For hundreds of years, if not centuries, the people of Italy (Italians) have been living here. And without doubt, the culinary heart of this amazing country would have to be Tuscany. Some of the world’s finest olive oil, wines, smallgoods, and cheeses come from this fertile region abutting the Ligurian Sea.
1. CODA ALLA VACCINARA
OXTAIL STEW
Many people are put off cooking with cheaper cuts of meat,
for the simple reason that they are, well, cheap. Back home, I’ve found a wonderful butcher who sells oxtail, stewing steak and even chops, all at
significantly marked-up prices, so one can shop with peace of mind.
2.5 KG OXTAIL, CUT INTO 20 × 5 CM PIECES
SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
PLAIN FLOUR
125 ML EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
120 G PANCETTA, DICED
3 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED
3 SMALL ONIONS, HALVED
500 ML DRY WHITE WINE
2 × 400 G CANS ITALIAN TOMATOES, JUICES RETAINED
12 STICKS CELERY, CUT INTO 6 CM LENGTHS, OR 6 STICKS
CELERY, CUT INTO 12 CM LENGTHS
2 TABLESPOONS PINE NUTS, TOASTED
2 TABLESPOONS SULTANAS
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Season the oxtail and
dredge it in flour. Pat with your hands so only a dusting of flour remains on
the meat.
- In a large casserole with a
lid, heat the olive oil and fry the pancetta until golden brown. Remove with a
slotted spoon and reserve.
- Brown the oxtail thoroughly
on all sides in the pancetta oil. Do not crowd the oxtail or allow the pieces
to touch during this process. This is terribly important and I find it truly
upsetting the way some people are willing to compromise the outcome of a dish in
the interests of saving a few minutes. Crowded meat will not brown, it will
broil, producing a vastly inferior taste. So please think ahead and, if
necessary, fry your oxtail in batches or even separate pans to ensure no
inadvertent meat mingling.
- Return all the oxtail to
the pan. Insert minced garlic into three of the onion halves, using a spice
applicator if you have one (I simply couldn’t live without mine!), then add to
the pan along with the remaining onion halves and reserved pancetta. Reheat until
sizzling.
- Add the wine and reduce
until nearly evaporated. Add the tomatoes, cover with a lid and bake for
approximately 4 hours (just long enough to run a decent bath if you’re
expecting guests and need to freshen up before they arrive), until the meat is
very tender.
- Add the celery to the
casserole, ensuring it is covered in sauce, and bake for a further 20 minutes
(this is perhaps a good opportunity to dry your hair). Add the pine nuts and
sultanas. Continue baking for about 10 minutes (nails?) until the celery is
tender.
- Adjust the seasoning and
serve in a cheerful bowl.
TIPS
When pan-frying meat, the trick is to cook it undisturbed in
a really hot pan. Don’t be tempted to poke and prod it every few seconds. Leave
it alone, lower the lights if necessary and keep noise to a minimum. If you
live on a particularly busy road, consider having the traffic diverted.
2. POLLO ALLA TOSCANA
TUSCAN CHICKEN
In honor of our first night at Villa del Vecchio, I decided
to cook this classic Tuscan dish. Served with a crisp green salad and some
bread to mop up the juices, it’s a perfect meal to enjoy outdoors on a warm
summer’s night, something we almost certainly would have done had it not been
raining steadily. Phillip tried stringing some plastic sheeting over the
terrace but it kept blowing off so in the end we were forced to abandon our alfresco supper and retreat indoors. Still, nothing could ‘dampen’ our enjoyment
of this flavorsome feast.
1 × 900 G CHICKEN, PREFERABLY CORN-FED
1 LARGE LEMON
60 ML EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
8 SLICES PROSCIUTTO, THINLY SLICED
2 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED
2 GOOD HANDFULS FRESH THYME LEAVES, COARSELY CHOPPED
4 LARGE POTATOES, QUARTERED
TIPS
If you can’t find proper prosciutto at your local shops, you
can use ordinary bacon or perhaps consider moving to a better suburb.
- Preheat oven and a roasting
tray to 220°C. Wash the chicken inside and out and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
- Using your fingers,
separate the skin from the breast meat, being careful not to rip the skin.
Slice the lemon and work the slices under the skin over each breast. Smooth the
skin back in place and wipe the chicken dry.
- Rub 2 tablespoons of olive
oil seasoned with salt and pepper over the bird. Really massage it in, paying
particular attention to the back, shoulders and other common areas of tension.
