy, and these days it is very rarely made with home cured fat. This is why I am sharing here the family recipe for pešt, made with pancetta (as alternative to cured fat) to enrich your stews and soups.

Make sure you always add this flavoursome mixture into cold water at the very beginning of cooking, as the fat will gradually dissolve into the dish (without making it fat or greasy!) and it will eventually completely disappear.

When you add the paste to the cold water it will at first most probably float, do not worry since this is quite normal. You can just take a fork and break the lump of paste pressing it against the wall of the pan until you break it completely and give a good stir.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 100g pancetta or cured lard in one piece (can use already sliced pancetta)

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed 

• a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 7g), finely chopped 

• sea salt

• black pepper

Method

Cut the pancetta into small pieces.

Transfer into a small food processor, add crushed garlic, finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, and a pinch of sea salt.

Blitz all the ingredients together until you obtain a paste like consistency. 

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Enjoy spread on a slice of fresh or toasted bread, or add to dishes to enrich the flavour.

Ricotta or Curd Cheese Strudel Recipe

Ricotta cheese strudel is a variation of a traditional, well known and quintessentially Viennese Apple Strudel, it is a very scrumptious dessert, made with very thin, elastic pastry, and the filling contains ricotta or curd cheese, sugar, vanilla bean extract, eggs yolks, grated lemon zest and raisins soaked in dark rum, grappa or just lukewarm water.

Apple strudel was first mentioned in 1696, and later conquered all the countries that were once ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and curd cheese strudel is as popular and traditional in Austria as the famous Apple strudel.

All three types of strudels (apple, curd cheese and cherry) are very much loved in the North Adriatic, in Slovenian Istra, where I come from, and in the neighbouring city of Trieste, in Italy, and part of its province.

Ricotta strudel is regularly and traditionally baked with curd cheese (called skuta in Slovenian) in local households, and sometimes, if you are lucky enough, you might find it in more informal family run restaurants (skutin štrudelj or skutin zavitek).

This very delicious sweet treat really takes me back to my childhood, not only my mother frequently baked it, we also had it for school dinner as a pudding, and it did go down a treat.

I am sharing here my mother's recipe for ricotta strudel, this slightly off the beaten track recipe, made with home made pastry, but if you are too daunted by the idea of making your own dough, or simply do not have time to make it, you can still indulge yourself, and cut corners a bit by using store bought ready made pastry.

Recipe

Ingredients

Will make two separate strudels.

You can use store bought ready made puff pastry, shortcrust or filo pastry.

Ingredients for home-made strudel dough

• 250g all purpose flour

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 3 Tbsp neutral tasting vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)

• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice

• sea salt, a pinch

• 60ml lukewarm water, or as needed

Ingredients for ricotta or curd cheese filling

• 500g ricotta or curd cheese

• 100g raisins

• 2 egg yolks

• 80g caster sugar (I recommend 100g of sugar if using curd cheese as more acidic compared to ricotta)

• 1 ½ vanilla bean extract

• 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest

• 3 Tbsp dark rum, grappa or lukewarm water (for soaking the raisins)

• generous knob of butter, melted (for brushing the strudels before baking them)

Method

Before starting with the recipe, place the raisins in a small bowl, pour dark rum, grappa or lukewarm water over them, and let them soak and plump up for about 30 minutes (you can leave them to soak for longer or overnight).

To make the dough

Sift the flour in a big mixing bowl and make a well.

In a separate, smaller bowl, mix slightly beaten egg, oil, vinegar or lemon juice, (the acidity will help to relax gluten in the flour making the dough more stretchy) a pinch of sea salt, and lukewarm water. Pour the mixture into a flour well.

With the fork, stir the mixture with the flour until well combined. Only if the mixture is very wet and sticky, add a little bit of flour at a time, until the dough comes nicely together, then work the dough with your hands.

Transfer the dough on a lightly floured working surface and knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until nice and smooth.

