Gennaro Slow Cook Italian (2015)

Light dishes & leftovers

Antipasto di zucca arrostita marinata

Sardine marinate all’arancia

Insalata di coniglio alla Toscana

Insalata di manzo bollito

Polpette di carne

Bollito misto con salsa verde

Insalata di pollo con giardiniera

Liatina e’ puorc

Sgombro marinato alla menta

Insalata di polipo

Carciofi ripieni

‘Slow cooking’ conjures up images of heavy meals for colder months, but the idea of taking things slowly can also create light, fresh-tasting dishes for snacks and summer eating.

Marinating is a form of ‘slow cooking’ that doesn’t need the stove or oven, but it does need several hours for the flavours to mingle and marry. It’s a simple technique with stunning results: as the food absorbs the flavourings, the taste improves. The dishes are enjoyed cold as an antipasto, snack or light but satisfying meal and can include all sorts of ingredients, from pumpkin in the antipasto di zucca to mackerel marinated with mint, and rabbit in a Tuscan salad.

While writing and testing recipes for this book, I encountered lots of slow-cooked dishes that could effortlessly be made into other meals. Once you’ve made a beef or chicken broth, for example, you can transform the main ingredient into another course or a meal for another day. Boiled beef can be transformed into a salad, meatballs or even burgers. Boiled chicken also makes a delicious salad. When I was brought up, food was never wasted and I still maintain those values. My sister Adriana is a genius at this and comes up with some amazing dishes using leftovers that most people would bin! Not only is it part of our culture never to waste food, but it also makes cooking a fun and imaginative process.

Antipasto di zucca arrostita marinata

Pumpkin antipasto

This lovely roasted pumpkin makes an ideal antipasto served alongside some Parma ham and lots of good bread or crostini. The vinegar marinade gives the pumpkin a ‘kick’ and gets your taste buds going. This can be rustic or more elegant: marinate the pumpkin in four small ramekins and turn out onto serving plates. It can be made the day before and left in the fridge overnight - but serve at room temperature.

Serves 4

extra virgin olive oil, to grease and drizzle

850g/1lb 14oz peeled and deseeded pumpkin, finely sliced

salt

150ml/5fl oz/⅔ cup white wine vinegar

3 small shallots, finely sliced

2 small bay leaves

6 black peppercorns

a handful of basil leaves, plus extra to garnish

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil, put the pumpkin slices on top, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with more olive oil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through but not mushy. Remove and leave to cool.

Put the vinegar, shallots, bay leaves and peppercorns in a small pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

In a non-metallic container, make layers of pumpkin, basil leaves and the vinegar marinade. Leave to marinate for at least 4 hours - or overnight in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving, drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and scatter over a few fresh basil leaves.

Sardine marinate all’arancia

Sardines marinated in orange

Sardines are so good for you, and I am pleased to see they are now readily available on most supermarket fish counters ready cleaned and filleted and excellent value! Fish is often made in this way in Italy, known as al carpione; once cooked it is left to marinate and it was a popular way to preserve fish before the arrival of fridges. It makes an excellent antipasto served with a crunchy raw fennel salad.

Serves 4

1 egg

salt and freshly ground black pepper

70g/2½oz dried breadcrumbs

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

4 sardines, 50-60g/about 2oz each, cleaned and filleted

plain (all-purpose) flour, to dust

vegetable oil for shallow frying

for the marinade

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

125g/4½oz shallots, finely chopped

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

grated zest and juice of 1 large orange

for the fennel salad

1 large fennel bulb, finely sliced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Put the egg in a bowl, season and beat well. Put the breadcrumbs on a plate and combine with the parsley. Dust the sardines in flour, shake off excess flour, dip into the egg mixture, then coat well with the breadcrumbs, gently pressing and flattening with the palms of your hands.

Heat some oil in a large frying pan. When hot, cook the sardines for a couple of minutes on each side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.

For the marinade, put the olive oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat, add the shallots and cook until they have softened and are slightly golden. Stir in the vinegar and leave to infuse for a minute. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Stir in the orange juice and zest. Pour over the sardines, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours - or up to 3 days in the fridge; serve at room temperature.

For the fennel salad, put the sliced fennel in a bowl and mix well with olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve with the sardines.

Insalata di coniglio alla Toscana

Tuscan rabbit salad

I love the tangy taste that comes from cooking the rabbit in vinegar and wine; it is then marinated, resulting in tender, flavoursome pieces of meat. Served in a salad with bulgur wheat and beans, it makes a perfectly balanced, simple meal. If you prefer, you can substitute chicken for the rabbit. To use dried borlotti beans, soak them in water overnight, then drain and simmer in fresh water for about 1 hour, or until the beans are tender (check the packet instructions). Drain and leave to cool.

