Shrimp with Pistachio Sauce

(Serves 6 to 8)

Shrimp with Pistachio Sauce

1 pound large shrimp in shell

2 ounces shelled pistachios

4 anchovy fillets

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

Cook shrimp in boiling water until pink, about 3 minutes.

Drain the shrimp and allow them to cool enough to handle them.

Remove shells (leaving tails on) and devein the shrimp.  Set aside.

In a food processor, combine pistachios, anchovies, capers, 2 tablespoons of oil, and lemon juice.

Puree to a smooth consistency.

Add water and puree again to incorporate the water.

Put cooked shrimp together with sauce in a bowl; toss gently.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of oil.

Serve warm with slices of Italian bread.

Saffron Sauce 

(For Chicken)

Ingredients

4 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 lg. leek - white and light green parts only - thinly sliced

1 glove garlic minced finely

½ cup white wine

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1/4 tsp. saffron threads (or equivalent in powder)

½ cup heavy cream

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions 

In warm pan melt butter.  Add leeks and garlic. Cook until tender about 5 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with white wine. Cook until wine is reduced by ½.

Add broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Add cream, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes:

Remove from heat and whip with hand blender just until creamy, with no chunks.  If too thin add more cream, if too thick, a bit more broth.

Pour over chicken and garnish with bits of parsley if you like 

Saffron Sauce For Seafood

Ingredients

1/2 cup finely minced shallots

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 pinch saffron threads

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 stick of cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 

 Salt and pepper

-

Peel shallots and mince - Set aside

Squeeze fresh lemon juice. Remove any seeds - Set aside

Cut butter into 8 pieces. Return to refrigerator until you are ready to use it.  Butter must be very cold when added.

-

Put wine and shallots into a small, heavy pot

On medium-high heat bring wine and shallots to a boil. Continue to boil everything down to about 2 Tablespoons. About 5 minutes.

Lower heat to medium - low and add the saffron.

Add the heavy cream.

Whisk in the butter. Add each piece before the last one has completely melted.

Stir constantly! Don’t allow mixture to come to a boil.

Add 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Strain the sauce and discard the cooked shallots or retain the shallots and puree sauce before serving. 

Serve over a variety of seafoods.  

Cover opened oyster with sauce and heat until top begins to golden. 

Drizzle over crab cakes.

Enjoy over chilled baked salmon.

FILETTO DI AGNELLO FRITTO AL LIMONE

(Fillet of Lamb with Lemon)

8 rib lamb chops

Flour

3-4 eggs

Sea Salt

Unseasoned Breadcrumbs

Salt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fine Zest From 1 Lemon

~

Mix lemon zest into breadcrumbs

Trim fat from lamb chops and remove meat from bone

Flatten each fillet with a meat pounder 

Beat eggs and season with a pinch of Sea Salt

Dip each fillet generously through the flour, egg and then breadcrumbs, in this order.

Add olive oil to a skillet so it’s about 1/3" deep.  Oil should bubble up around sides of the meat, but they should not be deep fried.

 Heat oil until it is moderately hot and add the fillets. Fry gently until golden brown on each side. Make sure oil is only moderately hot so as not to over cook

As fillets are done, transfer them to a rack or dish lined with paper towels. 

Sprinkle with sea salt and a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Serve hot or at room temperature

Café Marinato Costola di Vitello di Sardegna

(coffee marinated veal ribs of Sardinia)

Serves 4

1 3/4 lbs. veal short ribs - bone in

2 Tbs. coffee beans

1 tsp. fresh rosemary

1tsp. fresh thyme

1tsp. fresh marjoram

½ tsp. coriander seeds

1 clove garlic - peeled

2 tsp. Sea salt

2 ½ Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Coffee Sauce

2 oz. espresso coffee

3/4 tsp. sugar

2 ½ Tbs. red wine vinegar

10 oz. veal stock

Place coffee beans, herbs, spices and garlic in a pestle and mortar together to create a paste. Rub paste evenly over ribs, cover and marinate in refrigerator 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 225 F.

Brush excess marinade off ribs and put into deep baking dish. Coat evenly with olive oil. Cover and bake slowly for 6 hours or until tender and well browned.

During last 30 minutes of cooking, prepare the sauce. 

Add sugar to a small pan and allow to caramelize over medium heat. This only take a minute or two. Stir in vinegar and continue cooking until mixture is reduced. Stir in espresso, followed by veal stock. Mix well. Reduce heat and cook on low for 5 minutes for slight reduction. Remove from heat and keep warm till ready to serve. 

Drain any remaining oil from ribs and serve over creamy whipped potatoes. Drizzle coffee sauce evenly over each serving of ribs. 

Mangia Bene

Diane De Filipi lives in the Napa Valley and leads cooking tours to Italy and Burgundy, France. Visit letsgocookitalian.com or ila-chateau.com/cook-italian for more information.

Frangelico Duck Breast

3 Duck Breasts - 1 Lb. Each

Sea Salt

Pepper

2 Tbs. Frangelico Liqueur

1 Cup chicken Stock

2 Tbs. Unsalted Butter - Cold

1/4 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts

Large Blood Orange - Cut In Half

Score duck breast skin. Season with salt and pepper.  Place breasts skin side down in a dry 

unheated pan.  Bring pan to medium heat.  As the duck cooks, render the fat until the

skin is crispy and golden. Pour off excess fat.

Turn breasts over in pan.  Add Frangelico and carefully flambe’.

Add chicken stock, and simmer the duck until medium rare, about 10 minutes. 

While duck simmers, slice ½ orange into 4 slices and grill lightly.

