italian – Page 2 – Le Fermier

Snapper or “ Dorade “ in French is one of those fish that has a “meaty” texture and a strong taste, but I have to say is one of my favourite fish. Its “meatiness “ is why this fish goes perfectly with the braised chickpea and pancetta, the texture of the chickpea and the spicy flavour of the mild pancetta binds so well with the snapper. Enjoy this wonderful dish.

Bon appetit.

For the chick pea :

– 1 packet dried chickpeas ( about 375 g )

– 2 brown onions

– 5 cloves garlic

– 1 bunch thyme

– 1 Table spoon tomato paste

– 1 litre vegetable stock

– 4-5 thickly sliced pancetta

– 2 dried chili

– 2 teaspoon corn flour

Method : Soak the chickpeas in cold water overnight. Dice your onions, crush the garlic, chop the thyme and dice the pancetta• Pour about 50 ml of olive oil in your pot and add your onions, garlic, thyme and diced pancetta and cook for 5 minutes• Add the chickpeas and stir• Add the stock and cook for about 1 hour on medium heat or until tender• To thicken the sauce, mix the corn flour with a little bit of water, just enough to dissolve it and pour it into the sauce while mixing• Season to taste

For the fish:

– 4 snapper fillets

– Salt and pepper

– Olive oil

Method : Using a sharp knife slightly cut the skin of the fish , this will allow the heat to go through the fish quicker resulting in a shorter cooking time and also prevent the fish from curling while cooking• Season the fish with salt and pepper• Heat up a large frying pan on medium heat and drizzle with olive oil, once the pan starts smoking gently add the fish skin side down• When the fish is cooked about ¾ of the way turn it and turn the gas off, leave for 30 second and rest•

Homemade fresh pasta, made in the traditional way is, I find, the best way to eat pasta – using the best ingredients of course! I like to use the Marcato Atlas 150 pasta machine which you can find here: www.kitchenwaredirect.com.au. The texture of homemade pasta is more soft and delicate than the dried pasta you can buy at the supermarket and a lot more rewarding to prepare. I’ve always loved cooking at home and sharing the food I have prepared from scratch with my friends and family while having a laugh or two. This is what homemade food does, it brings people together. Bon appetit

Homemade Fresh Chicken Tagliatelle

For the Pasta

750 g semolina

– 250 g flour

– 5 eggs

– ¾ cup water

– 2 Tbs olive oil

– Pinch of salt

Method : Mix semolina, plain flour, & salt together • Whisk the eggs then add them to the semolina, then add the water and olive oil and mix until combined • Cut the dough into small pieces • Roll the dough with a rolling pin until thin enough to put through the pasta machine • Starts rolling on number 1 to 4 then fold the dough on itself and start again from number 1 to 7 • Roll the dough through the tagliatelle attachment of the pasta machine and lay the pasta on a flat dry tray and sprinkle with semolina to avoid sticking • Cook in salted boiling water for 3 minutes, drain the water from the pot, refresh the pasta by rinsing in cold water and drain again • Drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta to avoid sticking.

For the Sauce

– 1 punnet dried black trumpet mushroom

– 1 punnet dried chanterelle mushroom

– 1 punnet dried porcini mushroom

– 3 shallots

– 4 garlic cloves

– ½ bunch thyme

– ½ parsley

– 400 ml thickened cream

– 200 ml chicken stock

– 450 g chicken breast ( cut in strips )

Method: Soak the mushroom in warm water for 5 minutes to soften them • Slice the shallots and grate the garlic and put them in the pot with a bit of olive oil • Add the chopped herbs and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes • Chop your mushroom and add them to the pot and cook for a further 5 minutes • Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes then add the cream and stock, and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, season to taste • Mix a about 2 Tbs corn flour with 1 Tbs of water to thicken the sauce if needed.

Serve with a sprinkling of fresh, chopped Italian flat parsley

Bon Appetit!

Category: italian

homemade fresh chicken tagliatelle