Menu Speciality Food Ltd (FKA) IB Food Ltd

Fine Italian ingredients for chefs

Menu Speciality Food Ltd

Suppliers & importers of high quality Italian and
Mediterranean ingredients for discerning chefs

Capers & Caper Berries

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 The caper plant grows on rocky areas and runs around the Mediterranean. As soon as it starts to flower the capers or buds as they are really known, need to be picked before they wilt, otherwise they then grown into the caper berries. These are now the seed pods that are slightly larger and a little sweeter.
Capers can be preserved in salt or vinegar and the berries usually in the latter. They can be used in a variety of recipes, scattered over salads, in sauces, in meat and fish dishes and as a delicious garnish.

Salmon with Capers

Ingredients for 2 portions:

– 400g Salmon Fillets (2)
– 30g Miniature Capers
– 40ml Aggazzotti Balsamic Vinegar
– 100g Butter
– Flat Leaf Parsley
– 6 Caper Berries

Melt half of the butter over a medium heat and add the salmon fillets, skin side down until they turn golden and crispy. Then turn them over until just cooked and remove from the pan.
Wipe the pan clean and add the rest of the butter
until frothy. Add the balsamic vinegar, miniature
Capers and parsley for a few minutes.
Pour the sauce over the salmon and serve at once with a few caper berries as a garnish.

Frappe ai Carciofi
Frappe with artichokes

Ingredients for 4 portions:

– 250g Frappe
– 250g Artichoke Heart Sauce
– 30g Miniature Capers
– 1 Shallot Finely Chopped
– 6 Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil
– 50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Salt & Pepper
– Flat Leaf Parsley

Cook the Frappe (which are large wavy dried egg tagliatelle) in salted boiling water until al dente. In the meantime in a frying pan add the oil and cook the shallot until golden. Over a low heat, stir in the
anchovies until dissolved, add the artichoke sauce and miniature capers. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta to the sauce, sprinkle with some flat leaf parsley, toss and serve at once.

 

Balsamic vinegar 

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Long known and appreciated for its fine taste, it came to be referred to as ‘balsamic’ thanks to its medicinal qualities. The Estense dukes served it at court. Francesco IV (1779-1846), Duke of Modena, loved to keep a little casket of the precious liquor in his touring coach. Some of the local noble families have managed to pass down from generation to generation personal recipes for the preparation of Balsamic Vinegar, while continuing to feed and produce vinegar that was actually started by their ancestors years ago.

Balsamic Vinegar is a very important ingredient in today’s Mediterranean style of cuisine. It is not just a dressing but used in recipe preparation can make that extra difference to the final dish.

Try it in your recipes and see—Sweet yet Tangy !!!

Strozzapreti al Balsamico

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 830g Pomodorina
– 300g Strozzapreti
– 30ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 2 Cloves Garlic Finely Chopped
– 2 Tbs Fresh Basil
– 20ml Aggazzotti Gold Balsamic Vinegar
– 75g Butter
– 100g Freshly Grated Parmesan

Fry the garlic in the oil until brown. Add the
pomodorina, season with salt and pepper and the
fresh basil leaves.
Cook the strozzapreti in salted boiling water until
al dente. Drain and return to the saucepan with the
butter. Once melted add the balsamic vinegar and toss over a low heat for a few seconds until the penne are brown in colour.
Add the parmesan and pomodorina sauce.
Stir well and serve at once.
Rabbit in Balsamic Vinegar Onions

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 1 Rabbit cut in to Pieces
– 830g Baby Onions in Balsamic Vinegar
– 300g Mushrooms in Aseptic
– 40ml La Nonna Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 4 Tbs Flour
– 4 Tbs Fresh Herbs (Rosemary & Thyme)
– Salt and Pepper

Toss the pieces of rabbit in the flour to lightly coat them. Heat the oil with the herbs and add the rabbit for approximately 10 minutes.
Add the baby onions in balsamic vinegar (including their dressing) and cook slowly for another 20 minutes.
Turn up the heat to reduce the sauce.
Add the mushrooms for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve at once.

Pumpkin Puree

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Some other delicious ideas for pumpkin dishes that are delectable, delicious, finger licking, want some more recipes.

Pumpkin Souffle with 5 Cheese Sauce & Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients for 8 portions:

– 1000g Menu` Pumpkin Puree`
– 4 Whole Eggs
– 200g Single Cream
– 50g Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
– 150g White Bread (Crusts Removed)
– Salt and Pepper to Taste
– Freshly Grated Nutmeg to Taste

For the sauce:

– 450g 5 Cheese Sauce
– 450ml Milk
30ml Aggazzotti Gold Label Balsamic Vinegar (or you can use the traditional)

Butter and flour the souffle` dishes.

