Caramella Of Mint And Ricotta Recipes

NINI BELLINI

Steps:

• I think this is best made just before serving, in front of your friends. Halve your peaches, remove their stones, then pop them into a liquidizer and blitz until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed and put the puree into a jug. If you don't have a liquidizer just use your hands to squeeze, mash and really push the peaches through a sieve so you get as much as possible of their wonderful flavour and the colour from their skins into the puree. You can get the puree as fine as you like, but I don't mind the thickness...it's quite rustic. Discard (or eat!) whatever is left behind in the sieve, then pour the Prosecco into the jug and gently mix together. Divide among six glasses right away, and top up with a little more Prosecco, if need be, and enjoy!

BRUNCH BREADS

Steps:

• Basic Bread Mix: Mix all the ingredients together and knead into a dough. Cut the dough in half.
• Roll one piece of dough out into a long rectangular shape about 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) thick, about 39 1/2 inches (1 meter) long and 12 to 15 inches wide.
• Savory: Along the middle of the first piece of rolled out dough, lay out your Parma ham, eggs, cheese, basil, and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pull the dough over the filling so it forms what looks like a cannelloni shape.
• Bring one end round to the other so that they join up. Pinch and pat the two ends together firmly to form a doughnut shaped bread. Brush on olive oil and sprinkle the loaf with a little sea salt and rosemary. Transfer to a baking tray dusted with flour and allow to proof for 15 minutes.
• Place in a preheated 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven until golden, about 35 minutes.
• Sweet: On the second piece of the rolled out dough use a palette knife to cover the surface with chocolate spread. Sprinkle some toasted chopped hazelnuts and the sliced banana onto the dough. Roll up into a cannelloni shape and then roll the long snake shape inside itself to form a snail shape. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Transfer to a baking tray dusted with flour and allow to proof for 15 minutes.
• Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 35 minutes.

MOZZARELLA AND MIXED LEAF SALAD WITH MINT, PEACH AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Try and get bold of Buffalo Mozzarella if you can -- it makes all the difference as it's softer and tastier than normal mozzarella. I must admit I also like to crumble a little bit of dried chili over my mozzarella, but I'm a chili freak and you may not be, so you don't have to! And use any mixed leaves you fancy.
• Get hold of some really nice ripe peaches, pinch the skin and peel from the bottom to the top then quarter them. Rip the mozzarella into 4 and place on a plate with the peach. Lightly season. Lay a couple of slices of prosciutto over the top. Dress the mixed salad leaves and torn up mint with a little olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Throw the leaves on top of the plate.

CRISPY ZUCCHINI FLOWERS STUFFED WITH RICOTTA AND MINT

Steps:

• These stuffed zucchini flowers look and taste amazing! Make sure they're eaten straightaway, while they're still crisp and hot. If you can't get hold of any flowers you can still make the recipe using just the zucchini - it will be like an Italian tempura.
• Beat the ricotta in a bowl with the nutmeg, the Parmesan, lemon zest and most of the chopped mint and chiles. Season carefully, with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To make a lovely light batter, put the flour into a mixing bowl with a good pinch of salt. Pour in the white wine and whisk until thick and smooth. At this point the consistency of the batter should be like heavy cream or, if you dip your finger in, it should stick to your finger and nicely coat it. If it's too thin, add a bit more flour; if it's too thick, add a little more wine.
• Open the zucchini flowers up gently, keeping them attached to the zucchini, and snip off the pointed stamen inside because these taste bitter. Give the flowers a gentle rinse if you like.
• With a teaspoon, carefully fill each flower with the ricotta mixture. Or, as I prefer to do, spoon the ricotta into the corner of a sandwich bag. Snip 1/2-inch off the corner and use this as a makeshift piping bag to gently squeeze the filling into each flower, until just full. Carefully press the flowers back together around the mixture to seal it in. Then put the flowers aside. (Any leftover ricotta can be smeared on hot crostini as a snack!)
• Now for the deep-frying bit. Get everyone out of the way if you can and make sure there are no kids around. Have tongs or a spider ready for lifting the flowers out of the oil, and a plate with a double layer of paper towels on it for draining. Pour the oil into a deep fat fryer or large deep saucepan so it's about 4 inches deep. Heat it up to 350 degrees F or, if using a saucepan, put in your piece of potato. As soon as the potato turns golden, floats to the surface and starts to sizzle, the oil is just about the right temperature. Remove the potato from the pan.
• One by one, dip the zucchini with their ricotta-stuffed flowers into the batter, making sure they're completely covered, and gently let any excess drip off. Carefully release them, away from you, into the hot oil. Quickly batter another 1 or 2 flowers and any small zucchini (or parsley) leaves if you have any - but don't crowd the pan too much otherwise they'll stick together. Fry until golden and crisp all over, then lift them out of the oil and drain on the paper towels. Remove to a plate or board and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and the remaining chile and mint. Serve with half a lemon to squeeze over. Bloody delicious. Eat them quick!
• "Our agreement with the producers of "Jamie at Home" only permit us to make 2 recipes per episode available online. Food Network regrets the inconvenience to our viewers and foodnetwork.com users"

