Risotto with peas and prawns

This is my version of the famous Venetian dish “Risi e bisi”, a risotto made with  tender new season fresh peas.  Prawns and peas go very well together, and the addition of the prawns makes the dish a bit more substantial and luxurious, ideal for a stand alone dinner.  Equally, you can have it as

Rigatoni al ragù di fegato

With the arrival of autumn in the southern hemisphere, it is time once again to start turning to comfort food. Few dishes are more satisfying over a relaxed Sunday lunch than pasta cooked with ragù, the hearty sauce originating in Bologna and made from the slow cooking of ground meat with tomatoes and wine.  The

Veal escalopes with lemon and anchovy

My late mother-in-law used to cook this wonderful dish, which has a very retro seventies aspect and is very quick to prepare and cook.  The flavour is magnificent, with the umami of the anchovies marrying perfectly with the sharpness of the lemon and the richness of the veal.   This dish can be made with

Prawns grilled with Salmoriglio sauce

Salmoriglio is a sauce consisting of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and fresh herbs such as parsley or oregano. I first ate this delicious dish on the island of Elba, revelling in the fresh Mediterranean prawns  perfectly accompanied by the tangy Salmoriglio sauce. Salmoriglio originates  in Sicily and Calabria, made from the abundant lemons,

Roast brined chicken

Brining, or storing in a salt solution, is a technique used for preserving meat  without refrigeration.  It is also a terrific way of seasoning certain cuts of meat and poultry, improving juiciness and tenderness.  The salt starts to breakdown muscle fibre, so when the muscles are exposed to heat during cooking they do not contract