After this time, the dough should be moist and elastic and not sticky. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky to knead.

In order to further encourage the development of the gluten, resulting in a very elastic dough, slam the dough onto the working surface a few times.

Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a clean bowl, previously brushed with oil.

Cover the bowl with cling film and let the dough rest for about 30-60 minutes at room temperature (strudel dough has no yeast, so do not expect the dough to rise or double in size, it needs to rest for gluten to relax).

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To make the filling

Place ricotta or curd cheese in a fairly large bowl and stir.

Add caster sugar, vanilla bean extract, egg yolks, grated lemon zest and mix well all the ingredients.

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Drain the raisins, remove excess liquid, add to the mixture.

Set aside for later use.

Preheat the oven to 190C static or equivalent.

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Divide the dough in half to make two separate strudels (easier to work with).

Place half of the dough on a clean and lightly floured table cloth. Flour the rolling pin and start rolling out the dough. While rolling, to prevent sticking, flour the dough and the surface every now and then.

When the dough reaches about 20 cm in diameter pick it up and keep stretching it. The best way to do so is to use the back of your hands, and in particular the knuckles, but make sure you remove any sharp jewellery first.

When the dough becomes difficult to handle as it becomes bigger and thinner, place it on a lightly floured tablecloth.

With your hands (tip of the fingers) keep stretching gently the dough on the tablecloth to paper thin consistency, from the inside to the outside working your way round the sheet of dough.Keep stretching until the sheet of dough starts to look almost translucent and you will be able to see a pattern of your tablecloth through it.You should end up with a thin sheet of dough stretched more or less into a rectangular shape with a diameter of approximately 40 cm which will fit into a standard 40 cm baking tray.

If you notice that the edges are still a bit thick, stretch them further very gently, or cut them off. If you leave the edges thick, when rolling the strudel, they will form quite a thick layer at the very centre of the strudel risking to remain slightly underbaked.

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Place and spoon evenly half of the ricotta mixture (you will use the other half of the mixture to make a second strudel) over ¾ of the dough sheet leaving about 2-3cm to the edge.

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Fold in the side ends of the sheet to prevent filling coming out during rolling.

Fold in the side ends of the sheet to prevent filling coming out during rolling.

Using the tablecloth to help you, roll the dough all the way and roll it directly onto a sheet of baking parchment, seam side down.Transfer very gently the baking parchment with the rolled strudel on a baking tray.

Repeat the process with the other half of the dough to make a second strudel.

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Brush both strudels with a bit of melted butter.

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Bake in the preheated oven on the middle shelf for about 40-45 minutes, or until the strudel crust turns nice golden in colour.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool a bit.

Serve it slightly warm or at room temperature.

Dust with regular icing sugar or vanilla icing sugar, cut into slices and serve it on its own or with custard.

Just a thought

You can make the strudel dough ahead and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days. Before using the dough take it out of the fridge allowing it to come to a room temperature.

Ricotta strudel is best eaten the day is made. You can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or overnight on the counter.

You can make a less traditional version of this strudel and replace raisins for chocolate chips in the ricotta filling.

Wine suggestion

Colli Orientali del Friuli Verduzzo Sottozona Cialla DOC “Verduzzo di Cialla” 2017 - Ronchi di Cialla

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Peas with Ham Istrian Recipe

This mouthwatering recipe for peas with ham is easy, uncomplicated and super fast to prepare, as it can be made in no time at all, with fresh or frozen peas.

With this Italian style dish, referred as Piselli con prosciutto cotto, you might win over the most reluctant vegetable eaters.

It can be served as a side dish or as a main with boiled, oven roasted or mashed potatoes, fried or hard boiled eggs, a salad, or simply with plenty of fresh, crunchy rustic bread.

My mother used to make peas with ham very often when I was little, as this vegetable dish is particularly appetizing for small children because of the “sweetness” of the peas and cooked ham.

