Lemon-spiced Chicken Wings with Cumin, Harissa and Mint Yoghurt
Chicken wings are often underestimated, unfortunately. Their tasty meat is packed in between the bones which keeps it juicy and due to the short roasting time it doesn't dry out. There isn't much meat on the wings which is an advantage to me as I prefer a small portion of meat especially when it's getting closer to summer and the temperatures rise. It's definitely enough for a spicy treat together with some aromatic cumin, harissa, lemon juice and a few slices of my Moroccan preserved lemons (which you could replace with lemon zest).
The spices and lemon made a delicious skin, golden and crisp after 20 minutes in the oven and packed with wonderful aromas. I like to eat the wings with my fingers, to feel their sticky juices and dip them in a refreshing sauce of yoghurt, sour cream, lemon and mint.
You could also throw them on the grill which would add some smoky flavours or take them out with you on a summery picnic. It's almost June and my mood calls for an early summer picnic with friends and lots of pots and plates of delicious food, so one dish is already sorted!
Lemon-spiced Chicken Wings with Cumin, Harissa and Mint Yoghurt
For 2 people as a main you need (we had half for lunch)
chicken wings 8
olive oil 4 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons
ground cumin 1 teaspoon
harissa 1 teaspoon
black peppercorns, crushed, 10
preserved lemon, sliced, 1/4 (or lemon zest 1 teaspoon)
coarse sea salt
For the yoghurt dip
yoghurt 4 tablespoons
sour cream 2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste
mint leaves, chopped, 10
salt and pepper
Set the oven to 210°C / 410°F top / bottom heat.
Whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, cumin, harissa and black pepper and stir in the slices of the preserved lemon or the lemon zest. Place the chicken wings in a baking dish or on a baking sheet and coat with the spice oil. Sprinkle with salt and roast for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Mix the yoghurt, sour cream, lemon juice, mint, salt and pepper and whisk until creamy.
We ate this with a simple green salad on the side and some baguette to dip into the juices. The French bread was also great with the yoghurt dip although Naan bread would have been more authentic.
Kalamata Olive and Cottage Cheese Sandwich
Creamy cottage cheese mixed with dark purple Kalamata olives, garlic, herbs, Balsamico vinegar, that's what I had in mind when I started my sandwich preparations. My plan changed abruptly as soon as I stirred the chopped olives into the crumbly cottage cheese, I stopped turning the spoon before the oily black mixture blended into the creamy white, the contrast looked so beautiful! I tried some of this puristic spread and I was so impressed by its intensity and simplicity that I dropped everything. This combination is too good, Kalamata olives (to me, they are the best black olives in the world!) plus cottage cheese, no distraction, no further addition, just a few slices of fresh baguette and one parsley leaf on top, that's all it needs! This is the quickest and most simple recipe I've made so far for my Sandwich Wednesday and it's already one of my favourite sandwiches!
If you're looking for a quick snack, a picnic treat, an easy dinner or just a nibble with some crackers, pull out some cottage cheese (200g / 7 ounces) and mix briefly with 50g / 2 ounces (or more) of chopped Kalamata olives. You could use other black olives as well but the large Greek fruits from the Peloponnese region have a wonderful aroma, exactly what you need if you mix only two ingredients. I didn't want to over mix it, I only stirred it twice before I spread the cheese on tiny slices of baguette. The green fleshy parsley leaves on top finished it off and added a fresh taste to this composition. I loved it so much that I ate one slice after the other, it was just enough for 2!
Bean and Bacon Salad with White Balsamico and Lemon Thyme
There is something really satisfying about deglazing tiny, crunchy cubes of bacon with sweet Balsamico vinegar. Be it the white or the dark one, both coming from Modena, this vinegar merges with the oily bacon juices to a thick, sweet and sour syrup. It is very concentrated, a great dressing to glaze hearty and crunchy salads like beans and cabbage. A few spoons enrich the vegetables with the whole range of the vinegar's aroma together with the meat's smoky saltiness.
I like to use this dressing for my traditional Bavarian cabbage salad as it brings out a sweet smoothness in the strong cabbage. Today it refines my fava beans, crunchy and green, cooked in salted water for around 6 minutes until they were al dente and rinsed with cold water. I peeled the beans out of their transparent shells for this salad and added some lemon thyme, salt and pepper.
As always, there is lots of peeling involved when there are fava beans on the table, I had 130g / 4.5 ounces of peeled beans after I started with 700g / 1.5 pounds of the fleshy pods. It was enough for the 2 of us as a side dish. I fried 30g / 1 ounce of bacon cut into tiny cubes in a little olive oil for a few minutes until they were golden brown and crisp before I deglazed it with 25ml / 1 ounces of white Balamico vinegar. I scraped the bits and pieces off the bottom of the pan and poured the syrup and bacon over the beans immediately. It just needed a little salt as the bacon added quite a bit of saltiness to it, some ground black pepper and a few fresh leaves of my lemon thyme on top and the salad was done!
Zucchini, Bell Pepper and Aubergine Moussaka with Lemon Ricotta
My Moussaka, truth be told, is a fruity ratatouille baked with a fluffy lemon ricotta soufflé on top. The traditional Greek Moussaka is made with a Béchamel sauce which I'm not too fond of. I like this creamy sauce in my lasagna or cannelloni but that's it. The ricotta tastes much lighter, enhanced with lemon zest, nutmeg, parmesan and fresh basil, it gives this dish more of a summer feeling. Contrary to the Greek version, I kept mine vegetarian, there's no minced meat involved, just zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, red onions, lots of parsley and a velvety layer of fried aubergine slices in between the vegetables and the cheese. It stops the ricotta from running into the juicy ratatouille.
