Let’s put our cards on the table. Of course I am going to say something cool about The Flavour Academy. But what we expected from ourselves and our guests and what went down, well it would be easier for you to be there!
In a nutshell we (and I do include myself here as a non cooking member of the team) were taught the ins and outs of, caprese salad, lemon risotto, spaghetti vongole, and torta caprese. Let’s just say that the recipes which follow will give you all the tips you need to become a master of these dishes. What must be emphasised is just how much fun this session was and that going forward these classes are going to be a must attend event for your foodie calendar. The buzz and the vibe are amazing and electric. Passionate foodies and good home cooks getting stuck and taking the cooking seriously but in a great collaborative spirit.
Chiara and Chef Jonathan regularly leave their demonstration station to engage and help and taste, which is key to ensuring that us mere mortals understand how flavours are balanced and layered. The nuances of risotto and how that lemon flavour is imparted was a light bulb moment for my own cooking and I cannot wait to make that at home.
The key to caprese salad is bright fresh tomatoes, basil and good quality mozzarella. If you are going to use the processed stuff don’t bother. Spaghetti Vongole or clams is a simple dish that one can easily mess up. Get those clams properly open, make sure you broth is flavoursome and the pasta al dente and you are sure to have a hit on your hands. For me though the Torta Caprese was the showstopper, a flourless chocolate tart that has a simple recipe but rewards and delivers above and beyond.
The biggest challenge on the night, not enjoying the delicious Chamonix Wine too much!!
Baked Mozzarella in Lemon Leaves with Lemon Risotto
Serves 2 / Ease of Recipe: Moderate / Prep time 40 min
Ingredients
LOVE
8 Lemon leaves (only use leaves as a flavour enhancer discard there after)
25ml Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Ball of very fresh Fior di latte (Buffalo Mozzarella can also be used), cut in four even slices
8 Toothpicks to secure the lemon leaves
2g Salt
2g Black pepper
Method
- Wash and pat dry your lemon leaves. Spread four citrus leaves on your work surface, place the Mozzarella slices in the centre of each leaf and season.
- Drizzle with the olive oil. Place a second leaf on top of each Mozzarella piece and secure both ends with a toothpick.
- Spread the parcels over the grill and grill for around 30 seconds. Turn gently and grill for another 30 seconds on the other side.
Season to taste and serve as a canapé or some extra piece on top of the risotto.
For the Lemon Risotto
Ingredients
LOVE
200g Risotto rice
50g White onions (chopped)
Juice of a half a lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Vegetable stock cube (dissolved in 2L boiling water) or a home made veg stock
25ml Limoncello optional
60ml Dry white wine optional
30g Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
30g Butter
30ml Cream before serving
10ml Olive oil
5g Chopped fresh Parsley
Method
- Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer in a medium size pot over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot to keep the liquid warm. Melt the butter together with the oil in a heavy medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the risotto rice; stir for 1 minute and then add the wine and stir until it all has evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add two cups of the hot vegetable stock to the mixture; simmer the mixture over medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, reduce the heat slightly and allow the stock to be absorbed before adding more stir the mixture lightly or agitate the pan until the rice is creamy and tender, about 20 – 35 minutes.
- As a test to see if it’s ready, part your risotto, the liquids should come together slowly and the rice should have a tender bite to it. In stages stir in the Limoncello, lemon juice and lemon zest. Now stir in the cream, cheese and chopped Parsley. Season the risotto with salt and pepper if needed and remove from the heat and work in the butter before serving. Transfer the mixture to a serving plate and top with the baked mozzarella and serve.
- Risotto should have a thick soupy consistency, never be sticky nor too runny.
The balance of the recipes will follow in our next blog post.