I am sharing here her recipe with which you can delight all generations around the dinner table with this fresh and very pleasant dish.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 shallots or onions (about 75g), peeled and finely chopped

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 500g fresh or frozen petits pois, defrosted (can use garden peas)

• 150g thick slice of cooked or roasted ham, diced

• 200ml vegetable, chicken stock or water

• handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 7g), finely chopped

• sea salt

• black pepper

Method

Place the oil in a frying or sauce pan, add the onion, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.

Cook for a few minutes on a gentle heat until soft and translucent.

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Add the peas, stock or water, and cubed ham.

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Simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes until the peas are tender and almost all of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir in fresh chopped parsley, adjust the seasoning, and serve hot immediately.

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Just a thought

For this dish you can use pancetta, bacon or lardons instead of cooked or roasted ham, in which case you sauté the meaty element together with the onions first and then follow the other steps of the recipe.

Sliced Fennel and Rocket Salad with Olive Oil and Lemon Dressing Istrian Recipe

This simple and fresh salad makes a full-flavoured side dish and will sit nicely along side any main course. It is quick and easy to make, all you need is a few fennel bulbs, rocket leaves and uncomplicated olive oil and lemon dressing. It can also be enjoyed as a main salad if you are looking for a nutritious and light meal recipe.

Raw fennel can be quite fibrous, but when sliced very thinly and mixed with some salad leaves it really makes a wonderful salad.

Wild rocket has been used as a culinary herb since Roman times, and this peppery leaves was a little known weed.

Fennel and wild rocket salad has been popular along the coast of Slovenian Istria, where I come from, long before wild rocket became “fashionable” and mass produced for the supermarkets and food stores.

Along the Slovenian coast and inland Istria wild rocket grows naturally on the fields and other areas with dry and poor soil (close to typical Istrian dry stone walls), and has been foraged by the locals since – well, since forever, and they mixed wild rocket leaves with other types of salad leaves to make a variety of different salads. My 96 year old nona remembers very vividly picking it.

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I am sharing here this traditional and unpretentious shaved fennel and rocket leaves salad recipe that will bring freshness to your dinner table, and for extra flavour and a bit of crunchy texture you can top this salad with walnut kernels or lightly toasted pine nuts.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 2 fennel bulbs

• pack of rocket leaves (about 60-100g)

• juice of ½ of lemon, or to taste

• extra virgin olive oil, a drizzle, or to taste

• sea salt

• a handful of walnut kernels, optional

Method

Wash fennel bulbs under cold running water and dry them with kitchen paper or kitchen towel.

Place the bulbs on the chopping board and cut off the hard hollow stalks from the bulb which are quite tough and very fibrous.

Cut the feathery fronds from the stalks if you are using them for this dish for adding extra flavour and garnish.

Trim off a thin layer of the root end of the bulb (the base of the fennel bulb).

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Thinly slice the bulb using a sharp knife or ideally mandoline slicer, if you have one.

Transfer the fennel slices into a big salad bowl and add rocket leaves.

Season with sea salt, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

Toss together, taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Sprinkle and scatter a few walnut kernels and fennel fronds, if using.

Serve immediately directly from a salad bowl or pile onto plates.

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.

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

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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.

Meatloaf with Hard Boiled Eggs and Oven Baked Potatoes Istrian Recipe

Meatloaf with hard boiled eggs is a real crowd pleaser.  It is moist, tender, satisfying, and comforting, and when eaten hot, it will warm you up body and soul. It is equally delicious cold, and it makes a fantastic starter. Slices of leftover meatloaf are a great sandwich filler, and it is also brilliant to take on picnics, as it transports very well. 

This dish is made with minced beef and pork combined with stale pieces of bread previously softened in milk, fresh parsley, marjoram, onions, garlic, salt and pepper, it is then shaped in a log and cooked. It has a rustic appearance from the outside but when you cut through it, it looks quite elegant and sophisticated, presenting itself quite cheffy, elaborate and complicated to make, but this meatloaf dish could not be easier to prepare. 

