rosa mitchell’s sicilian kitchenpublishing april 2009

my cousin rosa

3antipasto

dolce 204 index 236

antipasto 10my cousin rosa 6 brodo 56 pasta 82

carne e pesce 128 verdura 170

4 my cousin rosa 5antipasto

carciofi sott’ olio preserved artichokes

6 kg (12 lb) artichokes4 lemons3 litres (12 cups) white wine vinegar3 litres (12 cups) water250 g (9 oz/1 cup) salt

6 fresh bay leaves6 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half1 tablespoon fennel seeds1 tablespoon chilli flakes olive oil to fill jars

This may seem like a lot of artichokes but by the time you clean them there won’t be much left. Feel free to use more artichokes if you like, but the vinegar and water mixture will stay the same. Clean the artichokes by removing the outer tough leaves, till you get to the tender part of the artichoke. Trim the stalk by peeling gently around the base, where you have pulled off the leaves. Leave the stalk about 2-3 cm long. Cut in half and place in a plastic bucket full of water that you’ve squeezed the juice of the 4 lemons into (throw the lemons in as well, for good luck). The acid in the water will prevent the artichokes discolouring. Remove any furry choke, if there is any. Cut the 4 lemons in half, squeeze the juice in the water and then throw in the lemons as well. Repeat till all artichokes are done.

Bring the vinegar, water and salt to the boil in a large pot, you must not use an aluminium pot. When it comes to the boil add some of the artichokes you will probably need to do them in about 3-4 batches. They should take about 15-25 minutes it will depend on the size of the artichokes. Have a taste, they should be al dente. If they are too cooked they will eventually go mushy in the jar. Have a plastic or glass tray ready and place a clean tea towel down in the tray. Remove the artichokes from the boiling liquid, drain in a colander and place cut side down on the tea towel. Repeat this process till all the artichokes have been cooked. Let cool completely.

Place some artichokes into a sterilised jar about ½ way. Place 1-2 bay leaves, a couple of garlic cloves, a sprinkle of fennel seeds and a sprinkle of chilli if using, into the jar. Fill with more artichokes, press down a little so there is no gaps, repeat with a layer of herbs and spices. Fill the jar with olive oil and let stand for an hour then top up with oil if needed and seal. The artichokes will keep for up to 1 year but they must always be under oil, if exposed they will go mouldy. I haven’t specified how much oil. It will depend on what size jars you are using. If you buy a 4 litre tin, (you don’t need expensive stuff), it should be more than enough.

6 my cousin rosa 7antipasto

pomodori sott’ oliosun-dried tomatoesTrue sun-dried tomatoes are a taste sensation. A lot of the sun-dried tomatoes you find today are not sun-dried at all, so they lack that concentration of flavour. Have a go in the hot summer days and you will not be disappointed. If you grow your own tomatoes it is a great way of preserving them. I am not going to give the amounts here as it depends on the amounts of tomatoes you are drying. It is a simple recipe but time consuming.

tomatoessaltgarlic, peeled and cut in halfdry oreganosome fresh basil leavesfennel seedsolive oil

Cut your tomatoes in half, place on a wire rack and sprinkle liberally with salt. Place outside in the sun. It will depend how hot it is as to how long they will need. The tomatoes will start to lose their moisture, they must be brought inside every night and not get wet. They need to be quite dry but not hard as they can become leathery. When you think they are ready, bring them in and rinse them quickly with hot water to remove any salt that remains or dust. Dry them quickly and place in an oven at about 120°c for about ½ hour or until they dry again. Let cool completely.

Place some of the tomatoes in small jars or one large jar. Place a few pieces of garlic, a sprinkle of oregano, a couple of basil leaves and some fennel seeds in each jar then fill with some more tomatoes. Repeat until the jar is full. Fill with olive oil and let sit for ½ an hour. The oil level will drop as it seeps in between the tomatoes, top up the oil and seal. The tomatoes need to sit for 1 month before they are ready to be eaten. They will last in the jar, under oil, for up to 2 years.

melanzane sott’ olio preserved eggplant

3 kg (6 lb) eggplants (aubergines), firm and fresh2 litres (8 cups) vinegar250 g (9 oz/1 cup) salt1–2 litres (4–8 cups) olive oil1 tablespoon oregano1 tablespoon fennel seeds6 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in halfchilli flakes

Peel the eggplants (I know, but it is worth it) then cut widthways into slices about 1 cm thick and then cut each slice in to 1 cm strips. Place in a large shallow plastic or glass tray, spread evenly and sprinkle with salt evenly. Let sit for 24 hours, uncovered and at room temperature. In that time the eggplant will have produced a lot of liquid, stir the eggplant in this liquid and then drain well. I put the slices in a colander and push down to extract as much liquid as possible.

