Panzanella with King Prawns Featured in Country Style Christmas Issue 2017 Serves 4 INGREDIENTS ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, peeled, crushed 2 bay leaves 12 large green prawns, peeled leaving tails intact, deveined extra virgin olive oil, to serve PANZANELLA 1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled 500g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped 200g stale ciabatta bread, sliced 1 small red onion, peeled, finely diced 1 celery stick, finely diced ⅓ cup white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ⅓ cup fennel fronds Combine oil, garlic and bay leaves in a large glass bowl. Add prawns and stir until coated with marinade. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to marinate. (You can begin marinating the prawns up to 1 day ahead.) To make panzanella, cut cucumber in half length ways, then use a teaspoon to remove seeds. Place cucumber seeds and tomatoes in a food processor and process until smooth. Finely dice cucumber and place in a bowl. Tear ciabatta into small pieces and place in a baking dish. Pour tomato puree over ciabatta, and top with diced cucumber, onion and celery. Drizzle with vinegar and oil, and season with sea salt and pepper. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight to develop flavours. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Season prawns with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Cook prawns for 2–3 minutes each side or until just cooked through. Just before serving, finely chop half of fennel fronds and stir through panzanella. Place an 8cm ring mould on a serving plate and fill with one-quarter of panzanella, gently pressing down. Remove ring mould and repeat with remaining panzanella. Top panzanella with prawns and garnish with remaining fennel [...]

Piadina with Prosciutto Featured in SBS Feast Magazine Makes 6 • Prep 25 mins, plus 1 hr chilling Cooking 25 mins INGREDIENTS 500g (3⅓ cups) plain flour, plus extra, to dust 250ml (1 cup) milk 100g lard* or duck fat*, melted 3 tsp baking powder thinly sliced prosciutto and extra virgin olive oil, to serve 1. Combine flour, milk, lard, baking powder and 2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. 2. Divide mixture into 6 balls and, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out each ball on a lightly floured work surface until 2mm thick. 3. Heat a large frying pan or chargrill pan over medium heat and cook each flatbread for 2 minutes each side or until golden. 4. Place a pile of prosciutto onto one half of each flatbread, drizzle with olive oil and fold over to serve.  

Asparagus savoury baked custards with hot smoked salmon salad Featured in Country Style Christmas Issue 2017 Serves 4 INGREDIETS 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed 30g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 2 eggs ½ cup pure cream ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 50g mixed salad leaves 150g hot smoked salmon Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease four 2⁄3-cup capacity ovenproof ramekins. Fill a large, deep frying pan with water and bring to boil over a high heat. Blanch asparagus spears for 3 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Drain and refresh in cold water. Trim asparagus spears 3cm from tips. Place asparagus tips in a bowl and set aside until required. Roughly chop remaining asparagus and place in a food processor. Add grated parmesan, eggs and cream, then process until mixture is smooth. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Pour asparagus mixture evenly among prepared ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish. Pour enough hot water into baking dish to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake for 1 hour or until custards are just set. Remove ramekins from baking dish and set aside to cool. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook reserved asparagus tips, stirring occasionally, for 1–2 minutes or until golden. Transfer asparagus tips to a medium bowl and set aside to cool. Add salad leaves and toss to combine. Carefully turn out baked custards and place on serving plates. Arrange hot smoked salmon and salad mixture around baked custards. Drizzle with remaining oil to serve.

Cappelletti in Brodo Featured in Country Style Christmas Issue 2017 CAPPELLETTI IN BRODO Serves 8 INGREDIENTS 3½ cups plain flour or pasta flour 6 eggs FILLING 200g piece pork loin, on the bone 4 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano freshly grated nutmeg, to taste STOCK 2 chicken carcasses 1kg ox tongue, rinsed 500g osso buco 1 brown onion, peeled, halved 1 carrot, peeled, roughly chopped 1 celery stick, roughly chopped 1 bay leaf 8 peppercorns To make stock, place all ingredients in a large stockpot and cover with 16 cups of water. Bring to boil over a high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming foam from surface regularly to ensure a clear stock, for 5–6 hours. Cool. Remove tongue and osso buco, and reserve for later use. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Discard solids. To make filling, heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook pork for 4–5 minutes each side or until golden. Cool. Cut pork from bone and finely dice. Place pork and parmesan in a food processor and season with nutmeg. Process until a smooth mixture forms. Transfer to a bowl and season with sea salt flakes. Refrigerate until required. To make pasta, place flour in a mound on a clean work surface, then make a well in centre. Break eggs into well and use a fork to lightly whisk. Gradually incorporate egg into flour until mixture resembles crumbs. Using your hands, continue to mix until dough comes together. Knead for 8–10 minutes or until dough is smooth. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest. Divide dough into manageable pieces. Using a pasta machine, roll out dough until 1–1.5mm thick. Alternatively, roll out pasta on a lightly floured surface. Cut pasta into 5cm squares. [...]