Nowadays, this dish might be considered and perceived to be a regular family midweek meal, or a weekend dinner, but this was not always the case. In fact, my nona  told me that in Slovenian Istra, meatloaf stuffed with hard boiled eggs was exclusively reserved for festivities and to celebrate special occasions. To make it extra special finely chopped pancetta would be added to the meat mix and it could also be baked wrapped inside bread dough, almost resembling Beef Wellington. Another way of cooking the meatloaf is wrapping it in a cloth and boiling it in plenty of simmering water. 

This dish is called Polpeton by the locals, a dialect word clearly influenced by the neighbouring Italian Polpettone, which has numerous regional variations from North to South of Italy. 

Regardless of what it is called, Polpettone in Italian, or Polpeton in Istrian , they both showcase a very humble but creative way of using stale bread or breadcrumbs, the latter one, once again, being home made from old bread. 

The Istrian meatloaf distinguishes itself from the others by adding fresh or dry marjoram, a herb very commonly grown along the Slovenian coast, and characterizes quite specifically many savoury dishes in Istrian cooking, offering distinctive flavour. 

I am sharing here my nona's recipe for this delicious meat loaf which is traditionally served and enjoyed with sone oven roasted potatoes, a selection of vegetables and a side salad. 

This is easier to make than it looks, give it a go, it will become one of your favourite recipes for meatloaves, and you will be asked to share the recipe by your family and friends. 

Recipe 

Ingredients 

Serves 4-6 

• 250g minced beef 

• 250g minced pork 

• 2 soft white baps or some stale bread (roughly 120g) 

• 150ml milk

• 1 Tbsp marjoram (fresh or dry), finely chopped 

• a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 12g), finely chopped 

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

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and pressed 

• 1 egg, slightly beaten 

• 4 eggs, hard boiled and peeled 

• sea salt 

• black pepper 

Oven baked potatoes (optional) 

• 500g potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes 

• extra virgin olive oil, generous drizzle 

• sea salt, to taste 

• black pepper, to taste 

Method 

Preheat the oven to 180C or equivalent. 

Cut or tear with your hands white baps (or any other type of stale bread you are using) into small pieces and put them into a bowl. Pour over the milk, mix well and leave to soak for a few minutes until the bread is completely softened (if necessary squeeze out gently with your hands excessive milk). 

While the bread is soaking in milk, prepare the meat mixture. 

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Put both minced beef and minced pork in a fairly large bowl. Add finely chopped onions, crashed garlic, finely chopped fresh parsley and marjoram, lightly beaten egg, generous pinch of sea salt, black pepper and softened pieces of bread.    

With your hand mix very well all the ingredients, almost using a squeezing action, to thoroughly combine the mixture (if you end up with bigger bread pieces just break them with your fingers). 

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Transfer the meat mixture onto a large sheet of baking parchment (roughly the size of your baking tray) and flatten it with your hands into an approximate 30x25cm (12 x 10 inch) rectangle. 

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Place 4 whole hard boiled eggs in a row, along the centre and form the meatloaf around the eggs using the baking parchment.

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Press it gently to seal any seams, and tuck well the edges. 

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Transfer the meat loaf, seam side down (together with the baking parchment) on to a baking tray. 

Place cubed potatoes around the meatloaf, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. With your hands arrange them in a single layer and mix and toss so all the cubed potatoes are evenly coated in olive oil and the seasoning. 

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Bake at180C static or equivalent for 60 minutes. 

Halfway through baking, check the colour of the meatloaf, if it is browning too much, tent it with some aluminium foil to prevent it from browning too much and starting to burn. 

When baked, cover the meat loaf with the aluminium foil to keep it warm and allow it to rest for a bit before slicing it. 

Just a thought 

Meatloaf will keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about 3-4 days. Best reheat it in a microwave, covered. 