- Push the prosciutto, garlic , and thyme into the cavity and put your chicken on the hot roasting tray to cook
for 20 minutes.
- While the chicken is
cooking, parboil the potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes and drain. Add the
potatoes to the tray and continue to roast for 40 minutes. Reduce oven
temperature to 200°C and cook for a further 15 minutes.
- To tell whether the chicken
is done, insert a fine skewer into one of the thighs. If the juices run clear,
then it’s ready to eat. If you detect blood, either the chicken is under-cooked
or you’ve stabbed yourself.
- Remove the chicken to a
heated platter and cover loosely with foil. The potatoes may require a further
10 minutes in the oven for crisping.
3. FIORI DI ZUCCHINI
COURGETTE FLOWERS
Deep-fried courgette flowers were a common sight on Italian
restaurant menus in the 1990s, which is the very reason we stopped serving
them. But they have since made a comeback and are very popular here in Tuscany
as a first course. One of the things I love is that you can use a wide variety
of stuffings: finely chopped bocconcini, diced mortadella sausage, salty
ricotta or indeed anything – provided it is fresh and in italics.
3.4 CUP PLAIN FLOUR
80 ML EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, PLUS EXTRA FOR FRYING
SALT
250 ML WATER (PREFERABLY SAN PELLEGRINO)
2 EGG WHITES
12 COURGETTE FLOWERS
- To make the batter, combine
the flour, olive oil, salt and water (but not necessarily in that order). Work
until smooth then leave to rest for an hour.
- Beat the egg whites until
stiff and compliant, then fold into the batter.
- Pour olive oil into a large
saucepan to a depth of 3 cm and heat. The oil will be hot enough when a small
drop of batter dropped into it browns immediately.*
- Dip the courgette flowers
into the batter and fry on both sides until golden brown.
- Drain well on kitchen towel
and serve immediately, sprinkled with salt.
TIPS
There are several other ways to check the temperature of
your oil. The most obvious is with a thermometer, but you can also use the
handle of a wooden spoon by dipping it in and seeing if the oil bubbles. Back
in my sous chef days, the most common method was to flick hot oil at one of the
newer kitchenhands and see how loudly they yelled. Thankfully, this practice
has been abandoned, as it was not only cruel but also quite inaccurate.
4. RIBOLLITA
RIBOLLITA
A staple part of the diet for many Tuscan farmers, this the almost clear vegetable broth was traditionally eaten with a fork, perhaps
explaining the high rate of malnutrition among the rural community. To fill it
out, stale bread is often added. Don’t worry if you haven’t got any stale
bread; many specialty food shops now stock pre-aged pastry products.
2 1.8 CUPS DRIED WHITE CANNELLINI BEANS
200 ML OLIVE OIL
2 CLOVES GARLIC, CHOPPED
100 G WHITE ONIONS, CHOPPED
300 G CARROTS, CHOPPED
300 G CELERY, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
400 G COURGETTES, MANHANDLED
1 LITRE VEGETABLE STOCK
100 G TOMATOES, PEELED AND PULPED.THEN LEFT TO THINK
ABOUT IT
200 G SPINACH, LIGHTLY CASTIGATED
PARSLEY, TO GARNISH
- Place the cannellini beans
in a large pot, cover with water and bring slowly to the boil. Cook on a very
low heat for about 3 weeks, until tender.
- Heat the olive oil in a
large pan and add the garlic and onions. Cook gently until the onions are soft
and unsuspecting.
- Splodge in the carrots and
celery, season with salt and pepper and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes.
- Add the courgettes and
leave to sweat for about 10 minutes, then add the beans, stock and tomatoes.
Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Skim regularly with a
slotted spoon to remove any scum (this can be discarded, or used to make Scum
risotto).
- Stir in the spinach just
before serving and garnish with parsley.
TIPS
Ribollita is traditionally served at the table from a large
bowl. This beautiful tureen once belonged to my grandmother, who used it during
her later years as a chamber pot.
5. TORTA DI
LAMPONI E CIOCCOLATO DI EUNICE
EUNICE’S CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY CAKE
My grandmother was dedicated if somewhat eccentric cook.
She would often start a dish, then get distracted by a phone call or visiting
tradesman, completely forgetting what she was made by the time she returned
to it. In these moments, simple casseroles could suddenly be dusted with icing
sugar and spooned into a bowl to be served up as a rich – if somewhat
unconventional – veal sorbet. Fortunately, this wonderful cake of hers is just
about distraction-proof.
