Category: recipes of Italian cuisine

How it is (and where you eat) the true Valencian paella – Italian Cuisine

It is prepared on Sundays, preferably on a wood fire, and always in company. And among its ingredients are rabbit, chicken and even snails. Here's how to prepare the most international Spanish dish. And where to taste it between Valencia and Madrid

Paella in Spain is like the carbonara in Italy: we must be very careful not to hurt the sensitivity of experts in the field. In this case the experts are the Valencians, inventors of the most famous dish of Spanish gastronomy.

The real paella

Let's start with rice, another subject in which the Valencians can give lessons. It must be of round grain with designation of origin Arroz de Valencia. The most common variety to prepare paella is the Bomba, whose round beans, neither small nor large, absorb the cooking liquid little by little, but without getting too soft and without sticking. A rice that does not overcook, perfect for this dish.
Some argue that without the water of Valencia the paella does not have the same taste and the true Orthodox of this dish, if they live far from home, have always in the pantry a few liter of this "secret". And then there are the meats: rabbit and baquetas (snails), more often chicken. Chapter vegetables: in the paella go the coral string beans cut into small pieces and the garrofó, a variety of white beans, crushed, which doubles its volume once put into water. Cooked they remember the earth, in taste and consistency. The golden color of Paella is the result of saffron, the red gold of which Spain is proud. Food colors are expressly prohibited. The final touch gives it a sprig of rosemary. No, it is no coincidence that we have not named fish, let alone seafood!
Last tips: paella requires, for its correct processing, a specific tool: the Paella, in fact, from which the name of the dish: it is a low iron pan. And then you need a wood fire or, in its absence, a large gas stove (it is typical to cook paella in the open air). It is not as creamy as a risotto, but rather dry. If you burn a little, at the bottom, not only is not a problem, but it is even a delicacy called socarrat. You always eat at lunch, generally on Sundays and it is forbidden to eat it alone. Paella for one is simply an oxymoron.

Where to eat between Valencia and Madrid

But where do you eat good paella in Spain? The great classic is Casa Carmela, historical restaurant on the Valencian beach of Malvarrosa, with almost a century of history. Here the paella and rice dishes in their many variations are cooked on a wood fire.

Then, there is Carmina House (not to be confused with each other!): a family restaurant that has just turned 30. It is located in Saler, a village in the Natural Park de la Albufera, which is, in large part, an extensive paddy field. That of Casa Carmina is a market cuisine, anchored to the local product, to the ingredients that grow in its vegetable garden, to Mediterranean fish and rice produced in the surrounding areas. Valencian paella and rabbit paella and snails are two of the options on the menu, which also includes many other variations on the theme of rice: from seafood paella to cuttlefish and artichokes passing through "ancestral" rice with beans and turnips .
Gran Azul It is a local in Valencia of classic, but current cuisine, where rice and embers are the masters. For the Michelin guide, Spain and Portugal is one of the best value-for-money restaurants (Bib Gourmand) and on the menu we find both the traditional Valencian paella – with chicken, rabbit, vegetables and snails – and turbot and prawns and fish and shrimp.
If you are in Madrid, you should definitely visit the (renovated) Mercado de San Miguel, in the center. A special place for many reasons, historical and gastronomic, which welcomes in this new phase a place of paellas signed by Rodrigo de la Calle, one of the best Spanish chefs who has a real passion for this dish. You can choose between tapas and raciones with prices between 8 and 16 euros. Valencian paella, rice with seafood, rice with seasonal vegetables and rice with cuttlefish ink are some of the alternatives to choose from. There is also the Spanish Paella, a "paella mitxa" with chorizo, a spicy salami. It is a homenaje from Spain to one of the masters of de la Calle, Joël Robuchon. A more informal, but no less good way to taste this wonderful national dish.

10 recipes with radicchio – Italian Cuisine

Cultivated since 1500, radicchio has become, over the years, a delicious and appreciated food all over the world. It is eaten raw, grilled, baked and even fried in batter

There are varieties with a bitter taste or sweeter, with an intense or variegated red leaf: radicchio is a vegetable that shows off on market stalls in recent months and is rich in minerals, including potassium and phosphorus, in addition to the B vitamins, vitamin C and K. As all the vegetables of this color is rich in antioxidants and, due to its very low energy power, it is indicated for low-calorie diets. Among the best known are the red radicchio of Verona, that of Treviso and Chioggia. Here our tips to cook it.