When I cook a ratatouille I always make a big batch. This moussaka is perfect as a second day dish for ratatouille leftovers. Topped with the ricotta it just has to bake in the oven for half an hour, great if you have friend's over for dinner and not much time for preparations! I baked it in small casserole dishes closed with a lid so that each of us could have our own little pot.
Zucchini, Bell Pepper and Aubergine Moussaka with Lemon Ricotta
I bake the Moussaka in two 12,5cm / 5" casserole dishes with lids, you could use a big one instead but you may have to bake it a bit longer for the ricotta to set.
For 2-3 people you need
small aubergine, sliced into circles, 1
zucchini, sliced into circles, 1
red bell pepper, thinly sliced, 1
big red onion, quartered and thinly sliced, 1
big tomatoes, chopped, 4
garlic, thinly sliced, 3 cloves
parsley, chopped, 2 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons plus more to taste
olive oil for frying
salt and black pepper
For the topping
ricotta 260g / 9 ounces
organic eggs 2
Parmesan, grated, 30g / 1 ounce
small basil leaves, chopped, 30
lemon zest 1 teaspoon
lemon juice 1 teaspoon plus more to taste (I also added a little of the liquid of my Moroccan preserved lemons)
nutmeg, ground
salt and pepper
Spread the slices of aubergine on a baking dish and sprinkle with salt on both sides to pull some of its water out. Let it sit for around 15 minutes, rinse the slices and dry between kitchen roll paper. In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and fry the aubergine for a few minutes on both sides on medium temperature until golden and soft, add a little more oil if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a large pot, heat a splash of olive oil and fry the onion for a few minutes until golden and soft. Add the bell pepper and garlic and fry for 2 minutes before you add the zucchini. Fry the vegetables for 2-3 minutes and deglaze with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Add the parsley and season with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.For the topping, mix the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, basil, lemon zest and juice and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F top/ bottom heat.
Divide the vegetables between the 2 casserole dishes, cover with 3-4 slices of aubergine and spread the ricotta mixture gently on top. Cover with lids and bake for around 35 minutes until the ricotta mixture is set.
Linzer Torte, a family recipe
Although Linzer Torte has a Christmassy image, nothing I'm too fond of in May, there is a reason why I put this cake in my oven at this time of the year. It was my uncle's birthday a few days ago and he is the biggest fan of this traditional cake I know, he keeps his mother's fabulous recipe for this famous Austrian cake like a big treasure. I'm lucky, he shared it with me which made me feel very honoured but we had a deal, I would bake it for his special day in May.
To me, Linzer Torte is not particularly wintery, it's made of two layers of buttery short pastry sandwiched with raspberry jam. It feels a bit like a dense fruit pie, maybe not as juicy as the layer of jam is quite thin and not a proper filling. It gives the pastry's flavours more space and makes it a bit softer. That's why the cake is best when it sits for a few days, a week is even better. The jam soaks the crumbly base and spreads its fruity aroma.
I recently found out that the recipe for this cake which is named after the city of Linz is supposed to be the oldest known cake recipe in the world, dated 1653. Discovered in the archives of the Admont Abbey, it was found in Countess Anna Margarita Sagramosa's cookbook, a lady who liked to develop, collect and record good recipes as much as I do!
Linzer Torte
For a 25cm / 10" springform pan you need
plain flour 300g / 10.5 ounces
almonds (or hazelnuts), ground 300g / 10.5 ounces
cocoa powder 1 teaspoon
a pinch of salt
a pinch of cloves, ground
a pinch of ground cinnamon
butter, at room temperature, 300g / 10.5 ounces
granulated sugar 250g / 9 ounces
organic egg 1
Kirschwasser (cherry schnaps) 2 tablespoons
raspberry jam, whisked, 6 tablespoons
Set the oven to 170°C / 340°F (fan-assisted oven) and butter the springform pan.
Combine the dry ingredients (except the sugar). Beat the butter with the sugar till fluffy. Add the egg and the Kirschwasser and continue mixing adding the dry mixture.
Take 1/5 of the dough and set aside for the decoration and place the rest in the pan, pushing it down evenly. Spread with the jam.
For the decoration, you could put the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes which makes it easier to handle. I left it soft, it worked but it was a bit more fiddly. Roll out the dough between cling film (around 28 x 25 cm / 11 x 10") and cut into 1.5 cm / 1/2" strips. Arrange the stripes in a lattice top (you can make a woven pattern, but I didn't have the patience, I just put them on top of each other).
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes and keep in an airtight container for at least 1 day (3 days to a week would be better) before you serve the cake.
Spaghetti with Green Asparagus Anchovy Pesto
Asparagus season could be extended for months if it were up to me! So many recipes bring out different sides of this vegetable, be it green or white asparagus, it's so versatile thanks to its strong taste.
So here’s an asparagus pesto, light and fresh with a smooth texture, almost velvety. The preparation is the same as the broccoli pesto I made in March, the cooked vegetables are mixed with some of the water they are cooked in. I added garlic, fresh hot chili peppers, tarragon (my herb of the month) and anchovies. The fish adds subtle saltiness, which really makes this composition complete. I once made this pesto without the fish as I had run out and it really wasn't as good. I use 4 anchovies for 500g (1 pound) of asparagus, I originally started with just 2 when I made it the first time. I thought they would be too strong for the pesto but sometimes in cooking you shouldn't be shy, being bold and brave is the key to success!
