Tag: Italian food

SBS Italian Radio Recipes | Italian Food Podcasts with Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

SBS Italian Radio Recipes: Italian Food Interviews and Podcasts with Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

SBS Italian Radio has invited me on many occasions to share some of my favourite Italian recipes, regional food traditions and culinary stories with broadcaster Massimiliano Gugole who it the Audio and Language Content Producer at Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia,

This page brings together those interviews so they are easy to find in one place.

If you speak Italian, you can listen to these conversations on the SBS Audio App  or if you click on the links provided below. Each episode generally runs for 10–14 minutes and explores not only recipes but also some of the history, traditions and regional food culture behind them.

One exception is Zuzzu: An Ancient Sicilian Pork Terrine That Uses Everything but the Oink, runs for approximately 30 minutes. This podcast forms part of The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, a popular series on SBS with a number of interesting and noteworthy participants. Some of the presenters are not Italian speakers and the podcasts are in English.

These are the podcasts. Use the link to listen on SBS Italian Radio

L’Italia in cucina: puntarelle con pomodorini, aglio e acciughe

Italy in the Kitchen: Puntarelle with Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic and Anchovies
24 June 2026
Bunches of Puntarelle, a type of Cicoria/ Chicory. Also called Catalogna.

Best of 2025: la ricetta dei carciofi ripieni di Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

Best (recipe) of 2025: Marisa Raniolo Wilkins’ Stuffed Artichoke Recipe
20 January 2026

(rebroadcast from 2025)

Inverno, cosa comprano e cosa mangiano italiani e italiane d’Australia?

Winter: What Do Italians in Australia Buy and Eat?
22 July 2025
Purple cauliflower, Market in Syracuse

La dispensa estiva: i consigli di Valentina Vigni, Dan Pasquali e Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

The Summer Pantry: Advice from Valentina Vigni, Dan Pasquali and Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

11 December 2025

Smmer baby tomatoes

Sicilian Cassata, as Recipe by Marisa Raniolo Wilkins | SBS Italian – SBS in Italian

Sicilian Cassata: Marisa Raniolo Wilkins’ Recipe
24 December 2025
Cassata, covered with Marzipan and glace fruit  

Zuzzu: an ancient Sicilian pork terrine that uses everything but the oink

Zuzzu: An Ancient Sicilian Pork Terrine That Uses Everything but the Oink
(already published in English).
This podcast was the most popular in the series.
13 February 2024

This episode forms part of the SBS Italian Radio series The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, celebrating traditional regional dishes that are less well known outside Italy.

SBS, the Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, a series of podcasts

Ricette di Natale 2024: la caponata catanese

Christmas Recipes 2024: Catania-Style Caponata
24 December 2024

 

La jota triestina, una ricetta perfetta per l’inverno

Triestine Jota: A Perfect Recipe for Winter
18 July 2023
Jota/ Iota a hearty thick soup from Trieste made with smoked pork, borlotti beans and sauerkraut
Read the Recipes in English

Many of these recipes have also been published in English here on All Things Sicilian and More, often with additional historical background, photographs and cooking notes.

Simply use the blog’s search function and search for SBS Italian Radio or search by recipe name or ingredient, for example:

  • Puntarelle
  • Stuffed Artichokes
  • Sicilian Cassata
  • The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine  (Zuzzu)
  • Jota

You’ll find several detailed recipes about the same ingredient, together with the stories, traditions and regional food culture that inspired each dish.

It is worth seeing the full range of photos of the process of making Zuzzu – Sicilian Pork Terrine:

Zuzzu:The Ugly Ducklings in Italian Cuisine (Scarrafoni in cucina)

 

 

OVEN COOKED KID (capretto)

I am writing about kid, not goat. Unlike goat, there was very little fat and the meat did not exude that characteristic, heavy smell of game that is present when cutting goat and mutton.

Capretto, Italians call it and it is a meat that is not cooked regularly, but is often cooked on special occasions. I bought it from an Italian butcher. I went in to buy  some pork sausages but when I saw what the Italian customers that were lining up at the counter were all buying, I did the same. I bought capretto.

The Italian word for goat is capra and like mutton, goat is not generally eaten in Italy.

I marinaded it overnight with extra virgin olive oil, red wine, fennel seeds, bay leaves, rosemary, onion and sage. As you can see in the photo there is plenty of marinade; I wanted the meat to be quite well covered and intended to use the marinade in the cooking.