Before baking the meatloaf you can “dress it up” by topping it with overlapping slices of pancetta giving it that additional festive look and flavour. 

Wine suggestion

Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG 2021 - Poliziano

Dried Fig and Walnut Bread Istrian Recipe

This rustic, rich and dense loaf filled with dried figs and walnuts, will be a fantastic addition to your cheese platter, it is delicious toasted and buttered for breakfast, makes a nice foodie gift, and it is a great snack. Dried figs give a light sweetness to the bread while the walnuts add a very pleasant crunchy texture. If you are intimidated by bread making, I can assure you, this a foolproof recipe, there is nothing complicated about it!

My 96 year old nona told me that in Slovenian Istra, when she was small, the children were given a slice of this bread as a snack for a special treat. The locals call it in the dialect Pan de Fighi, and it was bought in bakeries, and not usually baked in the household, as one might think. Ripe fresh figs, when in full season at the end of the summer were sold in the Farmer's market which provided an extra income for the family.

Nowadays in Slovenian Istra, this bread is not commonly found in bakeries and supermarkets.

I am sharing here my nona's recipe for this super delicious, enriched, special bread.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 500g white all purpose (plain) flour, plus extra for dusting and coating

• 30g caster sugar

• 10g (2Tsp) instant dried yeast

• 260ml lukewarm milk or water (or half and half)

• 60g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 1 Tsp sea salt

• 150g dried figs, roughly chopped

• 100g walnut kernels, roughly chopped

Method

With the knife roughly chop the walnuts.

Remove the hard stem from the figs, if there are any, and chop into smaller pieces.

Place the flour, sugar, yeast, milk (water or half and half) and butter in a large bowl. Stir with a fork or a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients then bring together with your hands.

Tip onto a lightly floured work surface, add sea salt and knead for about 10 minutes, pulling and stretching the dough, until it becomes smooth, elastic, and no longer sticks to your fingers or the surface.

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Roll the dough, or press out to flatten slightly into a roughly rectangular or oval shape.

Top with chopped figs and walnuts.

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Knead back into the dough.

Place the dough in a slightly oiled big bowl, cover with cling film (I use plastic shower cap) and leave it to rest in a warm, draught-free room for about 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size.

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Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knock the air out and shape it into a loaf, oval shape.

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Put the loaf onto a baking tray, previously lined with baking parchment, cover with clean tea towel and leave to rest and prove for further 30 minutes, or until risen slightly.

Preheat the oven to 180C static or equivalent.

Sprinkle the top with a little extra flour.

Using a very sharp knife, make a shallow cut along the length of the loaf.

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Bake for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown in colour.

If it browning too much tent the loaf with some aluminium foil.

When baked, the loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the base.

Almond Brittle Istrian Recipe

This crunchy brittle, packed with delicious roasted almonds, is a classic festive sweet treat, and together with candied almonds, are a very common sight at Christmas markets.

Handcrafted almond brittle is a very old recipe, very easy to make, using just a few basic ingredients, and it can make a lovely homemade gift for your foodie friends and family. Small brittle pieces can be served with coffee at the end of a meal, and it is great for topping the desserts since it makes them a little bit extra special.

Almond brittle is worth having in a pantry during a holiday season together with some good quality vanilla ice cream or gelato. Just put some brittle in a food processor and pulse it to the desired consistency. Sprinkle and scatter over the ice cream, and this humble and rustic brittle will turn your ice cream into a very elegant and festive dessert.

The coast of Slovenian Istra, where I come from, is blessed with a Mediterranean climate that allows almond trees to thrive and they are commonly found in people's gardens.

Almonds get harvested in autumn, then stored and used during winter month and especially during the holiday season. In fact, my 96 year old nona tod me that when she was a child, almond brittle and sugar coated almonds were a very special treats children were given during the festive season, in particular on Christmas Eve and on Christmas day.