Serves 4-6

700ml/1¼ pints/3 cups white wine vinegar

700ml/1¼ pints/3 cups dry white wine

½ tsp salt

1kg/2lb 4oz rabbit pieces on the bone

250g/9oz bulgur wheat

200g/7oz fresh or frozen broad (fava) beans

200g/7oz cooked or canned borlotti beans

1 small red onion, finely sliced

juice of 1 lemon

for the marinade

500ml/18fl oz/2 cups olive oil

3 garlic cloves, squashed and left whole

6 sage leaves

2 rosemary sprigs

1 red chilli, finely sliced

In a large saucepan, heat 700ml/1¼ pints/3 cups of water with the vinegar and wine. Add the salt and rabbit, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 35 minutes, until the rabbit is tender and cooked through.

Combine the ingredients for the marinade and set aside.

Remove the rabbit from the pan and leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the flesh from the bones. Put the meat in the marinade, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave to marinate for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, cook the bulgur wheat for about 15 minutes, until al dente - check the packet instructions. Drain and leave to cool. Cook the broad beans for about 10 minutes (less if using frozen beans), until tender but not mushy, drain and leave to cool.

Combine the cooked bulgur wheat, broad beans, borlotti beans and red onion, adding as much or as little of the olive oil from the marinade as you like, together with lemon juice to taste, and toss well. Place on a serving dish and top with the pieces of marinated rabbit.

Insalata di manzo bollito

Cold beef salad

This is a lovely light dish made from the boiled beef used to make beef broth. The resulting meat is very tender and perfect served cold as a salad, with good bread.

Serves 4-6

1 quantity of beef from beef broth

1 bunch of spring onions (scallions), trimmed and roughly chopped

200g/7oz cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size

20g/¾oz/2 tbsp black olives

salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

200g/7oz rocket (arugula)

40g/1½oz Parmesan shavings

Drain the beef from the broth, leave to cool, then chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.

Place the beef in a bowl together with the spring onions, tomatoes and olives and toss well with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Add the rocket and stir in carefully. Divide among four or six plates and just before serving top with Parmesan shavings.

Polpette di carne

Meatballs

This is a fantastically simple recipe you can make with the beef cooked for the beef broth; in the past, Italian housewives would always make polpette this way or with leftover roast beef. When we have leftover boiled or roast beef, my wife Liz often makes meatballs or burgers for the children. These meatballs can also be frozen. Polpette are delicious eaten as they are or with a tomato sauce, served with pasta or added to a lasagne. If you turn the beef into burgers, serve with some good bread buns, salad and cheese and enjoy, as my girls do, a homemade treat!

Makes about 40 meatballs or 20 burgers

1 quantity of beef from beef broth

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

a handful of parsley, finely chopped

115g/4oz bread, grated into fine crumbs

100g/3½oz Parmesan, grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 eggs

plain (all-purpose) flour, to dust

olive oil for frying

Drain the beef from the broth and chop into large chunks; put the chunks in a food processor and whizz until well minced (ground). Alternatively, chop the beef very finely with a sharp knife.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onions and sweat on a low heat for about 10 minutes, until softened. Leave to cool.

Combine the minced beef with the cooled onion, parsley, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, and the eggs. Shape into balls about the size of walnuts; alternatively shape into burgers. Place on a lightly greased baking tin or dish, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and place in the fridge for about an hour. Alternatively, place in a container, seal and freeze for later use.

Dust the meatballs with a little flour, heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs in the hot oil until lightly browned on all sides. Do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm until all are cooked. If you are making burgers, fry them for a couple of minutes on each side. Serve with pasta or buns and salad.

Bollito misto con salsa verde

Mixed boiled meats served with salsa verde

This typical Piemontese dish is usually made for special occasions involving large numbers of people. Traditionalists insist on seven prime cuts of beef and veal, seven lesser meats such as chicken, ox tongue and sausage, served with seven sauces, boiled vegetables and a bowl of the broth in which the meats were cooked. However, the recipe is adapted by different families to suit their needs. Zampone or cotechino sausage is usually included in bollito misto - you will find it in Italian delis. Here is my simplified version of this dish, with a tangy salsa verde (green sauce). You can also serve it with mostarda di Cremona (a traditional condiment of candied fruits in mustard, sold in Italian delis), horseradish sauce, mustard and pickled vegetables. The meats are simmered together in a large pan; the resulting broth is served as a starter with tortellini pasta (or kept as a stock for other dishes), and the meats are served as a main course.

