Spoil-her Series: Simple recipes for men.

Under 5 ingredients, Under 20 bucks. Maximum brownie points.

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen fresh unshucked oysters (Normally around $1 each)
• Lemon
• Tomato juice / Clamato
• Various condiments to your liking

Directions:

Rinse oysters to remove debris from outside shells

Place oysters in freezer for an hour

Using an oyster knife or screw driver, insert the tip into a small crack or weak point, usually at the base of the oyster shell, and slowly pry open.

Cut off the connecting muscle from the shell and the oyster, on both the top and the bottom

Reserve the oyster brine as it contains good flavours.

Get creative with your condiments! I recommend Yuzu, Mirin, Soy, Worcestershire, Cocktail sauce, hot sauce, Horseradish, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

For the bloody mary oyster shots – combine Clamato (50% full), pinch of horseradish, a few drops Worcestershire sauce, a few drops of hot sauce, lemon juice, and then topped with cold vodka.

End

Changing the seasonal style of your food can be just as fun as updating your fall wardrobe. While I was browsing on OTTE I was inspired to create a dish that complemented the tones of the upcoming fall collection.

I channeled my recent visit to the organic farm to create a dish that really showcased the raw colors and flavors of local produce. I thought it would be fitting to make a warm antipasti bruschetta that is a contrast to its summery, raw tomato version.

I used a mixture of roasted, sun-dried and raw tomatoes to create a melange of textures, the grilled Italian vegetables slightly charred for that smokiness, the rich purple waxy potatoes for depth, the creamy mustard mayonnaise to bind everything together, scooped onto crusty bread.

As a fun presentation while entertaining guests, I laid out the ingredients “deconstructed” so my guests can mix and match their own bruschetta.

Ingredients:
Multigrain Baguette, toasted
Italian Grilled Aubergines, marinated in garlic olive oil
Italian Grilled Peppers, marinated in garlic olive oil
Italian Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Pitted Moroccan Oil-Cured Olives, sliced
Roasted Tomatoes in olive oil
Satur Farms Purple Basil
Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, diced
Purple Baby Creamer Potato (baked)

Dressing:
3 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tsp Seeded mustard
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper

Garnish:
Aged Reggiano cheese, shaved

For the carnivores, these would go wonderfully with prosciutto. Serve warm on freshly grilled bread, spread with mustard dressing, combine all chopped ingredients and layer on top.

In the mood to shop for a fall wardrobe? Join me at www.otteny.com/fno !

Spoil-her Series: Simple recipes for men.

Under 5 ingredients, Under 20 bucks. Maximum brownie points.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 Scallops
• 2 small cloves of garlic, very thinly sliced
• 1 bunch chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup white wine
• Angel hair pasta – enough for 2 people.

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a violent boil, and heavily salt the water.

Cook the pasta, minus 2 minutes from cooking instructions on the packet.

Drain the pasta and store in ice water for safe keeping

Heat a pan with some olive oil or butter (or both) and once it’s hot, grill the scallops for about 45seconds on each side for a golden brown finish.

Season with chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Add sliced garlic, then add the white wine and evaporate it.

Set scallops aside, and add some breadcrumbs to the remaining sauce in the pan.

Add the pasta (without the ice water) into the sauce and toss for a minute or two, drizzle with extra olive oil and extra parsley.

Serve on a plate, with the scallops on top!

Spoil-her Series: Simple recipes for men.

Under 5 ingredients, Under 20 bucks. Maximum brownie points.

Ingredients:

• Sashimi grade tuna, 1 fillet
• onion (white onion and green onion)
• ginger and garlic
• condiments – Soy sauce¹, sesame oil and chilli
• Optional: seasame seeds, avocado, jalapeños

Directions:

Finely dice white onion, green onion, ginger and garlic. If you do not want to use a knife, you can use a grater (I recommend a microplane.

Cut the tuna, against the grain, into 2cm cubes.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Add 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil.

If you would like to add a twist to your poke dish, toast a few teaspoons of sesame seeds for that extra crunch.

To pack some heat, add chilli sauce, chilli flakes or jalapeños.

Mix well and serve! It also compliments nicely with crackers or tortilla chips as a nice appetizer.

¹Use tamari instead of regular soy sauce for the gluten free version.

Spoil-her Series: Simple recipes for men.
Under 5 ingredients, Under 20 bucks. Maximum brownie points.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of milk chocolate morsels (I used Nestle)
• 1 punnet of strawberries
• Long bamboo skewers / satay sticks

Directions:

Melt chocolate according to packet instructions in a microwave safe bowl.

Slowly stir the warm chocolate until it’s smooth, as the choc chips tend to retain its shape out of the microwave.

Attach a strawberry to the end of a skewer and dip it in the melted chocolate bowl.