For more asparagus recipes, click here!
Spaghetti with Green Asparagus Pesto and Chili Peppers
For this meal it’s best to warm up the plates in the oven.
For 2 hungry people you need
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
green asparagus, the woody bottom part cut off, 500g / 1 pound
water used to cook the asparagus 30ml / 2 tablespoons
olive oil 60ml / 1/4 cup
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon
anchovy preserved in salt, rinsed and dried, 4 fillets
garlic, crushed, 3 cloves
tarragon 12 leaves
fresh red chili pepper, finely chopped, 1, half for the pesto the rest for topping
salt and pepper
Cook the spaghetti al dente.
In a large pot, cook the asparagus in lots of salted water for 7 minutes. Keep the water, take the asparagus out with a slotted ladle and cut into 3cm / 1″ pieces. Set the heads aside and leave for the topping.
Purée all the ingredients for the pesto in a blender (except the asparagus' heads and the chili peppers for the topping). Season with salt (carefully, I didn't need to add any because of the salty fish), pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Arrange the spaghetti, pesto and asparagus' heads on the warm plates and sprinkle with chili and crushed black pepper.
Elderflower Syrup and a Friday Hugo Cocktail
It's Friday, the weekend is near, the perfect day for a summery cocktail! I don't need something frilly, I prefer simple and light drinks like a Hugo. This fruity long drink is from the Tyrolean region, it is originally made with sparkling wine but I like it with fruity white wine. The drink is mixed with elderflower syrup, mint leaves and lemon peel, all ingredients I find in my fridge or on the balcony apart from the syrup and this had to change! Not only does it make a nice cocktail it's also deliciously refreshing in a glass of sparkling water with a slice of lemon, for those hot summer days ahead of us! That's reason enough to make my own syrup.
I jumped on my bike, went to the park and came home with 25 big elderflowers. They just started to blossom here last week, I noticed their sweet smell as I was jogging. I've been wanting to try this recipe by my mother for years, she has been making her own syrup since she first tried a Hugo. I was always too late to pick the flowers and didn't want to repeat this mistake again. When I came back home with the elderflowers I was stunned by their beauty which tends to fade into all the leaves and flowers in the park so I never gave them proper attention. Their smell is enchanting and they feel so fragile!
I rinsed them briefly before pouring hot water mixed with sugar and citric acid over them and then I had to be patient. They have to sit for 5 days, stirred once a day, they infuse the syrup slowly with their distinctive aroma.
Strained and bottled, I was happy about my work, and satisfied to be able to make a Hugo with my own elderflower syrup from now on!
For the syrup
For 2 bottles of elderflower syrup you need
fresh elderflower umbels, briefly rinsed, 25 (use the whole umbel, cut the thick green stem off, the white florets should have just opened)
granulated sugar 1kg / 2 pounds
water 1000ml / 2 pints
citric acid 30g / 1 ounce
organic lemon, thinly sliced, 1
In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and dissolve the sugar and citric acid in it. Place the elderflower umbels in a large ceramic or glass bowl (not metal!), pour the hot water over them and put the lemon slices on top. Cover with a tea towel and let it sit for 5-6 days at room temperature, stirring once a day.
Sterilize glass bottles with spirit.
When the syrup is done, strain it through a cotton or linen kitchen towel and bring it to a boil. Strain through a towel a second time and fill in your sterilized bottles. Close well and put in your pantry. The syrup will last at least a year at room temperature, open bottles should be stored in the fridge.
For the Hugo cocktail
Fill a wine glass with sparkling wine or dry white wine. Pour in a dash of the elderflower syrup (to taste), add 1-2 ice cubes, stir and garnish with 2-3 strips of lemon peel and 3 mint leaves.
Rabbit wrapped in Sage and Bacon roast on Rhubarb
Sweet and sour rhubarb, salty bacon and aromatic sage wrap my juicy pieces of rabbit in a delicious composition of spring flavours. You could use pork fillet in this recipe as well but I like rabbit meat, it's tenderness and unique taste. We often eat it when we're in Malta where rabbit is so popular that it became the national dish. Be it as a Mediterranean stew with olives, tomatoes and wine, often cooked together with pork for a stronger aroma, or in a pie, I've enjoyed some of the best rabbit meals on this island!
Rabbit meat isn't very challenging to cook as long as it's kept moist and not overcooked. The little packages of sage and bacon in my recipe infuse the meat with their flavours but also keep it juicy. The steaming rhubarb roasting under the meat has the same effect. Its juices add a fruity taste to the meat and make sure that it doesn't dry out while it's cooking.
Rabbit wrapped in Sage and Bacon roast on Rhubarb
For 4 people you need
rabbit, without bones, 500g / 1 pound for 8 portions (I bought rabbit back and legs, the fillets from the back were the easiest to prepare)
rhubarb, cut into 5cm / 2" pieces, 500g / 1 pound
granulated sugar 3 tablespoons
garlic, thinly sliced, 3 cloves
fresh sage 16 leaves
bacon 8 slices
white wine 75ml / 2.5 ounces
olive oil 2 tablespoons
salt and pepper
Set the oven to 210°C / 410°F. My oven has a Rotitherm roasting setting which works perfectly for this recipe.
Cover the bottom of a baking dish with the rhubarb mixed with sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide the rabbit in 8 portions, season with salt and pepper and wrap each portion in a slice of bacon together with 2 leaves of sage and 3 slices of garlic. Place on top of the rhubarb and pour the wine and olive oil over it.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, pouring some of the juices over it from time to time. For the last 3 minutes sprinkle the bacon with some sugar.
