Category Archives: Main Course Recipes

Linssoppa för framgång på det nya året!

January 18, 2017

På Pantelleria lagar man linsgryta inför det nya året. Vanligtvis görs den på självaste nyårsafton men äts på nyårsdagen som ett riktigt comfort meal dagen efter festligheterna. Det finns två regler man bör följa för ett tursamt nytt år, den ena är linssoppan. Linserna symboliserar mynt och detta för med sig ekonomisk framgång. Den andra är att man på nyårsnatten bör bära röda underkläder för att nå framgång i kärlekslivet. För egen del kan det bara bli bättre på båda dessa fronter så själv tar jag inga risker.. Den här soppan passar även kalla vinterdagar. Den kräver en hel del egen tid på spisen, men tillagningsmomenten är lätta. Soppan kan med fördel göras i god tid innan servering eller till och med dagen innan.
Gott Nytt Framgångsrikt 2017

Linssoppa för framgång
Lagom till 4 personer

Ingredienser
4 dl linser
3 msk olivolja
400 gram fläskkött gärna från karrén med ben skuren i bitar
1 gul lök fint hackad
2 vitlöksklyftor finhackade el pressade
1 torkad chilifrukt mortlad
2 morötter skalade och fint skurna i små kuber
2 selleristänglar fint skurna
1 liten potatis skalad och fint skuren i små kuber
3 dl torrt vitt vin
1 burk tomater
1 msk socker
1 lagerblad
Havssalt och nymalen svartpeppar
1-2 ordentliga nypor Oregano från Pantelleria (köp här!) 
50 gram bladspenat

Till servering
Riven parmesan, bröd och god olivolja av hög kvalitet

Gör så här 
Ta fram en gryta gärna gjutjärn
Hetta upp olivoljan
Bryn fläskkarrén tills den får ytfärg, salta och peppra
Tillsätt lök, vitlök och chili och rör om
När löken fått färg lägg ner morot, selleri och potatis i grytan
Rör runt och låt ingredienserna svettas ihop några minuter
Häll i vinet rör om och låt puttra någon minut.
Häll i tomaterna och sockret och rör om
Häll i 1.5 liter vatten och sänk värmen och på med locket
Låt koka i ca 1-1.5 timme tills köttet blivit mört
Höj temperaturen och lägg i linserna
När det stormkokar, sänk värmen och låt puttra i 25-35 min
Rör om då och då samt kontrollera under tiden grytan om du behöver tillsätta mer vatten
Smaka av med salt.
Rör i oreganon och bladspenaten
Servera med bröd, bra olivolja, parmesan och ett glas gott rött

Vintips till denna goda linsgryta, prova Valpolicella Superiore från Allegrini,finns på bolaget för 110 pix nummer 6010

Braised chicken with wild oregano and olives

March 2, 2014

It’s still just the beginning of March, but I have the feeling that spring is around the corner. We have been talking walks on Mount Gibele to gather wild oregano. What a blessing! The oregano of Pantelleria is very intense. It is a cross with oregano and marjoram, and it carries the best qualities of both. The oregano is not only a fabulous spice but it also contains a lot of other great things within its oil, namely carvacrol. Oregano contains high amounts of omega-3s, iron, manganese, and antioxidants and it’s super antibacterial, as well as anti-viral and anti-fungal! This subject is something I will write about further in the future, after I have learned more about it. If you interested to read more about the Oregano harvest in Pantelleria, please visit my friends Amy and Peter’s blog http://flourishnourishinpantelleria.blogspot.it/2013/01/tales-from-harvest-of-green-gold-part-i.html , http://flourishnourishinpantelleria.blogspot.it/2013/01/tales-from-harvest-of-green-gold-part-2.html

Anyhow, after our day in the mountains I was craving a hot plate of chicken. With our own olives, bay leaves, celery, lemons from the garden and a splash of the local zibibbo wine this recipe came together.
I hope you like it!
Anna

Braised Chicken with wild oregano and olives
Serves 4
Note: You will need a oven ready pot with lid.

