Tag: cook

Soft octopus: the expert tells how to choose and cook it – Italian Cuisine

How to do the soft octopus? It is the king of shellfish, one of the most appreciated and sought after fish products. As long as it is of quality. If indeed a good one octopus it turns out to be tasty, savory and soft, the poor one has little flavor and, above all, tough and rubbery meat.
The first defect is to be attributed to provenance, the second to the way it is treaty before the sale and, at home, before cooking.

The number one pitfall represents hardness and rubberiness: it is a moment indeed to transform a delicious mollusk into a "shoe sole". There are many tricks, starting with freezer, often paradoxically recommended (and for various purposes) with fresh fish.

Do not spend time instead in cooking with suighero caps, since it is an example of absolutely wrong folk wisdom. This tradition is born among fishermen, but with all other purposes.

The fishermen instead are usual beat them on the rocks and it is said that if freshly caught, the octopus actually softens.

There are many recipes, from octopus with potatoes to gallega, and the traditions associated with its cooking, which in some cases involve the removal of skin and suckers, among the most varied.

To clarify all these aspects we went to the fish market with Sandra Ciciriello (*), partner of Viviana Varese in their Alice Restaurant (click here), in Milan.

The first clarification of Sandra is known: "Octopus is only what it has two rows of suction cups along the tentacles ". The molluscs that have only one are of other species, such as the dormice.
Then, he settles once and for all the diatribe between octopus and octopus: "They are the same shellfish and today, by law, the name of sale in the fish market can only be octopus".

Having established what we are buying, let's see how to understand if it is a good buy.

Nostrano and fresh
To begin with, you need to check the fishing area that – we remember – must always be indicated on the label. The octopus national it is very precious, fished on the coasts of the Tirreno as on those ofAdriatic, from Liguria to Puglia, from Tuscany to Sicily.
It can arrive on the benches still alive, as Sandra shows us touching a tentacle making us notice how the suction cups retract suddenly.
Moreover, the octopus of the day has a color very clear, even creamy white (especially under the head), which gradually becomes pink, darker and gray as the mollusk "ages".

Defrosted from Morocco
Returning to the origin, the octopus habitat, which is caught all year round, extends to the whole Mediterranean. Outside Italy, the best comes from Morocco, both from the coasts overlooking the Mare Nostrum and from the Atlantic ones: "In the North African country, octopus fishing has for some years quota", says Ciciriello." The fishermen have shares that they must respect, and this affects the conservation of the species and the quality, which is excellent: from Morocco comes the absolute best octopus frozen, that is defrosted at the point of sale ".

Frozen? But isn't it always better to buy fresh fish? The octopus is the exception that confirms the rule: "Cold is the best way to enervate the meat of the octopus. This is why putting the fresh one day in the freezer, then thawing and cooking it, is a great way to have a tender octopus after cooking. "

Traditional curling
The other system is "Curl it": "At home I used to put the octopus in a basket (perfect for the salad spinner) with salt and ice, then I placed it in the sink. back and forth, 'ninnandolo', for about a quarter of an hour: the octopus made foam and emitted dark water, almost black. At the end of the treatment, he was ready for cooking ".

Even today this technique is adopted, as Sandra reminds us, at port of Bari where the fishermen gather the octopuses in big baskets that shake on the pier.

The best cooking
Back home with the best octopus on the market (remembering that the defrost is consumed within 24 hours), it's time to cook it. A delicate phase that, however, with the right tricks, it is impossible to go wrong.

There is a Neapolitan saying which reads: "The octopus is cooked in his water"." Boiling it in so much water, the flavor is lost ", explains Sandra." The best thing is to put it with just a finger of water in the casserole or even in pressure cooker, as Viviana does for her recipe ". Covered and brought to the fire, during cooking the octopus itself will emit a abundant liquid, red and savory that the chef uses, in small quantities, making it thicken to create a accompanying sauce.

THE times they are quite long, about 40-50 minutes for a one kilo octopus, which are reduced to about twenty in a pressure cooker. In all cases the octopus is cooked to perfection when a toothpick, inserted between the tentacles and the head, easily enters.

Remember then don't salt it: in general, it is already sufficiently tasty and in case you can adjust the flavor later.

Once boiled, the octopus is the perfect base for many recipes, from thesalad with potatoes to a pasta sauce.To enhance and intensify the marine taste, cooking is ideal to the plate. It is sufficient to scald it, for 3-4 minutes, over high heat in a non-stick pan with a lid, or on a cast iron plate. Or try the even more delicious alternative, toasting it on the embers of the barbecue.
In all cases, you will bring to the table a large dish that, following the advice of the expert, will be impeccable.

Roberta Fontana

(*) Sandra Ciciriello is an authority on the subject, that's why.
"I have been dealing with fish for thirty years. I started in the markets, I became a buyer turning all the suppliers in Italy and participating in auctions to bring the best of fish from Chioggia to Manfredonia, from Viareggio to Anzio. in retail, I had my own retail business, I treated the fresh, the preserved, the frozen … ".