PRAWN AND PEA RISOTTO WITH BASIL AND MINT

Steps:

• Cook peas in boiling stock or water. Don't waste pods, you can place them in the stock after the peas are cooked to infuse their fantastic delicate flavor. Use this stock as part of the stock/water for the risotto. At the end of Stage 3 in the basic risotto recipe, add the prawns and peas and simmer for 1 minute as prawns take no time to cook. At Stage 4 of the risotto recipe throw in the fresh herbs and squeeze the lemon juice. Stir and serve immediately. Drizzle with good peppery olive oil.;
• Stage 1. Heat stock. In a separate pan heat the olive oil, add the shallots or onion, garlic and celery and slowly fry for about 3 minutes. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice, season with salt and pepper and turn up the heat. Stage 2. The rice will now begin to fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent having absorbed all the flavors from the vegetables. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring -- it will smell fantastic as it sizzles around the rice. Any harsh alcohol flavors will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence. Stage 3. Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a highish simmer so the rice doesn't cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladles of stock, stirring and allowing each ladle of liquid to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice -- is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Don't forget to carefully check the seasoning. Stage 4. Remove from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan, if using. Stir gently. Place lid on pan and allow to sit for 2 to 3 minutes. This is the most important part of making the risotto as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Eat as soon as possible while the risotto retains its perfect texture.
• Yield: 6 servings

RAVIOLI OF SMASHED FAVA BEANS, MINT AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• If the fava beans are very small and soft, you can use them raw. If they are medium to large, blanch them until just tender in unsalted boiling water (remove the skins after blanching if they are slightly tough). Smash or finely chop half the beans and leave the other half whole.
• Put all the beans into a bowl with the chopped mint (added to taste), olive oil and ricotta. Lightly fork this through, adding the Parmesan, lemon juice and seasoning to taste. Stuff the ravioli with the filling and cook them in gently boiling salted water for around 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Drain carefully.
• Serve drizzled with a little extra olive oil, and scattered with the extra fava beans, some chopped mint, olive oil and some freshly grated or shaved Parmesan.

FREGOLA WITH GREEN PEAS, MINT, AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Cook fregola in a large pot of boiling salted water until very al dente, 6-8 minutes. Drain pasta (do not rinse), reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium and cook bacon, stirring often, until bacon is brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add wine, bring to a simmer, and cook until skillet is almost dry, about 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Add fregola and cook, stirring often, until pasta is just al dente and broth is thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add peas and chopped mint and cook, stirring, until peas are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Add pasta cooking liquid as needed to adjust consistency.
• Serve topped with ricotta, mint, and cracked pepper and drizzled with oil.

RICOTTA AND MINT SPREAD

Steps:

• Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon table salt, then stir together with ricotta, mint, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Drizzle with oil and season with sea salt and pepper.