Ingredients
2 lb (1 kilo) Whole roasting chicken cut into quarters, then legs, thighs and wings separated at the joints (optional should you prefer boneless chicken you will need 1 pound (1/2 kilo) of chicken meat cut into eight pieces.) . If you so desire you can remove the skin of the chicken.
1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (for seasoning the chicken prior to searing)
2 Tablespoons olive oil (for searing)
3 Garlic cloves (peeled and minced)
2 Lemons (washed)
1 Leek or 3 spring onions (washed, peeled cut into quarters, using leeks one inch pieces or (2.5 cm)
4 Stalks celery (washed, ribbed, cut into one inch pieces or 2.5 cm)
2 Bay leaves (whole)
3/4 Cup ( 1.8 dl) dry white wine
3/4 Cup ( 1.8 dl) water
20 Olives green or black, green olives will loose their color due to the heat turning brown so if you wish to use a combination for eye appeal cook with black half black olives then add the other half green olives prior to serving.
8-10 Sprigs fresh oregano, if not available high quality dried oregano can be substituted Oregano di Pantelleria
1/4 Cup ( 0.6 dl) olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven at 350 F degrees (180 C).
Gather and prepare all the ingredients as listed and instructed.
Place the chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle salt and pepper on it tossing as to make sure the chicken is evenly seasoned.
On the stove top place your oven ready pot in a medium sized burner which is placed on the highest setting and allow if a minute or two to become hot.
Add the two Tablespoons of olive oil. Next place the chicken pieces in the bottom of the pot covering the surface but not over crowding as to all the chicken to sear and caramelize. If you find you have more chicken then room in the pot, sear the meat in stages. Have a plate to remove and place seared pieces and repeat this process until all the pieces are seared.
When chicken is seared add the 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pot and minced garlic. Allow the garlic 10 seconds to cook then add the lemons and rest of the vegetables stirring them as to coat with the garlic flavored oil. Add wine, water, lemons, bay leaves and olives. If you do not have fresh oregano add dried at this time. Place the chicken back into the pot and allow the liquid to come to boil. Turn off the heat on the burner, place the lid on top of the pot and place pot into the oven.

If you decided to use boneless chicken in about 30-40 minutes the dish should be complete. Remove the pot from the oven and carefully remove the lid as to check on the meat. If boneless it will be firm to the touch, if on the bone the meat should be firm and able to come off the bone easily. If you see any red or uncooked meat place the lid back on the pot and place the pot back in the oven to allow 15 more minutes of cooking time. After 15 minutes repeat the aforementioned process.

This dish can be served over cooked rice or potatoes or in a bowl alone with crunchy bread and a nice glass of white wine.

Ceramic pot from Crate and Barrel
Dinner dinner plate from Pearl River Mart
To buy Origano di Pantelleria http://shop.underthealmondtree.com/product/origano-di-pantelleria
To order Origano di Pantelleria in America, contact Jim Dixon at www.realgoodfood.com

Beautiful Borlotti!

October 2, 2013

2 Replies

The season has arrived for borlotti beans. I found theese colorful fresh borlotti beans at the market the other day. I’m a big fan of beans in general, often I just cook them with tomatoes, garlic, white wine and sage. Delicious.
This week I made a variation with couscous and vegetables in the oven. Super delicious. The weather is still summery hot in Pantelleria so this recipe proved to be a perfect light lunch in the shadow under the almond trees.

Borlotti bean couscous with vegetables
Ingredients:
3 lb (1.5 kilo) unpeeled fresh borlotti beans that will make about 22 oz ( 625 grams)
without the shell.(If you are using the dried beens you have to put them in water a day before using, see the instructions on the package).
1 Tablespoon olive oil
sea salt

For the oven baked vegetables
2 medium sized zucchinis
6 small red onions or shallots
1 lb (450 gram) cherry tomatoes
16 olives
6 sage leaves
1/4 cup (56 ml) olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

For the couscous
1 large sprig of garlic
1 fresh chili fruit
5 large sage leaves
1 Tablespoon olive oil for cooking
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) dry white wine
1 Tablespoon balsamic
2 Tablespoons honey
1 cup (2.4 dl) of canned tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups (4.2 dl) cous cous

Method:
Peel the borlotti beans.
Cook the beans for about 12 minutes, this time of cooking will leave an “al dente” feeling, if you want the beans more soft just ad a couple of minutes.
Use a colander to get rid of the water, set a side in a bowl, dash some olive oil and sea salt with the beens in the bowl.

Couscous:
Cut the garlic, chili and sage finely.
In a sauce pan, saute garlic, chili and sage in a dash of olive oil shortly, just until the garlic is golden.
Ad white wine, balsamic vinegar, honey, bayleaf and stir .
Ad the tomato sauce and let simmer together for 5-8minutes taste with salt and black pepper.

In a large bowl place the couscous and pour the sauce over to cook the couscous.
Let sit for 5 -10 minutes.

Oven baked vegetables
Set the oven at 400 F degrees (200 C)
Chop the garlic finely
Clean and cut the zucchini i large pieces
Clean the cherry tomatoes and onions
In a smal bowl, mix garlic olive oil, sage , salt and pepper
Rub the vegetables and olives with the oil mix
Place on an oven tray and let cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Serving:
Mix the borlotti beans, couscous and vegetables

Eggplant Pantesca

August 26, 2013

1 Reply

One of my favorite vegetables is eggplant, especially Pantescan eggplant harvested from our garden. This year we also had loads of tomatoes, so some of them are now sun dried. They are an explosion of flavor! We eat them like candy. Now and then I use them in cooking, as in this eggplant dish.

