Mediterranean fregola & mushrooms

For ➋

200 g fregola sarda

300 g bite size chopped cremini, baby bella or fresh porcini mushrooms or a mix

1 medium sized shallot

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5 cl olive oil

5 cl balsamic vinegar

1 tbs  marjoram (of thyme or oregano.)

2 tbs unsalted cold butter (or plant-based)

To cook  the fregola, the trick is to have enough water for the fregola to boil freely to avoid sticking, so salt and bring 0,5 - 0,75 cl of water to a gentle boil.

Cook Fregola as you would pasta for about 13-15 m and taste for firmness. You want it to be al dente.

Scoop a cup of water and set aside to water down the mushroom sauce.

Strain and keep fregola warm in the pan off the fire.


Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Washing them under water can make them turn slimey.

Heat a large skillet or frying pan on a low flame. Cut the mushrooms to small bite size pieces without or without the stems.  If you do decide on using the stems, cut off the bottom third. It is usually drier and more fibrous than the rest of the stem.
 Finely chop the shallot.
Add olive oil, shallots and mushrooms to the pan and increase to medium heat and cook for 5-7 m stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are still crunchy but not raw.
 Add the chopped garlic and sauté for 1 m.

Add the balsamic vinegar, mix well and simmer the vinegar liquid until it is nearly gone. The idea here is cook off the tangyness of the vinegar until it is sweet. 
Stir in the half cup of the water from the boiling pasta, add half the marjoram and give a little stir.

On a very low fire finish off the mushrooms by quickly blending in cold butter 1 tbs at a time. You do this by using the tip of fork to gentle stir the butter through the mushrooms. You are not cooking but gently emulsifying the butter with the liquid.
 Salt to taste.


Add the cooked fregola, increase heat to medium and cook for a couple of minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the liquid and butter. If too dry add a little more pasta water.
 Garnish with rest of herbs and serve with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.

Risotto & oyster mushrooms

For ➋

120-180 g risotto rice

200 g small oyster mushrooms

1.5 shallots

1 clove of garlic

10 g sage

30 g flaked almonds

10 cl almond milk

20 g grated Parmigiano

75 cl vegetable stock (or poultry stock)

4 cl white wine (or mirin)

2.5 cl soy sauce

2 tbs butter/olive oil

Salt & pepper

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan. Fry half the sage leaves in the olive oil for 1 minute until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and season with the soy sauce. Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic. Sauté them together in hot butter until translucent. Deglaze with the white wine and add the rice. Cook briefly, stirring well. Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring regularly. Add a ladleful of stock each time the previous one is absorbed. Remove from the heat when all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is al dente. Stir in the almond milk, a little butter, and the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the remaining sage. Clean the mushrooms and sauté them in a little olive oil in a separate pan. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the risotto with the sage and the sautéed oyster mushrooms. Toast the flaked almonds in a pan without oil and garnish the risotto with them.

Read the tip on making a quick risotto.

♥︎Miso soup with pak choi & citrus balls

For ➋ large or ➍ small bowls 

1 l chicken or vegetable stock 

1 piece of ginger (1 thumb in size) 

4 small or 1 large pak choi  

2 handfuls of green leafy vegetables such as spinach or asparagus 

1 tbs dark or red miso 

for the meatballs: 

400 g minced poultry (or pork, beef or a mix) 

1 shallot 

1 clove of garlic 

1 piece of ginger (2.5 cm)

grated zest of 1 unsprayed orange & lemon 

25 blades of chives 

5 sprigs of coriander, the leaves (or other green herbs such as basil or parsley) 

salt & black pepper from the mill 

finish with available: roasted sesame oil, chili flakes, sesame seeds, soy sauce, green herbs, spring onion, fresh chili peppers, etc. 

