BY BRONWEN KIRK 5/6K A Formal Italian Dinner Party

The Courses 1. Antipasti___________________________Slide 3 2. Primo Piatto_________________________Slide 4 3. Secondo Piatto_______________________Slide 5 4. Contorni____________________________Slide 6 5. Dolci_______________________________Slide 7 6. Formaggi____________________________Slide 8

Antipasti (Appetisers)- Insalata Caprese, Crostini Insalata Caprese- Ingredients: 1 x ball of buffalo mozzarella 2 x medium-size ripe tomatoes 1 x spring onion, white part only, very finely sliced Extra olive oil Herb vinegar For the dressing A handful of basil leaves Sea salt and freshly ground pepper Extra virgin olive oil Procedure: First make your dressing. Keeping a few leaves aside for later, roughly chop the basil and add a pinch of salt. Add a splash of oil and stir it in to make a smashed basil dressing. Carefully tear the mozzarella and place it on to a large serving plate. Chop the tomatoes roughly into chunks and dress in a bowl with the spring onion, some olive oil, a little herb vinegar and some salt and pepper. Place tomatoes in and around the mozzarella and drizzle with basil sauce over the top. Sprinkle the reserved basil leaves and serve. Crostini- Ingredients: 1 loaf French bread, ends trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices Extra olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Procedure- Arrange the bread slices on the baking sheet and generously brush with olive oil. Turn the slices over and repeat brushing with olive oil. Bake for about 6 minutes, turning the baking sheet around in the oven halfway throught the baking time to ensure even browning. Bake until the croutons are lightly browned. Cool crostini completely before serving. Makes about 32 crostini.

Primo Piatto (First plate)- Tagliatelle al Ragù Ingredients- 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup butter 1 cup onions, chopped small 1/2 cup celery, chopped small 1/4 cup carrots, chopped small 1/8 kilo pancetta, ground 1 pound veal ¼ kilo ground beef ½ kilo ground pork 2 cups whole milk 1 cup white wine 1/2 cup tomato paste Parmigiano- Reggiano Method- In a large oven or saucepan, add olive oil and butter and heat. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook until very soft and beginning to caramelize. Mix together all of the meats. Add the meats to the pan and begin to brown. When the meat begins changing color and releasing its own liquids, add the milk. Cook until the milk is almost totally evaporated--it should just be moist around the edges of the meat, about 15 minutes. Add the wine. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 hours. Bring 6 litres of water to a boil on a stove. Add salt to the water and return to a boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the tagliatelle and add to the bolognese sauce and serve.

Secondo Piatto (Second Plate)- Pesce alla Griglia Ingredients- 1 or more fish of any kind weighing a kilo to 1 ½ kilos 1/2 cup of marinade made with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice Optional- A few leaves of minced rosemary, bay leaf, or any herb you prefer 1 Sliced lemon Method- Marinate the fish, slipping some of the herbs and lemon slices into the cavity as well. Preheat the grill. Set the fish on the grill and use a metal spatula to flip the fish from time to time. Continue cooking until the skin is crispy; the thicker the fish the longer it will take to cook. Serve with sliced lemon and scatter crushed herb leaves across the plate.

Contorni (Side Dish)- Patatine Fritte Ingredients- Potatoes Oil Method- Put the oven on to preheat at 200ºC. Thinly slice the potatoes into rectangular prism like shapes (Each potato should be able to make roughly 9 shapes). Place the potatoes on a tray and gently brush the potatoes with oil spreading it evenly. Put the tray in the oven leaving it to cook. Check regularly and remove them from the oven when they are hinting a touch of brown.

Dolci (Dessert)- Tiramisù Ingredients- 500g mascarpone cheese 2 tbs caster sugar 400mls freshly brewed strong coffee, cooled 1 250g pkt shortbread fingers 80g dark chocolate, grated Method- Beat the mascarpone and caster sugar in a medium mixing bowl with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Set aside. Place the coffee. Dip 1/2 the shortbread fingers quickly into the coffee mixture and then arrange over the base of a serving dish or six small individual serving glasses. Spread half the mascarpone mixture evenly over the biscuits. Dip the remaining biscuits into the coffee mixture and then arrange in a single layer over the mascarpone layer. Finish with a layer of the remaining mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Sprinkle with the grated chocolate just before serving.

Formaggi (The Cheeses)- Padana con Pere Ingredients- Padano Cheese Pears Method- Thinly slice a pear and place it in boiling water on a stove to cook. Leave it for 2 minutes then take the pear out, it should be mildly softened. Place the pear in a decorative way around and on the padano cheese.

Buon Apetito! The Dinner Table:

Bibliography RecipeMania.com GoogleImages.com