Aïoli and Wild Herbs Sandwich
When I went to Ibiza for the first time I got absolutely hooked on aïoli, I ate it every single day! It's more than twenty years ago and I had just turned thirteen. I was so happy to spend some time with my best friend at her parent's holiday home, it felt exciting to be on this island which is so famous for its parties (which I couldn't join as I was still too young)! I especially enjoyed the nights out at all the amazing restaurants we visited together, I have always loved Spanish food, tapas and barbecues, but in those days I was particularly fond of Ibiza's traditional appetizer, fresh bread and aïoli. In Spain, people usually go to restaurants quite late, at 9 or 10 in the evening, by that time I was already starving. As soon as we sat down and a basket full of warm bread and a bowl of creamy aïoli was brought to the table, nothing could stop me from emptying both!
It took me a while to make my own aïoli, a few years ago we had friends over from Barcelona and they introduced me to the traditional dip's secrets. It's surprisingly quick and easy to prepare:
For 4 sandwiches you drop 2 egg yolks into a mug which should be just big enough for a stick mixer to fit in it. You mix 3 crushed cloves of garlic with 4 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice in one bowl, and measure 100ml / 3.5 ounces of good quality olive oil in another. Pour 1/4 of the oil onto the egg yolks and start mixing with the stick mixer, add more oil and the lemon garlic mixture, a little at a time, mixing constantly. When the dip is thick and creamy season with salt. Spread on 4 thick slices of white bread and sprinkle with mixed wild herbs. I found a fantastic mixture of wild herbs which I don't use often, saltbush (orache), burnet, rucola, pigweed, edible chrysanthemum, yarrow, cheeseweed and chickweed. Every bite brought in new flavours, all strong and delicious together with the aïoli!
A warm Salad with Artichokes in Vermouth
Artichokes seem to follow me in the past few weeks, even when I don't buy them they end up in my kitchen. I got a bag full of beautiful purple baby artichokes as a gift, the tiniest I've ever seen. A friend of mine had bought too many and knowing that I use everything that finds its way into my space she was happy to pass them over to me. I had already made plans for dinner but the vegetables couldn't wait a day longer. When I looked at them, a warm salad came to my mind, a little snack in between. I imagined them sautéed and deglazed with vermouth and some parsley on top, so I brought out my pan and started the cooker.
As a starter for 4 you need 6 small baby artichokes. Cut off the artichoke stem if it’s too woody and pluck the hard outer leaves. Cut the artichoke’s tip off (1/3 – 1/2 of the artichoke), quarter them and scoop out the hairy choke. Keep the prepared artichokes in a bowl of cold water and the juice of half a lemon while you’re finishing the rest.
Sautée the prepared artichokes in a large heavy pan in a dash of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter for about 5 minutes together with 1 thinly sliced clove of garlic. Deglaze with 75ml / 2.5 ounces of vermouth and season with salt and pepper. Add 75ml / 2.5 ounces of water and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and let them simmer on a medium heat for about 10 minutes until al dente. Sprinkle with roughly chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Gratin with Cauliflower and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
This is a recipe my father used to make for us when we were children. We all loved it because of the cheese and mashed potatoes! I still do as it's one of the few dishes made with cauliflower that I really like.
When I wrote about my ginger, lemon and cauliflower soup I mentioned that I don't use this pretty white cabbage so often in my kitchen, I only like it in a few combinations. I don't have anything against its unique taste, it just needs the right treatment to bring out its sweet side. The mashed potatoes are a good choice, seasoned with nutmeg which I also use for the cauliflower to refine its taste, they are a good match. I didn't want to disturb the mild flavours in the gratin so I picked a soft cheese for the crunchy crust, not too ripe and overpowering. I used a hard Gouda, this Dutch cheese melts well and develops a nice crust under the grill, it's also the cheese my father used for this meal.
This recipe is very simple to prepare, a whole cauliflower cooked in one piece, pushed into creamy mashed potatoes and baked with cheese to a golden gratin. If you need a quick dinner for a handful of people, this is the perfect choice!
Gratin with Cauliflower and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
For 4 people you need
a whole cauliflower, around 700g / 25 ounces
potatoes, peeled, 650g / 23 ounces
garlic, in its skin, 3 big cloves
milk 200ml / 7 ounces
butter 50g / 2 ounces
nutmeg, freshly ground
salt and black pepper
hard cheese (Gouda, Emmentaler or cheddar), thinly sliced, 100g / 3.5 ounces
Cook the potatoes together with the garlic in salted water for 20 minutes. Rinse the potatoes under cold water for a few seconds and peel the garlic. Mash the potatoes together with the garlic, milk and butter, whisk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
Cook the cauliflower in lots of salted water al dente (around 10 minutes), it should be soft with bite without falling apart.
Scrape the mashed potatoes into a baking dish, put the cauliflower on top and push it down. Season the cabbage with salt, pepper and nutmeg and cover it with the cheese. Bake under the grill for a few minutes until golden brown, bubbly and crisp, slice like a cake and serve immediately.
Sticky German Cinnamon Schnecken with Raisins and Maple Syrup
Sunday morning, the cosy smell of espresso bubbling in my espresso maker and fresh, warm buns on the table, there's no better weekend treat! This week, my breakfast buns are German schnecken, sticky pastry snails, filled with cinnamon and raisins, sweet, juicy and buttery. The top is crisp but when you pull the buns apart you can feel their soft inside, it's puffy, infused with cinnamon, slightly soaked with a thick syrup made of butter, sugar and a splash of maple syrup. They taste divine, I love them!