Eggplant Pantesca
Serves 4
24 oz (700 grams) of eggplant
10 pitted olives
6 sun dried tomato halves
20 almonds
7 oz (200 grams) mozzarella
1 cup olive oil
Salt and fresh grounded pepper

Cut the eggplant lengthwise about 4 pieces or into pieces that are a half inch (1.5 cm) thick.
Sprinkle a little salt on both sides and set aside for about 20 minutes to draw out the fluid.
Chop the olives, tomatoes, and almonds coarsely. Cut the mozzarella into small pieces.
Wipe the eggplant patties using a paper towel (so it becomes dry and excess salt disappears). Heat up a frying pan with plenty of olive oil.

Sauté the patties on both sides until golden and soft but without falling into pieces.
Pour more oil in the skillet when needed and season with black pepper.
Remove the patties and place them on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle the olives, sun dried tomatoes and almonds on top of the eggplant. Top with the mozzarella cheese and bake at 440 F (225 C) on the broiler setting for about 2-3 minutes.

Green bean harvest

June 24, 2013

Three weeks ago we harvested our first batch of green beans, from these green beans I made a quick and simple lunch dish. It could also be served as a side dish with something cooked on the grill like chicken, pork chop or fish.

Green beans and lentils
Serves 4

Ingredients:
13 oz (370 gram) green beans
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons olive oil
16 cherry tomatoes
16 each olives
2 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 cup ( 2.4 dl) of cooked lentils, you can use the precooked or cook your lentils ahead according to the instruction on the package.
16 Basil leaves chiffonade

Method
Rinse and were it’s needed remove the dry stalks on the green bean.
Cut the beans for about 1 inch pieces (2.5 cm).
Cut the red onion in to thin rings.
Finely chopped the garlic.
Place a medium sized saute pan on the stove and warm over medium heat adding the olive oil.
Add to the oil and saute the minced garlic, red onion, green beans, tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper.
Let simmer until beans are soft in texture but still have a little bite.
Add olives, lentils and basil and stir to combine.
Let simmer for another 2-5 minutes, add more olive oil if needed and taste if more salt is needed.
Serve these veggies immediately with bread.

Dinner plate http://indiska.com/se

Orata Pantesca al forno

April 9, 2013

2 Replies

Orata in Italian means golden. In English this fish is called Gilt head (sea) bream. I’ve bought the same fish in markets in France where its name is Daurade (dorade royale), and many years ago I was vacationing in Calabria where it is known as it Pargo-Dorado… Here in Pantelleria this fish is referred to as Orata. By any name this is an absolutely lovely fish!

Put this fish on the barbecue or roast it in the oven. Orata blends well with any flavor. This week I was assigned to make a recipe with fish and olives so I filled it with sun dried black olives, Pantelleria capers, garlic and a lot of wild thyme that had I picked the day before. I cooked it in the oven for 30 min and it came out perfectly. Really, it was so good that we almost moaned as we ate.
This recipe can easily be used for other kinds of fish. When you cook the whole fish, don’t forget to eat that little part in the cheek on the side of the fish head. It may be little, but it’s the very best part.

I wish you all great week
AnnaOrata Pantesca al forno
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 each Orata fish 1 kilo or more in weight per fish (other names of the Orato: Dutch- Goldbrassen, East Germany- Dentis, Great Britian- Gill head Sea Bream)
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves finely chopped or pressed
4 sprigs of thyme
4 sun dried olives pitts removed and cut into chunks
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoon capers from Pantelleria (soaked and drained)
10 olives of your choice
8-10 cherry tomatoes
1 medium sized fennel
1 spring onion
1/4 cup (60 ml) white wine

Method:
Remove the scales, innards and gills of the fish view this video for further instruction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeXqdZYtF_A
Set and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200C)
In a small bowl mix:
Olive oil, garlic, 2 thyme sprigs crushed, the sun dried olives and one Tablespoon of the capers, salt and pepper (keep in mind that fish needs a little extra salt).

