Frankies In Blankies Recipes

FRANKIES IN BLANKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 C.
• Line baking tray with baking paper.
• Cut each pastry sheet into 3 strips.
• Cut each strip into 4 rectangles.
• Place 1 frankfurt diagonally onto 1 rectangle.
• Roll up to enclose frankfurt, repeat till all are rolled up.
• Place onto tray, brush with egg.
• Bake 20 - 25 minutes till pastry is golden.

ANNA AND FRANKIE'S MEATBALLS

Steps:

• BREAD CRUMBS: Unless you make your own bread crumbs, you won't be following Rao's kitchen tradition. Use the finest quality Italian bread you can find. Allow it to dry for at least two days. Then grate, using a handheld grater or a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Shake and push the bread crumbs through a medium strainer to get an even texture.
• MEATBALLS: Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, blend ingredients together. Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add water, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture is quite moist. Shape the mixture into balls (approximately 2 1/2 to 3-inches in diameter).
• Heat oil in a large saute pan. When oil is very hot but not smoking, fry meatballs in batches. When bottom 1/2 of meatball is very brown and slightly crisp turn and cook top 1/2. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
• Lower cooked meatballs into simmering Marinara Sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta or on their own.

BOMBAY FRANKIE

Steps:

• Place the rack as close to broiler element as possible and preheat a pizza oven or standard oven to 475 degrees F.
• For the chicken: Stir together the ginger-garlic paste, paprika, garam masala, turmeric, dried fenugreek leaves, lime juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and, using your hands (I use a glove!), massage well into the chicken. Drizzle with enough oil to gently coat the chicken and massage again. Make sure the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade. At this point, you could refrigerate the chicken overnight to marinate. If you don't have time for that, let it sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.
• Place the chicken in a 14-inch cast-iron pan and slide into the oven under the broiler, if using a regular oven. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 155 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Turn the broiler on and cook until the top of the chicken is gently charred, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes in the pan, then slice thinly. Set aside in a bowl, pour the pan juice over it and keep warm.
• For the salad: Add the fennel, fennel fronds, onions, lime juice and a hefty pinch of salt and toss to combine. Set aside to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cilantro and a sprinkle of chaat masala if desired. Taste for seasoning and set aside.
• For the eggs: Set a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Beat the eggs well, with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside. Pull the paratha right out of the freezer and flop onto the pan. Cook on one side until gently browned, then flip and cook on the other side to the same level. Remove from the pan. Now pour about an egg's worth of egg mixture into the pan and immediately place the cooked paratha on top, twirling the paratha so the egg coats the surface. Cook until the egg is cooked through. Remove from the pan.
• To assemble, place a small handful of chicken down the middle of the egg-coated paratha. Perch some salad on top and sprinkle with another pinch of chaat masala if desired. Roll and serve immediately.
• Combine the garlic, ginger, oil and vinegar in a food processor bowl and process until smooth. Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

THE FRANKIES' FRIED EGGPLANT SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a large deep saucepan over medium low heat, combine 1/4 cup oil and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden and fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in chile flakes; cook 30 seconds.
• While garlic cooks, place tomatoes and juices in a large bowl and crush with clean hands. Remove tomatoes' firm stem ends and any basil leaves packed into the can. Stir crushed tomatoes and salt into pot. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tomatoes and garlic have completely broken down and sauce is thick, about 2 hours. Cool.
• Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment or paper towels. Trim stem end from eggplants; peel and discard skin. Using a knife or a Japanese mandolin, slice lengthwise into 3/16-inch-thick slabs. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant slices with salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Pat eggplant dry with paper towels.
• Line another rimmed baking sheet with paper towel and place a wire rack on top. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil until a drop of water flicked into pan sizzles. Working in batches, fry eggplant until just tender, 20 to 30 seconds per side. Transfer fried eggplant to rack to drain. Remove skillet from heat.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano and 2 tablespoons pecorino. Add 3/4 cup oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat until oil is sizzling.
• Working in batches, dip drained eggplant into egg batter; fry in oil until lightly golden and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per batch. You will know oil is hot enough if batter puffs and sticks to eggplant on contact with oil. If it falls off, the oil isn't hot enough.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan. Arrange eggplant over the bottom of pan in a tight, even layer. Top with 1/3 of the remaining combined cheeses. Repeat layer of sauce, eggplant and 1/3 of cheese. Finish with a final layer of sauce and cheese (reserve any remaining sauce for serving). Transfer pan to oven and bake until cheese is melted and golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven; Spoon additional sauce over top, and garnish with additional cheese. Cool for at least 20 minutes.
• Cut eggplant into six equal pieces. Cut ciabatta into six pieces equal to the size of the eggplant servings. Split each portion of the ciabatta horizontally and toast. Sandwich eggplant portions between bread and serve.