Salamander Supper Club - Italian Night

"How bloody difficult can it be to cut pork??!"

Last Saturday night was exciting and terrifying. I teamed up with Joe from Salamander Coffee House for the first "Salamander Supper Club." Joe approached me with the idea a month previously and after some thinking and chatting we decided that our first night should be Italian with a change of cuisine each month. Doing Italian first was the obvious choice for me, it is the cuisine I'm most familiar and comfortable with and as I was cooking for more than 10 people for the first time, it was important for it to be as comfortable as possible.

From the start I knew what I wanted the main dish to be. Porchetta is a wonderful dish from the Lazio region. Originally it was made with a whole suckling pig (gutted and stuffed) but in recent years this has been replaced with pork belly. Stuffed with liver, almonds and oregano and slow roasted, it is the perfect mix of succulent flesh with crispy crackling. This was to be sitting on a bed a peperonata, a Piedmontese pepper, tomato and onion stew, and joined by potatoes with olive oil, onion and tomato. After our trial night we decided to switch the potatoes to a garlic gratin as the dishes were too tomato heavy, it may veer more towards a French style but it suited the dish perfectly, creative license and all that jazz. The dish was finished with a simple salsa verde to bring extra freshness to proceedings.

For starter we decided on a tasting plate of Italian dishes. Again I was keen to go with options that aren't seen too often in Ireland. Stuffed mussels (with capers, anchovies and chilli) were joined by a roasted tomato and basil bruschetta and an arancino with lamb ragu sauce. Arancini are a magnificent Sicilian snack food made from leftover risotto. The rice ball is sometimes stuffed with ragu but I prefer to have it with a good flavoured tomato sauce for dipping. The stuffed mussels were my favourite part of the menu. The capers, anchovies and chilli give them a tangy, salty and spicy hit and are the perfect way to elevate the humble shell fish.

For dessert there was only ever one choice. Tiramisu has always been my favourite dessert and Joe did a great job on it. I always find it interesting how different people judge the amount of booze in the biscuit and I think he got just enough in to keep the carousers happy while not so much to anger the nephalists.

The night itself was a serious learning curve for me. Having Ali, my brother Shane and Joe's brother Jeff in the kitchen was life saving. Surprisingly the cooking wasn't really the issue, it was the cutting! The Porchetta was the bane of my life. The crackling was nigh on impossible to cut and when I eventually got through it I had applied so much pressure that the flesh and stuffing fell apart. Luckily the diners were more interested in the taste than the look and everybody seemed happy with their meal. Although the pressure was on we managed to get 28 starters and 28 mains out of the kitchen in an hour. A success by any standards. The night was finished off with one of Salamander's delicious coffees or teas. Joe takes his coffee seriously and to my surprise, freshly grinds just enough coffee for each cup just before making, it shows.

When discussing the supper club, we were keen to involve as many local suppliers as possible. Pigs on the Green supplied the free range pork belly and liver, Nick's Fish supplied the mussels, Nolan's of Kilcullen supplied the lamb for the Arancini sauce while Winelab supplied the magnificent wine on tap.

Typically I forgot my camera on the night so the pictures are from the trial night.

We will be announcing details of our next Supper Club night very soon so keep an eye on the facebook page.

Roman Style Beef Rolls

Roman Style Beef Rolls

"Mof Mof" - Minimum of fuss, maximum of flavour. Antonio Carluccio's famous approach sums up Italian cuisine perfectly. I've always been a fan. My favourite childhood dish - Spaghetti Bolognese or Pizza (neither of which happened to be particularly Italian, as it turns out!). There was always something about the Italian approach to food that enthralled me. It's deceptively simple, it's delicious and most importantly it's humble. I have been going through the monstrous La Cucina - The Regional Cooking of Italy book for the past few months to discover dishes that I had yet to come across. This is my take on the Roman classic.

The beef doesn't have to be minute steaks, it can be almost any cut, just ensure it's quite thin. This dish can also be made with fresh tomatoes but I prefer a good Italian tinned tomato. It's best to remove the twine or toothpicks from the rolls before serving, it's a bit too fiddly to expect diners to do it at the table.