Bring the stock to the boil with the sliced ginger (no need to peel it). Let the pot simmer gently with the lid on while you roll the meatballs. To do this, finely grate the ginger and chop the shallot, garlic and herbs. Mix together with the grated orange and lemon zest into the minced meat. Season the minced meat with salt and pepper and roll it into balls the size of a cherry. Remove the ginger from the broth. Then cook the meatballs in it for 3 to 5 minutes until done (when they float to the top, they are ready). Remove the stems from the pak choi and let it cook for 3 m, so that they are cooked but still have bite. Place a few tablespoons of stock in a bowl and dissolve the miso in it. Mix into the soup together with the green leafy vegetables. Or: after temporarily removing the balls, add the miso all the vegetables, first the hard white bok choy, then the green, to the broth. Add the balls at the end. 

Risotto with scampi & zucchini

For ➍ 

240-300 g arborio rice

24 scampi

2 small zucchini

2 shallots

2 cloves of garlic

10 cl dry white wine

1.½ l chicken stock

olive oil

salt & freshly ground pepper

1-1½ tbs vadouvan (*)

Clean the scampi (remove the intestinal tract), mix them with the herbs and 1-1.½ tbs oil and put them away in a cool place.

Cut the zucchini into slices of about 1 cm thick and cut the slices again into sticks.

Bring the stock to the boil and keep it warm. We will use the stock to cook the risotto.

Heat the olive oil in a wide pot and fry the chopped shallot and garlic.

Add the rice to the pot and let it fry for a while until the grains become transparent.

Add the white wine and let it boil away. Then add a small tablespoon of stock and wait until the liquid has largely been absorbed. Then add stock again and keep repeating until the rice is done. This will take about 15 to 20 m. The rice should still be creamy, but should certainly not be cooked too flat.

Heat a large frying pan with a dash of olive oil and fry the marinated scampi over high heat.

Remove the scampi from the pan, add an extra dash of olive oil if necessary and fry the zucchini strips in the same pan, over sufficiently high heat (season them with salt and freshly ground pepper).

Add the fried scampi and zucchini to the risotto when it is done and stir everything carefully.

*or 1 ts kurkuma + 1 ts paprika powder + ½ ts chili flakes

Salmon & miso butter & spinach

For ➍
25 g butter, at room temperature
25 g miso paste
1 ts finely grated lemon zest
1 ts lemon juice
250 g spinach
2 shallots
1 clove of garlic
4 tbs oil
salt
4 salmon fillets (150 g each)

Mix the soft butter with the miso paste, the finely grated lemon zest and the lemon juice into a smooth paste. [Put in the center of a piece of cling film. Roll up the foil tightly to form a roll, and twist the sides like with a toffee.]* Cool in the refrigerator.
Clean the spinach, wash the leaves and drain in a colander.
Peel and chop the shallots and garlic clove. Heat 1 tbs of oil in a large saucepan and sauté the shallot and garlic until translucent. Add the spinach. Sprinkle with salt and spoon the spinach leaves until shrunk. Add a little more salt if necessary.  Keep the spinach warm.
Grill the salmon fillet strips over hot coals or fry them in a non-stick pan in 3 tbs of oil.  Allow 3 to 4 m per side**.  Season the grilled or fried salmon with salt and put miso butter on top.
Serve the salmon on a bed of spinach. Serve with glass noodles or soba noodles. ***

*Optional
**The salmon will be glassy inside. If preferred, cook it for 1-2 m longer. 

Alternatively, marinate the salmon in a mix from miso paste, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, fresh garlic, ginger powder & honey. In a cast iron skillet fry the salmon with the non-skin part facing down for 1 m. Then flip salmon over and bring the cast iron into the oven and bake for 8-11 m (depending on thickness of salmon)Send salmon into the oven directly and bake for 11-15 minutes (depending on thickness of salmon). Or bake salmon in the oven directly bake for 11-15 minutes (depending on thickness of salmon). You can mix half of the marinate with 1or 2 tbs of water, boil for a m, and glaze the salmon with it, instead of using the miso butter. 