Rinse and dry the tray and place the eggplant back in the tray. Pour in the vinegar, stir and push the eggplant under the vinegar. Leave for 24 hours, uncovered and at room temperature. Drain in a colander. Place a weight on the eggplant to drain as much liquid as possible. Leave draining for about 4 hours. Place the eggplant in a large bowl along with the garlic, fennel seeds, dried oregano, chilli (if using), add 1 cup olive oil and mix well.

Place the mix in sterilised jars, push down with a wooden spoon, and top up with olive oil and seal. They should be ready to eat in about 1 month. They should keep for about 1 year.

7antipasto

8 my cousin rosa 9brodo

pea and artichoke soup 6 artichokes2 onions, finely chopped6 tablespoons olive oil1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) frozen peas3 litres (12 cups) hot water

Clean the artichokes as on page 8. Place them in a bowl with the juice of 2 lemons. Meanwhile in a saucepan heat the oil over a medium heat and fry the onions till translucent.

Drain the artichokes and slice them finely and add to the onions. I like to rinse the frozen peas in a colander with warm water before I use them. Add the peas and stir them with the artichokes. Cook for about 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to low, add a cup of water, cover and cook slowly for about an hour. You will need to add a little water as they cook if they dry up. The secret here is let the vegies cook in only a little liquid and let them stew in their own juices. After the hour add 3 litres of hot water and cook for a further ½ hour. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

10 my cousin rosa 11antipasto

polpette meatballs

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) minced topside (ask your butcher for coarsely minced)500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced pork200 g (7 oz/2 cups) fresh white breadcrumbs1½ cups grated parmesan1 garlic clove, finely chopped3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley2–3 eggs (depending on size), lightly beaten½ cup olive oil2 onions, finely chopped2.5 kg (7 lb) tinned chopped tomatoes 4 tablespoons olive oil2 bay leaves

Mix together the meat, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and mix well. Add the 2 beaten eggs and again mix well. The mixture should all come together, if it feels too dry add a little of the third egg but don’t make it too wet or the meatballs will fall apart. To check take a handful of mixture and roll it into a ball, if it all comes together and is firm, you’ve got it right.) Start rolling the mixture in to balls, size is up to you, make sure they are rolled firmly so they keep their shape. Set aside.

In a large enough pot to hold all the meatballs, fry the onion in the 4 tablespoons of olive oil. When they’re quite soft add the tinned tomatoes and cook gently over a slow heat stirring occasionally. In a non- stick frying pan heat the ½ cup olive oil, when hot add the meatballs to the pan. Don’t overcrowd them. Brown them on each side to a golden brown; it should only take 1-2 minutes on each side. When browned add to the tomato sauce. When you have added all the meatballs to the sauce add the bay leaves, season, cover and cook for about an hour.

In an Italian home this would be two meals; the sauce would be used on pasta and then the meatballs would be served as a main with salad. Also if you make small meatballs and fry them a little longer they make wonderful party food. They also freeze well. Defrost and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes.

12 my cousin rosa 13dolce

crostata di cioccolato e nocciole chocolate and hazelnut tart

PASTRY1 ¹/³ cups plain flour2 teaspoons baking powderPinch of salt140 grams butter, chilled, cut into small cubes¹/³ cup sugarZest of ½ an orange1 egg, beaten2 tablespoons marsala

FILLING90 grams butter²/³ cup sugarZest of ½ an orange2 eggs beaten1 tablespoon plain flour2 cups hazelnuts, roasted125 grams dark chocolate2 tablespoons marsala

In a food processor place flour, butter, baking powder, salt, sugar and orange zest and process for about 3 minutes, then add the egg and marsala and process till it just comes together (add a tiny bit of cold water if needed). Place on a board and gently knead the dough till smooth. Roll the dough out quickly, as the dough softens it becomes harder to work with. Grease a 10 inch tart tin and line with dough, prick the base, and chill for 30 minutes.Preheat the oven to 200 °c

In a food processor grind the hazelnuts till they look like coarse breadcrumbs. Place in a bowl, then grind the chocolate in the processor to the same consistency. Beat sugar, butter and orange zest until light and creamy. Add the eggs and flour and beat for a further couple of minutes. Add the hazelnuts, chocolate and marsala and mix gently mix by hand with a wooden spoon. Spoon into chilled pastry base and bake in an oven for 30 minutes or until it feels firm in the centre. Cool and dust with icing sugar.

14 my cousin rosa 15antipasto

When a young girl and her family move from Sicily to country Australia it is a surprisingly small step in kitchen miles. The tablecloth and stockpot are the same, cardoons and fennel still grow wild on the roadside and the extended family and neighbours gather to make salami in the barn once a year. Rosa Mitchell’s food is very special: soulful, traditional, family-orientated and utterly authentic. Her thoughts on life, both Australian and Sicilian, are scattered among the recipes like biscotti crumbs.

For further information, please contact Shannon Blanchard at Murdoch Books on 02 8220 2338 or shannonb@murdochbooks.com.au

author rosa mitchellisbn 9781741963632extent 240 pagesdimensions 260 x 215 mmrrp $59.95publishing April 2009