I am sharing here a basic and most traditional recipe for almond brittle, how my nona's mother used to make, just using sugar and a bit of lemon juice.

Like most of the traditional recipes, this one has many variations, and you can “modernize” it and give a little twist, by adding ground cinnamon, orange juice instead of lemon juice, lemon or orange zest and a bit of honey.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 250g peeled or unpeeled almonds or a mixture of both (you can use any other type of nuts you like or a combination of them according to your preference)

• 250g caster sugar

• 1Tbsp lemon juice

• 2Tbsp water

Method

Before you start with the recipe I suggest you have all the ingredients and the tools ready. Once the sugar mixture turns into a caramel, you need to be very fast as the caramel hardens quite quickly and becomes difficult to work with.

Toast the nuts first for a few minutes either in a non stick frying pan or in the oven at 160C static or equivalent for about 10 minutes, by arranging the nuts in a single layer on a baking tray.

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When lightly toasted, cool the nuts down a bit and set aside.

While the nuts are toasting prepare the surface where you are going to transfer your caramel almond mixture later on.

Brush with oil either a marble slab (marble kitchen top) or a piece of parchment paper.

Put the caster sugar, lemon juice and water in a non stick pan. Let the sugar melt into a syrup, do not stir, but you can give the pot a very gentle shake once the sugar starts to melt. When it reaches the amber colour (light golden brown) your caramel is ready.

For the following stage you need to work fast, as the caramel cools down very quickly and therefore hardens.

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Add the nuts to the caramel, stir and mix quickly so all the nuts are well coated.As soon as the nuts are fully coated, remove immediately from the heat, this process should be fairly fast. Do not leave on the stove for too long, to the point of the sugar getting too dark, burning it could potentially result in a slight bitter aftertaste when eating the brittle.

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Tip the coated nuts either on a lightly oiled marble work top (if you have it), non stick baking tray or on an oiled sheet of baking parchment.

Level and compact the brittle with oiled back of a ladle, big serving spoon or similar.

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Let it cool a bit and then cut or break into pieces.

Just a thought

You can prepare almond brittle days in advance and keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark and dry place. You can place layers of baking parchment between the brittle to avoid sticking.

To clean the pan with the solidified caramel, just add the water and bring to boil, the sugar will just simply melt in no time.

Stuffed Squid Istrian Recipe

Stuffed squid is a light and delicate fish based dish packed full of flavour, with simple ingredients being used for the stuffing mixture to maximise the scent and flavour of the squid.

This is a very tasty seafood recipe, perfect for any occasion and any season, and makes a fantastic centrepiece, you will surely impress your family and friends.

Works for both rustic style eating or slightly more formal and elegant dining, whether for big parties or small groups alike.

Squid is a highly popular ingredient in Istrian cooking, it is used to make rosotti, fish soups and stews, grilled and deep fried squid are very much loved.

Stuffed squid represents one of the most quintessentially Istrian seafood based dishes, it is made in the households, maybe not perhaps as your average mid week supper but prepared during the weekends or festivities or to mark a special occasion. Along the Slovenian coast stuffed squid would be traditionally briefly cooked in white busara sauce (simple sauce made with olive oil, hint of garlic, white wine and fresh parsley), as supposed to the red busara sauce variation where tomato element is added to the basic white busara sauce.

This is the dish that would be prepared and cooked instead of a meat roast, and also commonly found on the menus in the restaurants (polnjeni kalamari or nadevani lignji, calamari ripien).

Stuffed squid has been very much loved in the family, my father especially adored cooking this dish, and here I am sharing his recipe, serve this dish to your guests and and you will most certainly not fail to impress.