Snapper Risotto Featured in Country Style Christmas Issue 2017 Serves 4 INGREDIENTS ¼ cup olive oil 1⅓ cups carnaroli or vialone nano rice* ½ cup white wine 150g snapper fillets, cut into 2cm pieces 20g butter 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 20g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives 1 tablespoon finely chopped marjoram extra finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste FISH STOCK 1.5kg snapper heads and bones 1 carrot, peeled, diced 1 brown onion, peeled, diced 1 celery stick, diced 1 bay leaf 6 peppercorns To make stock, place all ingredients and 12 cups of water in a stockpot. Bring to a simmer over a high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Discard solids. Place 6 cups of fish stock in a clean saucepan. (Freeze remaining stock for later use.) Place pan over a medium-low heat and hold at a gentle simmer. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Cook rice, stirring, for 3 minutes or until grains are hot. Season with sea salt flakes. Add wine and stir for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Add 2 ladlefuls of hot stock. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until stock is absorbed by rice. Continue adding stock, 1 ladleful at a time, stirring after each addition, until stock is absorbed and rice is al dente. (This will take about 16–18 minutes.) Add snapper and stir through rice. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and extra virgin olive oil. Cover and stand for 5 minutes. Add parmesan, oregano, chives and marjoram, and stir to combine. Season to taste and add more parmesan, if required. Serve immediately. *Available at gourmet food [...]

Ricotta gnocchi with rocket pesto and slow-roasted cherry tomatoes Featured in Delicious Magazine Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 400g fresh ricotta, well drained 2/3 cup (100g) plain flour, plus extra to dust 1/2 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan 1 egg, lightly beaten Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg Rocket pesto 100g rocket leaves 1/2 garlic clove 100ml extra virgin olive oil 2 tbs slivered almonds 1/2 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced 2 thyme sprigs, leaves chopped 250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle Preheat oven to 90°C. For the tomatoes, place garlic, thyme and tomato in a bowl. Drizzle with oil, then season and toss to combine. Transfer to a baking paper-lined tray. Bake for 45-50 minutes until soft and caramelised. Remove from oven. Set aside. Meanwhile, to make gnudi, combine all ingredients in a bowl to form a soft dough. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and divide dough into 4 portions. Roll each into a long 1cm-thick log, then cut into 2cm pieces. Gently roll gnudi and dust with a little flour to avoid them sticking, then press the top of each with a fork to leave indents. Place on a baking tray in a single layer. Freeze for 15 minutes or until firm. For the pesto, whiz rocket, garlic, oil and almonds in a food processor until smooth and combined. Transfer to a bowl and fold through parmesan. Season and set aside. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over medium-high heat. In batches, cook gnudi for 3-4 minutes until they rise to the surface. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. To serve, toss gnudi with pesto and divide among plates with cherry tomatoes. [...]

Potato Gnocchi with Pesto di Rucola Ingredients for 4/6 servings: Cooking time: 3-4 mins For the Gnocchi: 500g Potato (cooked, peeled) * 110-125g Flour (it depends on the potatoes, don't go over 20% of the potatoes weight ) 1 Egg Nutmeg, ground to taste Salt to taste Preparation 45 mins: 1 Wash the potatoes, place them in a pot with skin on in cold water. 2 Bring to the boil and cook until tender; peel the potatoes while hot and mash them. 3 Mix in the other ingredients; move the dough on a bench and keep kneading. 4 Shape it as a rectangle, 2 cm thick; cut strips 2 cm wide and gently roll them, dusting with extra flour to avoid to stick together. 5 Cut the gnocchi 1 cm thick, dust with more flour and gently toss them using a spatula (not your hands, they will give a funny shape or even spoil the gnocchi). Cook immediately or place them in the freezer. 6 Cook the gnocchi in plenty of boiling and salted water; serve them with your favorite sauce. *Tip: Cook the potatoes whole with the skin on, the quantity of potato required for the recipe is cooked & peeled. You can cook the potatoes in advance however you need to warm them in the oven or microwave before peeling and mash while quite warm for the best results. For the Pesto: 100g rocket 40g Parmigiano Reggiano or mix of Pecorino & Parmigiano 20g Almonds* 1 lemon, zest & juice 1 small garlic clove salt & pepper olive oil 1 Place all ingredients except for the cheese in a blender to make a paste, if required add some water for a better consistency. 2 Fold in the finely grated cheese. 3 Taste [...]