Nothing is wasted, the herbs are discarded and replaced with fresh herbs. This is because I have herbs growing on my balcony and I can afford to do this. I added garlic when i ws ready to cook the meat.

The important thing to do in this recipe is to cook the usual soffritto base that is omnipresent in Italian cooking – onion, carrot and celery – in extra virgin olive oil and make sure that the soffritto vegetables are caramilised before combining it with the drained marinaded meat.The meat does not need to be browned before hand making the cooking process easier and quicker. I have a cast iron baking pan that is very convenient for putting directly onto the stove.

The soffritto took about 15 minutes to soften and caramilise the vegetables ad this process adds a much enriched flavour to the dish. A dash of passata or some peeled red tomatoes also adds to the taste and colour to the braise.

Once you have drained the meat  and removed the old herbs use the marinade to the capretto. Add fresh herbs and some stock. As you can see in the photo there is enough liquid to almost cover the meat.

Cover the pan with some foil or a lid and leave it to cook in a slow oven. Mine was set at 170C degrees  and because I have two similar baking trays the spare one made a good lid.

Remove the foil after an hour. Move the meat around and add more broth or water and cook it uncovered until the meat is separated from the bones. I baked mine for about two hours without the foil, but made sure that if I needed to add more liquid, I had some stock to use.

The results were delicious. The vegetables almost melted, the meat was easily detached from the bone, it smelled great and tasted even better. And yes, it was a special meal.

I presented it with baked potatoes and braised endives sautéed with anchovies.

The kid weighed 2 kilos. as you can see there was very little fat.

This is not the first time I have cooked capretto – kid/goat

BRAISED KID (capretto) in a simple marinade of red wine, extra virgin olive oil and herbs

RICETTE per capretto (e capra); Recipes for slow cooked kid and goat

RAGU` DI CAPRETTO; Goat/ kid ragout as a dressing for pasta

SPEZZATINO DI CAPRETTO (Italian Goat/ Kid stew)

KID/GOAT WITH ALMONDS (SPRING IN SICILY, CAPRETTO CON LE MANDORLE)

SLOW COOKED LEG OF GOAT WITH HOT MINT SAUCE

SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING, ITALIANICIOUS and READER’S FEAST Bookstore. Recipe for Slow cooked goat in Nero D’Avola

 

BRAISED KID (capretto) in a simple marinade of red wine, extra virgin olive oil and herbs

Kid is capretto in Italian and I have marinaded the meat in wine with some aromatic herbs and then braised it.

THE BENEFITS of MARINADING 

Marinating is an effective way to add flavour, moisture and to tenderize meat before cooking. I do this with all the large pieces of meat that are going to be slow cooked. Even steak, pork fillets and some fish get a short session of marinade, even if it is just a splash or rubbing of extra virgin olive oil with seasoning, garlic and/or herbs. For most of my large pieces of meat,  I often use an acid , like, wine, citrus juice or vinegar. This component of the marinade helps to tenderise the meat.  The herbs and spices enhance the flavour. Good olive oil has a multi-purpose function.  It adds a distinct taste, melds the different flavours of the marinade together and, after the meat is drained from the marinade , some of the oil that has adhered  to the meat assists in the browning process.

For this braise, I bought 3 legs of kid (capretto) and deboned it. This amounted to roughly 1.5 kg. The same marinade can be used for goat, lamb or sheep and would also be good for beef.

There were four of us for dinner and there were some leftovers that I converted into a Sardinian-flavoured sauce for gnochetti by adding a few, common Sardinian ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

For the Marinade

  • 750 ml (1 bottle) red wine
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 sage leaves
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 6–8 juniper berries
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

 

  • For the Meat
  • 1.5 kg kid goat, cut into cubes
  • 50 g pancetta or speck, cut into small cubes
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for browning
  • Salt, to taste
  • Fresh herbs, juniper berries, and peppercorns (as above, to replace those from the marinade)
  • Stock, as needed, to keep the meat moist during cooking

For the Soffritto

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 stick celery, finely chopped

Prepare the Soffritto
In the same pan, add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté gently until softened and aromatic.