Recipe

Ingredients

• about 1 kg fresh medium size squid

  (the sacks of the squid should be long between 13-15cm, if they are too short and small you will find it a bit tricky to fill, very big squid not particularly suitable for this recipe), bodies and tentacles separated, if using frozen squid, defrost first

• about 80g dry breadcrumbs

• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus some extra

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

• small handful (about 3g) fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus some extra for the sauce

• 50ml white wine, optional

• sea salt

• black pepper

Method

Clean and prepare the fresh squid and separate the tentacles. When cleaning the squid be careful not to damage the pockets (sacks), as the filling might come out during the cooking process.

If uncomfortable tackling this task, your fishmonger will be happy to do it for you.

Tap dry cleaned squid pockets with kitchen paper.

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Start by making the stuffing.

Place the oil in a large non stick frying pan. Weight the squid tentacles, then chop quite finely and add to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, add white wine if using, and cook further until all the wine evaporates.

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Turn off the heat and add an equal wight of breadcrumbs.

Add finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, crushed garlic and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well so all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning, set aside.

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Stuff the squid sacks with the mixture, using the teaspoon, not too full, or they can potentially burst during the cooking.

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Close the openings of the sacks with cocktail sticks (toothpick).

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Use the same non stick large frying pan and pour a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Gently fry stuffed squid in batches, if making large quantity, (do not overcrowd the pan) for about a minute or so on each side until they start to colour.

If you have leftover stuffing mixture, add it to the pan.

Add a touch of water, cover with the lid (ideally a lid with a steam whole) and cook on a gentle heat for about 20 minutes.

Move them around gently, now and gain, taking care not to break them.

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During the cooking a small amount of the filling will come out and become part of a delicious sauce that should not be too thick nor to watery.

If your sauce is too watery, cook for a short while until the sauce thickens to your desire, if on the other hand you think the sauce is too thick for your liking, just dilute a bit by adding a splash of water.

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When the squid is cooked , remove the cocktail sticks (toothpicks).

Sprinkle with some extra roughly chopped parsley and serve hot with some fresh crunchy rustic bread, toasted bread, bruschetta or soft cooked or grilled yellow or white polenta.

Just a thought

You can add a bit of freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese to the breadcrumb mixture.

Sometimes when you buy frozen squid, they come with no tentacles. In this case you can replace the tentacles for the filling with 1-2 thin slices of finely chopped Prosciuutto crudo (Italian dry ham). Be mindful of the seasoning as the prosciutto crudo is quite salty.

It is quite common also to use parboiled white rice (cooked al dente) instead of dry breadcrumbs to make the filling, and you can also substitute bread crumbs with some old and stale bread (no crust) soaked in a bit of water, squeeze well to remove the excess, 1 lightly beaten egg.

This dish is best eaten fresh, when just cooked, but can be stored in a fridge for a day or two at most, in an airtight container, and it is not really suitable for freezing.

If you do want to be ahead of time you can clean the squid and make the filling a day before and store them overnight in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with cling film.

You can add some chopped tomatoes to the white busara sauce if you prefer red busara sauce variation.

Wine suggestion

Collio Friulano DOC 2019 - Borgo del Tiglio

Vanillekipferl – Austrian Vanilla Crescent Biscuits Recipe

Vanillekipferl are one of the favourite, and by far the most famous Christmas shortbread biscuits that just melt in your mouth. They are delicately crumbly, buttery, generously and luxuriously coated in vanilla flavoured icing sugar which makes them seriously delicious and are a fantastic addition to any biscuit platter during the holiday season.

There is a reason why some recipes come into fashion and then go out of fashion, and why other ones get passed on through the generations. The recipe for Vannilkipfel most defiantly falls into a latter category, and that is why they have been baked in my family for generations, and this is also the reason I make them every Christmas, and not only then!

This biscuits have been popular in most of central and Eastern European countries, where they are also easily found in bigger supermarkets, but nothing can compare to when they are homemade. They originated in Vienna, Austria, and it is believed that they were created about 400 years ago, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire celebrated its victory over the Ottoman Turks. Apparently, the locals created this pastry in the shape of crescent moon (kipferl) as seen on the Turkish banner. Austrians have created quite a variety of crescent shaped goodies, being sweet or savoury, like potato gnocchi crescents.