Serves 2

3 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely sliced)
1 Carrot (cut into matchsticks)
1 stick of Celery (cut into matchsticks)
4 Minute Steaks (as thin as you can find)
4 slices of Prosciutto di Parma
75ml Dry White Wine
1 Tin of Cherry Tomatoes (400g)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. First make the beef rolls: put the steaks between two pieces of cling film (or grease proof paper) and pound them with a rolling pin or meat tenderiser. Season both sides before laying flat. Put a slice of prosciutto ontop of each followed by 4-5 pieces each of the celery and carrot. Roll up tightly and tie with butchers string or hold together with tooth picks.

2. Heat the oil over a medium-high heat and add the onion. Season well and cook for 5-6 minutes until the onion starts to brown. Add the beef rolls and brown all over before adding the wine.

3. Cook the alcohol off for 3-4 minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn the beef rolls over every 5 minutes. When the 15 minutes is up remove the lid and continue to cook for 5 more minutes to thicken the sauce a little. Check for seasoning and serve with some toasted sourdough to mop up the sauce.

Minestrone Soup

The perfect lunch. This substantial soup is often thought of as a great winter dish but, although I agree, I also find it magnificent in the spring and summer when fresh greens come into season. It serves as a great way to use up any leftover veggies but they should still be relatively fresh to bring out the best flavour. The two most important things here are; the stock (homemade chicken stock is best) and the bacon/pancetta. The stock and bacon form the basis of the taste of this dish so use the best you can afford. I used homemade chicken stock and home cured free-range bacon but any good quality streaky bacon or pancetta would be ok. If you are making this to do for a couple of days be aware that the pasta may soak up the stock over time so you may have to add more (water is fine) while reheating. Feel free to add whatever vegetables you have lying around, almost anything will work.

Serves 4-6

3 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
100g Streaky Bacon (chopped)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely sliced)
3 stalks of Celery (chopped)
2 Tomatoes (chopped)
1 large Carrot (chopped)
150g Sugar Snap Peas (chopped)
1 tbsp Pesto
1.25 L of Chicken Stock
1 tin of Butter Beans
100g Pasta (small shells or tubes are best, broken spaghetti is also fine)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Parmesan Cheese to serve

1. Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the bacon, onion and garlic. Season well and cook for 7-10 minutes. Add the celery, tomato, carrot, peas and pesto and stir well to coat everything. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Add the beans and pasta and cook for a further ten minutes. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Pour into bowls and grate over copious amounts of Parmesan cheese. Serve with good, crusty bread.

The Ufuud Experience

A couple of months ago I was contacted by a member of the UFUUD Marketing team to see if I would be interested in reviewing their service and some products. I agreed and instantly checked out the site.

The UFUUD website is well laid out and simple to navigate. They sell everything you would expect from an Italian themed delicatessen. There is a large selection of salami and prosciutto along with the usual suspects of pasta, rice, sauces, oils and lots more besides. One of my favourite features is the "Chef's Advice" tab in the product page. Many of the ingredients are unusual and so the tab offers great advice on how to use them.

I placed my order on Tuesday 17th of March (I know I know.....who orders pecorino and spaghettoni on St. Patrick's Day?!) and it arrived on Friday 13th of March. The ice packs used were still frozen and I was very pleased with the temperature of the food. This wasn't such a big deal for me as I ordered mostly pantry items but I would be happy to order any cold meat products.

I decided to order some items that I have difficulty finding here in Ireland. The first thing to catch my eye was a Pecorino Cheese in Wheat Grains. The cheese is magnificent, it is everything you would expect from a Pecorino with a subtle hint of wheat starch in the aftertaste. Also on the cheese front I ordered some Parmigiano Reggiano Cream. This works wonderfully stirred into some pasta or added to a bechemel sauce for lasagna. I also used it instead of butter with mashed potato. Delicious.

I also ordered some giant green lentils and black rice but I have been blown away with my last item. Spaghettoni (thick spaghetti) isn't something most people would get excited about but this is bronze extruded. It basically means that the pasta was pushed through a bronze die to make the shapes. This may not sound that impressive but it leaves the pasta with a rougher finish allowing your choice of sauce to cling to it perfectly.

Overall I found the Ufuud experience very satisfying. The website is easily navigated and the chef's tips tab is a great addition. The quality of the produce is excellent and the price is fair. There is also a live chat available so you can message a member of staff and receive help live in the moment.