All this before entering, in 2003, the adventure in catering. Today he is maître, sommelier and tireless business woman: with Viviana they have recently inaugurated, within Eataly Emerald (click here), Alice's Gastronomy.
But he never stopped loving and buying the best fish. And walking with her through the fish market stalls is a fascinating journey.

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How to cook the perfect curry chicken: the advice of the Indian – Italian Cuisine

How to dose the spices, cook in the right way and do not miss the combinations – because the vegetables do not go there, but the rice does. And a nice bottle of the right wine

According to a recent survey Doxa Advice / Unaitalia is the curry chicken (35.1% of preferences) the most loved ethnic dish by Italians.

To reveal all the secrets is Thomas Myladoor, owner de The Guru, historic Indian restaurant, for 25 years in the capital. If there are many versions of the recipe that circulate and the variations that are made to the dish, the original version, which you could also find in India, is this one – collected by the blog www.vivailpollo.it – the platform that the association of reference of the poultry sector dedicated to chicken lovers.

Masala yes, chili too

What should a beginner in Indian cuisine pay attention to? "Certainly the balance in the use of spices – explains Thomas Myladoor – for this advice I use the masala, a mix that includes a dozen different spices, ranging from chilli to cinnamon, from cumin to black pepper to cloves, wisely dosed and with the right proportion. The only spice that can be used at will is the chili pepper, from you can add according to your tastes. "

Don't burn the spices

Another recommendation is on the cooking of the ingredients: "the tomato must be cooked very well, as if to make a sauce, while the spices are only delicately roasted: if they burn they lose their unmistakable aroma and in that case … I recommend starting over ! "

The rice to combine, the vegetables not to put

The classic rice to be used is basmathi: “it is the tastiest – adds Myladoor – it is important, however, not to let it overcook and pay close attention to cooking. Better to use so much water and then drain it, without trying to put the right water in the pot and then wait for it to be absorbed. "Several recipes combine the chicken curry with vegetables, but according to the expert it is a mistake:" vegetables alter the taste of chicken, should be served separately. "

The wine

To enjoy a perfect curry chicken, you just need to uncork a bottle of Gewurztraminer or Muller Thurgau, aromatic wines that go well with Indian cuisine, very spicy.

Curry chicken: the recipe

Ingredients for 4 people

Chicken bust of about 800 g, peeled and cut into pieces
1 and a half tablespoons of chicken masala (chicken masala)
1 teaspoon of garam masala
3 fresh and ripe diced tomatoes
2 sliced onions
blend together 3 slices of garlic + 2 cm of fresh ginger root
half a glass of coconut milk
100 ml of sunflower oil

Method

Brown the onion and add the chicken masala. After 1 minute add the previously prepared mixture of garlic and ginger; after 2 minutes add the tomatoes and cook over medium heat until a mixed sauce is obtained. Add chicken and salt. Cook with lid at the beginning for 10 minutes and then continue cooking uncovered. While finishing cooking add garam masala and coconut milk. Mix everything and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

22 ways to cook horse meat – Italian Cuisine

Slim, rich in iron (more than twice as much as beef), tasty and sweet. Horse meat is an ingredient that should not be underestimated, especially if you are looking for new flavors. And since it is present in the diet of sportsmen and growing boys, we can consider it in all respects a noble and precious food for our health. And although for some people buy horse meat from the butcher is a habit, many still say that they have never tasted it. Here then we come into play, with many good ideas and some guidelines to approach a first consumption.

But before focusing on the perfect recipes to learn about and enhance horse meat, let's review the basic rules to enjoy it to the fullest.

1 – Watch out for cooking

As we said before, we are dealing with a very lean meat that requires cooking that does not dry it. The ideal is therefore to opt for a typical consumption blood steak or even raw (it is very appreciated as a base for jokes, carpaccio and tartare). If you want to focus on longer cooking, on the other hand, it is preferable to rely on wet preparations such as stews and rolls with sauce.

2- Fillet inspiration

To understand how to treat horse meat, we can refer to cooking which is reserved for valuable and delicate parts such as beef fillet. The slice of horse meat in question will need to be two to three inches thick and put in the oven at 180 ° C for 5 minutes per side. We will then pass it in a pan with a knob of butter to finish cooking and give flavor, enriching to taste with sage leaves.

3- Lean, but not too much

Horsemeat is practically devoid of fatty parts, the same that usually melt in a pan avoiding burning. So if we love the scalped and greedy effect of certain preparations, a small amount of fat will have to be added. Yes in butter, to which to combine perhaps whole grains of pepper, but it is oil is also perfect with which we will continue to wet our meat during cooking, recovering it from the corners of the tilted pan.

Our recipes

And now … let's cook! In the gallery below you will find preparations such as morsels cooked in Barbera, meatballs, braised meats, ribs, stews, hamburgers and delicious pasta dishes. Well 22 recipes to try and try again without hesitation.