I had planned to bake cardamom buns for days but a package of raisins changed my mind in the last second and brought the cinnamon in. I like this combination so much that I forget about other spices sometimes, but next time it'll be cardamom again!
Cinnamon Schnecken
For 14 Schnecken you need
plain flour 600g / 21 ounces
granulated sugar 75g / 3 ounces
dry yeast 1 package (for 500g / 1 pound of flour)
salt 1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon 1 leveled teaspoon
butter, melted, 100g / 3.5 ounces
milk, lukewarm, 225ml / 7.5 ounces
organic eggs 2
For the syrup
water 50ml / 2 ounces
granulated sugar 120g / 4.5 ounces
maple syrup 1 tablespoon
butter 50g / 2 ounces
For the filling
raisins 60g / 2 ounces
granulated sugar 30g / 1 ounce
ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix the hot melted butter with the cold milk and the 2 eggs, this way the liquid mixture will have the right lukewarm temperature (check with a finger). Mix the dry and the liquid mixture with your dough hooks for 5 minutes until well combined. Continue kneading with your hands for around 5 minutes until you have an elastic dough ball. Put the dough back into the bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let the dough rise in a 35°C / 95°F warm oven for 70 minutes. Make sure that your oven is set to top/ bottom heat and not to fan.
Bring all the ingredients for the syrup to a boil and cook on a medium heat for 3 minutes. Mix the raisins, sugar and cinnamon for the filling.
Take the dough out, punch it down and knead for 1 minute. Roll it out on a working surface (roughly 36 x 32cm / 14 x 12.5"), spread with the syrup and sprinkle with the sugared raisins. Roll it up tightly, cut into 14 schnecken and put into a buttered springform pan (around 26cm /10″), arrange them in a circle. Cover with a tea towel and let them rise for 20 minutes in a warm place.
Set your oven to 175°C / 350°F (fan-assisted oven).
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool for a few minutes before you take them out of the pan.
A Field in the Forest, Beelitz and Asparagus Soup
A couple weeks ago I had a conversation about asparagus with my aunt and uncle, we talked about the various tastes depending on the vegetable's origin. The soil, the climate and weather have such a big influence on these delicate stems. I've enjoyed great asparagus in my life, green and white, but we agreed that the best is from Beelitz, an area 50 km (30 miles) outside Berlin. I always wanted to visit to see the large fields covered in foil keeping them dark, to watch the harvest and buy my asparagus directly from one of the farmers.
It's May, the seasonal peak for asparagus and there's no time to wait any longer! A few days ago we got on a train heading South-West to search for the famous Beelitz asparagus fields. We took our bikes with us to explore some of the quiet and hidden corners of the countryside, the forest and the fields and I can say that we found what we were looking for, asparagus heaven!
We got off the train at a tiny station, an old timber framed house which seemed abandoned for years. We noticed that we were the only travelers on the platform, we were happy about that and enjoyed the silence. When you live in the city the absence of noise is one of the biggest luxuries! The early afternoon sun felt just right, soft and warm, we jumped on our bikes, excited to start our trip.
Beelitz is a small town, it's peaceful and pretty. Old brick houses line the narrow cobblestone streets, little trees along the pavements blossoming in bright pink, a perfect picture book scene. It didn't take us long to leave the town behind us. The world in front of us turned into a glowing green, majestic trees with fleshy leaves, lilacs blooming at every corner spreading their sweet scent. The grass on the wide meadows looked fresh and juicy. We crossed a river and filled our lungs with the cleanest air we smelled in months! We turned into a tiny path and met an old man gathering grass for his rabbits. We chatted for a little while before we continued our drive along endless fields, on hidden alleys and through lonesome forest.
After driving through a dark forest of pine and fir trees for about half an hour we noticed a sparkle in the distance. At that point we weren't even thinking about asparagus anymore, we just enjoyed the peace and quiet, but there it was, right in front of us in the middle of hundreds of trees, an endless field of asparagus!
To keep the vegetables in the dark, they are covered with white foil which reflects the sun and creates a surreal, glittering scene, it felt like being on the moon! In the evening, on our way back to the train station we saw the pickers coming to harvest, creating dark shadows in front of a blinding white in the spotlight of the sinking sun. It was beautiful!
Behind the fields we spotted a farmer who offered thick and juicy white asparagus, the freshest I've ever bought. I filled my basket with the clean white stems knowing that I would turn a few of them into a delicious asparagus soup!
Asparagus Soup
For 4 people you need
white asparagus, peeled, the bottoms cut off, 1kg / 2 pounds
a pinch of sugar
water used to cook the asparagus 900ml / 2 pints
heavy cream 100ml / 3.5 ounces
nutmeg, freshly ground
salt and black pepper
tarragon, around 30 leaves for the topping
In a large pot, bring lots of water to a boil, add a pinch of sugar and salt and cook the asparagus for 20 minutes. Keep the water, take the asparagus out with a slotted ladle and cut into 3cm / 1" pieces. Set the heads aside and leave for the topping.
Bring 900ml / 2 pints of the water used to cook the asparagus to a boil and cook together with the cream on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and purée with a stick mixer or in a blender. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste and serve in deep bowls sprinkled with the asparagus' heads and tarragon leaves.
