Recipes where fresh herbs play a starring role
Buckwheat Polenta with Mushrooms & Gorgonzola Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Northern Italian cooking class inspired by Alessandro Pavoni! On the first day Franz and I were in Lombardy researching A Lombardian Cookbook, Alessandro took us up to the hunting lodge of his family friends Elsa and Tulio. There in the high mountain […]
Sigara Borek (Turkish Cheese & Herb Rolls) Börek filled with cheese and herbs is one of my favourite food experiences from my travels in Turkey. I remember arriving early one morning in the eastern town of Tatvan having caught the overnight ferry across Lake Van with a girlfriend. We were cold, tired and hungry and […]
Grilled Swordfish with Salmoriglio Swordfish (pesce spada) is one of the most popular fish in the Mediterranean and in southern Italy it’s often served with the classic olive oil and herb sauce, salmoriglio (see video below). It has a wonderful meaty texture but tends to dry out and soften if over cooked, so resist the […]
Salmoriglio Salmoriglio is a simple southern Italian sauce based on olive oil, lemon, garlic and herbs, traditionally oregano. Parsley is often included and sometimes a little finely chopped rosemary or thyme, some recipes add a little anchovy too. Most cooks simply whisk all the ingredients together but, in The River Café Cookbook, Rose Gray and […]
Insalata Caprese https://youtu.be/g7VFea_c67s Insalata Caprese is a classic Italian mozzarella and tomato salad from the Isle of Capri in the Bay of Naples. Indian water buffalo were introduced to the swampy plains near Naples as draft animals around the 6th or 7th century, and today this area is famous for one of Italy’s most delicious […]
Armando’s Panettone with Berries Armando’s panettone with berries is a festive dessert made with Italy’s traditional Christmas cake, panettone. Chef Armando Percuoco created it to add a bit of moisture to this brioche-like bread, which some people find a bit too dry. We’ve used berries and mint for a red and green Christmas theme but […]
Grilled Zucchini with Stracciatella Grilled zucchini with stracciatella is a simple dish that’s great as a starter or part of an antipasti. It’s inspired by a dish I had at Bert’s at Newport – the first time I ever tasted stracciatella. This wonderful southern Italian cheese is shredded mozzarella mixed with cream – it’s what’s […]
Snapper with Pine Nut & Herb Stuffing Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Italian cooking class inspired by Giovanni Pilu! I didn’t really care for stuffings until I cooked this snapper with pine nut & herb stuffing, inspired by a dish Sardinian chef Giovanni Pilu served me. Herbs, including rosemary, thyme and oregano grow […]
Persian Minced Tuna Kebabs Persians love all sorts of kebabs and these minced tuna kebabs are a great alternative to the lamb-based kabab koobideh so popular in Persian cuisine. Cooking time will depend on how thinly you roll the mince and on the heat of your grill; tuna dries out quickly, so better to undercook […]
Lemon-cured Tuna with Herb Salad One of my favourite Vietnamese dishes is bo tai chanh, a salad of beef cured in lemon juice, and the same method works just as well with tuna. Whatever protein you use, it’s a very quick dish to prepare once you have all the ingredients on hand, and it’s great […]