***Add some sauce to the noodles to spice them up.

Eggplant with feta, mint rice & tomato sauce

For ➍ 

3 garlic cloves

5 tbs mild olive oil

10 cl balsamico

4 eggplants

1 tbs dried oregano

300 g three-color rice or nut rice

1 shallot

400 g polpa with basilic

½ tbs brown sugar

16 caper apples

200 g feta 43+ or vegan alternative

40 g fresh mint

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Squeeze ⅔ of the garlic into a small bowl and mix with ⅘ of the oil and balsamic vinegar. Halve the eggplants lengthwise, leaving the stem on. Cut the eggplants on the cut side crosswise every centimeter and place them cut side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with half of the balsamic mixture and sprinkle with the oregano. Season with pepper and possibly salt. Bake for 35 m until soft and cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook the rice according to package directions.

Chop the shallot and finely chop the rest of the garlic. Heat the rest of the oil in a small pan and fry the shallot and garlic for 2 m over medium heat. Add the finely chopped canned tomatoes, season with pepper and the brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over low heat for 15-20 m.

Cut the capers in half. Crumble the feta. Remove the leaves from the mint sprigs and roughly chop. Set aside 1 tbs mint (per 4 people) and mix the rest of the mint with the rice. Remove the eggplant from the oven. Sprinkle with the rest of the balsamic mixture and the caper apple halves. 

Serve with the mint rice and the tomato sauce and garnish with the feta, the reserved mint and some pepper.

Salmon fillet with beech mushrooms & green risotto

For ➍ 

150 g white & 150 g brown beech mushrooms (shimeji mushrooms) 

4 pieces  salmon with skin

300 g risotto rice

1 l stock

1 tsp turmeric 

100 g frozen peas 

1 bunch parsley or chervil, finely chopped 

2 tbs ground Parmigiano 

1 shallot 

olive oil 

3 lumps butter 

1 onion, cut 

5 cloves of garlic, sliced 

Fry the onion and 2 cloves of garlic in the oil for a few m. Add the rice and make sure it is well mixed with the oil. Extinguish with a dash of wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the stock, pepper and turmeric and simmer under the lid over a low heat for 15 m. Add the frozen peas and let it cook for a further 5 m. Add the finely chopped parsley or chervil along with the cheese and the knob of butter to the rice, heat well and season if necessary. 

Cut the feet of the beech mushrooms because they are tough, but use the stems. Heat the oil and fry the shallot and 3 cloves of garlic. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 m. Add pepper and salt.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat the oil with the butter and fry the salmon skin side down in the pan for a few m. Brown the salmon briefly and firmly on the other side. The salmon can still be pink on the inside, but salmon that has been baked for too long is dry. 

Spoon rice in a deep plate, then dress the salmon and mushrooms. Finish with parsley, chervil and possibly violets.

Grilled aubergine with pomegranate & pistachio

For ➍
3 eggplants
¼ ts turmeric
1 tbs garam masala
peanut oil
3 tbs pistachios
1 bunch coriander
1 bunch mint
1 pomegranate
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
1 tbs sugar cubes*
3 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tsp pilipili

Peel the garlic and shallots. Chop finely.
Chop the coriander and mint leaves until you have 1 tbs of each.
Remove the seeds from the pomegranate.
Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the shallots, garlic, sugar, vinegar, pilipili and 3 tbs water.
Boil for 1 m, remove from heat and allow to cool.
Stir in the chopped coriander, mint and 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds.
Rinse the salt from the aubergines and pat them dry.
Mix 3 tbs oil with the garam masala and turmeric into a paste and brush the aubergine slices with it.
Heat the grill pan and fry them on both sides in beautiful, black lines.
Arrange them in a baking dish. Sprinkle with oil and continue cooking until the aubergines are soft.
Arrange the slices on a serving dish and spoon the dressing over it.
Garnish with the rest of the pomegranate seeds, mint leaves and coriander.
Sprinkle with pistachios and serve.
Serve as an opener or as a side dish at e.g. grilled lamb crown.

* Replace if necessary by honey. Or replace the wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar for a sweeter taste.