Serves 10

500g/1lb 2oz ox tongue

500g/1lb 2oz piece of beef brisket

1 small chicken, weighing about 1.2kg/2lb 10oz

1 large onion

2 celery stalks with leaves

2 carrots

4 cherry tomatoes

a handful of parsley, including stalks

salt

10 black peppercorns

6 potatoes, peeled and left whole

1 vacuum-packed zampone or cotechino sausage

for the salsa verde

2 large handfuls of parsley

50g/1¾oz baby gherkins (cornichons)

50g/1¾oz capers

1 garlic clove

4 anchovy fillets

40g/1½oz bread, soaked in a little lukewarm water

yolk from 1 hard-boiled egg

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Wash the ox tongue under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Place in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, skim off the scum, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook gently for 1 hour, removing the scum from time to time.

Add the beef brisket and continue to simmer for 1 hour.

Add the chicken, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, parsley, salt and peppercorns and cook for 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 30 minutes. At the same time, bring another saucepan of water to the boil, add the zampone or cotechino and cook according to the packet instructions.

To make the salsa verde: very finely chop the parsley, gherkins, capers, garlic, anchovies, bread and egg yolk - you can do this in a food processor, but I prefer the slight crunchiness you get by chopping with a knife. Put the chopped ingredients into a bowl and combine with the olive oil. This can be made 2-3 days ahead and stored in the fridge, but serve at room temperature.

When the meats are cooked, remove from the liquid and set aside. Leave the tongue to cool a little before peeling off the skin, then slice. Slice all the other meats and arrange on a large serving dish. Serve with the salsa verde (you can also serve the potatoes and vegetables).

Insalata di pollo con giardiniera

Chicken salad with preserved vegetables

This is a lovely dish made from the chicken cooked in the Chicken broth recipe. Serve as an antipasto or a main course with lots of good bread to dip into the dressing. You will need to marinate it overnight in the fridge and you can leave the finished dish to infuse for another day. If you want a short cut, instead of preparing the vegetables, use a jar of ready-made preserved giardiniera, which is an Italian mixed vegetable pickle sold in good delis.

Serves 4

1 cooked chicken from chicken broth

a sprig of thyme, a couple of sage leaves and slices of red chilli, to garnish (optional)

for the marinade

300ml/10fl oz/1¼ cups olive oil

3 garlic cloves, left whole

1 red chilli, sliced

4 sprigs of thyme

2 sprigs of rosemary

4 sage leaves

for the vegetables

200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup red wine vinegar

salt

100g/3½oz green beans, topped and tailed

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 small carrots, finely sliced

10 baby onions, peeled and left whole

100g/3½oz celeriac (celery root), peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

¼ red pepper, cut into chunks (optional)

a few cauliflower florets (optional)

Remove the chicken from the broth and leave to cool. Remove the skin and bones and break the flesh into pieces. Place in a dish and set aside.

Put all the marinade ingredients into a saucepan and heat gently, but do not bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the chicken, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave in the fridge overnight.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and leave at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to cook the vegetables, put 400ml/14fl oz/1⅔ cups water in a saucepan with the vinegar and a couple of good pinches of salt, bring to the boil, add the vegetables and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.

Add the vegetables to the chicken mixture and toss well. Garnish with herbs and chilli if desired. Serve immediately or leave in the fridge to infuse for up to 24 hours, but serve at room temperature.

Liatina e’ puorc

Pork in aspic jelly

Gelatine or aspic jelly was used in ancient Rome as a stiffening agent in the kitchen; in medieval times meat and fish gelatines were served at grand banquets. Gelatine, these days, is mostly used by producers of marshmallows and gummy sweets and is sold in thin leaves for home use when making jellies or panna cotta. But it is derived from the feet (and other parts) of pigs and calves. Until relatively recently in rural areas of Italy, nothing was wasted when a pig was killed, and parts like the trotter, ear, tail and even snout were used in dishes like this. We used to eat this dish when I was a boy in Italy; that’s why I have kept the title in Neapolitan dialect. Jellied pork is still popular in the Campania region and Sicily. It is very simple to prepare and most butchers will be happy to sell you the pig’s parts for a minimal cost.

Serves 10-12

1 pig’s trotter

1 pig’s ear

1 pig’s tail

1kg/2lb 4oz mixed pork meat, such as chops, stewing chunks, neck

10 bay leaves, plus a few extra to garnish

1 tbsp salt

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

juice of ½ lemon

freshly ground black pepper

30g/1oz pine kernels

30g/1oz sultanas (golden raisins)

First clean the pig’s trotter, ear and tail under cold running water, scrubbing well and ensuring all hairs and impurities are removed. Put the pieces in a large saucepan with the pork meat, 10 bay leaves and the salt and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, skim off the scum, then reduce the heat, partially cover with a lid and gently simmer for 2¾ hours, removing any scum from time to time.