Nonna Carla's Sugo al Pomodoro Prep 10 mins • Cooking 2 hours 1 large carrot 1 celery stick half an onion 1 tin tomato polpa / crushed tomato olive oil pinch of sugar salt to taste 1 On a low heat saute the roughly diced vegetables in a good drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt until the vegetables are cooked (they shouldn't be browned) 2 Add the tin of tomato, fill the tomato tin with water and add to the saucepan & the sugar. Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and slowly simmer for at least 30 minutes. 3 Once the sugo has cooled down, pass it through a mouli or puree in a blender. Use straight away or portion & freeze. Fresh pasta is always delicious but if you are short for time your favourite spaghetti is perfect. Remember to cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water (1L water / 100g pasta), use a timer and follow the cooking instructions. Heat your sugo in a saucepan and then as soon as your pasta is cooked, strain it & add to the sauce along with little of the pasta cooking water & a good drizzle of olive oil and toss for a couple of minutes over a low/medium heat, portion in bowls & finish with your favourite hard cheese.

Nettle tagliatelle with lamb ragu Featured in Delicious Magazine Serves 4 INGREDIENTS You will need a pasta machine. 70g nettles (see Shopping list, p 58), or baby spinach leaves, blanched, drained 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups (300g) plain flour Lamb ragu (recipe follows) PASTA Whiz the nettle and egg in a small food processor until smooth. Place the flour in a mound on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre. Pour in the nettle mixture and, using your hands, incorporate the flour and form into a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 3, then enclose 2 portions in plastic wrap and set aside. Start on the thickest setting of your pasta machine. Run dough through 2-3 times, folding it in half each time, until elastic. Keep rolling the dough through settings, reducing the thickness each time, until 2mm thick. Place pasta on a flour-dusted tray and cover with a tea towel while you roll remaining pieces. Dust each piece of pasta with flour, then gently roll into a coil. Using a sharp knife, slice each pasta coil into 1cm-thick ribbons. Loosen ribbons by gently tossing with your hands, then lightly dust in flour. Cook the fettuccine in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes or until al dente. Drain, then toss with the lamb ragu. Alternatively, cover fettuccine with a clean tea towel and set aside until ready to cook. LAMB RAGU Serves 4-6 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 400g lamb bones, cut into 4cm pieces* (see Shopping list, p 58) 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 each small onion, celery stalk and carrot, chopped 1 bay leaf [...]

Tortelli Filled with Greens and Ricotta Featured in SBS Feast Magazine Serves 4 • Prep 60 mins, plus 20 mins chilling Cooking 15 mins This filled pasta dish is a speciality of Parma, It is often enjoyed on San Giovanni Day on 24 June to celebrate the summer solstice. Traditionally, a mixture of sheep’s and cow’s milk ricotta is combined with Parmigiano-Reggiano for a balance of salty, savoury and sweet flavours. The greens in the filling can vary from young Swiss chard to spinach, but here, Matteo uses stinging nettle. 300g (2 cups) plain flour 3 eggs 300g stinging nettle* or english spinach, stems discarded 250g fresh ricotta, drained 1 egg 150g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra, to serve ¼ tsp grated nutmeg semolina, to dust 100g unsalted butter ½ cup sage leaves 1. Mound flour on a clean work surface, make a well in centre, then break eggs into it. Using a fork, draw in flour, working from the centre outwards, then using your hands, work in remaining flour. Knead dough for 6 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Enclose in plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch stinging nettle for 1 minute. Drain, refresh in cold water, squeezing out any excess liquid, then finely chop. Combine in a bowl with ricotta, egg, Parmigiano-Reggiano and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside. 3. Divide dough in half and, using a rolling pin, roll out each piece until 5mm thick and about 12cm wide – nearly the width of your pasta machine. Set your pasta machine at its widest setting, then feed through dough, narrowing the settings one notch at a time until you reach the thinnest setting. 4. [...]