Lasagne with radicchio and sausage

An unusual lasagna with a strong flavor: to prepare it, clean the radicchio and cook it in a pot with a little oil and a clove of garlic. Do the same with the sausage. Then compote the lasagna alternating layers of pasta with radicchio, slices of smoked scamorza, pieces of sausage and spoons of bechamel. Bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes and serve.

cover the surface with some grated bread. Separately, sauté the radicchio heads in a pan with a knob of butter. Add two diced pears, brown and salt to taste. When everything has cooled down, add the diced smoked scamorza radicchio and spread the filling on the puff pastry.

Overlap the flaps of the pastry making sure that the ends are closed and sealed. Brush the surface of the strudel with beaten egg yolk and bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand a few minutes and serve with salad as an accompaniment.

In omelette with taleggio

A second tasty dish that is prepared at the last moment. Clean and cut into strips the radicchio, sauté for ten minutes in a saucepan with a knob of butter and salt. Separately, beat five eggs with grated Parmesan and two tablespoons of milk. Add the radicchio and pour the mixture into a well-oiled pot. Cook the omelette for ten minutes then spread the thin slices of taleggio on the surface and put everything under the oven grill for five minutes. Serve the omelette with the new spinach.

Penne radicchio and walnuts

This recipe combines the strong and slightly bitter flavor of radicchio with the sweetness of chopped walnuts. Stew the radicchio in a pan with a knob of butter and when it is cooked add the chopped walnuts that you have browned first with the bacon cut into strips. In another pan cook the penne, drain and add them to the mixture of radicchio and walnuts and let them skip for a few seconds. Serve with a sprinkling of black pepper.

Shorts with cotechino

A tasty finger food with strong flavors. Cut and cook the radicchio in a little butter until it is very soft. Add salt and place it on the bottom of a glass. On top of the thin slices of Montasio cheese, which will melt with heat, add the Cotechino made previously cooked and diced and finished with a sprinkling of chopped nuts, stir and serve immediately.

Focaccia radicchio and scamorza

Quick to prepare, this focaccia can be served as a first course or as a starter of a rustic menu. To prepare it, spread the bread dough in a pan with a low and well oiled edge. Spread two or three tablespoons of oil over it and bake it for 15 minutes at 200 °.

Meanwhile, cut into thin slices three tomatoes or if you prefer, use one pass. In a saucepan, sauté the radicchio leaves cut into strips, with a tablespoon of oil, two sprinkles of balsamic vinegar and half a chilli pepper. When the focaccia is ready, remove it from the oven, spread the tomato over it, the slices of radicchio and fennel seeds. Sprinkle with a drizzle of olive oil and put under the oven grill for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, add the scamorza cut into small pieces and slices of bacon. Put under the grill for another 5 minutes, remove, cut into slices and serve.

Bream with radicchio and olives

Delicious and easy to prepare recipe. Spice and clean 2 or 3 salted anchovies, put them in a pot with a little oil and a clove of garlic and cook until they become a puree. Add the clean radicchio and cut into strips with taggiasche olives cut into small pieces, fillets of sea bream, two ladles of milk and a pinch of pepper. Cook with the lid until the fish is soft. Serve the sea bream on the bed of radicchio, olives and anchovies.

Fillet with radicchio

An appetizing second that can be prepared at the last minute. Brown the pork fillet in a little olive oil, then put it in a baking dish covered with coarse salt and bake at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, clean from salt and let it rest for a few minutes. Separately cut the radicchio into strips, toss it in a knob of butter and put it aside. In another pot, toast with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic crumbled bread until it is golden. Compose the dishes with the slices of meat and the radicchio garnished with the bread crumbs and serve immediately.

Chestnuts pancakes with red radicchio

Prepare these pancakes by mixing the 00 flour with that of chestnuts. Add milk and knead the dough until it is homogeneous. Add a yolk, stir and let the dough rest for 30 minutes, covered. Separately whisk the albumen to snow, add it to the mixture and pour a ladle into a non-stick pan. Cook the pancakes two minutes per side. When they are ready sprinkle with radicchio cut into strips, season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of pepper and serve hot.

Sandwich with radicchio and lard of Arnad

For these small sandwiches you can use black bread, which goes very well with the lard of Arnad. In a saucepan with a knob of butter brown the thinly sliced radicchio for a few minutes. Stuff the sandwiches with slices of lard, radicchio, a few chopped walnuts and a drizzle of chestnut honey.