Pork Fillet with a Grainy Dijon Mustard and Tarragon Crust
I don't need meat on my table often, once a week is enough for me, but on some days my hunger needs more than just vegetables. This week I got hooked on a nice piece of pork fillet which when properly prepared is uncomplicated, juicy and also great as a leftover meal. I bought a whole 600g (1.5 pounds) of fillet knowing that it would be a bit much for the two of us but we were happy to enjoy it the next day, cold cuts at its best!
Pork fillets are always delicious in combination with herbs, with sage for example, you could wrap the meat in prosciutto similar to a Saltimbocca alla Romana but I felt like mustard, a spicy, grainy mustard crust enhanced with the flavours of tarragon. When I make a crust, I like a thick, slightly crunchy cover on the meat, concentrated and strong. The classic Dijon mustard with its fine spiciness would work as well but the rougher, grainy one makes a better crust. Dijon mustard's history goes back to 1856, when Jean Naigeon of Dijon first substituted verjuice (the acidic juice of unripe grapes) for the normal vinegar.
Sometimes, meat dishes are quicker and easier to prepare than vegetarian meals, this is one of them. I mixed the ingredients for the crust in a blender, fried the meat and baked everything in the oven for just 15 minutes. After frying the meat, I deglazed what was left in the pan with vermouth which turned into a thick juice. The meat didn't really need a sauce but it was nice to dip it into this concentrated syrup.
Pork Fillet with Mustard and Tarragon Crust
For 4 people you need
pork fillet, one piece of 600g / 21 ounces
butter 40g / 1.5 ounces
dry breadcrumbs 20g / 3/4 ounce
whole-grain Dijon mustard 3 heaping tablespoons
garlic, crushed, 1 clove
tarragon, chopped, 14 leaves
salt and pepper
olive oil for frying
vermouth, 150ml / 5 ounces
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (top/ bottom heat).
Mix the butter, bread crumbs, mustard, garlic and tarragon in a blender and season with salt and pepper. Roll out the paste between 2 layers of cling film, it should have roughly the shape as the pork fillet.
In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil on high temperature and fry the meat seasoned with salt and pepper for a few minutes until golden brown on all sides. Take the meat out of the pan and deglaze the bits and pieces left in the pan with the vermouth. Let it cook for 30 seconds, season with salt and pepper and take off the heat.
Put the meat into a baking dish, cover with the mustard butter paste and press it softly onto the meat. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, switch to grill function and let the crust turn brown and crisp for 3 minutes.
Serve the meat in thick slices with a few drops of the thick concentrated vermouth sauce.
Parmesan Risotto with crisp Fava Beans
When my sister told me abut her latest risotto discovery from her trip to Italy, she sounded so thrilled that I couldn't wait to get the pot on the cooker. She was talking about a parmesan risotto which by itself isn't necessarily spectacular but this one is different. It's made with bigger pieces of cheese which are stirred into the creamy rice when the risotto is done. The parmesan melts, partly, but a few crumbs keep their crunchy center which makes it taste stronger, more concentrated. I was absolutely impressed, this method of preparation lifts parmesan risotto onto another level!
I had some fava beans left on my window sill which I added to the rice, I prefer to have some vegetables with my risotto. Be it a simple salad or some sautéed greens on the side, I need my vitamins as much as my carbohydrates! I fried the beans with some garlic, deglazed them with white wine and let them simmer for a few minutes. I wanted them al dente, a crisp topping for my smooth risotto!
I cooked the risotto with the water I had used to cook asparagus in a few days ago. It's a light broth which I always keep and freeze, great for recipes which need a soft vegetable aroma.
Parmesan Risotto with Fava Beans
For 4-5 people you need
Arborio rice 400g / 15 ounces
medium size onion, chopped finely, 2
broth around 2200ml / 4.5 pints
Parmesan, cut into 1cm / 1/2" cubes, 80g / 3 ounces
fava beans, peeled out of their pods and shells, 800g / 28 ounces (around 300g / 10.5 ounces peeled beans)
garlic, roughly chopped, 1 clove
white wine 120ml / 4 ounces
salt and black pepper
olive oil for frying
butter 2 tablespoons
In a large pan, heat a little olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter, add the garlic and beans and fry on a medium heat for a few minutes until golden. Deglaze with half of the wine and let it cook for a minute. Season with salt and pepper and add the rest of the wine, close with a large lid and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until al dente. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a large pot, fry the onions in a little olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter until golden and soft, stir in the rice and fry on a medium heat for a minute. Add some of the broth, the rice should be covered, stir and turn the heat down to medium-low. When the liquid has been absorbed add more broth, a little at a time stirring in between. Depending on the rice, it needs more or less liquid. When the rice is al dente and the broth is more or less absorbed take it off the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the Parmesan, close with a lid and let it sit for a minute. Arrange on plates together with the fava beans.
Gorgonzola, Strawberry and Pink Peppercorn Sandwich
My first strawberries this year find their place on a sandwich together with the creamiest blue cheese of all, Gorgonzola! This cheese gets its name from its place of origin, the commune of Gorgonzola in the province of Milan. It's not as sharp and spicy as Roquefort or Stilton, it's more on the mild side, perfect for when I feel like a soft cheese aroma. That's what my strawberries needed, especially because their season has just begun here and they haven't reached their full spectrum of flavours yet. To bring some spice into this combination I added a few pink peppercorns, also gentle enough for the red fruits.