Test duck breasts with the tip of a knife. Juices should run ink and duck should feel slightly firm when pressed.

Remove duck from pan and set aside.

Reduce the sauce until syrupy, about 5 minutes.  Add cold butter and juice from ½ the orange and whisk until very smooth.

Slice breasts and fan on each serving plate, or large platter for family style, or breasts can also be served whole.

Top with sauce, grilled orange slices and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

Serves 6 - 8

Mangia Bene

Diane De Filipi

“Let’s Go Cook Italian”

www.letsgocookitalian.com

Disaronno Cream Chicken

6 Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets

4 Tbs. Unsalted Butter

4 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper To Taste

Flour

1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream

1 Cup Chicken Stock

1 Tbs. Minced Garlic

1 Tbs. Minced Shallots

2 - 3 Tbs. Disaronno

2 Tbs. Chives

Pound fillets into Scallopini thin fillets.  Cut each into serving size pieces.

Dip fillets very lightly into flour. Saute in 2 Tbs. each butter and olive oil for a few minutes on each side until golden.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with a pinch of flour when turning the fillets.

Remove from pan and set aside. Cover to keep warm.

Deglaze pan, keeping bits and pieces in the pan.  Add 2 Tbs. each butter and olive oil.  Add garlic and shallots. Saute until tender. Remove pan from heat. Add Disaronno and return pan to heat and reduce liquid by half.

Add chicken stock and reduce again in half.  Add cream and cook over medium heat until sauce is slightly thickened.  Taste and add more Disaronno if desired.  Stir in chives.

Return chicken fillets to pan to reheat on low heat for 10 minutes.

Serves 8 

Mangia Bene

Diane De Filipi

“Let’s Go Cook Italian”

www.letsgocookitalian.com

Pork With Wine Grapes

(Maiale con Uva da Vino)

1/3 cup EVOO

1 Small Onion - Chopped

4 Sm. Cloves Garlic - Skin On

3 Sprigs Rosemary

6 Leaves Sage

2 Sm. Sprigs Thyme

4 lbs. Pork - Cubed (The better the cut, the better and more tender the meat)

10 lbs. Small black grapes (divided in half)

Seedless grapes are more enjoyable in finished dish - Concord grapes would work well. 

Parchment paper

Kitchen string

Heat EVOO in skillet and saute onion and all herbs. 

When onion soft, add cubed pork.  Continue cooking for 20 minutes.

Squeeze juices (by hand) from ½ of grapes.  Discard skins.

Add grape juice to skillet and continue cooking until liquid is reduced by 1/3. During this process deglaze pan 2 or 3 times.

When liquid reduced by 1/3 add remaining whole grapes and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.

Create 8 large parchment bags from parchment sheets (or purchase parchment bags) and fill each evenly with pork, grapes and sauce.  Each will hold approx. 3 cups filling and juices. 

Tie each with kitchen string. 

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes to finish.

Bags can be prepared a day ahead and finished with the 20 minute bake prior to serving. 

Salsiccia e Fichi Risotto

(Sausage and Fig Risotto)

Serves 6

6 - 8 cups chicken broth

4 Tbs. unsalted butter + 1 Tbs.

1 medium yellow onion - chopped finely

2 ½ cups Arborio rice

3/4 cup white wine

½ tsp. powdered saffron

½ cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Sea salt to taste

4 lg. ripe figs - cut into quarters

3 spicy Italian sausages

Additional freshly grated Pecorino cheese for garnish

In medium pot heat broth.

Saute sausages with skins in fry pan until cooked through. Slice into bite sized slices or chunks. Set aside.

In medium sauce pan melt 4 Tbs. butter and saute onions until pale yellow. 

Add rice and mix well until rice is completely coated.  Add wine.  Continue cooking, stirring constantly until wine has been absorbed. 

Add 1 cup of broth, or enough to cover rice, and continuing stirring and cooking over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. 

Continue adding broth a little at a time until rice is done. This take 15 - 20 minutes. 

Rice should be tender but firm to the bite (al dente).

In a small bowl dissolve saffron powder in 1/4 cup hot broth. Add to rice mixture.

Stir in Pecorino cheese and remaining 1 Tbs. butter.  Salt to taste.

Add sausage and figs to rice and heat for 2 minutes to reheat.

Serve immediately on warm plates with a sprinkle of Pecorino garnish on each.

Note: Risotto should be served immediately after preparation. If allowed to sit while you are preparing the remainder of dinner your risotto will become sticky and gooey. 

 DE FILIPI FAMILY MEATBALLS

SERVES 8

1 ½ LBS. GROUND BEEF

1 ½ LBS. GROUND PORK

2 SLICES DAY OLD WHITE BREAD

(FRESH BREAD CAN MAKE MEATBALLS TOO MUSHY)

1/4 CUP MILK

1 EGG

1/4 CUP GRATED FRESH PARMESAN CHEESE

3 OR 4 CLOVES GARLIC - MINCED

1 TSP. PARSLEY

1 TSP. OREGANO

1 TSP. DRIED BASIL

½ TSP. SALT

1/4 TSP. PEPPER

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

-

SOAK BREAD IN MILK FOR 10 MINUTES.

ADD ALL OTHER INGREDIENTS TO WET BREAD AND MILK.

MIX WELL WITH YOUR HANDS

ROLL MIXTURE INTO GOLF BALL SIZED MEATBALLS

SAUTE MEATBALLS EVENLY ON ALL SIDES IN OLIVE OIL UNTIL BROWNED

ADD TO SPAGHETTI SAUCE (MARINARA) FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING

NOTE

MEATBALLS CAN BE SERVED AS A STAND ALONE, WITHOUT PASTA