METHOD

Prepare the Marinade
In a large bowl, combine the red wine, olive oil, bay leaves, rosemary, sage, thyme, juniper berries, and peppercorns. Add the cubed kid meat and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 8 hours, or overnight.

Drain and Prepare the Meat
Remove the meat from the marinade, draining well. Reserve the liquid, discarding the spent herbs and spices.

Brown the Meat
Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole or Dutch oven.

Brown the meat, a little at a time. Do not overcrowd the meat. Remove the meat and set aside.

Add the pancetta or speck and cook over medium heat until lightly browned and the fat has rendered.

In the same pan, add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. (Soffritto)  Sauté gently until softened and aromatic.

 

Deglaze and Braise
Return the browned meat to the pan. Pour in the reserved marinade, bring to a simmer, and add a fresh batch of herbs, peppercorns, and juniper berries.

Cook Slowly
Cover and simmer gently over low heat, adding stock as needed to keep the meat moist. I added about 1 cup of stock. It is always easy to evaporate excess liquid at the end of cooking rather than cooking meat in too little liquid. Cook until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich and flavorful — about  2 hours.

Remove the 

The meat I cooked must have been quite tender because it cooked in two hours.
Remove the meat and evaporate some of the liquid.

I presented the meat with braised Brussel sprouts, sautéd mushrooms and roasted, squashed potatoes.

Baked polenta would have been good too.

What did I do with the leftovers?

Lamb and goat are often used in Sardinian dishes.

For the Sardinian style pasta, I sautéd a little onion in some olive oil, a added some saffron that had been soaking in stock, a little tomato paste and the meat with its leftover juices.

I used gnocchetti sardi – shaped pasta. I added shards of pecorino cheese when I presented the pasta and emulated Sardinian ingredients and flavours .

 

Other kid or goat recipes:

RAGU` DI CAPRETTO – Goat/ kid ragout as a dressing for pasta

RICETTE per capretto (e capra) – Recipes for slow cooked kid and goat

 

 

 

SPRING PICNIC – Frittata with artichokes and asparagus

Melbourne residents who have been in COVID lockdowns are now able to catch up under limited circumstances with friends.

Restrictions have been lifted:

Social gatherings are permitted outdoors between two people from a maximum of two households. Up to five people can socialise outdoors (excluding dependants), from two households, if every person over 18 years is fully vaccinated.

So that is what 4 of us did!

It is spring, and although the weather has been unpredictable it was a sunny day.

We ate well. The two households shared different things – Vitello Tonnato, Fior Di Latte (fresh mozzarella), Jamón. fennel withTapenade, home baked bread, a green salad (nasturtium leaves, herbs, frisée lettuce and other green leaves) and a frittata with artichokes and asparagus.

I often make frittata for various occasions.  Frittate (plural) are easy and laudable for all occasions – passed around at a celebration, breakfast, lunch , starter or dinner: they are extremely portable, excellent as a filling between bread or a picnic A frittata can be eaten hot, warm or cold. You can begin with raw or cooked ingredients and frittate are ideal for using cooked leftovers. I prefer frittate made of vegetables, but adding cooked meat or fish, smallgoods, cheese, cooked pasta or potatoes will make them more substantial.

On this occasion I wanted to celebrate spring produce and I used asparagus and artichokes.

I could have added other spring vegetables: new peas, broad beans, green beans, snow peas, zucchini and their flowers, but I did not. I kept it simple.

It is very common to add a little grated parmesan to a vegetable frittata, but one friend is allergic to diary produce so I did not use any on this occasion. This frittata  minus a little cheese did not suffer and if anything, the individual  tastes of the two vegetables was more distinct.

I sautéed my vegetables and cooked them separately. This makes the frittata tastier. The cooked, cooled ingredients are then added to the beaten eggs.

Ingredients: 8 eggs. 600g asparagus, 2 spring onions sliced thinly, 2 young artichokes, chopped parsley, salt and pepper, 1 clove of chopped garlic, extra virgin olive oil, white wine and a little stock.  A bowl with water and the juice of 1-2 lemon is necessary to immerse the artichokes as you work to prevent the artichokes from discolouring.

Use the same frypan to sauté the vegetables and the frittata.

The artichokes will take the longest to prepare. For the artichokes:

Remove the stems, strip off the rough fibrous outer and immerse them to a bowl with water and lemon.