Ten recipes with lentils – Italian Cuisine

At Christmas but not only: lentils are an ingredient that should never be lacking in our diet, due to the innumerable nutritional properties of which are rich

Red, brown, green: there are many varieties of lentils on the market, all rich in proteins and vitamins essential to our health. Among the most widespread and valuable are those of Castelluccio, Altamaura and Fucino. Also the French ones by Puy are excellent.

For sale they are already boiled, packaged in jars, or red hulled to cook faster. The dried ones have a higher content of active ingredients and are free of preservatives, unlike those in cans. When the product is packaged, it is advisable to check the origin and date of harvesting, because if the lentils are too old they will require overcooking and longer cooking, to the detriment of the flavor. Always considered lucky, they are a versatile ingredient with which you can prepare an entire menu, from appetizers to desserts. Here are our tips to bring them to the table.

Lentil caviar with ricotta and speck

Prepare these small glasses that you will serve as entreé by cooking the lentils with a sauté of celery, onion and carrot. When they are soft, salt them, blend them until they are creamy and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place the cream on the bottom of a glass, add the cow's milk ricotta and garnish with slices of speck collected in the center.

Red lentils, foie gras and raw ham

Another delicious finger food that is prepared in a very short time because the red peeled lentils bake very quickly compared to the classic ones. Place them in a pot with chopped herbs and onion, cover with cold water and cook for 15 minutes, then drain and allow to cool. Prepare a vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, season the lentils to which you will have added strips of raw ham and cubes of foie gras and served in small cocotte.

Cavatelli with lentils and monkfish

This dish is a soup for special occasions. Cook the lentils for a long time with a bay leaf, chopped celery and carrot and when they are almost ready add the monkfish cubes and cook for a few minutes. Separately boil some salted water in which you will cook the cavatelli. Drain a little al dente and add them to the lentil and monkfish soup. Flavor, then serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and ground pepper.

Cream of lentils, chestnuts and sausage

Excellent served as an appetizer, or, in larger quantities, as a first course, this dish contains all the flavors of autumn. To prepare it, cook the lentils and then chop them coarsely and place them in a bowl. Apart from crumbled boiled chestnuts and add them to the lentil puree.

Whip the fresh cream with a whisk and add it to the mixture of lentils and chestnuts with a wooden spoon. Cut the sausage into small pieces, brown it and, once cooked, mix it with the cream of lentils and chestnuts and serve.

Tartlets with lettuce

A second of vegetables that will appeal to children too. To start, cook the red lentils for about 10 minutes, with a bay leaf and a little water. When they are soft, let them cool. Meanwhile, cook the lettuce in a pot with chopped onion and a tablespoon of oil. Then add the lentils and brown for 10 minutes. Add to the mixture an egg, ricotta, two tablespoons of grated Parmesan and salted. Grease the molds, pour the cream and bake at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Lentil croquettes and potatoes

This recipe is also perfect for a vegetarian menu. To prepare the croquettes, boil the lentils and potatoes and then pass them to the mill. To this puree add some cubes of sweet bacon browned in a pot with a clove of garlic and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Mix, season with salt and form the croquettes that you will pass in the chopped pancarré with marjoram, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Fry the croquettes in a pan with hot oil and serve them on a plate of salad seasoned with oil, salt and balsamic vinegar.

Couscous with lentils and vegetables

This recipe can be a rich single dish or served in small doses, a tasty appetizer. Boil the lentils and in another pot sauté carrot, onion and zucchini cut into chunks. When the vegetables are still crispy add the lentils and a tablespoon of curry. Separately prepare the cous cous as indicated on the package. Add the cous cous to the vegetables and serve in cocotte with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and chopped walnuts.

Salmon and lentil glasses

Still an idea for an informal dinner with friends. Boil the lentils of Castelluccio and in another pot browned slices of salmon with a drizzle of oil and chopped herbs. Place the lentils on the bottom of a glass, place the chopped salmon on top and garnish with toasted almonds.

Rolls with speck

A fast but very scenic appetizer. To prepare it, boil green lentils, add to these the minced pork, cream, salt and pepper. Form small cannoli that you wrap in slices of bacon. Arrange them on a lined plate and bake at 180 degrees for ten minutes. Serve them on croutons made to brown with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Bavarian with almonds

This cream will surprise you for the sweet taste of legumes. Boil the green lentils and pass them through a sieve. Separately, in a saucepan, boil two tablespoons of sugar with a little water. Off the heat add the gelatine, previously soaked. Add the lentils and then the whipped cream to which you have added two tablespoons of sugar. Spread the mixture into small bowls that you will put to cool in the refrigerator for at least three hours. When serving, sprinkle the surface of the cream with chopped peeled almonds.