Ragu

World Cup, Day 3 - Italy

Ragu

Day 3 of the World Cup. Day 2 proved a shock as Spain were hammered by a fresh looking Dutch side and refereeing errors almost denied Mexico a win. The paella went down a treat with all the family (you can't have paella for two!). Today's menu was more difficult. I love Italian food. I cook Italian several times a week, so what to choose? I settled on a ragu (meat sauce). In Ireland we know this as 'bolognese sauce' but that's just one type of ragu. This is my version - the 'Kinneagh Kitchen Ragu'.

The most important thing with a ragu is a strong meaty flavour. Lamb's liver gives a robustness while the roasted bones raise it another level. I usually add chopped kidney too but somebody raided the butchers before I got there! It's important to let it cook for at least 2 hours to allow all the flavours to develop.

Serves 4

500g Raw Bones (Beef or Lamb)
2 tsp Dried Oregano
5 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 small Carrot (finely chopped)
100g Lamb's Liver (diced)
250g Beef Mince
250g Pork Mince
200ml Red Wine (Chianti if possible)
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 tin of San Marzano Tomatoes (or good plum tomatoes)
3 ripe Plum Tomatoes
1 Bay Leaf
50 ml Milk
400g Dried Tagliatelle Pasta
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese to serve

1. Place raw bones onto a baking tray. Add 1 tbsp of the oil and 1 tsp of the oregano. Rub all over the bones and roast in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour. Set aside.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a sauce pan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, chilli, celery and carrot. Season well and cook for 7-10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add liver and mince and brown all over. Season and add the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and cook for 5-7 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the tomato puree and let it sit for 1 minute before stirring well.

3. Meanwhile chop the tinned tomatoes and remove any hard tops. Chop off the top of the ripe tomatoes and dice. Add all the tomatoes including the juice from the tin to the pan and bring to the boil. Season and add the roasted bones, the remaining 1 tsp of oregano and bay leaf. Stir well, turn down the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add some boiling water if it gets too dry.

4. Approx. 10 minutes from the end, bring 4 litres of water to the boil in a large pan. Add approx. 20g of salt and return to the boil before adding the pasta. Stir and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes). Drain the pasta and set aside. Remove the bones and bay leaf from the ragu and add milk. Stir well before tipping in the pasta. Mix everything together before serving with gratings of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese on top.

Review: Italee, Cork City

Italee - Caffe Italiano

Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork City

It's a dark, damp evening in Cork City and I find myself looking for somewhere interesting to eat. Nothing too formal, I'm in jeans and a scraggy fleece, on my way to mix a gig in Coughlans (apparently pronounced 'Caullings' in Cork!). At the top of Oliver Plunkett Street I happen upon a small Italian cafe that (as luck would have it) stays open late on a Friday night and is still serving. I always feel a little awkward about eating out on my own but of the five tables at the back of this little spot there's three of us flying solo. Nothing to be afraid of after all!

The service is laid back and friendly, exactly what you would expect in a cafe. I go for baked rigatoni with porchetta and mozzarella in a tomato sauce with a glass of the house red. The food is good, really good when you consider the price. The dish is well balanced and although it lacks a little seasoning, it's still very tasty. The wine is excellent too. The cafe has a selection of house wines and I went with the waitress' recommendation of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. The espresso to finish is excellent. I sometimes get frustrated with coffee in Ireland; not here though!

When in Italy, the rule is to go where the locals are and although I see few locals in here, I soon realize I'm one of only two Irish people. The rest are happy Italians surrounding my little table. I could be in Rome on a sunny afternoon or Florence on a mild night but alas I'm not, I'm in Cork, on a dark and damp June evening.

Cafe Ratings:

Food: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Ambience: 8/10
Selection: 8/10
Value for Money: 9/10

Overall: 8/10 Highly Recommended

Mixed Herb and Almond Pesto

Mixed Herb And Almond Pesto

A lovely fresh Pesto that will last up to a month in the fridge. Just ensure the top is always covered with oil.

 Add some Oregano, Chives, Basil, Garlic and Almonds to a Pestle and Mortar with some Sea Salt and Pepper

Bash well for a few minutes to release all the flavour

Add some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and fold in some Parmesan Cheese. Taste and add extra seasoning to taste.