B&B Luncheon, November 2002

Carpaccio Limone di Salmone con i Capperi

Ingredients:

• 1 kg salmon fillet with skin
• 4 x lemons
• 120 ml extra virgin oil
• handful chives
• 60 ml capers - well drained, preferably bottled in brine
• 8 sprigs Italian parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Set out 8 dinner plates (this is a very thin" dish).Using good tweezers, draw out the large bones hat run down the middle of the fillet on the cut side.Using a sharp filleting knife, work away from you from the tail. Using a sawing motion slice diagonally with the knife almost parallel to the board. Cut wafer thin slices ensuring that you leave the skin behind. Try to avoid perforating the slices as far as possible.

Lay the slices in a swirl all over the plates as you cut. Ensure an even distribution over the plate, preferably covering it entirely. Squeeze fresh lemon juice lavishly all over the fish and then drizzle olive oil evenly over it also.

Use a pastry brush to spread the lemon juice and olive oil evenly over the salmon. Chop up the chives into 1 centimetre lengths and sprinkle them over the dish. Distribute the capers and finely chopped parsley likewise. Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate before serving for about 20 minutes - not more than 30 minutes.

Preparation: Salmon - 10 minutes
Marinate prior to serving: 20 minutes

Note:
Whilst this is not a cooked dish, the acidic marinade denatures the protein in the same way as heat in cooking. The result however, is a delightfully rare "meat" dish. Similar techniques are used for beef and turkey.

Osso bucco di vitello con gremolata di limone e prezzemolo

Ingredients:

• 1 kg thickly sliced pieces of shin veal with the marrowbone in the centre of the meat.
• 25 ml olive oil
• 25gm butter
• 2 onions
• 1 carrot-cut into very fine dice
• 1 stick of celery-cut into very fine dice
• 6 parsley stalks
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cloves garlic well crushed
• 1 tsp thyme (or 2 large sprigs)
• 1 tbsp shredded basil
• ½ lemon rind-finely shredded
• 425gm tomatoes, skinned and pulped (canned is OK)
• 250 ml veal or beef stock
• 250 ml dry white table wine
• 1 tbsp cornflour made into a thin paste with a little cold water
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• salt and ground white peppercorns to taste

Method:

Saute the onions, carrot, celery and garlic, without colouring them, in the olive oil (and/or butter) in a wide, deep (preferably cast iron) frying pan. Pepper and salt the veal, roll in flour and brown to a golden colour in the same pan. Do not allow the vegetables to burn. Add the stock, bay leaf, thyme, basil, lemon peel, fresh tomato puree plus some of the white wine, enough to come to the top of the pieces of meat but not to cover them. Be sure to keep the pieces of meat upright during the cooking, or the marrow in the bones will fall out.

Cover and cook very slowly (ie, simmer) for about 2 - 4 hours, or until the meat is almost coming off the bone.

Taking care not to let the pieces break up, remove the ossi buci to an earthenware casserole. Strain the cooking liquor into a clean saucepan. Any excess fat can be carefully skimmed of the surface of the liquid at this stage. Using some of the white wine, deglaze the pan of its residues and strain them into the saucepan as well. Bring these liquids to the boil and add the remainder of the wine. Thicken with the thin paste of cornflour and water, taking care not to use too much. Aim to achieve a clear glossy sauce that is not too thick. Pour the sauce over the veal and keep the lid on the casserole until just before serving - guaranteed to cause extreme salivation a well as keeping the dish hot.

Ten minutes before serving, sprinkle the ossi buci with finely chopped parsley (and perhaps a little additional lemon zest but only after tasting to ensure there is not too much lemon rind flavour already).

Serve in deep plates with boiled baby potatoes tossed in butter, mint and parsley, and with a couple of leaves of endive and some crusty bread eg, ciabatta, on the side to mop up the sauce.

Fritelle di Ricotta con Fragola

Ingredients:

• 500 gms fresh strawberries
• 300gm ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 orange, zest only
• 2 tbspn caster sugar
• 4 tbspn self-raising flour
• pinch salt
• milk if mixture is too dry
• vegetable oil for deep frying
• ¼ cup caster sugar for dusting cooked dumplings
• 3 tbspn caster sugar for marinating strawberries
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

Put the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle the caster sugar and balsamic vinegar over them - cover and place in a cool place. A delicious fruity syrup will be extracted automatically in one to two hours. Do not do this more than about two hours before serving so that the fruit does not go mushy.

Beat the eggs and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Mix with the ricotta and fold in the flour, zest and salt. A little milk may be added at this stage.

Heat the oil in a saucepan or deep fryer. Drop in dessertspoonfuls of the mixture, a few at a time, and cook until golden. Drain on paper towelling and toss in caster sugar. Shake off the excess.

To Serve:
Make a circle with some of the syrup on each plate and set a few of the warm dumplings in the centre with strawberries at four or six points. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and serve with chilled sweet dessert wine.

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