Author: PK
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Prosciutto Crudo
Prosciutto crudo is made from a pork ham that has been salt cured and then air dried. It differs from hams that have been salt brined and then cooked (called prosciutto cotto).
Prosciutto crudo is finely sliced and is often eaten uncooked in antipasto, tasting plates, salads and the like.
Cooked, it can be found in several traditional pasta dishes and is often used to wrap other ingredients such as cheese, vegetables and meat. Baked ricotta with wrapped in prosciutto is a perfect example of this technique.
Uncooked it has a pleasingly chewy texture and whilst you can taste the salt it also has a underlying sweetness to it.
Melon with prosciutto:
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more posts about salumi and Italian cusine:
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Jamie Oliver’s Egg Mayonnaise
Growing up, traditional egg mayonnaise took on an almost mythical status. No salad cream for us.
We bought Heinz Whole Egg Mayonnaise exclusively.
They stopped making it in Australia for a while so we would stock up when we travelled. We even requested care packages from people overseas.
So you understand what it means to me when I say Jamie’s version is every bit as magical!
I also however have a new nemesis in my life, the egg yolk that refuses to thicken. 😮
If that happens try this fix from Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s blog.Steps
- Whisking, lots of whisking
Ingredients*
* reduced from original, to make smaller amounts
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup olive oil
- A tiny splash of white wine vinegar
- A very generous squirt of fresh lemon juice
- Table salt to taste
Equipment
- 1 slotted spoon or egg yolk separator
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 serving bowl
Whisking, lots of whisking
- Separate the egg yolk and whisk it in a bowl.
- Add the mustard and whisk together.
- Slowly add half the olive oil, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens.
- Now whisk in a tiny splash of white wine vinegar
- Slowly add the rest of the olive oil, whisking continuously.
- Add salt to taste and also a big slug of lemon juice.
- You could optionally add a tiny bit of raw sugar (my little addition)
Enjoy,
PK
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Prosciutto And Melon Antipasto
It really doesn’t get any simpler than this. The sweet taste and aroma of chilled melon paired with the salty goodness of shaved prosciutto.
Heaven. This is why I love antipasto! It is special and fancy without trying to be.
Enjoy,
PK
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Antipasto
Antipasto (plural is antipasti) is the first course of an Italian meal. It is eaten at the table and formally announces that the meal has started.
They are usually shared plates of simple fare like seasonal fruit and vegetables, cheeses, breads and dried meats. Such dishes are designed to be enjoyed for their taste, visual appeal and conversational/sharing effects rather than to fill you up.
Here are a few random examples from the blog:
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Enjoy,
PK
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GICICI Random Photos 06 July 2018
Here are my favourite photos from the week gone. 🙂
In the kitchen:
In the garden:
Enjoy,
PK
Related Links:
- Please see more of my favourite photos here.
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Cheese: Taleggio Cheese
I love Taleggio for its smell and tangy fruity taste. This cheese has a real presence and it is one of the most pungent cheeses I have tried. I actually like the smell and encourage you to try this cheese and if you don’t like the smell be assured it doesn’t taste like it smells.
Milk
Cow
Origin
Italy
Aged
6 to 10 weeks
Aroma
Very discernible but I wouldn’t say off the nose. Grassy.
Taste
Luxuriously smooth, tangy and fruity with a buttery finish. Rind is thin and edible.
Texture
Semi-soft and creamy. Melts and grills very well.
Look
Pale yellow and smooth. The thin edible rind is the colour of straw.
Serving
I have recently made both the most amazing bruschetta and the creamiest grilled cheese on toast you can imagine with it. I love it smeared on water crackers or rye biscuits/bread just as much though.
If you aren’t cooking with it, don’t forget to bring it to room temperature b
Manufacturing and Salting Method
This is a type of washed rind cheese called smear-ripened. Artisanal tradition dictates storing the cheese in the caves of the northern Italian city of Val Taleggio. After smearing the cheeses with good bacteria, the cheeses are washed weekly with seawater to inhibit mould.Wine
I am not a wine paring expert but the team at cheese.com say to try this with your favourite reds or white.
Enjoy,
PK
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GICICI Random Photos 29 June 2018
Here are my favourite photos from the week gone. 🙂
In the kitchen:
In the garden:
Out and about:
Enjoy,
PK
Related Links:
- Please see more of my favourite photos here.
Please consider subscribing to a weekly email summary of our posts or check us out on Facebook @growitcatchitcookit.
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PK’S Bruschetta With Tomato And Cheese Antipasto
In Australia we tend to think of Bruschetta (an Italian antipasto) as being bread covered with tomatoes. Whilst tomatoes are often involved, Bruschetta is the garlic and olive oil rubbed grilled bread itself. You can then top it with a wide range of meats and vegetables.
