Roast pumpkin soup with walnuts & herb oil

For ➏ 

1 kg pumpkin, such as kabocha 

400 g sweet potatoes, unpeeled 

15 cl olive oil 

5 g sage leaves 

1 red chilli, thinly sliced on an angle (10 g) 

1 leek, trimmed & cut into 2mm rounds (200 g) 

1 large onion, peeled & roughly chopped (240 g) 

10 g piece fresh ginger, peeled & julienned 

fine sea salt 

½ ts smoked paprika 

½ ts ground coriander 

2 small potatoes (200 g) 

60 g walnuts 

1½ tbs maple syrup 

10 g coriander leaves, finely chopped 

10 g parsley leaves, finely chopped 

1 ts finely grated lemon zest 

Heat the oven to 220° C (200° C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the whole pumpkin and sweet potatoes on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and roast, turning once halfway, for an hour, until soft and golden. Remove and turn down the oven to 180° C (160° C fan)/350F/gas 4. Once they’re cool enough to handle, use a metal spoon to peel off the pumpkin and sweet potato skins, and to scoop out the pumpkin seeds. Meanwhile, put 80ml olive oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat, then add the sage leaves and fry for about 2 m, until deeply green. Use a slotted spoon to lift out the sage, transfer to a sheet of kitchen paper and leave to crisp up. Add the chilli to the hot oil, fry, stirring occasionally, for about 2 m, until deeply red, then transfer to the kitchen paper alongside the sage. 

Transfer the hot oil to a large saucepan on a medium heat, add the leek, onion, ginger and three teaspoons of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 m, until soft and translucent. Add the smoked paprika and ground coriander, cook for a minute, until fragrant, then add the cooked pumpkin and sweet potato flesh, and 1.6 litres of water. Peel and grate the potatoes on to a chopping board, then add to the soup before they discolour. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 m. While the soup is cooking, make the nut brittle. Line a small baking tray with greaseproof paper, top with the walnuts, maple syrup and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and toss to coat. Roast, stirring once halfway, for about 10 m, until toasted and golden brown, then remove, sprinkle the fried sage and chilli on top, toss to combine and leave to cool. 

Once the nut mix is cool, scrunch up the paper to crush the brittle into smaller pieces. Make the herb oil by combining the coriander, parsley, lemon zest, remaining 70 ml oil and a quarter-ts of salt in a small bowl. Once the soup has cooked, take off the heat and blitz with a stick or regular blender until smooth and velvety. Add a splash more water to loosen, if need be, then divide between six bowls. Scatter the maple walnut brittle on top and serve drizzled with the herb oil.

Coniglio affogato alla Ligure (rabbit stew Ligurian style)

For ➍
1 rabbit, 1½ kg, cut into pieces

15 cl extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced 

1 clove of garlic, coarsely chopped 

rosemary sprigs 

sage leaves 

small thyme sprig 

100 g black (taggiasca) olives 

2 glasses of dry white wine* 

8 tbs tomato pulp (polpo di pommodore with pieces) 

salt & pepper 

flour 

50 -100 cl stock*

Wash the rabbit pieces. Pat them dry and roll them in the flour. Beat them off. 

Heat the oil in a casserole. Brown the rabbit. Add the onion, garlic, herbs and olives. Cook the onion on a low heat. Stir in the wine and let it evaporate by half.* Mix in the tomatoes, salt and pepper. 

Stew the rabbit for 1½ h on a medium heat. 

If necessary, add stock to keep it moist. Serve with gnocchi or polenta.

*If wanted, replace some wine with some stock. 

Ossobuco alla Milanese (Milanese veal shanks)

For ➍
2 tbs olive oil
25 g flour, to dust
4 pieces of veal shank, about 4 cm thick
50 g butter
1 onion, finely chopped*
1 carrot, finely chopped*
1 celery stick, finely chopped*
1 head of garlic, cut horizontally
2 strips of lemon zest
4 sage leaves
20 cl white wine
20 cl chicken stock
flour
gremolada

Set a casserole dish wide enough to hold the meat in one layer over a high heat. Add the oil. Put the flour on to a small plate and season generously, then use to coat the meat. When the oil is hot, add the meat to the pan and brown well on both sides until golden and crusted. Set aside on a plate.
Turn the heat down and add ¾ of the butter to the pan. When melted, add the onion, carrot and celery, plus a sprinkle of salt, and cook until soft. Add the garlic halves, lemon zest and sage to the pan and cook for a few m more.
Turn up the heat then add the wine to the pan. Return the meat, standing it on top of the vegetables, and bubble until the wine has reduced by half. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer.
Turn the heat right down, cover and simmer for 1½ to 2 h, carefully turning the meat over every 30 m, until it is tender enough to cut with a spoon. Meanwhile, mix together the gremolada ingredients.
Dot with the remaining butter and allow to melt into the sauce, then serve with the gremolade and risotto alla Milanese or wet polenta.

*Double the vegetables for a tastier result.

This recipe was suggested by the Guardian to be the best Milanese ossobuco, after comparing several recipes.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2014/mar/06/how-to-cook-perfect-osso-buco.

Tomino scottato in padella con speck e scalogno (grilled Tomino with Speck, sage & shallots)

For ➍
4 Tomino cheeses
100 g Speck ham in slices
1 shallot sliced into thin rings
some leaves of sage
1 ts extra-virgin olive oil

Wrap the slices of Speck ham around the Tomino.
Heat a large pan and, over low heat, and grill the cheese over it until the Speck ham becomes golden-brown crunchy, 3 to 4 m per side.
Put the Tomino aside and in the same pan, fry the shallot and the sage leaves adding slowly the extra virgin olive oil. The shallot has to become crispy and golden-brown just like the bacon around the Tomino.
Garnish the Tomino with the shallot rings and sage leaves and serve warm.
Serve the grilled Tomino cheeses with stewed zucchini.

