Basil & Oregano Piadina (Italian Flatbread)

by Matthew Luca

A tasty Italian flatbread recipe, these Piadina's will impress at the dinner table and are quick and easy to make. great with any main course, soup, to use as a sandwich wrap or served simply with some pesto.

Ingredients

190g Strong bread flour (plus extra for dusting)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

130ml water

2 tbsp. olive oil

Method

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients to form a dough, knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic and it bounces back up when pushed down. cut into 4 equal pieces and on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin, roll out to form thin, flat and roundish bread dough.
Using either on a non stick pan or cast Iron Skillet heat the pan with a tiny amount of olive oil, about 1 teaspoon, cook the bread dough on moderate high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until browned and a little puffy. Best served hot but can also be left to cool and stored in plastic wrapping or freezer bags for up to 7 days. You can also freeze then for around 6 weeks.

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Stromboli (Focaccia filled with Spinach and Mozzarella)

By Matthew Luca

A Delicious alternative to the flat Focaccia bread, this beauty is filled with melting cheese and spinach. The origins of Stromboli suggest this type of rolled bread is named after an Italian love child based on a film called "Stromboli" and it sure tastes dangerously good, traditionally made with either Italian bread or pizza dough this focaccia version is amazing.

Ingredients Bread

360g Strong white Bread Flour

7g Fast acting Dried Yeast

200ml warm water

1 Tablespoon olive oil (plus extra for glazing and greasing.)

1 tsp fine table Salt

1/2 tsp caster sugar

1 tbsp Coarse sea salt

1 sprig chopped rosemary

Ingredients Filling

2 Mozzarella balls (drained and torn into pieces)

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese (grated)

1 large handful spinach (chopped)

3 Garlic Cloves (chopped)

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 sprig chopped Oregano

1 tbsp Olive oil

Method

To make the focaccia, In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, fine salt, sugar and mix together with your hand, then add the yeast, mix again and make a well in the middle. Pour in the warm water, olive oil and mix together with your hand to form a dough. When combined on a lightly floured surface knead for around 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic in texture.

In another large mixing bowl smear the inside with some olive oil ensuring its fully coated and transfer the kneaded dough to the bowl, roll it a couple of times in the oil and then cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise for around 1-2 hours until doubled in size.

On a floured surface roll out the dough gently to form a rectangle shape, ensuring not to roll it too thinly, lightly dust the dough and cover with cling film for around 10 minutes. At this stage preheat your oven to 190c.

Time to make the filling, add the mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, garlic, pepper, oil and oregano into a bowl and mix together.

Remove the cling film from the rolled out dough and spread over the filling, then roll up to form a loose cylinder shape and tuck the ends under to seal the focaccia. Grease a baking sheet with some olive oil and transfer the bread carefully onto it, cover loosely with cling film and leave to rise for a further 30 minutes.

Remove the clingfilm and with a skewer pierce a few holes in the top of focaccia and sprinkle over the rosemary and course sea salt, plus a light drizzle of olive oil.

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch.

When ready remove from the oven a place on a wire cooling rack and drizzle over a generous amount of olive oil to glaze. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Best served warm as the melting cheese is the highlight of the Stromboli.

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Arancini Marinara (Italian Rice Balls with Marinara Sauce)

By Matthew Luca

Like most people who make a risotto your often wondering what to do with all the leftover rice. Italians have mastered this for years and created a firm favourite "The Rice Ball". Stuffed with mozzarella they are served in various different sizes but the ones you hear people talk about the most are baseball sized that can be found in restaurants and deli's from Palermo to New York. Originated in Sicily and translated Arancini means "Little Orange" because of the size and colour after frying.


Ingredients
250g risotto rice (follow cooking instructions on packet) preferably cook in chicken stock and a clove of garlic added to the water for flavour, cook aldente)
100g Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 mozzarella ball (diced)
2 eggs (1 beaten for egg wash)
100g breadcrumbs
150g plain flour
1 litre olive oil or vegetable oil for frying
Salt & pepper for seasoning as required

Method
Allow risotto rice to cool once cooked aldente, add one egg to the rice and combine with the rice. Add the parmesan and combine again. Grab enough rice in your hand to form a ball and push a piece of mozzarella in the centre, dip rice ball in flour, then coat in egg wash and finally coat in breadcrumbs. Repeat process with the remaining rice and leave balls to firm in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to cooking.
In a large heavy based pan or deep fryer heat to 180c or until a piece of bread takes around 15 seconds to brown and crispy. deep fry the rice balls for around 4-5 minutes until golden brown, set on some kitchen paper/towel to drain of any excess oil before serving.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients
1 tin chopped tomatoes or Passata
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes or half fresh red chilli chopped (de-seeded)
half teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
few sprigs chopped basil
100ml red wine

Method
Add all ingredients into a saucepan on a moderate high heat and cook stirring constantly for around 5 minutes, press tomatoes with a potato masher. remove from heat and pass through a fine sieve into another saucepan using the back of a spoon to press through any lumps. You should be left with a smooth textured sauce ready for serving.


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Italian Gelato recipe

By Matthew Luca

Bring the taste of Italian summers to your home with this tantalizing Gelato recipe, its not easy to find good quality Gelato in a supermarket and what's great about making it yourself is that you know it has no additives, oils or preservatives. I will add recipes for two more flavours (Strawberry & Tutti Frutti ) plus an Affogato below, you'll be able to make these using the base Vanilla Gelato and then adding the flavours. It's a good idea to make the gelato at least a day before you plan to use it.

Ingredients: (Vanilla based Gelato)
500ml Double cream
500ml Full fat Milk
300g Caster sugar
8 Egg yolks
1 Vanilla pod

Method
In a large mixing bowl pour in the sugar, egg yolks and then whisk until it appears as a runny liquid, set aside.
In a heavy based pan, add the milk, cream and seeds from the vanilla pod and cook on a high heat until small bubbles begin to form around the inside rim of the pan. (just before it begins to boil) then turn off heat (do not let boil).
Add a very small amount of the hot milk to the eggs and sugar and stir gently until combined then add a bit more in stages slowly increasing the amount of hot milk you whisk into the eggs. When finished pour the mixture back into the pan and cook on a medium to high heat stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to stick to the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat and transfer into a mixing bowl and leave to cool, when cold cover with cling film and place in the fridge until chilled.
Once chilled thoroughly empty the mixture into one or two sealed sandwich bags and double bag them for extra strength, then place in the freezer, every hour or so give the sandwich bag a gentle squeeze to help churn the Gelato until its firm enough to remove from the bags easily. Empty the gelato into a freezer proof plastic container and now you have your own homemade Gelato for whenever you need it. (Video recipe below).


Tutti Frutti Gelato
Add some candied chopped mix fruit and a couple of drops of orange essence to some Vanilla Gelato, mix gently and allow to re-firm in the freezer.

Strawberry Gelato
Simply add some chopped strawberries to the Vanilla gelato and mix thoroughly and allow to re-firm in the freezer.

Affogato

This is an Italian favourite, simply pour an espresso shot over vanilla gelato and serve with a crisp wafer. Mine is also garnished with crushed pistachio. (please only use fresh filtered coffee ), I used my espresso machine as it adds a good crema to the coffee. (Lavazza) :-)

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