Make three cuts on the bias from the dorsal fin to the stomach starting from head to mid tail on both sides of the fish. (since fish has different thicknesses these slits will allow even heat distribution as well as area to add the flavorings) place the aforementioned flavorings inside the slits as well as into the body cavity of the fish. Pour the left over oil around and into the oven tray.Cut the fennel and onion into larger wedge uniform pieces as to withstand the high heat of the oven. Add them to the pan with the rest of the ingredients and finish off by pouring in the wine. Cover with Aluminum foil and place in the oven for about 30 minutes, the cooking time might vary depending on the size of your fish, after 30 minutes remove from the oven and uncover. At this time you want to use a fork or butter knife to check the fish to see if the meat has cooked to the bone. You check at the thickest part of the fish by sticking the fork or knife into the and look to see if the meat is light and a little flaky in the consistency, not translucent at the point where it meats the bone. If it’s not ready let it stay for another ten minutes uncovered. But be careful with the cooking time, in my opinion there is nothing sadder than overcooked fish.
Dinner plate http://indiska.com/
Capperi di Pantelleria http://shop.underthealmondtree.com/product/capers

Black eyed pea cassoulet with salciccia and sage

March 14, 2013

5 Replies

These lovely local beans (yes, black eyed peas are actually a bean) was harvested last spring and dried. The farmer who grows the beans is called Centesimo. That is his nickname. All men have nicknames in Pantelleria. Centesimo’s means penny, or cent. His nickname makes reference to the fact that he is very thrifty and frugal. He harvests all his seeds from his own fruits and vegetables that he cultivates. Centesimo and his wife live and grow their produce in Scauri, a village in the south west part of Pantelleria. When my friend Ines and I visited them this summer we got a lot of lovely products. I still had these black eyed peas, and was happy to use them last night.

Yesterday we had rain and hailstorms all day. The three of us, Carlo (the boyfriend), Igor (the dog), and I were freezing. We spent all day inside, reading, watching a movie and just chilled out in front of the fire.For dinner I cooked this bean cassoulet with salsiccia and sage. It turned out to be a perfect meal for this cold day.

The black eyed peas need to soak for 6-8 hours before you start cooking.

Black eyed pea cassoulet with salciccia and sage
Serves 4-6
To soak the black eyed peas:
2 cups (4.8 dl) of black eyed peas
6 cups (14.4 dl) of cold water
Put the black eyed peas in a bowl or a container.
Pour over the water and cover with a lid or a dinner plate.
Let soak for 6-8 hours in the fridge.
The cassoulet:
1 medium sized yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 dried chili peppers crushed or 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
2 medium sized carrots
1 stalk of celery
2 teaspoon salt
3 cups (7.2 dl) of white wine
2 cups (4.2 dl) of water
4 cups (9.6 dl) of soaked black eyed peas ( they will double in size after soaking)
17 oz (480 grams) salsiccia
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) of cooking cream
12 cherry tomatoes
18 black olives
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
12 large sage leaves

Method:
Wash, peel and both the onion and garlic finely, saute in olive oil until golden and soft, add the bay leaf and chili flakes.
Wash, peel and cut the carrots and celery stalk in medium sized chunks and add to the onions with the black eyed peas, 2 cups wine, 2 cups water and 1.5 teaspoon salt.
Cover with a lid and cook on medium to low temperature for about 45 minutes then add the last cup of wine, continue cooking.

Add tomato paste, cream, sugar, Dijon mustard, cherry tomatoes and olives.
Sauté the salsiccia lightly in a skillet on the side then add to the bean stew.
Cook for another 20 minutes. Try the beans, they should be soft but not mushy,
you want them to have some texture. Crush the sage leaves and stir. Taste the stew before serving to see if more salt is needed. Serve with bread and red wine.

Dinner plate http://indiska.com/se

Spicy orange chicken

January 29, 2013

1 Reply

Since we enjoy an abundance of oranges in Pantelleria, and they are readily available year around worldwide, let’s make a spicy orange marinade for chicken. This marinade also works excellent with pork chops for the barbecue.

Orange and honey spiced chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients
2.5 lb (1kilo) of your favorite chicken parts
Olive oil for the skillet
Marinade:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons orange zests
4 tablespoons Chinese soy sauce
3 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons honey
2 finely chopped chilies
6 drops Tabasco sauce
5 sprigs fresh rosemary

Method

Mix the the ingredients in a bowl and rub the chicken with the marinade. Then place chicken and the remainder of the marinade in a plastic bag and let sit in the fridge for at least 90 minutes before you start cooking.
Preheat the owen to 450F (225 C) degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on your stove top and sauté the chicken parts for a couple of minutes on each side until they get a nice golden surface. Remove from skillet and place in an casserole dish and roast the chicken in the oven for about 30 min at 450F (225 C) degrees.
To make sure the chicken is ready, stick a knife in thickest part close to the bone. If there is blood in the meat juice, let it cook for a little longer, if not, it’s ready.
This recipe is also published in January 2013 in Swedish Magazine Icakuriren
www.icakuriren.se

Under the Almond Tree

A Swede cooking in Pantelleria