200 G DARK CHOCOLATE, CHOPPED
100 G UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED
5 LARGE EGGS, SEPARATED
1.2 CUP CASTER SUGAR
1.3 CUP SELF-RAISING FLOUR, SIFTED
1.2 CUP HAZELNUTS, GROUND
60 ML FRANGELICO LIQUEUR
RASPBERRY SAUCE
125 G RASPBERRIES
3 TABLESPOONS ICING SUGAR
- Preheat oven to 190°C.
- Melt the chocolate and
butter over a pot of hot water. Remove from heat and stir in the egg yolks,
sugar, flour, hazelnuts, and Frangelico, mixing until soft and creamy. Beat the
egg whites until firm peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites lightly
into the chocolate mixture and pour into a greased and lined round 20 cm springform cake tin.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes or
until the cake shrinks slightly from the side of the tin.
- To make the raspberry
sauce, place the raspberries and icing sugar in a food processor or blender and
purée until smooth. Strain. Add a little water if the mixture is too thick,
which it won’t be if you’ve followed my instructions properly.
- Serve the cake, cut into
wedges, with raspberry sauce and a jaunty dollop of cream.
TIPS
When it comes to melting the chocolate, I recommend using a triple boiler that is, a saucepan inside a saucepan.
Good-quality chocolate is simply too precious to risk burning.
6. MELANZANE CON POMODORI AL FORNO
BAKED AUBERGINES AND TOMATOES
Interestingly, aubergines aren’t native to Italy. They
originally came from Asia, along with chillies, capsicums and the tour group we
were seated next to at dinner last night. Funny, isn’t it, the way people at a
large table so quickly forget that they are out and start treating a restaurant
like their own private dining room? I wouldn’t mind the raised voices so much
if they’d at least have the courtesy to speak in Italian or English.
OLIVE OIL
2 LARGE AUBERGINES, CUT INTO HALVES AND SCOOPED
1 HEAPED TEASPOON DRIED OREGANO
SEA SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 SMALL RED ONION, FINELY CHOPPED
2 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY SLICED
2–3 TABLESPOONS BEST-QUALITY HERB VINEGAR
5 LARGE RIPE TOMATOES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1 SMALL BUNCH FRESH FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, TO GARNISH
- Pour a few glugs of olive oil into a large pan and heat. Add the aubergine chunks and oregano, season with a little salt and pepper, and cook for around 5 minutes.
- When the aubergines are well browned, add the onion, garlic and a handful of anchovies. (I know they’re not listed in the ingredients section, but I didn’t want to dissuade you from at least trying the dish. And, now that you’ve cooked the aubergines and chopped the tomatoes, there’s no real point in going back, is there?)
- Drizzle the herb vinegar over everything, then add the tomatoes and simmer for around 15 minutes.
- Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and another drizzle of olive oil.
TIPS
Some people think this dish can be improved by adding a few
tablespoons of lightly toasted slivered almonds. They are wrong.
7. PAPPARDELLE CON VITELLO RAGÙ
PAPPARDELLE WITH VEAL RAGù
Veal is Tuscany’s most popular meat, closely followed by
roadkill, and there are many different ways to prepare it. This method
involves making a ragú (or sauce) and serving it with pasta. Pappardelle is
very much like tagliatelle, but thicker and satisfyingly harder to pronounce.
455 G FINELY GROUND SEMOLINA FLOUR, PLUS EXTRA FOR DUSTING
200 ML WATER
RAGÙ SAUCE
OLIVE OIL
1 RED ONION, FINELY CHOPPED
2 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED
3 BAY LEAVES
SPRIG OF FRESH ROSEMARY
500 G MINCED VEAL
4 × 400 G CANS ITALIAN PLUM TOMATOES
SEA SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
FRESHLY GRATED PARMESAN, TO SERVE
- Place the flour in a bowl and mix in cold water, a little at a time, to make a stiff dough.
- Dust a clean work surface with flour and knead the pasta for 10 minutes or so until smooth and velvety. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate until you are ready to use it, which should be now.
- Pull off an orange-sized piece of pasta dough and use your hands to roll it into a flattened sheet, the thinner the better. Using a sharp knife, cut the sheet into 1 cm wide ribbons. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Lay the pappardelle on a tray to allow it to dry out slightly before using.
- To make the ragù sauce, heat some olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped onion and garlic, and cook slowly for about 10 minutes until soft and lightly coloured. Add the bay leaves, rosemary, minced veal, and tomatoes. Stir well and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours with the lid on. If the sauce starts to stick at any point, you can add a splash of water and stir, or throw the whole thing out and start again. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Cook the pappardelle in boiling salted water for 8–10 minutes until al dente.
