Win their hearts with these two Italian recipes from Chef Igor Macchia, co-owner of La Credenza in Turin, Italy. As well as adding his magic touch to the dishes served in the restaurant that’s a must-visit for anyone who loves great food, the chef is also behind the cookbook La Credenza: The New Seasons. The interactive, bilingual book allows you to travel to Igor Macchia’s kitchen in Italy and all around the world.
Red Bell Pepper Risotto with Parsley and Anchovies
Ingredients and method for red pepper purée:
1,000g red bell pepper
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Wash and dry red bell pepper, season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook in oven at 180°C for 25 minutes. Chill the cooked red bell pepper. Keep the cooking juice. Remove the skin from the red bell pepper and blend. Keep at room temperature for preparation of the risotto.
Ingredients and method for parsley sauce:
250g trimmed fresh parsley and salt
Wash parsley in cold water, drain and cook in salted, boiling water for seven minutes. Chill the cooked parsley in iced water, remove the parsley from the water and blend in order to get a creamy sauce. Season with salt and keep for preparation of the risotto.
Ingredients and method for preparation of the risotto:
240g carnaroli rice
100g red bell pepper cooking juice
320g red bell pepper purée
30g extra virgin olive oil
40g butter
60g grated Grana Padano cheese
30g anchovies preserved in olive oil
30g parsley sauce;
3l vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the rice and heat for around three minutes. Add red bell pepper cooking juice and then bring vegetable stock to the boil, little by little. Cook for around 15 minutes, then add the red bell pepper purée and cook for a further two minutes. Remove from the stove and add butter, Grana Padano cheese and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the risotto on a hot plate, garnished with parsley sauce and anchovies.
Spaghetti with Squid and Bottarga in Zucchini Sauce
Ingredients and method for preparation of zucchini sauce:
500g fresh, green zucchini
70g extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Wash and trim zucchini. Dice into 2 cm cubes and cook in salted, boiling water for five minutes. Drain and chill in iced water. Remove the iced water and blend the cooked zucchini, adding extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and keep for preparation of the dish.
Ingredients and method for preparation of flavoured bread crumbs:
40g bread crumbs
5g chopped shallots
5g chopped parsley
3g lemon zest
Heat bread crumbs in a non-stick pan. Remove from the stove and add all other ingredients. Keep cool in a dry place.
Ingredients and method for preparation of cooked squid:
60g cleaned, fresh squid
15g extra virgin olive oil
2g fresh thyme
2g fresh dill
Salt and pepper
Cut the squid in 0.5 cm cubes. Blanch in salted, boiling water for two minutes. Season with the fresh herbs, oil, salt and pepper. Keep for preparation of the dish.
Ingredients and method for preparation of spaghetti:
30g julienne cut shallots
40g julienne cut leeks
60g cooked squid
240g chitarra spaghetti
200 g zucchini sauce
80g extra virgin olive oil
20g bottarga (air-dried grey mullet roe)
8g flavoured bread crumbs and vegetable stock
Heat half the quantity of the olive oil in a pan, add leeks and shallots and cook for around 10 minutes, adding boiling stock if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the spaghetti in salted, boiling water for 11 minutes. Drain spaghetti from water, add in to the leek and shallot sauce, cook for a further three minutes. Place the spaghetti in a dish, adding the warm zucchini sauce, flavoured bread crumbs and cooked squid. Top with bottarga and serve.