Remove the tough outer leaves until you reach the softer and paler heart of the artichokes. cut the tip off each of the artichokes (on the tip of each leaf there is a thorn). Some types of artichokes can have large thorns!

Cut the artichokes in half and remove the internal beard with the help of a knife or a spoon, (looks like fluff). Cut the artichokes into thin slices and immerse them in water and lemon.

Drain the artichokes well when you are ready to cook them.

Heat some extra virgin olive oil, add garlic and as soon as the garlic begins to fry, add the artichokes and sauté on high heat.

Add a splash of white wine and evaporate. Add the parsley and a splash of stock (or water), cover with a lid and allow to cook. Set aside to cool.

Asparagus come in various  shapes, colours and sizes.

For the asparagus:

Remove the woody part of the stem and cut the bottom part of the asparagus into slices. Cut the top part into larger pieces – the top half of the asparagus is generally  more tender.  Sauté the spring onions in a little extra virgin olive oil, add the asparagus, a pinch of salt, toss them about in the hot pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and cook for a couple of minutes. Leave the asparagus slightly crunchy and set aside.

Place the eggs into a large bowl, add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Beat vigorously with a fork until the egg mixture is homogeneous.

Add the cooked artichokes and asparagus to the eggs and mix well.

Heat some extra virgin olive oil in the same frypan and when the oil is hot, pour the mixture into the frypan and cook over medium heat.

Use the spatula to press the frittata and to lift the edges so as to encourage even cooking.

Turn the frittata when it is ready to flip.

**For more detailed instructions and photos of how to handle cooking and flipping a frittata see:

ALL ABOUT MAKING FRITTATA and Podcast with Maria Liberati

I wrapped my frittata in some foil and then a tea towel . we did not travel far and we ate it warm. You can also transport it in the frypan. covered with foil.

Other Recipes for Frittate:

FRITTATA: SAUSAGE and RICOTTA

ASPARAGI DI BOSCO and FRITTATINA (Wild Asparagus continued, and Frittata)

Artichokes, general:

ASPARAGUS and ARTICHOKES

CARCIOFI (Artichokes)

THE AMAZING ARTICHOKE

Artichokes recipes. There are many. Use the search button and type in artichokes.

VONGOLE con FINOCCHIO e Vermouth

Vongole (cockles) with finocchio (fennel) and Vermouth are a simple yet delicious dish. Tarragon complements the vermouth well.

I am providing the recipe through photos and it will all be self explanatory.

B1D5EC2C-3A7E-487F-A229-600CA75EE764Cockles, vongole , pipis from Goolwa in South Australia and bought from the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Victoria.

02D5AEFE-17A9-4E7F-95F2-D86DCA11F397Fennel sautéed garlic, tarragon and parsley in extra virgin olive oil, deglazed with dry vermouth( 1/2 cup). Once the vermouth has evaporated add about 1/2 cup of water

FE637EF8-8A6C-4CFD-B88D-8B0DF6D14833Add the vongole, cover, and the vongole will open very quickly. Open and serve with crostini…..bread of your choice brushed with extra virgin olive oil and toasted in the oven.

77E8DB36-9CCA-4116-83DE-536CB09558F5

NDUJA, SQUID, VONGOLE AND PAN GRATTATO with Spaghetti

VONGOLE (COCKLES PIPIS OR CLAMS) WITH SPANISH FLAVOURS

SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE (Spaghetti with cockles)

 

COZZE IN BRODETTO (mussels in a little broth)

IMG_2797

The Cozze in Brodetto are Mussels in a little broth  and this dish turned out rather well. We ate with oven-toasted bread, rubbed and baked with extra virgin olive oil and a clove of raw garlic. The crisp bread soaked up the fragrant juices beautifully.

This dish came together from four distinct components, each bringing its own  depth of flavour:

IMG_2779

The Tomato Salsa
A flavourful, rustic sauce made from two tins of peeled tomatoes gently simmered in extra virgin olive oil with fresh garlic cloves, a sprig of oregano, and a sprig of rosemary. The sauce was cooked until the tomatoes softened and the oil turned a deep red  and was a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and herbal.

IMG_2785-150x150.jpg

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The Mussels (Cozze)
Fresh, glossy mussels were steamed lightly in white wine until they opened and released their juice, this was the natural seafood stock. The liquid was strained and reserved, and added to the final dish.