This is my NoRecipe lazy way of making Bruschetta topped with tomatoes, basil, parsley, flash pickled onion and cheese. I have used an amazing Italian washed-rind soft cheese called Taleggio (Mozzarella di Bufala would go a treat too) and red, yellow and purple cherry tomatoes.
Simply
- Earlier in the day to give it time to work, dice the brown onion and put it in a bowl of vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar and the method is here).
- Rough chop the tomatoes, basil and parsley.
- Drain the onions and mix them into the chopped ingredients.
- Lightly grill the bread and smear with garlic infused olive oil.
- Cover the bread with the the chopped ingredients and slices of cheese.
Enjoy,
PK
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PK’S Broccoli Filled Beef Meatloaf
Meatloaf is a great way to make a little go a long way. I use minced beef, vegetables and cheese to hook my fussy little eaters (lamb, pork, chicken work a treat too). My wife loved it as well, mostly as it is a ‘one pan’ dish!
The broccoli filling was supposed to stay hidden but they were too smart for me. It still worked though thanks to the grilled cheese. 🙂
Steps
- Preparing everything
- Making the loaf
- Cooking and grilling the loaf
- Serving
Ingredients
- 500g beef mince
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 egg
- 1 small broccoli head, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 brown onion, diced
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 handful of parsley, rough chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely diced
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (panko would go a treat)
- Cracked black peppercorns and salt to taste
- Olive oil spray
Equipment
- 1 chef’s knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 non stick baking tin
Preparing everything
- Beat the egg and mix in the 1 Tsbp Worcestershire sauce.
- Chop the broccoli into small pieces and microwave for 1 minute.
- Dice half of a brown onion, store the rest for another day.
- Grate enough cheddar cheese to get 1 cup.
- Roughly chop a handful of parsley and finely dice the garlic clove.
- Mix the above ingredients together in a bowl, sprinkling with salt and pepper as you go.
Making the loaf
- Preheat your fan-forced oven to 180C.
- Put half the mince mix into the bottom of baking tin that you have sprayed with olive oil.
- Tamp it
- Layer the broccoli over this, leaving a gap right around the edges.
- Add a similar layer using half of the grated cheese.
- Top this with the rest of the mince and press down around the edges to make a bit of a seal.
Cooking and grilling the loaf
- Pop the tin into the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
- Cover the mince loaf rest of the grated cheese and grill it until golden brown.
Serving
You could just serve it as is thanks to the broccoli filling but we try and use fresh greens from the garden with every meal. 🙂
It makes for the best leftovers and frozen lunches by the way.
Enjoy,
PK
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PK’S Rapid Fire Cheesy Potatoes
I am calling this a rapid fire dish because it normally takes about an hour of cooking and 15 minutes to prepare. When I come home from work I often don’t have this amount of time.
So we are going to use a microwave and a hotter than normal oven to cut the cooking time to half an hour at the most. The traditional method also calls for layering the potatoes then pouring the sauce over them in batches. That takes too much time so we are dropping that too. 🙂
Steps
- Cutting and cooking the potatoes
- Making the cheesy white sauce
- Baking the potatoes
- Serving
Ingredients
- 2 cups cheddar, grated
- A handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup plain flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- A dash of ground nutmeg
Equipment
- 1 chef’s knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 saucepan
- 1 oven dish
Cutting and cooking the potatoes
- Slice the potatoes into discs of about 3-5mm (too thin and the potato tends to fall apart whilst cooking).
- Microwave the potatoes for about 8 minutes on high.
- Test one, they should have just lost or about to lose that crunchy raw taste but not be fully cooked.
- Preheat your fan-forced oven to 200C.
Making the cheesy white sauce
- On your hob slowly melt the 2 Tbsp butter in the saucepan.
- Stir in the 1/4 cup plain flour, a little bit at a time.
- Slowly stir in the 2 cups of milk.
- Mix in the 2 cups grated cheddar, the chives and the sprinkle of nutmeg.
Baking the potatoes
- Spray the oven dish with a bit of spray olive oil.
- Bundle the potato slice in any old way.
- Pour the cheese sauce in and gently combine everything.
- Level the top with the wooden spoon and then cover with shaved parmigiano-reggiano.
- Cook for about 15 minutes, the potatoes should be soft and the cheese golden brown.
- You can pop it under the grill for a few minutes to crisp up the cheese.
Serving
This is the perfect side for roasts and steaks. It makes for the best leftovers. 🙂
Enjoy,
PK
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