Rotate the strawberry for even coverage, and rest on wax paper for chocolate to solidify. It will only take a few minutes.

Do not leave these in the fridge, as it will cause the strawberries to condensate under the chocolate

Arrange them in a vase for maximum wooing.

Spoil-her Series: Simple recipes for men.
Under 5 ingredients, Under 20 bucks. Maximum brownie points.

Ingredients

1lb pack of Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella
3 Tomatoes
1 bunch Basil
Extra Virgin olive oil (drizzle)
Balsamic Vinegar (drizzle)
Salt and Pepper to taste

What to do:

Slice tomatoes.

Slice Mozzarella to a similar thickness as the tomatoes

Pick the basil leaves off the stalk.

Assemble on plate, first with the tomato, then a slice of mozzarella, then topped with a basil leaf.

Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle olive oil all over.

Lightly finish with balsamic vinegar, less than half the amount of oil.

We live in a world of microwave meals, instant noodles, food deliveries and fast food to comply with our hectic lifestyles. We’re spoilt with so many conveniences in terms of food, when it comes to a dish like risotto, it gets a little overwhelming for a lot of us. Funnily enough, it is that overwhelming feeling that makes me most appreciative of a risotto dish. There are no short-cuts, no instant risotto mix, no cheats. The amount of effort you put into your risotto is directly correlated to how wonderful the results will be. The simplicity of this rule allows anyone to have the skills to re-create a restaurant quality dish.

The most important thing you must consider is the quality of your ingredients, if you are spending the amount of time and effort to make a risotto it will only be ruined if your ingredients are sub par to begin with. My personal favorite is the Vialone Nano rice, although Carnaroli will do just fine as well (I was unable to find any Vialone Nano while I was shopping in the West Village). Use good sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, freshly grated cheese. (If you buy anything pre-grated or pre-packaged, well – stop reading and get out before I smack your face with a Parmesan rind).

The second most important thing is the sofritto. A sofritto is the foundation of the flavor that will slowly be built into the rice later. Most recipes will specify a white onion, garlic, a celery heart, and for the Milanese – bone marrow. The key to this is never brown any of the sofritto. Slowly sweat the onion on low heat with olive oil until it is translucent, so everything slowly disappears and absorbs into the rice as you move through to the tostato stage, where the rice is slightly toasted and a splash of wine or vermouth is added before we start adding the stock.

Stirring is important. A good risotto requires continuous attention – but attention that the ingredients deserve. Remember the wine you just opened to splash into the pan? Start drinking it! Cook with friends around you and share the wine and conversation. As long as you continue to stir the rice, and add the stock ladle by ladle, time will fly by. There’s something very edifying about watching every grain of rice hungrily soak up all the aromatic flavors and transforming into a rich creamy consistency. Don’t forget to let it stand for a few minutes before serving.

Some recipes out there calls for it, but I personally never add heavy cream to my risotto to help with the consistency. This is known as mantecato, and is a richer version than traditional risotto. I feel that it really takes away the flavor of the produce and all the work you’ve put in. Don’t do it!

I had originally planned to cook a traditional Risotto alla Milanese (with saffron), but I received a wonderful surprise in the mail that very day – fresh white truffles from Alba, Italy. Hence, I’ve created a white truffle risotto recipe in the style of a Milanese, probably breaking a few traditional rules. I would actually welcome your criticisms (especially from Italians), though I was very happy with the decadent result.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small eshallot, finely chopped
100 g popped bone marrow (Soaked in salted water for 1 hour)
1½ cups carnaroli rice
⅔ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
5 cups chicken stock, heated
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra
1-2 ounces white truffle, thinly shaved, divided
Good conversation and good friends

Method:

Store your white truffles with the dry rice in an airtight container for just over 24 hours, so the aroma is infused into rice.

In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm with olive oil. Add the onion and eshallot, sauté until translucent (do not brown!). Add the bone marrow and continue to cook on low heat until almost melted.

Add the rice, and toast for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Splash in the wine, and stir until all liquid is absorbed.

Add the stock one ladle at a time, and cook until the liquid is absorbed. One absorbed, add another ladle of stock and repeat. Stir evenly, half a circle at a time, almost making a “Yin Yang” pattern and watch the sides of the pot to make sure there are no drier sections left behind.

Once all the stock is absorbed (about 40 minutes later), the rice should be looking creamy but still al dente in texture. Stir in the butter, Parmigiano and half of the truffle shavings. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Allow the risotto to stand with the heat off, and the lid on for five minutes. It will make all the difference.

Serve garnished with more truffle shavings and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Serves 4 very happy individuals (you know who you are!)

Truffle slicer

Photo credit: Anthony Bo Chan

The class I recently attended was hosted by celebrity chef Darren Simpson of recently opened La Scala on Jersey, (and previously at Barenjoey and La Sala). The Irish, “regional neutral Italian chef” talks Italian cuisine in this hands on cooking, sharing some delightful recipes and tips for preparing easy but impressive recipes at home.