This sandwich is so sweet and creamy that a fluffy ciabatta bread felt like the right choice. I spread Gorgonzola (about 100g / 3.5 ounces for 2 people) in thick lumps on a few slices of the fresh loaf, I didn't want to spare on the milky creaminess before I covered the sandwiches with a couple slices of strawberries. Sprinkled with the pink peppercorns which are best when softly pressed before they join the red fruits, I felt a bit hesitant to take the first bite, this week's sandwich really is beautiful!
Stuffed Maltese Artichokes with Meat and Brandy
In Maltese cuisine, stuffed vegetables have a long tradition. The island's soil and climate offer the right conditions for fruits and vegetables to grow and ripen under the Mediterranean sun with strong tastes and in huge quantities. Tomatoes, onions, marrows, zucchini, aubergines, pumpkins, all fruits and vegetables that are perfect to be filled! Be it with meat, seafood, herbs or other vegetables, you can combine flavours of all kinds or even use your leftovers to create a completely new dish you would have never thought of before. When I'm in an experimental mood, I bravely mix whatever I find in my fridge and shelves, sweet, sour, spicy or bitter, I've never been disappointed, but often surprised!
A few weeks ago I wrote about my stuffed zucchini, the filling was light and fluffy, made of ricotta, basil and lemon, perfect for the fruit's soft taste. When I decided to stuff some baby artichokes I had a stronger filling in mind, hearty, with minced pork and chicken liver which is an old, traditional Maltese recipe. To refine the meat's flavours I deglazed it with sweet brandy and infused it with an aromatic bay leaf and a pinch of cumin. I prepared everything in advance and warmed it up in the oven for a few minutes before dinner, in my little ramekins. The meal pretty and delicious!
Stuffed Artichokes with Minced Pork, Chicken Liver and Brandy
The artichokes can be prepared in advance and warmed up in the oven before serving.
For 6 stuffed baby artichokes you need
baby artichokes 6
minced pork 220g / 8oz
chicken liver, cleaned and finely chopped, 150g / 5 1/2oz
medium sized onion, finely chopped, 1
garlic, crushed, 2 cloves
brandy 40ml / 1 1/2fl oz
white wine 160ml / 5 1/2fl oz
bay leaf 1
cumin, ground, a pinch
parsley, chopped, the leaves of a small bunch
salt and black pepper
olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
Cut off the artichoke stems. If they are soft, peel and chop them finely and set aside. Pluck the hard outer leaves and cut the artichokes' tips off (1/3 – 1/2 of the artichoke), just the soft, fleshy part of the leaves should be left. Loosen the hairy choke with a knife and scoop it out with a spoon. Keep the prepared artichokes in a bowl of cold water and the juice of half a lemon once they are cut.
In a large pot, cook the artichokes in lots of salted water for about 10 minutes or until soft.
Set the oven to 200°C /390°F.
In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic on medium for a few minutes until soft. If the artichoke stems are soft add them as well. Add a little more olive oil and fry the minced meat for 2-3 minutes. Add the liver, stir and fry for a minute. Add the bay leaf, parsley and cumin, deglaze with brandy and pour in the white wine, cook it down for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and fill the artichokes with the minced meat mixture.
Place the artichokes in a big baking dish or 6 single ramekins, add a dash of white wine to cover the bottom of the dish and cook them in the oven for 5 minutes.
Buffalo Mozzarella, Cuore Di Bue Tomato and Mint Salad
When I saw these beautiful Cuore Di Bue Tomatoes in the vegetable department of my local organic shop I had to buy them. I know these tomatoes from Malta where farmers sell them from their vegetable trucks at every street corner in the towns. These mobile shops are piled high with ripe, colourful fruits and vegetables from the island, surrounded by women chatting and exchanging the latest gossip while waiting to have their vegetables weighed. Many of them have been going to the same farmer for years and I gladly follow this tradition. Whenever I'm there I buy my groceries from my vegetable man, Leli, twice a week he parks his truck under pink oleander trees in the middle of Msida. He is one of the most friendly, calm and humble people I know, he doesn't talk much but he always has a little smile on his face. Before we leave the island at the end of our holidays, we visit him one last time to say good-bye, I never know who is more sad, him or us!
Back to the Cuore Di Bue Tomatoes, I buy and eat them in bulk when I'm Malta. Their taste is far away from most of the tomatoes you can buy in the cities, they are strong and sweet, very intense, they taste like real tomatoes! Their name comes from their shape and size which is similar to an ox heart but I thought that the Italian name, Cuore Di Bue sounds a bit nicer than Oxheart Tomatoes!
I had a buffalo mozzarella in my fridge which had to be used soon, a quick salad mixed with my beautiful tomatoes was the first idea that came into my mind. I still love this Italian classic which can be a delicious starter or snack when it's made with good quality ingredients. Unfortunately, lots of restaurants offer it made with tasteless tomatoes and mozzarella, which has damaged its image a little over the years. Buffalo milk however creates a very strong mozzarella which is great for this salad, to add a green taste as strong as this cheese, I replaced the traditionally used basil with mint. Our salad for 2 was ready within seconds, 125g / 4.5 ounces of buffalo mozzarella roughly torn into bite sized pieces mixed with 2 ripe Cuore Di Bue tomatoes sliced thinly and a few leaves from my mint plant. The dressing was as easy, 3 tablespoons of olive oil whisked with 2 tablespoons of Balsamico vinegar, salt and pepper.