For me, they bring back wonderful memories during the festive period. My maternal grandmother would make a seriously big amount of them. I very vividly remember her making them ahead for the Christmas season and storing them on the small kitchen table in a long hallway, that was not heated (which led to the toilet). Somehow, we children increased the frequency of needing the toilet, and the pile of the biscuits would slowly go down. My grandmother never said anything, in fact, she got great pleasure knowing that we loved her baking, and this is what baking and cooking for others can do. It can create pleasure and memories that sometimes stay with you forever. Well, this type of festive biscuits certainly did just this for me.

These days, in order to make these biscuits, you just go to the food store and buy already milled walnuts and almonds (the most frequently used nuts for this recipe) but this was not quite the case when I was little.

Making Vanillekipferl was a huge deal, my paternal grandparents had a very big walnut and almond tree in the front garden, they had to harvest the nuts in the Autumn, dry them, clean them, crack the shells and remove the kernels, then mill them with mouli grater - quite a job I would say, no wonder they were so special and appreciated!

I am sharing here my maternal grandmother Iva's recipe for these heavenly delicious festive biscuits. If you try to make them this festive season, I will not be surprised if you will continue to pull the recipe out every holiday or Christmas season from now on. I am baking them every year and making sure the traditions stays alive...

Recipe

Ingredients

• 250g plain white flour, sifted

• 200g unsalted butter, very cold or frozen

• 80g caster sugar

• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

• 120g ground walnuts (hazelnut or almonds or any combination you like)

• pinch of sea salt

• 1 ½ Tsp vanilla extract

• vanilla flavoured icing sugar

Method

Put the walnuts into a small food processor or mini food chopper and pulse until finely ground. (the texture is really up to your liking, you can pulse and mix the nuts to a finely ground consistency, or leave them to be more coarsely grounded, I prefer the latter). You can also use store bought already ground almond flour.

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Put the sifted flour into a food processor or a mixing bowl. Add cold butter cut into small pieces or coarsely grate it, if using frozen butter.

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If using a food processor, pulse and mix, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Alternatively, if not using a food processor, rub in the butter together with four fingertips.

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Add caster sugar, lightly beaten egg yolks, vanilla extract, ground walnuts and a pinch of sea salt. Stir with the fork first to combine all the ingredients and allow them to bind together.

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Knead lightly until the mixture forms a smooth dough. You can do this in a bowl or transfer onto a working surface.

Wrap the dough in a cling film, put it in a fridge and let it chill and rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C static or equivalent.

Cut the chilled dough into quarters. Take one quarter and wrap the rest of the dough in cling film and put it back in the fridge, so the dough stays nice and cold.

Pinch a small piece of the dough, roughly the size of a small walnut (if you want to weight, 14g will give you biscuits that are not too small nor too big)

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Roll each piece of pastry into a small strip (sausage) and twist it into a crescent or horse shoe shape. Do not use any flour on the working surface when rolling and shaping the crescents (if the dough is quite wet and sticky use tiny amounts of flour).

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Arrange crescents on a baking sheet or tray previously lined with baking parchment (do not grease or flour the baking sheet) leaving some space apart, as they will rise a bit during the baking.

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Bake until lightly golden in colour, about 15 minutes.

Leave them on the tray for about a minute or so, and let them cool ever so slightly, but you want the biscuits to be still fairly warm for coating them with sugar (the sugar will stick best, when the biscuits are still warm at the moment of rolling them into vanilla flavoured icing sugar).

Put the vanilla floured icing sugar in shallow dish or bowl.

Put warm walnut crescents, one by one, into the icing sugar and coat them completely. Handle the biscuits very gently, they are fragile and break easily.

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Place the coated crescents onto a plate or a tray.

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Leave to cool and store in an airtight container or a cookie box.