- Drain and stir the pasta into the hot ragù sauce. Add a good splash of olive oil and season again if necessary (which it won’t be if you’ve followed my instructions carefully). Serve with freshly grated parmesan.
TIPS
If you can’t get fresh garlic – those sweet-smelling raggedy
bulbs – simply use a clove of ordinary garlic and slightly lower your
expectations.
7. RAVIOLI DI SPINACI
SPINACH RAVIOLI
Ravioli would have to be one of my favorite forms of pasta,
whether stuffed with meat, vegetables, cheese or seafood. And while it’s
possible to find perfectly adequate store-bought varieties, nothing beats the
taste and sense of quiet superiority that comes with making your own.
500 G UNBLEACHED PLAIN WHEAT FLOUR
4 LARGE EGGS (ORGANIC IF POSSIBLE)
1 TEASPOON SALT
RICOTTA FILLING
1 KG SPINACH LEAVES, UNWASHED*
2 CUPS FRESH RICOTTA
2 EGGS
150 G PARMESAN, FRESHLY GRATED
DASH OF GRATED NUTMEG
SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
* Tuscans greatly value the added ‘crunch’ that comes
from soil residue.
- Heap the flour into a mound on a large marble pastry slab (available at most funeral supply shops) and make a well in the center. Break the eggs into it, adding a generous dash of salt, and using your hand as a ‘paddle’ (fingers together) combine the ingredients. Continue kneading until the pasta is smooth or elastic (but not both), then divide into two balls. Cover in cling film (preferably organic) and set aside for 30 minutes, which should give you just enough time to clean up the bits of dried pasta caking every nearby surface.
- To make the filling, place the spinach in a large saucepan of boiling water and cook for 8–10 minutes, then drain and chop finely. In a large mixing bowl combine the spinach with the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- On a floured work surface, roll out each piece of pasta to paper thin, then cut into 8 cm squares. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each square and gather the edges together, pinching firmly.
- Place the ravioli in a pot of boiling water and cook until they rise to the surface or collapse and sink to the bottom.
TIPS
To seal the individual parcels you can brush the edges
lightly with egg, but the traditional method is spit. Simply moisten one finger
in your mouth and brush the edges of the pasta. Or, if you want to be totally
authentic, it is now possible to purchase small bottles of certified Tuscan
Saliva at many specialty stores.
10. PAPPA AL POMODORO
TOMATO AND BREAD SOUP
If there’s one thing I can’t emphasize enough in this book,
it’s the importance of freshness. In Italy, the women shop daily, even if it is
just for shoes, but most will also make at least one stop to buy fresh produce.
And each day’s menu is planned around what looks, feels and smells to be in
peak condition. If nothing appears up to standard, they would rather starve.
This recipe calls for only the very freshest basil.
10 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, PLUS EXTRA FOR
SERVING
3 CLOVES GARLIC, PEELED AND BRUISED
500 ML WATER OR STOCK
250 G STALE BREAD,* CUT INTO THICK SLICES
SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
8–10 FRESH BASIL LEAVES, PLUS EXTRATO GARNISH
* In England we feed stale bread to the pigeons. Here in
Tuscany, this bread (and, quite often, the pigeons too) will be used for
cooking.
- Place the tomatoes in a heatproof bowl. Add sufficient boiling water to cover and leave for 1 minute. Drain, rinse quickly in cold water, and then skin the tomatoes. Cut them in half, remove the seeds and any tough parts, and chop into small pieces.
- Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pot and add the garlic, frying until softened. Add the tomatoes, along with 2 cups of water or stock, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Tear the bread into thumb-sized pieces and add to the pot. Mix well and season before tearing in the basil leaves, gently cooking for another 10 minutes.
- Add another glug of olive oil and stir – you should have a thick, velvety consistency, much like porridge. Remove from the heat and add another 6–7 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Serve in individual bowls with a little extra basil torn over the top.
TIPS
Most people use sea salt but I prefer rock salt as it has a
slightly less salty taste.
11. CONIGLIO MARINATO ALLA GRIGLIA
GRILLED AND MARINATED RABBIT
This simple yet flavorsome dish is seasoned with herbs and
lemon juice. We also added a few tablespoons of Signor Pasquini’s homemade
grappa. If you can’t find any grappa, half a cup of cough medicine should
achieve similar results.