IMG_2782

The Soffritto
A delicate base of finely chopped celery, fennel, spring onions, and baby carrots sautéed slowly in extra virgin olive oil. Add half of the herbs, see below. This gave the dish texture and a gentle aroma.

IMG_2781

The Herbs
Chopped parsley and fennel fronds , some added to the soffritto and some added at the end, stirred through just before serving.

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Once everything was combined – the tomato sauce, the mussels and their broth, the vegetables, and the herbs the sum of all things came together as something both simple and very satisfying. The broth was light but full of flavour, and the mussels kept their freshness.

IMG_2797

Was it from a particular region of Italy?

I don’t know. The ingredients and the way of cooking were Italian enough, and I imagine it could be made anywhere along the coast. Perhaps in the South of Italy they’d add some chilli.

Wherever it belongs, we liked it, and that’s really the best measure of success.

MUSSELS IN TRIESTE and Mussel recipes

SPAGHETTINI E COZZE; Spaghettini with mussels

COZZE CON SAMBUCA (Mussels with Sambuca- anice flavoured liqueur)

DUCK AND MUSHROOM RAGÙ

Duck ragù with mushrooms is a classic pasta sauce found in many parts of Italy. It is not a fashionable dish or a recent invention, but one that continues to endure because of its depth of flavour and its suitability for slow cooking.

Why Pappardelle Works So Well with Duck

Whenever I prepare a ragù with duck or game, I usually choose pappardelle. The wide ribbons of pasta are ideal for catching the rich sauce and substantial pieces of meat. In Tuscany, pappardelle is often served with wild boar, hare or duck ragù, and it remains one of my favourite combinations.

IMG_8191

Preparing the Duck Over Two Days

On this occasion I purchased a whole duck and prepared the ragù over two days.

This is not essential, but it has advantages. After the duck is slowly braised and left overnight, the cooking liquid sets into a rich jelly and the fat rises to the surface, making it easy to remove. The resulting sauce is lighter and more refined, while still retaining all of the flavour.

IMG_8208

The duck was first browned to render some of its fat.

IMG_8198
Browning the duck pieces to render the fat and build flavour.

I then prepared a simple soffritto of onion, carrot and celery in the same pan, allowing the vegetables to absorb some of the flavour left behind by the duck. Red wine, chicken stock, rosemary, bay leaves and a small amount of tomato completed the braising liquid.

IMG_8200
A traditional soffritto forms the base of the ragù.

The duck cooked slowly until the meat could be easily removed from the bones. Once cooled, I stripped the meat into generous pieces and set it aside. The braising liquid was strained and reserved separately.

Rather than discarding all of the rendered duck fat, I kept a small amount to cook the mushrooms. Brown mushrooms were sautéed with garlic, thyme and parsley until fragrant and lightly coloured. The reserved braising liquid was then added gradually and reduced until concentrated and glossy.

IMG_8213

Finally, the duck meat was returned to the pan together with the mushrooms and a small grating of nutmeg. The result was a rich ragù with layers of flavour from the wine, herbs and slow-cooked duck, balanced by the earthiness of the mushrooms.

Tossed through freshly cooked pappardelle and served immediately, it made a satisfying meal that reflects the best qualities of traditional Italian cooking: patience, good ingredients and the willingness to let time do much of the work.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole duck, cut into pieces
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 1 celery stalk, finely diced
  • Fresh rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 250 g brown mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Fresh thyme and parsley
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pappardelle, to serve

IMG_8222
Pappardelle.

Method

I bought a whole duck, dismembered it and trimmed away the obvious fat.

IMG_8193
The duck pieces are prepared by removing some of the fat.

Pat the duck pieces dry. Brown them skin-side down in a heavy casserole until the fat renders and the skin colours well. Turn and brown the other side.

IMG_8196 (1)
Browning the duck pieces to render the fat and build flavour.

Remove most of the fat and set the duck aside.

In the same pan, cook the onion, carrot and celery until softened.

Return the duck to the pan and add the wine, stock, tomatoes, rosemary, bay leaves, salt and pepper.

Cover and simmer gently for 1¾–2¼ hours, or until the meat is tender.

IMG_8207
The finished duck and mushroom ragù is ready to cool and leave overnight.

Cool and refrigerate overnight if possible.

Remove the layer of fat that forms on the surface.

