STUFFED SARDINES

This recipe is featured in a lovely new book from Sicily entitled SICILIANA, La Cucina de Casa Planeta. The recipes come from members of the Planeta family and are from all round the island. Sardines are often over-looked but they, like mackerel and herring, are oily fish with good supplies of Omega 3. This dish from Sicily makes an excellent first course when you are entertaining and a good lunch too. Ask your fishmonger to split the fish and remove the heads and backbones.

Ingredients - for 6-8 people

• 1 kg of sardines
• 120 g breadcrumbs
• Planeta extra virgin olive oil
• 100 g of Pecorino Siciliano DOP, grated
• 5 anchovies, finely chopped
• 1 lemon
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 10 capers
• nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• bay leaves

Method:

1. If necessary, clean the sardines, remove the head and bones.
2. Then wash them and place open side down to dry on absorbent paper.
3. Toast the breadcrumbs with a little oil in a frying pan.
4. Just as the breadcrumbs begin to turn golden, remove from heat.
5. Place in a mixing bowl with the anchovies, Pecorino cheese, the grated rind of half a lemon, parsley, chopped capers and nutmeg, salt and pepper.
6. Mix the stuffing together.
7. Place a cleaned sardine on a board and spread some of the stuffing mixture over the top.
8. Take another sardine and place on top like a sandwich. Secure with a cocktail stick.
9. Arrange the sardines upright in a baking dish greased with oil and separating them with the bay leaves.
10. Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C and serve hot.

NORMANDY CHICKEN CASSEROLE

The prunes give a really rich character to this dish from north west France. Olive oil was probably not the fat of choice in this region but it does give and extra dimension to the dish. Choose a fruity oil from Spain.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts or leg joints, skinned
• Seasoned flour
• 50ml Spanish extra virgin olive oil
• Finley chopped rind of ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon mixed spices
• 300ml dry Normandy cider
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 150ml chicken stock
• 100g prunes which have been soaked over night
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon juniper berries, lightly crushed

Method:

1. Dust the chicken portions with seasoned flour.
2. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan with a lid.
3. Add the chicken joints and fry until evenly coloured on all sides.
4. Add the lemon rind, mixed spices and fry for a further minute.
5. Add the cider, honey and chicken stock and bring to the boil.
6. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add the prunes, seasoning and then add the juniper berries.
8. Simmer for a further 20 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
9. Garnish with fried apple ring.

CREAMED TURKEY HASH

What to do with the leftover turkey is a perennial question. Here is a recipe from the US that is just as good for leftover chicken. Remove the meat from the bones and cover the latter with water. Bring to the boil and cook for an hour or so to make a great stock. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 leeks, split cleaned and finely sliced
• 250ml chicken stock
• 2 teaspoon soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon corn flour mixed with a little water
• 1 egg yolk
• 4 tablespoon natural yogurt
• Turkey meat cut into chunks
• 1 large eating apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Method:

1. Fry the onion in the olive oil for 2 minutes.
2. Add the leeks and continue frying gently for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add the stock and boil briskly until it is reduced by a third.
4. Add the soya sauce, lemon juice and salt and pepper.
5. Blend the corn flour mix with the egg yolk and yogurt.
6. Carefully stir into the mixture in the pan over a low heat and stir until the mixture thickens.
7. Add the chicken and apples to the sauce and heat through.
8. The apples should soften a little but still have a light bite to them

If you are interested in more recipes using extra virgin olive oil see “REMARKABLE RECIPES from the people who really know about extra virgin olive oil – the producers” at Amazon for kindle and for iTunes.