1 × ½ KG RABBIT, PREFERABLY WILD,* JOINTED
HANDFUL FRESH THYME AND ROSEMARY LEAVES
4 CLOVES GARLIC, PEELED
OLIVE OIL
ZEST AND JUICE OF 1 LEMON
3 TABLESPOONS GRAPPA (OPTIONAL)
SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
3 THICK SLICES PANCETTA
* While farmed rabbits are tender and juicy, there’s no
doubting that the wild variety has a more intense flavor. Tuscans love the
authentic taste of wild game and many will view with suspicion any animal that
looks as if it has died non-violently.
- Place the rabbit pieces in a bowl.
- Using a pestle and mortar, pulverise the thyme and rosemary leaves to a pulp. Add the garlic cloves and continue to pulverise before stirring in the olive oil, lemon zest, juice and grappa (if using).
- Pour the marinade over the rabbit and put to one side while you light your barbecue.
- Season the pieces of meat with salt and pepper. Wrap the belly pieces in pancetta, securing with skewers.
- Place the larger pieces of rabbit (legs and shoulder) on the barbecue first, followed by the belly, saddle and ribs. Make sure to keep turning the meat and basting with marinade as needed until cooked.
TIPS
I prefer farmed, free-range rabbit but here in Tuscany wild
rabbit is commonly eaten. Wild rabbit has a stronger taste and can be a little
tough. It’s also often full of shot gun pellets and should be avoided by anyone
who is lead intolerant.
12. POLLO ARROSTO CON AGLIO E PASTA D’ERBE
ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLIC AND HERB PASTE
This recipe was first shown to me by my dear friend Toni
Lyons at the Beaumont Brasserie, and I’ve included it here as a tribute to her
friendship and tenacity. Toni is living proof that with hard work and
determination (not to mention wealthy parents), anyone can run a successful
restaurant. The ‘Beau’ was for years a staple of London’s food scene, catering
to those who wanted a good, reliable, unchallenging dining experience. I’ve
respectfully made a few changes to Toni’s version (I wouldn’t go so far as to
call them ‘improvements’!) that should, I hope, greatly improve the finished
product.
1 × 1.4 KG CHICKEN
1 LEMON, PEELED AND CUT IN HALF
1 ORANGE, PEELED AND CUT IN HALF
4 CARROTS, HALVED LENGTHWAYS
SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
6 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
50 G BUTTER, SOFTENED, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
80 ML WHITE WINE
80 ML CHICKEN STOCK
8 SAGE LEAVES, FINELY CHOPPED
2 SPRIGS ROSEMARY, NEEDLES ONLY, FINELY CHOPPED
3 SPRIGS THYME, LEAVES ONLY, FINELY CHOPPED
1 TABLESPOON VERY FINELY CHOPPED PARSLEY
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a hot oven for 15 minutes until soft. Remove the skins and mix the puréed garlic to form a paste.
- Take the chicken and carefully ease the skin away from the breasts, taking care not to tear the skin. With your fingers, spread the garlic paste evenly over the breast underneath the skin. Fill the cavity of the chicken with the lemon and orange halves.
- Line the bottom of your roasting tray with carrots.
- Rub the chicken well all over with butter as if applying sunscreen.
- Place the chicken on the bed of carrots, season with salt and pepper and then lightly drizzle with olive oil. Pour in the wine and stock, along with the herbs.
- Cover with foil and roast.
TIPS
Wrap cloves of garlic, sprigs of rosemary, fillips of
tarragon and tranchettes of onion in a muslin cloth. If you don’t happen to
have any muslin on hand then any clean cloth will do. My mother often used her
old pantyhose, which gave the dish a delightfully piquant acidity.
13. PURÈ DI PATATE
AUDREY’S MASHED POTATO
All right, I know it’s not strictly a Tuscan dish, but there
are times when we all crave a bit of traditional comfort food. And what could
be more nourishing on an unseasonally cool June night than a steaming bowl of a mashed spud? This is best made in a big pan, with a large, heavy bottom.
Speaking of which, Helena is still here and shows no sign of moving on, despite
her initial claim that it was ‘just for a couple of days’.
4 TABLESPOONS CREAM
50 G BUTTER
2 EGGS
1.2 CUP FINELY GRATED PARMESAN
POTATOES (OPTIONAL)
- Gently heat the milk, cream and butter in a large saucepan.
- Add the eggs and parmesan and stir to combine.
- If using potatoes, peel and boil them before mashing and adding to the milk and butter mixture. Serve immediately.
