Cucina Amalfi (eBook)

delightful antipasti

It is popularly thought that the word ‘antipasto’ means the course that is eaten before the pasta dish. But in reality it means ‘before the meal’, coming from the Latin ante pastum. The purpose of the antipasto is to stimulate the appetite, but certainly not to satisfy it: antipasti must be simple, not rich or complicated, in order to allow for the appreciation of the course (or courses) to follow. Therefore tasty, light and small morsels are the order of the day.

Along the Amalfi Coast, antipasti are usually based on seafood – you could choose from anchovies, sardines, baby octopus, clams, mussels, squid or cuttlefish, sea urchins, tuna, prawns or whitebait. Simply visiting the local seafood market, where the fish are so fresh they almost leap out at you, will give you an idea of what the nearby restaurants will offer. The smaller fish might be deep-fried in a light batter, as with small pieces of vegetable. There might also be some salame or prosciutto, cooked vegetables, grains or pulses, crostini, cheese dishes and salads. Antipasti are perhaps more part of a restaurant menu than a fixture of a meal at home nowadays, although they often appear at family celebrations, such as weddings or christenings. I love making and serving them, with their endless possibilities and their variety of tastes, textures and colours. They don’t have to just be served as a course before your main meal of the day either – four or five together could be served by themselves as a delicious lunch, rather like the Spanish tapas.

I have given you three mozzarella recipes in this chapter, as mozzarella cheese is one of the food stars of Campania and the Amalfi Coast. I think the best cheeses are made here, despite rivals now appearing all over the world (from China to Scotland!). The local cheese, mainly produced near Salerno, is so respected that it bears the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana trademark and was given DOC status (Designation of Controlled Origin) in 1993; it also gained a Protected Geographical Status from the EU in 2008. It is made from the milk of water buffalo that roam many areas of southern Italy, principally Campania, Lazio and Puglia. Anyway, they produce milk that is low in fat, which is made into balls of cheese with a soft and gentle flavour. The cheese takes its name from the verb mozzare, meaning ‘to cut’; this refers to the way in which the cheesemakers ‘cut’ the stretchy curd by hand to make it into the familiar balls.

Buffalo mozzarella should come bathing in its own packet or tub of liquid – and should be eaten promptly, when it will ooze a little of its internal milk. It is best when newly made, so I urge you to visit the Amalfi Coast (before the summer preferably, when the tourists will be in super-abundance!) in order to truly appreciate it. To be honest, it can be a little bland, so needs a little help from other flavourings. I love it because of its coolness, which is welcome in the searing heat of the south. It is best, to my mind, in a salad from the nearby island of Capri, the caprese, with fabulous olive oil, sliced San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, salt and pepper. And another popular Amalfi Coast use of mozzarella is in carrozza, translated as ‘in a carriage’, which are slices of mozzarella sandwiched between slices of bread and fried (see page 26). The melting stringiness of the cheese also means that it is the ideal topping for pizza, another speciality of this part of Italy.

The other culinary stars of the Amalfi Coast are anchovies, or acciughe, here known as alici. The small coastal town of Cetara is the centre of the anchovy trade and has been for centuries. The town’s fishing fleet is one of the best equipped on the Amalfi Coast. The fish are caught between March and July and are served fresh in a variety of ways. In Cetara, they even have a Notte delle Lampara at the end of July, when the fishermen and paying guests go out in the old traditional way, in small boats, with a large lamp at the bow, which attracts the fish. Most of the alici catch, however, is used to make colatura di alici, an intensely fishy sauce, which is the modern-day equivalent of the famous Roman sauce. The fish are put in barrels, weighted down, and the ‘sauce’, the essence of anchovies, is squeezed out. There is a Festa della Colatura di Alici in early December to celebrate the new bottling. I think of colatura as the vanilla extract of the fish world, and although it is still a bit of an underground ingredient in the UK, I think it is on its way – it brings a dish alive, adding an extra dimension to pasta sauces, salads and grains.

PEPPER & MOZZARELLA SKEWERS

SPIEDINI DI AMALFI

This is such a simple antipasti to make, but make sure you adhere to the details. Glorious to serve at gatherings as the flavourful skewers are fun to share with guests.

2 large red (bell) peppers

50 g/3½ tablespoons unsalted butter

6 anchovies

1 sourdough baguette, stick or good-quality country-style bread (can be a day old)

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 mozzarella balls, drained well

2 handfuls of fresh basil

fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 metal skewers

Serves 6

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/425°F/gas 7.

Place the red peppers on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes (depending on the size of your peppers) until deflated and slightly charred. Leave to cool, then peel off the skin. Cut the flesh into 18 pieces in total.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/gas 4.

Place the butter in a small pan with the anchovies and heat gently until the butter has melted.

Cut the bread into 18 even slices, ideally with the crusts removed and brush with the olive oil. Cut the mozzarella into 18 slices about 1 cm/½ in. thick.

Thread 6 skewers, allowing 3 pieces of each ingredient per skewer. Start with bread, then pepper, cheese and basil leaves and repeat, making sure that the ingredients are tightly pressed together. Place the skewers on an oiled baking sheet, season well and brush with the melted anchovy butter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, turning halfway to check that they are evenly browning. Garnish with parsley to serve.

MOZZARELLA IN A LEMON LEAF

MOZZARELLA IN FOGLIA DI LIMONE

I’m always very keen to use the leaves of the fragrant Amalfi lemon trees whenever possible. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a tree in your garden or could visit a local greengrocer to see if they have a beautiful box of Amalfi lemons that you could take a few lemon leaves from to try this dish. Lemon leaves also work well as a base when cooking fresh fish – the volatile oils in the leaves are just below the surface, and all the aromas and flavour are captured perfectly as they seep through the fish.

1 ball of fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces

fresh lemon leaves, blanched to make them flexible

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

lemon zest, to garnish (optional)

good-quality extra virgin olive oil and bread, to serve

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/425°F/gas 7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Depending on the size of the leaves, wrap a piece of fresh buffalo mozzarella in one or more leaves, seasoning the cheese well before enclosing it within the leaf.

Place on the lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the oven, undo the leaf to reveal the mozzarella and top with lemon zest if desired. Enjoy with fabulous oil and bread.

VARIATION: Fig leaves can also be used filled with goats’ cheese in a similar manner.

MINI PARMESAN PANCAKES

TORTINE DI PARMIGIANO

My father grew Italian new potatoes and I grew up with him coming home and turning a handful of potatoes out of his pockets, which were quickly cooked for him to see if he approved of the flavour. This dish has many variations and can be served like a sandwich with creamy fresh spinach or cheese in the middle, or with roasted peppers or meats on the side for antipasti.

2 large old potatoes

75 g/1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

25 g/3 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour

a little milk, for mixing

4 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish

Serves 4

Peel, then grate the potatoes into a bowl. Add the cheese, egg, flour, salt and pepper and enough milk to form a thick batter that is of a dropping consistency. Leave to stand for 15 minutes.

In a large frying pan/skillet, heat the oil, then drop in tablespoons of the mixture (you will need to cook the pancakes in batches). Fry for 7 minutes until golden brown on one side, turn and fry the second side until golden. Lower the heat and cook for a further 1–2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot, garnished with parsley.

FRIED COURGETTE FLOWERS

FRITTELLE DI FIORI DI ZUCCA

Grow courgettes/zucchini in your garden in the summertime and marvel at their cheerful colour, making one smile as they grow. I personally like the flowers just as they are but you could fill them with a mixture...