Lift out the duck, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat into chunks.

IMG_8212
The stripped flesh from the duck pieces.

Strain the cooking liquid and reserve.

IMG_8215
The drained flavourful liquid.

Sauté the mushrooms in a little duck fat with the garlic, thyme and parsley.

IMG_8217
Mushrooms sautéed in duck fat with garlic and herbs.

  1. The finished duck and mushroom ragù.

Add the braising liquid gradually, reducing it until concentrated.

Return the duck meat to the pan, add a little freshly grated nutmeg and adjust the seasoning.

IMG_8220
The finished duck and mushroom ragù.

Toss through cooked pappardelle and serve.

A generous sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano is optional, although many Italians prefer to enjoy duck ragù without cheese.

See Pappardelle with hare:

PAPPARDELLE (Pasta with Hare or game ragù)

PAPPARDELLE Continued…..

A Sicilian recipe for Duck:

Anatra a paparedda cu l’ulivi (Sicilian Duck with green olives and anchovies)

 

STUFFED ARTICHOKES WITH RICOTTA AND ALMOND MEAL

My favourite Italian vegetable is the carciofo – artichoke. These have been eaten in Italy from ancient times and especially appreciated during the Roman period. They were then grown extensively in Sicily and Naples particularly around the 9th century.

carciofi-stall_0036-crop

Italians still love artichokes; they stuff them, boil, braise them, roast them in ashes, fry them and preserve them with the help of olive oil. They are used to make risotti, pasta sauces, frittate. Older artichokes are stripped of all their leaves and the tender ‘fondo’- base – is stuffed and braised or baked. Tender raw artichokes are sliced thinly and eaten raw as a salad with a dressing and in Sicily made into a caponata. Older artichokes are stripped of all their leaves and the tender ‘fondo’ (base) is stuffed and braised or baked. And the stem of artichokes, once stripped of its fibre is as appreciated.

One of my most favourite ways to eat artichokes is to stuff them with fresh breadcrumbs, grated cheese, garlic, parsley and then braise them in white wine and stock.

Carciofi heads

See recipe for Stuffed Artichokes

There are many regional and local variations for the breadcrumb stuffing all over Italy and probably the most common is the addition of anchovies. Different herbs or the addition of minced meat are also enjoyed in some regions. The stock can be water, vegetable or meat stock and /or white wine. Some also use tomatoes (peeled and chopped or blended tomatoes) as the braising liquid.

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Ricotta is sometimes combined with fresh breadcrumbs and used for the stuffing and because nuts – pine nuts, almonds or pistachio – go well with ricotta I chose almond meal and some pistachios. Instead of parsley I added basil, a much sweeter herb, and finally nutmeg, a spice generally used with stuffings in the northern parts of Italy especially if ricotta or mince meat is used.

2 artichokes
100 g ricotta:
½ cup of basil
½ cup fresh white breadcrumbs
½ cup almond meal
¼ cup pistachio
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil, 2 will be used for the stuffing
salt and pepper and nutmeg
stock and a little white wine to braise the artichokes

Clean the artichokes, see: CARCIOFI (Artichokes and how to clean them and prepare them for cooking)

Trim the stalk with a small sharp knife to pull away the tough, stringy outer skin (just like the strings of celery). Keep the artichokes and the stem in acidulated water until ready to stuff.
Prepare the filling by mixing together in a bowl the breadcrumbs, seasoning, herbs, nutmeg, ricotta and 2 tbs of olive oil. 
Drain the artichokes, remove the outer leaves of the artichokes and cut off about 2 cms of the top.
Use your fingers to spread out the leaves, the stuffing will go mainly in the centre of the artichoke. There may or may not have a fuzzy choke, depending on the maturity of the plant. If there is, remove it with a teaspoon, carefully turning it without snapping the sides of the vegetable.
Sprinkle a little salt between the leaves.
Stuff the centre of the artichokes – I use my fingers, press the stuffing firmly into the centre.
Pour the rest of the olive oil in a pan. Place the artichokes into the pan standing upright so that it can cook in an upright position (so choose your pan carefully).
Add a combination of water, stock and white wine as the braising liquid (I used little wine and mainly vegetable stock). The level of the braising liquid should be about 1 cm below the top of the artichokes. Add a little salt to the braising liquid.
Cover and cook artichokes over low-medium heat for about 40 mins.