Chicken with peas, fennel & potatoes

For ➍
8 chicken legs
3 fennels
450 g (frozen) peas
2 shallots
½ lemon
A few sprigs basil
olive oil
black pepper & salt
for the baby potatoes:
1 kg baby potatoes
3 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs rosemary
olive oil
black pepper & coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Wash the baby potatoes (no need to peel, but cut the larger ones in half) and put in an oven dish. Add the rosemary and crushed garlic (no need to peel). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sprinkle a few sprigs of olive oil over it. Shuffle so that everything is covered with a layer of oil. Roast for 25-35 m and toss halfway through.
Heat a small splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed cooking pot or large saucepan, over medium to high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place with the seasoned side in the cooking pot or pan. Bake for about 6 ms until you have a golden brown crust. Season the other side with salt and pepper and cook for another 6 ms until you have a crispy crust here too.*
While the chicken is baking, cut the fennel into wafer-thin slices. If you have a mandolin, now is the time to use them. Keep the fennel green aside for the finish. Peel the shallots and cut into fine half rings. Place ⅙ of the fennel in a small bowl together with the shallot, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and toss together.
Place the chicken on a plate, reduce the heat and fry the fennel in the same pan or pot for a few m. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and add a very small splash of water. Place the chicken on top and simmer under a lid for 10 m*. Add the peas and simmer for a few more m.
Mix the fennel and shallot marinated in the lemon juice with the basil leaves.
Divide among plates. Finish with the fennel green and possibly some extra leaves of basil.

*Chicken might need up to 30 m to be cooked completely on the inside!

A zen risotto

For ➍*
225 g butter
1 clove garlic, chopped
225 g fresh shallots, chopped
50 g fresh oregano, chopped
8 bay leaves
450 g shiitake, torn**
1 kg Arborio rice***
50 cl dry white wine
1 l warm chicken stock (not boiling)****
20 cl olive oil
50 g parsley
100 g grated Parmigiano cheese

Melt the butter. Add shallots (with oregano, bay leaves) and stir 5 m until translucent.
Add shiitake and cook for 5 m.
Add rice and stir to coat. Add wine and simmer until most of the wine is absorbed.
Stir in stock in small portions until rice is ready (20 m). It might not be necessary to use all stock***.
Put on serving plates, with a few spots of olive oil, add parsley. Add Parmigiano.

*As a main dish. Half the quantities as an entrée or side-dish.
**When using dried shiitaken let them simmer in boiling water for 40 m. Use the liquid as apart of the stock.
***Or any slow cooking risotto rice. Not suitable for sushi rice if creamy aspect is wanted.
****Use a vegetable stock to make this a veggie dish. Probably you'll need only 70 cl. Save excess fluid to make another dish.

Read the tip on making a quick risotto.

Parsnip stew with mushrooms & bacon

For ➍
1 kg potatoes
800 g parsnips
1 tbs mild olive oil
150 g bacon strips
3 sprigs fresh thyme
400 g chestnut mushrooms
125 g sliced ​​shallots
20 cl semi-skimmed milk

Peel the potatoes, cut into equal pieces and cook in water with any salt in 20 m until done.
Peel the parsnip and cut into 1 cm thick slices. Cook the last 10 m with the potatoes.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the bacon strips until crispy over medium heat in 8 m.
Meanwhile, tear the leaves of the thyme sprigs.
Slice the mushrooms.
Turn down the heat. Add the thyme, mushrooms and shallots to the bacon and cook over low heat for 8 m.
Heat the milk. Drain the potatoes and parsnip, add the milk and mash with the mashed potatoes.
Serve the stew with the mushroom mixture.