Frankfurter Kranz, a German Buttercream Cake with caramelized Hazelnuts
The Frankfurt Crown Cake, also known as Frankfurter Kranz is the queen of German buttercream cakes and my grandmother was a master at baking it. There was no special occasion, no family Sunday lunch without this opulent cake on the table. If you're on a diet you should avoid it because as all buttercream cakes, it needs lots of eggs, sugar and butter to transform into a delicious layered sponge cake filled and covered with German vanilla buttercream and sprinkled with caramelised hazelnuts. My Granny's lunches used to start with a green salad with a sugared cream dressing followed by the best beef rouladen (beef olive) filled with prosciutto, gherkin and mustard. While everyone else was worried about how one would manage to eat her traditional Frankfurt Crown Cake so soon at tea time, I was already excited and looking forward to eating my beloved buttercream cake.
The outside of the spongy cake, made with lots of vanilla and eggs, soaks a bit of the cream, which is made of vanilla pudding mixed with butter, that's why the cake is best after 2 days. The aromas have to spread, the vanilla and also the buttery caramelized hazelnuts infuse the cake. It's best to keep it in the fridge but it should always be eaten at room temperature. I didn't manage to wait for a couple days, the cake looked so good, I had to eat it as soon as I sprinkled the last hazelnuts on top. It was great but when I ate a piece on the 3rd day, I was reminded why it's good to be patient. The cake was amazing, it had developed its full deep taste and I understood why this cake was my Granny's famous signature cake.
Sometimes life is just about enjoying a piece of cake, no matter how much butter or eggs were needed to make it. Mother's and grandmother's know that!
Happy Mother's Day!
Frankfurt Crown Cake, Frankfurter Kranz
For a 23cm / 9″ bundt pan you need
For the sponge cake
butter, at room temperature, 200g / 7 ounces
granulated sugar 225g / 8 ounces
a pinch of fresh vanilla
organic eggs 6
plain flour, sieved, 200g / 7 ounces
cornstarch, 100g / 3.5 ounces
baking powder 3 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
dry breadcrumbs to sprinkle the bundt pan
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F top/ bottom heat. Butter a bundt pan and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla till fluffy, add the eggs, one at a time and continue beating for a few minutes till thick, creamy and light yellow. Combine the dry ingredients and fold gently into the butter egg mixture with a wooden spoon (in batches, combine well in between). Scrape the dough into the bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool for 2-3 minutes before you turn it over onto a wire rack to cool completely. When the cake has cooled off completely, slice it 3 times into 4 layers.
For the buttercream
All ingredients for the buttercream must be at the same temperature (room temperature) to combine well!
butter 250g / 9 ounces
organic egg yolks 4
cornstarch 60g / 2 ounces
granulated sugar 120g / 4.5 ounces
milk 500ml / 17 ounces
a pinch of salt
vanilla bean, slit slightly, 1
Beat the butter for 10 minutes till white and fluffy.
Whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch, sugar, salt and 50ml / 2 ounces of the milk till well combined.
In a sauce pan, bring the remaining milk together with the vanilla bean to a boil. Take the vanilla bean out, scrape the seeds out of the bean into the milk. Add the egg mixture to the hot milk, whisking well. Take the sauce pan off the heat after 1 minute and continue whisking for 2 minutes till stiff. Fill into a bowl and cover the pudding's surface with cling film.
When the vanilla pudding has cooled off completely, press it through a sieve and mix in batches with the beaten butter, first with a spoon and then with your mixer for a few seconds till nice and creamy.
For the caramelized hazelnuts
hazelnuts, finely chopped, 200g / 7 ounces
granulated sugar 100g / 3.5 ounces
butter 35g / 1.5 ounces
In a large heavy pan, heat up the hazelnuts, sugar and butter on high-medium temperature and roast for around 5 minutes till golden brown and caramelized, stirring constantly. Take off the heat and spread on parchment paper.
Assembling the Frankfurter Kranz
Leave around 1/3 of the buttercream to cover the Frankfurter Kranz and spread the remaining cream on the 3 layers of cake. Start with the bottom one, spread with cream, cover with the next layer of cake and continue with the other layers. When the cake is assembled, spread the remaining cream gently all over the cake and sprinkle with the caramelized nuts on all sides, inside and out.
You can eat the cake right away or be patient and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 days before you serve it.
Chutney filled Dates wrapped in crisp Bacon
Devils on Horseback, dried fruit wrapped and baked in bacon, are a typical winter dish, but the temperature dropped, it's a bit grey outside and I wanted to try something new with my chutney. It's still a great finger food nibble, even in spring! After I made my rhubarb chutney I thought about new combinations besides the classics with cheese, meat or sandwiches. A package of dried dates caught my attention, I had bought them a couple weeks ago from a Turkish shop I discovered while strolling through the streets. I went inside to check out their meat section as you can get the best lamb from Turkish butchers but I was a bit late and the shop was closing. On my way to the cash point I grabbed a package of dates unsure of what I would use them for and hopped back out onto the busy streets.
The dates finally found their purpose, I filled them with chutney, wrapped them in slices of bacon and baked them in the oven. Sweet and sticky, salty and a bit sour, my chutney filled dates wrapped in crisp bacon! It sounds like an attack on the taste buds but it's actually a very harmonic combination, all the flavours melt together smoothly. My rhubarb chutney hasn't sat yet, I want to give it a couple more weeks, so I used my plum chutney (the same recipe, just with plums).
It's very easy to prepare these nibbles, you just need a few dried dates (as a snack for 3, I used 15 dates) and replace their seeds with some chutney (the plum chutney was very good but I tried one with rhubarb and it was good too). I cut a strip of thinly sliced bacon into 3 and wrapped each piece around a filled dated. Baked in the oven on 200°C / 390°F they turned golden and crisp after a few minutes!