Tomino is an Italian cheese from Piedmont made from cow's milk. It is a Brie-like flat cheese with a soft and white rind and a fresh creamy interior. It has a slightly pungent, but sweet flavor, with nuances of mushrooms. When cooked in the pan, its exterior turns golden and crunchy while the interior begins to melt. It is excellent to be served along with braised vegetables or with meat.

Borlotti with garlic & olive oil

For ➏
2 kg fresh borlotti beans, shelled, or 1kg frozen or dried (soaked overnight if dried)(or use cannelini)
3 plum tomatoes, quartered
10 large unpeeled garlic cloves
8 large (or 16 small) fresh sage leaves
18 cl extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Combine beans, tomatoes, garlic, sage and oil in a medium pot. Add cold water to cover by 1 cm (about 40 cl). Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered and adding water as needed to keep beans submerged. Cookuntil tender, 35–45 m for fresh or frozen and up to 1½ hours for dried. Skim any foam from the surface. Season with salt, pepper, and more oil, if desired.
Beans can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool in cooking liquid; cover and chill. Return to room temperature before serving.
Serve beans warm or at room temperature.

Chicken in milk & lemon

For ➍
1.5 kg chicken***
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
olive oil*
½ stick cinnamon
1 good handful fresh sage, leaves picked
zest of 2 lemons**
10 cloves garlic, skin left on
50 cl milk

Preheat the oven to 190°C.***
In a fitting pot for the chicken, season it generously all over, and fry it in a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even colour all over, until golden.
Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the oil left in the pot. This will leave you with tasty sticky goodness at the bottom of the pan which will give you a lovely caramel flavour later on.
Put the chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook, lid on, in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Baste with the cooking juice when you remember. The lemon zest will sort of split the milk.
To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide it onto your plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds.
Serve with wilted spinach or greens and some mashed potato.
Squeeze the cloves of garlic onto the chicken (or on slices of thick country bread).

*Use butter for better resistance to high temperature.
**Use 1-2 chopped preserved lemons (citrons confits) instead (cut down on the salt, as the lemons are pickled). Wash them with cold water to remove some salt, remove seeds as well.
***Smaller quantities, like 4-600 g chicken thigh fillets without bone, can be prepared at stove-top. Adapt quantities of other ingredients. Brown the chicken, add the other ingredients, cover and cook on medium fire for about 30 m.

Pancetta chicken wraps

For ➍
200 g smoked pancetta slices
4 boneless chicken breast fillets
12 fresh sage leaves
1 tbs olive oil
4 small stems of tomatoes on the vine

Arrange a quarter of the pancetta slices in a row on a board, overlapping them slightly along their long sides. Put 3 sage leaves on the pancetta. Put a chicken breast at one end so that it lies across the slices of pancetta, top with 3 sage leaves and sprinkle with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Wrap the chicken in the pancetta so that it is completely enclosed. Repeat to make 4 parcels.
[When there is enough time, wrap in plastic foil and put in the refrigerator for a few h or overnight. Take out of the refrigerator 30 m before cooking.
Remove the foil when ready to cook.]
Spoon the oil into a large heavy pan (a cast-iron sauté pan is ideal, or you could use a roasting tin). Put the pan on the barbecue and heat for 1–2 m until hot, then lay the chicken parcels in the pan and cook for 7–8 m on each side. The pancetta will become golden and crispy.
Remove the parcels, lay the tomatoes in the pan and shake to coat in the cooking juices, then heat through for a couple of m.
Return the chicken to the pan, take the pan off the heat and leave the chicken to rest in it for about 10 m, so it will cut more easily.
[Or: Pre-heat oven to 190°C. In an oven safe skillet, heat pan over medium-high heat, adding ½ tbs oil per chicken breast. Once the oil is sizzling, reduce heat to medium. Place the chicken breasts, seam side down, for approximately 5 m per side. Rotate until all sides are a nice golden brown. Pop the skillet in the oven for 5-10 m. Let stand for a few m.]
Serve with a plain risotto or large pasta.

Herb-crushed pasta

For ➍
400 g pasta s.a. linguine
4 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf, minced
3 sage leaves, minced
1 tbs fresh rosemary, minced
1 tbs fresh thyme,chopped
1 ts fresh marjoram, chopped
1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh basil,chopped

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, then drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, minced bay leaf, minced sage, and minced rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few m or until fragrant.
Mix all the remaining chopped herbs together in a small bowl. Set half aside. Add the other half of the herbs to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 m. Remove from the heat.
Add the butter and herb mixture to the pasta and toss to coat. If the butter doesn't melt, return to the stovetop to heat briefly to melt the butter.
Add the remaining fresh chopped herbs to the pasta and toss to mix evenly.
Serve as is, or top with grated Parmigiano cheese. Or add fresh mozzarella and raw cherry tomatoes, or fried zucchini blossoms, or roasted heirloom tomatoes and Parmigiano...

Mousse de poireaux (leek mousse)

For ➍
3 leeks with 2 cm green, sliced
25 cl stock
chive, sage, marjoram, rosemary, finely chopped

Boil the stock. Add herbs and leeks. Boil for 5 m. Push through a sieve to extract all the juice.
Puree the leeks in a blender.
Mix a little of the cooking liquid and cream with the leeks.
Keep the rest of the cooking liquid aside.
Serve with fowl like pheasant.