Duck breast fillets with spinach & lacquered sauce with ginger

For ➍
2.2 dl fresh brown veal stock
2 tbs soy sauce
4 shredded ginger balls in syrup
2 large duck breast fillets
900 g spinach
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
4 tbs roasted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the veal stock, the soy sauce, the ginger syrup and the shredded ginger balls in a saucepan. Reduce to half over low heat.
Finely chop the shallots, rinse the spinach, peel and press the cloves of garlic. Coarsely chop the peanuts. Keep apart.
Make diamond-shaped notches in the skin of the duck breast fillets with a sharp knife. Bake the skin side golden brown on a high heat, in a frying pan without fat, and then the other side*. Slide the duck breast fillets into the oven for another 25 m to continue cooking**. Turn the fillets over, place them on a cutting board, cover them with aluminum foil and let them rest for 5 m.
Pour 4 tbs of the released cooking fat into a sauté pan. Add the spinach, shallots and garlic. Shrink the spinach over a medium heat. Season with pepper and salt.
Slice the duck breast fillets. Serve with the spinach and the sauce. Sprinkle with peanuts and add pommes of dauphine or potato quenelles.

*Avoid splashing and pour the released cooking fat into a bowl before frying the other side of the duck breast fillets until golden brown.
**Or continue to bake in the pan until done.

Salade niçoise dressing

For ➏*
10 cl red-wine vinegar
2 ½ tbs minced shallot
2 ts French mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced & mashed to a paste with ½ ts salt
½ ts anchovy paste (or mince a few anchovy)
25 cl extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ tbs minced fresh thyme
1 ½ tbs finely chopped fresh basil

Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, garlic paste, and anchovy paste in a small bowl until combined well. Add oil slowly. Whisk in thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh tuna & salade niçoise .

*It is quite difficult to get the dressing right with smaller quantities. Make some more and put in the fridge, keeping the salad ingredients apart, or take ⅓ of quantities for 2.

Read more Provençal recipes: fresh tuna & salade niçoise , Provençal garlic sauce, old-fashioned salade niçoise, Saint-Tropez (Provençal) chicken.

Tortilla with endives & raw milk goat cheese

For ➍
1 shallot, chopped
1 zucchini (or 100 g peas, frozen), cubed
4 heads of chicory, cored cut in strips
2 large flowery potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 tbs finely chopped chives
6 eggs
150 g raw milk goat cheese
baking butter
pepper & salt
rucola salad

Boil the potatoes in salty water.
Bake the shallot in a little butter until glassy. Add the pre-cooked potato cubes and fry for a while. Add the zucchini and chicory and let it bake. Season with pepper and salt.
Beat the eggs and pour them over the vegetables. Crumble the goat cheese over the mixture. Put the lid on the pan and let it cook on a low heat for 10 m.
Turn the tortilla and let it cook for 2 m.
Finish the tortilla with the chopped chives and serve with the rucola salad.

Monkfish stew with shallot & tomato sauce

For ➍
600 g monkfish fillet
4 shallots
butter
4 dl tomato passata
pepper & salt
finely chopped parsley

Cut the monkfish into 2.5 cm thick pieces. Peel the shallots and finely chop them. Melt butter in a pan and fry the fish. Sprinkle with the finely chopped shallot and add the passata. Cook for 15 m on a low heat until the fish is done. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with the parsley.
Serve with fries or bread.

Rucola soup

For ➍
1 large shallot
1 garlic
2 small loose potatoes
1 l chicken broth
150 g rucola
2 tbs of cream
50 g sun-dried tomatoes
olive oil
marjoram dried
pepper & salt

Peel and chop the clove of garlic and the shallot coarsely. Fry in a dash of olive oil until the onion turns translucent. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. Add to the onion and put immediately with the chicken broth. Bring to the boil and let simmer for 15 m.
Finely chop the arugula. Add once the potato cubes are well cooked. Allow to warm up and lower the heat. Mix into a smooth soup. Season with pepper, salt and some dried marjoram. Add 2 tbs of cream and warm on a low heat. Meanwhile slice the sundried tomatoes into fine strips.
Serve the soup with a slice of sundried tomatoes in each plate. Serve with toasted bread.