See other recipes for artichokes:

CARCIOFI (Artichokes)

CARCIOFINI SOTT’ OLIO (Preserved artichokes in oil)

PASTA ALLA FAVURITA (Pasta with artichokes, broadbeans, peas alla favorita)

Artichokes-1a-blog-259x300

LEPRE ALLA PIEMONTESE (HARE – SLOW BRAISE PIEDMONTESE STYLE)

This is a photo of a segmented hare ready to braise. The hare has been sitting in my freezer for about 6 weeks, but because it is very hard to find, I buy when I see it, irrespective of whether I am ready to cook it or not.

I chose an Ada Boni recipe for cooking hare in the Piedmontese style (recipe from Italian Regional Cooking, Bonanza Books 1995).  Boni’s recipe is slightly different to other Piedmontese style recipes recipes I looked at and it includes cognac; other recipes may also contain any of the following ingredients, for example: cinnamon, garlic, rosemary and juniper berries.

I use recipes as a guide and I alter quantities and ingredients to suit my tastes. I like spices and herbs and increased the quantities; I prefer and used fresh herbs rather than the dry suggested in the recipe. Both Barolo and Barbera are wines of Piedmont and understandably Boni suggests using Barbera for the marinade wine, but I used a good quality Australian red wine and chose to drink the Italian. Chocolate smooths out the sauce and I used a greater amount than suggested and rather than adding 4 teaspoons of sugar I added very little sugar; I like using stock and added some to the braising liquid.

I have not used Ada Boni’s words, but the procedure for preparing the hare is more or less what she suggests.

In Australia I have yet to purchase a hare with its liver, heart, little alone its blood – these are used to thicken the sauce towards the end of cooking.

I have written about hare before. See:

HARE or RABBIT COOKED IN CHOCOLATE. Lepre o Coniglio al Cioccolato (‘Nciculattatu is the Sicilian term used)

PAPPARDELLE (Pasta with Hare or game ragù)

Interestingly enough, Alex the small friend in the photograph is now very much grown up.

PAPPARDELLE Continued…

Use an earthenware bowl for the marinade and a heavy bottomed saucepan with a well sealing lid to braise the hare.

Hare ready to serve no garnish

Being a Piedmontese recipe, plain polenta makes a good accompaniment.

1 hare cut into pieces (4 legs, back cut into 3 pieces, ribs into 3),
1 and 1/2 bottles of red wine- use enough to cover the hare (Barbera is preferable),
2-3 carrots,
2 large onions (1 for marinade, 1 for sautéing)
3 stalks of celery,
2 bay leaves,
3-4 black peppercorns,
3 cloves,
pinch of marjoram, and pinch of thyme,
salt to taste,
2 tablespoon of butter,
¼ cup of olive oil,
2 tablespoons of bacon fat cut into small pieces (I think that lardo or speck is intended – I used the fat from prosciutto, same taste and texture),
1 square of bitter chocolate, grated,
4 teaspoon of sugar,
3-4 tablespoons of cognac.
 
PROCESSES
Chop one onion, carrots and celery and put them in an earthenware bowl  with the segmented pieces of hare. Add the herbs cloves and peppercorns and a little salt. Cover with the win and let it marinate for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Drain the hare (take the pieces from the marinade and drain them) and then drain the vegetables separately. Keep the wine for cooking the hare.
Heat oil, lardo and butter and brown the hare pieces – use high heat. Remove the hare from the pan and any juices.
Add the onion to the same pan and sauté it gently in a little oil. Add the drained vegetables and sauté these for a few minutes.
Return the hare (and any juices) to the saucepan, pour in the wine (from the marinade), add a little salt. Make sure that the lid is on tightly. Simmer for about 2-3 hours until the meat is cooked. I also added about 1 cup of stock.
Remove the cooked hare and put aside. Remove the bay leaves and if you have used sprigs of herbs remove any of the remaining small sticks (If you can see the pepper corns and cloves remove these as well).
Rub the vegetables in the sauce through a sieve, use a mouli or blend the vegetables in the sauce.
Return the sauce to the saucepan, stir in chocolate, add the hare and taste the sauce – if you think it needs a little sugar add this.
Add the cognac last of all (I only used about 2 tablespoons).
Serve with plain polenta.

Polenta and wild asparagus 2