In a mixer blend all the ingredients until they become an amalgamated dense creamy mix. Fill the souffle` dishes to three quarters and cook in the oven in a bain-marie for approximately 40 minutes at 180’. Melt the 5 cheese sauce with the milk, pour a little on each dish, add the cooked souffle` then drizzle some balsamic vinegar around and serve.

Tagliatelle with Pumpkin and Rucola

Ingredients for 4 portions:

– 250g Dallari Tagliatelle
– 1 Small Bunch Wild Rucola (Rocket)
– 300g Pumpkin Puree`
– 100ml Single Cream
– Salt and Black Pepper
– 100g Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Heat the pumpkin sauce with the single cream, salt and freshly ground black pepper and parmigiano reggiano to get a nice creamy sauce.
Cook the egg tagliatelle in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss in the sauce, adding the rucola torn into pieces. Serve at once.

Strawberry & Balsamic Vinegar Jelly

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 A dense deep red jelly made with strawberry and balsamic vinegar, very aromatic and flavoursome. It can be used in a variety of recipes from savoury to sweet. Here are some suggestions.

Smoked Venison with Strawberry & Balsamic Vinegar Jelly

Ingredients for 1 portion:

– 3 Thins Slices of Smoked Venison
– 1 Tbs Strawberry & Balsamic Vinegar Jelly
– Mixed Salad Leaves
– 20ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

Dress the salad leaves , place on a plate with the smoked venison slices and add the tablespoon of the Strawberry & Balsamic Vinegar Jelly. Serve at once.

Tuile Basket with Vanilla Ice Cream and Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar Jelly

Ingredients for 1 portion:

– 1 Home Made Tuile Basket
– 1 Scoop of Home Made Vanilla Ice Cream
– 1 Tbs Strawberry & Balsamic Vinegar Jelly
– Vanilla Sugar for Dusting

Place the vanilla ice cream in the tuile basket, top with the strawberry & balsamic vinegar jelly. Dust with the vanilla sugar and serve at once.

* The strawberry & balsamic vinegar jelly can be used as an ingredient to actually flavour the ice cream.

Crostini with Various Cheeses and Strawberry & Balsamic Vinegar Jelly

Ingredients for 1 portion:

– 3 Toasted Rounds of Bread
– 20g Slice of Goat’s Cheese
– 20g Slice of Creamy Gorgonzola
– 20g Slice of Chaume
– 3 Tbs Strawberry & Balsamic Vinegar Jelly
– Mixed Salad Leaves
– 20ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Balsamic – Vinegar Dressing

On each toasted crostini place a different cheese and put under a preheated grill until the cheeses are melted. Put the dressed salad leaves on a plate, top with the 3 crostini and add a teaspoon of strawberry & balsamic vinegar jelly on each one. Serve at once while still warm.

Stincotto Shank of Pork

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 Stincotto is a section of a leg of pork (the same flavoursome meat as Prosciutto – Parma Ham) in an aluminium bag, pre-cooked with an ambient shelf life of 18 months.

In excess of 600g / 21oz on the bone, Stincotto offers the possibility of adding a succulent
aromatic meat dish to the menu without using up valuable refrigeration space, and ready at short notice.
It is an unusual dish that once served it captures the eyes of curious clientele and in a few months becomes one of the attractions on the menu reassuring repeat business.

Now available in a half version cut through the bone.

Honey & Mustard Crust Stincotto

Ingredients for 1 portion:

– 1 Whole Stincotto
– 1 Tbs Honey
– 1 Tbs Wholegrain Mustard
– 112g Lamon Beans
Remove the stincotto from the bag, place in a baking tray. Mix the honey and
mustard and pour over the pork.

Place in a preheated oven (medium) for
approximately 15 minutes until crispy on top.

A few minutes before removing from the oven, heat the lamon beans in a pan and serve together with the stincotto.

Stincotto al Balsamico

Ingredients for 1 portion:

– 1 Whole Stincotto
– 2 Tbs Aggazzotti Green Label Balsamic Vinegar
14g Baby Onions in Balsamic Vinegar

Remove the stincotto from the bag, place in a baking tray. Pour over 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar and place in a
preheated oven (medium) for
approximately 15 minutes.

Halfway through cooking, add the
remaining tablespoon of balsamic vinegar over the stincotto and baste well.

In a frying pan add the baby onions in
balsamic vinegar and caramelize.
Serve with the stincotto and its juices.

Duck Stincotto II

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Specially reared fresh French Duck legs marinated in Italian herbs and
gently cooked until meltingly tender. Shelf life 18 months ambient

Place the duck leg in a medium oven for approx 10 minutes

Serve with

Sautee Potatoes with a cocktail of wild mushrooms, fresh baby leeks and a balsamic vinegar jus.

Or with

Mash potato, fresh spinach and Bearnaise sauce

average weight is 300g minimum
20 pieces per carton £49.00
works out at £2.45 a unit