Chef explains that Italian cooking is about respect to fresh and good quality produce – there is no point preparing a beautiful pasta, only to mask the quality with a store bought sauce.

We learnt 3 simple dishes:
Deep fried Globe Artichokes

Spaghetti alla Vongole

Risotto with Pine Mushrooms, Thyme, Garlic, Vermouth and Parsley

Each recipe begins with a demonstration, followed by our own hands on cooking afterwards. Each cooking station holds groups of 4 people.

Darren was attentive with every cooking station, with personal tips and answers to any questions we had.

If you are interested in other Italian cooking classes by CIRA, you can contact them with the details below:

Casa Barilla
4 Annandale St
Annandale, 2038
Telephone 02 8585 3900
www.cira.com.au

One cup of butternut squash contains only 63 calories and almost 150% of your daily recommended amount of Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. This vitamin and powerful antioxidant can prevent lung cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, help alleviate or prevent inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, lower cholesterol levels, and much more. Folate is another important nutrient which can help prevent birth defects. It also has 32% of DV of Vitamin C, 25% of your DV of potassium, almost 6 grams of fiber, manganese, omega 3 fatty acids, several vitamin B’s and copper.

If you give the cubed butternut a quick roasted in the oven you can really enrich its flavour.

Ingredients

•Olive oil
•1 small butternut squash, trimmed and cut into cubes
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon
•1 cup vegetable stock
•1 packet Barilla Penne Rigate No. 73
•3/4 cup whole milk
•1/2 cup sage leaves
•1/4 cup grated Parmesan (reggiano)

Directions

Warm a good drizzle of olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add the butternut squash, garlic, a few torn sage leaves (not all of them), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Saute until the squash is golden and tender, around 5 to 7 minutes or so.

Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the squash is very soft, another 5 to 7 minutes. Mash with a potato masher until you get a smooth consistency. It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, in fact, I like it slight chunky for the texture.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the penne and cook according to packet instructions – minus 2 minutes, so that it’s ever so slightly undercooked. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a separate small saucepan, heat olive oil over high heat. Shallow fry sage leaves until crispy and set aside on kitchen paper.

Add the drained pasta into the butternut mixture, and add 1/2 cup milk. Stir to combine. Add the remaining milk if you prefer a creamier sauce.

Sprinkle fried sage leaves on top and serve with grated reggiano.

Bon A Petito!

There are many recipes out there for Bolognese sauce, and we all have our own favorite. There are master combinations of pork/veal/beef mince, blend of vegetables to make a killer sofritto, cooking time that goes on for hours and hours… which produces divine results. But for all those times where we just want to prepare a simple meal that’s loved by all, with the same heartwarming effect but half the work, I’ve put this recipe together for you… with a little secret ingredient that really lifts the flavours.

Ingredients:
450g Beef mince
1 jar Barilla Arrabiata sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 brown onion, finely diced
1/2 bunch sage, roughly chopped
1 packet of mushrooms, sliced
1/4 Organic butternut squash, grated
1 packet Barilla Integrale spaghetti n.5
1/2 bottle of good red wine
Parmigiano Reggiano to serve

We want to start of by softening the garlic and onions with a good amount of olive oil in a saucepan. When the onion turns clear and the aroma starts to rise, tear the sage leaves into the hot oil and let the perfume infuse into the oil.

Pour in the mince and brown the meat in the saucepan, making sure everything is cooked through and there are no lumps. Add in the mushrooms along with a little extra drizzle of olive oil, stir it through, and then tip the entire jar of Arrabiata sauce in. I chose the arrabiata because of the extra heat from the chilli’s, and also reduces overall cooking time. And now for the fun part, empty just under half a bottle of red wine into the saucepan – and saving the other half for dinner time.

It’s time to add the secret ingredient. Grate a few slices of a butternut squash with a microplane and add it to the sauce. The sweetness of the butternut really adds to the flavour of the sauce and I’ve always been reluctant to add sugar to cooking. It will all melt into the sauce, and you won’t actually taste the butternut, but only the rich sweetness that is left behind.

Give it a good stir, cover and simmer on low heat for one hour. During that hour, I’ve always found that it’s a great time to work out, because there’s a lot of carbs coming your way!

After an hour, the sauce would have reduced into a much thicker consistency. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. I chose a semolina flour Spaghetti n5 and cook it just 2 minutes under the instructions for a good al dente texture. This is something that was taught to me by Chef Massimo Bianchi, you have to account for the time when you stir the pasta into the saucepan because it continues to cook.

Stir the pasta into the sauce, grate some parmigiano reggiano to serve and bon apetito!