Capesante (o cappesante) gratinate

Le capesante (o cappesante) gratinate sono un antipasto classico, da preparare per il pranzo di Natale. Non so cosa capita a voi, ma noi la vigilia la passiamo a cucinare e preparare tanti sfiziosissimi piatti, perciò il tempo a disposizione è sempre ristrettissimo!

Cosa si possiamo fare per accorciare i tempi? Scegliere alcune scorciatoie! Ad esempio, le capesante, anziché comprarle fresche noi le prendiamo da Picard, già pulite, pronte all'uso ma soprattutto buonissime!

 

Provatele in questi giorni, oppure preparatele direttamente per il vostro pranzo Natalizio!

Ingredienti (per 11 capesante gratinate):

Beef Wellington + Ripasso red wine

First Christmas gift idea: "Ripasso red wine" and many others on http://www.pureitaliantradition.com/

Paolo Cottini - Valpolicelle Ripasso 
classico superiore 2009 

Name: Ripasso
Year: 2009
Alcohol: 14 % vol.
Size: 750 ml e
Grape varieties: 60% Corvina 30% Corvinone 10% Rondinella
Vineyard management: organic
Glass: grand ballon



Our review


The term “Ripasso” sounds like and in fact means “repassed.” That refers to its production process whereby regular, fermented Valpolicella is added to a cask containing the skins and lees left over from fermented Amarone wines. 

The end result is a wine called Ripasso that retains the vibrancy of Valpolicella but is darker in color, bigger and more flavorful and complex than the original Valpolicella. It’s a wine with sufficient stuffing to go with hearty foods such as stews, braised red meats, game and aged cheeses. In 2009, Ripasso della Valpolicella received its own DOC designation, and this version of Cottini is the best one. Enjoy it!


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Our recipe: Wellington beef

Ingredients (4 person): 

• 800 gr. Eye fillet steak
• 300 gr. mushrooms
• 10 chestnuts boiled
• 100 gr. of Parma ham
• 4 spoon of typical English mustard
• Puff pastry
• 2 Eggs
• Salt, pepper

Preparation 


Wash the mushrooms, dry them and put them in a blender (food processor, mixer, what you have) with salt, pepper and boiled chestnuts: mix until you obtain a semi-liquid compound, and then pour it the pan. You can help yourself with a spoon.
Cook until all the water contained in mushrooms dries off, for about 10 minutes (depending on the heat of the pan, taste it before removing from the stove!). 

Heat a frypan on high heat and add a little olive oil.  Season the beef and sear in the hot pan for 30 seconds on all sides.  Remove beef from pan and set aside to cool.  When cool, spread the mustard over the beef on all sides.

Proceed now to the preparation of beef Wellington: lay a sheet of cling film on a bench top and arrange the prosciutto on it in slightly overlapping rows.  Spread the mushroom paste evenly over the ham, then place the beef fillet in the middle. 
Keeping a tight hold of the cling film from the edge, neatly roll the prosciutto and mushrooms around the beef to form a tight barrel shape.  Twist the ends of the cling film to secure, then chill for 15-20 minutes to allow the beef to set and keep its shape. 
Place the puff pastry on a floured surface (I use the plastic backing of the pastry sheet). Remove the cling wrap from the beef then lay it in the centre.  Fold the ends over, then wrap the pastry around the beef, trimming any excess. 
Turn over so the seam is underneath and place on a baking sheet.  Brush the pastry all over with egg yolk and chill for about 15 minutes to let the pastry rest.  (The dish can be prepared to this stage and held over until you are ready to cook – just bring it back to room temp beforehand).

Heat the oven to 200 deg Celsius.  Lightly score the pastry at 1cm intervals and glaze again with egg yolk.  Bake for 20 minutes at 200 deg, then lower the temp to 180 deg and cook for a further 15 minutes.  Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes wrapped in foil before carving. 
The beef should still be pink in the centre (med rare) when you serve it.  Because it is such a flavoursome dish I generally serve it with pretty simple baked or smashed spuds and steamed vegies. I took these photo’s whilst preparing for a dinner party, so was doing two servings.

Then... Buon appetito!!

Bacon Chupa Chups with "Otto Mesi" red wine

First Christmas gift idea: "Otto mesi wine" and many others on http://www.pureitaliantradition.com/


Otto mesi - LE VOLPI

Name: Otto Mesi
Year: 2012
Alcohol: 13,5 % vol.
Size: 750 ml e
Grape varieties: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc
Vineyard management: organic
Glass: young red wines
Analytical data (avg.): alcohol 13,5%, sugars 3 g/l,
                                  total acidity 4,9 g/l


Our review


This is a red wine, made from Cabernet Franc Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on Mount Rusta (396 m) and Mount Peraro (375 m), in the heart of the Euganean Hills, where are placed "Le Volpi" wineyard.
After fermentation and aging in steel tanks for approximately eight months, the wine has a vivid ruby red colour and a tightly knit texture.
The nose offers scents of red berries and clear notes of cherry and strawberry preserves. In the mouth, it is balanced and clean, while the aroma has fruity notes and the aftertaste is pleasantly grassy, full flavoured and lingering


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Our recipe: Bacon CHUPA CHUPS (HERE the italian version)



Ingredients (4 person): 

• 100 gr. of bacon (round slices)
• 200 gr. of mushrooms
• 10 chestnuts (you can buy in bulk at the supermarket)
• Breadsticks
• Salt, pepper

Preparation 

The realization of this recipe is very simple: the Chupa Chups consist of crispy bacon filled with a "mousse" of mushrooms and chestnuts, all on a breadstick . 
Wash the mushrooms, dry them and put them in a blender (food processor, mixer, what you have) with salt, pepper and boiled chestnuts: mix until you obtain a semi-liquid compound, and then pour it the pan. You can help yourself with a spoon.
Cook until all the water contained in mushrooms dries off, for about 10 minutes (depending on the heat of the pan, taste it before removing from the stove!). 

Proceed now to the preparation of Chupa Chups of bacon: grab a slice of bacon, then with the hand create a small ball of mixture of mushrooms and chestnuts and put in the center of the slice of bacon.
Close it all up to create a sort of meatball. 
Go on, in order to prepare all Chupa Chups, then, in a hot pan, cook all of them for 4 minutes until the bacon becomes crispy (be careful not to burn it!). 

Remove from the pan the bacon balls, place them on a plate with blotting paper 
and insert one breadstick in each meatball: serve hot with a good glass of "Otto mesi" red wine.

Buon appetito!!