Kaukswe (Burmese chicken curry soup)

For ➍-➏
for the soup:
650 g boneless chicken thighs
1 tbs dried ginger
1 tbs dried turmeric
1 tbs ground coriander
1 tbs neutral oil, such as grapeseed
2 cloves garlic
2.5 cm piece ginger, peeled
1 shallot, peeled
1 dried hot chilli
1 bunch fresh coriander
5 cl unrefined coconut oil or a neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed
400 g cubed sweet potatoes
40 cl chicken stock
40 cl unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbs fish sauce
2 limes, 1 juiced &1 quartered
salt, to taste
for the crispy shallots:
1 peeled shallot, sliced thinly
20 cl neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed

In a food processor, mince the garlic, ginger, shallot, dried chilli, and the roots and/or stems of the bunch of coriander.  Cut the chicken thighs into about 2.5 cm pieces. Marinate overnight with the dried ginger, turmeric, coriander, and 1 tbs of neutral oil. (Or toss the chicken pieces with the spices before you start cooking.)
In the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, heat the coconut oil. Then add the cubed sweet potato. Fry until golden brown on at least 2 sides of each cube. Scoop out of the pan, leaving the oil, and set aside.
Add the chicken pieces (a few at a time so you can brown them without having them cool the pan down) and let them begin to brown. Season with a pinch of salt. When they are mostly browned, add the minced mix, stem mixture and let cook out a little.
Add a couple tbs of the chicken stock and let reduce until the mixture is soft and cooked. Add the rest of the chicken stock and the reserved sweet potatoes and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile fry the crispy shallots (this can also be done as much as a week ahead of time, as the shallots will keep in a closed container at room temperature for a week at least). In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the shallots and stir frequently. As the oil continues to heat, the shallots will start to color. When they get golden brown, scoop them out of the oil and drain on a paper towel. You want to pull them out of the oil a little before dark brown, as they'll continue to cook and crisp up on the paper towel.
Simmer the soup for about 30 m, until the chicken and sweet potatoes are close to tender. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and coconut milk and bring up to a simmer. Stir in a quarter cup of coriander leaves and taste for salt.
Serve garnished with the crispy shallots, a couple of sprigs of raw coriander, and the lime wedges. Add some noodles if you want.

Risotto with gray shrimps, watercress & lemon

For ➍
300 g grey North Sea shrimps
1 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
1½ vegetable stock cubes
300 g risotto rice
1.5 l water
60 g Parmigiano cheese
3 lemons
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 bunch of watercress
pepper from the mill & salt

Put a pan on the fire with some olive oil and simmer the shallot and garlic. Add the rice and fry a little further on a low heat. Bring the water to a boil and dissolve the bouillon cubes. Add the stock little by little to the risotto, wait until the stock is fully absorbed by the rice before adding new.
When the rice is done, add the butter and let it melt. Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons and pour into the risotto, season with salt and pepper and mix. Finish the risotto with the Parmigiano cheese, the watercress and a lemon wedge.
Serve with the shrimps.

Read how to make a quick risotto.

Light avocado & tomato salad

For ➋-➍ as salad or side-dish
1 tbs minced shallot
1 tbs minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
½ ts Dijon mustard*
½ ts maple syrup
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
270 g gourmet tomato medley**
1 large avocado, pitted & thinly sliced
1 tbs fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish)
100 g feta, crumbled***
salt & pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine the minced shallot, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and chopped parsley. Very slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Wash and pat dry the gourmet medley tomatoes. Slice the small tomatoes in half, and quarter the larger ones. Place the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.
Pour half of the vinaigrette over the tomatoes. Toss to combine.
Arrange tomatoes in the center of a serving platter and drizzle additional vinaigrette over top, if desired. Arrange avocado slices around the tomatoes in a single or double layer.
Garnish the entire dish with crumbled feta and chopped fresh parsley. Alternatively, you can simply toss everything together and pour into a bowl or onto a plate.****

*gluten free if possible
**or cherry tomatoes
***or crumbled goat cheese or sliced halloumi
****serve as a side dish with roasted chicken, a hearty white fish, or grilled tofu kebabs

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.