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RECIPES
Aubergine Parmigiana
This iconic Italian dish is perfect for a simple yet hearty mid-week meal.
VIEW METHODServes 4
You will need:
- 4 aubergines
- Plain flour to dust
- 300gr of grated Parmesan
- 1lt vegetable oil
For the tomato sauce:
- 2kg plum tomatoes in tin
- Garlic cloves
- 1 chopped onion
- 100ml olive oil
- 1 bunch of basil
- Salt
Method:
1.Trim the aubergine and slice length-ways about 1 cm in thickness. Arrange the layers in a colander and season with salt, then leave them for an hour to draw out the water.
2. Meanwhile prepare the tomato sauce. In a large pan heat the olive oil, add the chopped onion and garlic and fry slowly until soft; add the plum tomatoes and cook gently for about 45 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, season with salt and set aside.
3. Pat the aubergines dry with a towel. Heat the oil in a frying pan and dust each of the aubergine slices lightly with flour. When the oil is hot, fry the slices for 30 seconds each side or until golden.
4. In the bottom of a baking dish, place a little bit of the tomato sauce, and then layer over the aubergines. Continue doing so in layers – a bit of tomato sauce, a few basil leaves, more aubergines, then a sprinkle with Parmesan. Repeat this 4 times so you will have a nice thick parmigiana. Press down lightly with a spatula to make it compact.
5. Preheat your oven at 160˚Celsius and bake for 25 minutes.
GRILLED OCTOPUS
Reminiscent of summer, the Grilled octopus with Padron pepper and yoghurt dressing showcases a vibrant array of textures and colours.
Head Chef Giacomo recommends to always cook with love, the most important ingredient.
VIEW METHODStep 1:
Cook the octopus for 45 minutes and let it cool down afterwards.
Step 2:
Blanche the octopus in salty water and the Padron pepper for 2 minutes.
Step 3:
Half the Padron pepper mixture and add boiling water and olive oil. Mix in salt and pepper to make a smooth green cream.
Step 4:
Add in Greek yoghurt and whip, adding a pinch of salt, pepper and a little lemon zest.
Step 5:
Grab the remaining Padron pepper mixture and add to grill.