The chilly weather has me daydreaming in the kitchen of Italian dinners on holiday; as the sun starts to set, locally sourced food is placed in front of you and all you need is a light sweater draped over your shoulders as the scorching heat of the afternoon turns into the pleasant warmth of the evening...
However, back to reality, and it’s time to think about what I’ll make for dinner tonight and it’s got me fancying something Italian whilst making the most of Northern Irish staple ingredients.
For this reason, this week’s recipes are Pistou Soup and Chicken Parmigiana. If you could make any meal from scratch to transport you back to your favourite holiday, what would it be?
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Pistou Soup
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
· 1 litre vegetable stock (recipe below)
· 100g pistou (recipe below)
· 100g courgettes, diced
· 75g green beans, sliced 1cm thick
· 50g tomatoes, peeled, diced and deseeded
· 100g haricot beans
· 100g orzo pasta
· 50g asparagus
For the vegetable stock – 1 litre:
· 50g herbs, any dark herbs are good including tarragon, chives, thyme and parsley
· 2 heads fennel, sliced
· 2 onions, sliced
· 1 leek, sliced
· ½ head celery, sliced
· 1 bulb garlic, chopped
· 1 tsp fennel seeds
· 1 star anise
· 1 tsp coriander seeds
For the Pistou – 100g:
· 1 bunch basil
· 50g parmesan
· 5 cloves garlic, peeled
· 50ml olive oil
Method
· Firstly, to make the pistou, place the basil, garlic and parmesan in a blender and pulse, adding the oil to make a paste until smooth.
· To make the stock, start by toasting the spices in a dry pot. Then, add the vegetables and cover with water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Next, remove from the heat, cover with cling film and leave to cool. Place in fridge overnight for maximum flavour.
· To make the soup, strain the stock through a sieve, squeezing all the juice into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Next, add the orzo pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until soft. Now, add the courgettes and once cooked through, add the beans, asparagus, haricot beans and tomatoes, cook for a further two minutes.
· Place in a bowl and serve with the pistou on the side.
Chicken Parmigiana
Ingredients
· 1 chicken breast per person
· 20g flour, add a pinch of salt
· 1 egg, beaten
· 100g panko breadcrumbs
· 50g parmesan, finely grated
· 1-2 tbsp oil
· Butter, small knob
· Lemon, halved
Method
· To start, place the chicken between two pieces of cling film or grease proof paper and flatten until thin using a rolling pin or meal mallet.
· Next, place flour in a shallow bowl with a pinch of salt and lightly dust the chicken.
· In another bowl, beat the egg and wet the chicken.
· In the final bowl, coat the chicken in breadcrumbs and parmesan.
· To cook, melt butter and oil in a saucepan, cooking for three to five minutes on both sides until crispy.
· To serve, I recommend a salad or pea purée. For pea purée, boil a handful of peas, blend with a fork and add a little butter to hold. To finish, place the chicken on top, sprinkle with parmesan and half a lemon.
