Christmas is one of the times of year where you can eat whatever you want, festive food or not. Given that our clients, partners, friends and families are from all over world it only makes sense that our Top Recipes of 2014 expand beyond yorkies, roast potatoes and gravy (not that there’s anything wrong with those!).
One of our clients during the last few years, Yummy Italy (run by Helena Kyriakides) is offering her clients a Christmas treat — A hearty, delicious dish from Italy (or specifically, Emilia Romagna). As it is considered the food capital of the world, we couldn’t resist getting an early copy of the recipe!
Yummy Italy runs bespoke cookery and gastronomy courses for individuals, families/groups and corporate clients; as well as the opportunity to drive the world’s most exotic and powerful supercars, including Lamborghinis and Ferraris. Visit here: www.yummy-italy.com
Italian Recipe: Torta di Riso
The name ‘Rice Cake’ in English is extremely misleading as this is the most distant of cries from the tasteless rice wafers currently found in supermarkets worldwide. It could be better described as a rich, creamy, aromatic, solid rice pudding – only better.
In Emilia Romagna, when families were decorating their houses and their Christmas tree just before Christmas, this delicious cake was baking in the oven. For this reason, it is also known as ‘Torta degli Addobbi’ (or Decoration Cake).
Ingredients
- 1 litre Milk
- 1 Good quality Vanilla pod (slide down length and opened)
- Half a Lemon rind
- 100g Rice (Arborio or Basmata)
- 300g Sugar
- 100g Chopped candied lemon, orange peel or mandarin peel
- 100g Chopped almonds
- 100g Crunchy Amaretti biscuits (crushed)
- 5 Eggs
- Boil the milk with the Vanilla pod and the lemon/orange/mandarin rind for 10 minutes.
- Add 100g sugar to the milk and bring to the boil again.
- Leave to cool.
- Whisk the eggs with the remaining 200g sugar.
- Add the chopped candied peel, chopped almonds and crushed Amaretti biscuits to the egg.
- Add the rice to the mixture and a small glass of almond liqueur (Amaretto di Saronno) if you wish.
- Grease and flour a baking tray and cook in the middle of a pre-heated oven for 50 minutes until it reaches a golden caramel brown on top.
- Leave to cool, cut into squares and serve. Perfect with Amaretto or Vin Santo.
Swedish Recipe: Knäck
A classic and traditional Swedish type of almond brittle cupcake, courtesy of Emily (Joshua’s girlfriend). Not exclusively Christmas-based, but certainly goes well with it! They are quick and easy to make and are oh-so delicious. Have them after dinner during a Swedish Fika for maximum enjoyment. If you dislike or are allergic to almonds, try replacing them with a glacé cherry or a clementine/satsuma segment.
Ingredients
- 100ml Double Cream
- 100ml Golden Syrup
- A handful of chopped or crushed almonds
- 80g Sugar (brown or granulated white)
- Makes 35-40
- (make sure you have paper cupcake cups!)
- Take your double cream and syrup and mix well, adding sugar as you go. Once mixed thoroughly, put it into a microwaveable container with high sides (to prevent it bubbling over).
- Put the mixture in the microwave on the highest setting — at 700/800 Watts this should take about 7 minutes. Check occasionally to see the consistency, as while it is meant to boil it may be too soft (not in long enough) or solid (too long).
- Once at a suitable texture (somewhere between chewy/soft and rock hard), mix in the almonds and pour the searing hot mixture into the paper cupcake moulds. It is important to do this quickly as it will set rapidly.
- Place it in the fridge or freezer and let them set fully. The freezer will make them more brittle and less liable to stick to the paper.
- Enjoy!
Filipino Recipe: Paella Marinera
Ingredients
A popular dish throughout the Philippines, Spain/Portugal and parts of Latin America, the paella is a family-feeding dish — perfect for an exotic Christmas dish as it will feed any unexpected relatives that happen to show up! This is a hefty meal that will feed 10 or so people and have some left over. If aquatic flavours aren’t to your liking, try using a mixture of minced beef, diced steak (or strips) and some cured meats such as Chorizo or Salami instead.
- 1kg Arroz Amarillo yellow rice
- 500g mussels
- 250g fresh squid
- 500g cooked clams
- 500g shrimp
- A pinch of Saffron
- 1-1.5l tomato sauce or passata
- Tabasco sauce (not much)
- 4-6 Sweet bell peppers (sliced)
- 1 Head of Garlic (minced)
- 3-4 onions (diced)
- 750ml water
- 50-100ml olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Mix the water with the rice, let it soak for 2-3 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat a large pan to a medium-high heat and pour in the olive oil. When hot, saute the onions and garlic.
- Put the shrimp, mussels, clams and squid in. Add salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce to taste. Cover and let cook for several minutes, until juices come out and begin to bubble.
- Add tomato sauce or passata. Cook until bubbling (about 1-3 minutes). Turn down heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer the seafood to another plate.
- Pour the soaked rice into the remaining sauce mixture in the pan.
- Add the Saffron carefully, if any. Gently stir it in.
- Place the rice on a large dish or multiple dishes. Add the sliced peppers on top and arrange the seafood atop it.
- Add some olives, lemon or lime to added taste!