Add the vinegar and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Remove the pork meat and leave to cool. Discard the trotter, ear and tail. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve, add the lemon juice and set aside.

Using your fingers, tear the cooled meat into pieces, discarding any fat. Put the pieces of meat in a large terrine, sprinkle with some black pepper, half the pine kernels and sultanas and three or four bay leaves. Pour over the liquid and leave in a cool place to set for about an hour, then scatter over the remaining pine kernels, sultanas and a couple more bay leaves. Cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave in a cool place overnight to set completely. If you are making this on a warm day, place in the fridge once set, otherwise leave at room temperature.

Sgombro marinato alla menta

Marinated mackerel with mint

A really easy dish using one of my favourite fish, mackerel. It makes a delicious antipasto or light lunch, served with lots of good bread to mop up the oil. It’s not a dish you can hurry: the fish is first steam-cooked in parchment paper and then marinated, first in vinegar and then in olive oil. The longer you leave it in the oil, the more the flavour improves: it can be kept, covered, in the fridge for up to a week.

Serves 4

800g/1lb 12oz mackerel fillets

salt

400ml/14fl oz/1⅔ cups white wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

a handful of mint leaves

abundant olive oil, to marinate

Take a large sheet of baking parchment and wrap each fillet separately, tying them with kitchen string into a parcel - this is to prevent them from breaking during cooking. Place in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Alternatively, cook the fillets in a steamer.

Remove, drain the parcels and open carefully. Put the fillets in a non-metallic container or dish, pour over the vinegar, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours.

Carefully remove the mackerel and place in a clean container together with the garlic and mint leaves, and cover with olive oil. Cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave in the fridge overnight.

Remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature before eating. Serve with lots of good bread.

Insalata di polipo

Octopus salad

This is one of my favourite meals. It’s made from the octopus cooked in the octopus broth recipe. The flesh is cut into pieces and simply tossed in extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. It can be made the day before and kept, covered, in the fridge - but get it out 30 minutes before you want to eat, as it is best served at room temperature.

Serves 4-6

1 cooked octopus from octopus broth

8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1 large lemon

a good pinch of salt

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

1 small red chilli

12 large green olives, sliced in half

Take the drained octopus and set aside about 100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup of the broth and leave to cool.

Put the octopus on a chopping board and chop into bite-size pieces - you can use scissors to cut the tentacles. Place the pieces in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the reserved broth, mix well, and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes. Serve with lots of good bread.

Carciofi ripieni

Filled artichokes

Artichokes are very popular in Italy, especially in the south, where they grow in abundance. The season begins in spring and they are often eaten at Easter time. I love artichokes; they are light and digestible and can be cooked in so many different ways. In this slow-cooked stove-top dish they are filled with a tasty mixture of pancetta and vegetables.

Serves 4

4 globe artichokes

juice of 1 lemon

1-2 small carrots, scrubbed and halved

1 celery stalk with leaves

1 small onion, halved

1 potato, scrubbed

2 cherry tomatoes

a pinch of salt

for the filling

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

40g/1½oz pancetta, cubed

2 shallots, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 small courgette (zucchini), finely diced

½ aubergine (eggplant), finely diced

a handful of parsley, roughly chopped

15g/½oz/2 tbsp pine nuts

40g/1½oz Parmesan, grated

freshly ground black pepper

a small bunch of basil leaves (optional)

First clean and prepare the artichokes: using a sharp knife, remove the bottom outer leaves and cut off the stalks. Trim the base so the bottom is flat and the artichoke can stand upright. With your fingers, gently open out the artichoke leaves until you can see the hairy choke. With a small teaspoon, remove and discard the choke, which is inedible. Place the artichokes in a bowl of water with the lemon juice in order to prevent discoloration while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the pancetta and fry until crisp, remove and set aside. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and sweat until softened, ensuring you don’t burn the garlic; remove and set aside. In the same pan, stir-fry the courgette and aubergine for 8-10 minutes, until soft but not mushy. Remove from the heat and combine with the pancetta, shallots, parsley, pine nuts, Parmesan and pepper.

Remove the artichokes from the water and turn them upside down to drain. Open them up and fill the cavity with the pancetta mixture; tie with string to ensure the filling does not fall out and, if you like, tuck a few basil leaves into the top of each artichoke. Place in a pan large enough to hold all four artichokes snugly.

Add the carrots, celery, onion, potato and tomatoes. Sprinkle the artichokes with a little salt, drizzle with olive oil and fill the pan with water to come halfway up the artichokes. Put the pan on a medium-high heat and bring to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 1¼ hours. Lift the artichokes out of the pan using a slotted spoon and serve one per person, with a little of the broth. And don’t forget to eat the potato and carrot!