Frittata di Zucchine e Parmigiano

Frittata di Zucchine

This is the ultimate corner shop low carb classic. Heat up your grill. In a small non-stick saute pan fry off half a sliced red onion until soft (slowly), then add sliced zucchini (2 large cut into 3 mm rounds) and cook until browned. Meanwhile mix six eggs with three handfuls of parmigiano and some chopped parsely, season with black pepper. Pour mix into the pan, cook for about 5 mins on medium hob until it looks as if it is firming up, then brown under the grill for two mins. Serve with salad and a glass of white.

Brasato di manzo con i funghi (e gremolata)

This stew is so rich it could fly you to Monaco in its own spaceship.

brasato di manzo con i funghi ( e gremolata)

The freshness of the gremolata makes all the difference, cutting through and lifting the stew.

This serves about 6.

• 2.5lbs of stewing/ chuck steak, cut up into two inch lumps
• 1 bottle of strong red wine
• three or four carrots, peeled and sliced chunky
• three or four big celery sticks, cut up chunky
• three fat portobello mushrooms sliced 1.5cm
• 1 yellow onion, quartered and sliced
• two sticks of rosemary, a handful of thyme,  5 bay leaves
• four cloves of garlic
• salt, pepper

Marinate the meat in the wine and veg (including 3 garlic cloves sliced thinly) and herbs for 3 hours. Reserve the wine. Reserve the veg. Season some flour and dredge the meat. Brown the meat well in some olive oil or butter. You’ll do this in batches, so start frying off the veg, as they will need at least 10 mins on medium until softened. Chuck the browned meat into the veg, cover with wine, bring to a simmer and sling in a 150 degree oven for 3 hours or so. With an hour to go add the sliced mushroom. To serve, finely chop the zest of a lemon with a good handful of parsley and a clove of garlic. Sprinkle on top.

Remember that all stews improve with a night in the fridge.

Salsiccia con polenta

Most of us, including Italians, use instant polenta –  downside is it has a grainy texture and is boring unless finished with butter and parmigiano. Please eat at Locanda Locatelli and taste Georgio’s polenta. It is a revelation – smooth, creamy grains of corn . Usually served with some braised lamb or sausages.

Salsicccia con polenta

Roast sweet cherry tomatoes (pomodorini) on a tray in the oven with some quality English or Italian sausages (less fat and filler). Throw in some herbs (salvio, timo) and brown the sausages, turning occasionally. After 30 mins, remove from the oven, reserve the sausages and reduce the sauce over a very high heat  in a non stick pan. Cooking the sausages together with the tomatoes makes a tastier sauce. A splash of vinegar or squeeze of lemon is also good.

Meanwhile, your polenta – and we used instant for this – which is lighter and cleaner than real polenta, which I will cook soon (it takes 2.5 hours of constant stirring and observation and I still have to figure out how to make mine taste as good as that served at Locanda Locatelli). Remember to season and add butter…