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

Miniature Capers

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They may sound like an exotic fruit but the little bud from the caper plant makes an exquisite ingredient in a variety of recipes.
They grow wild around the Mediterranean on rocky and ancient stony ruins, where the tenacious roots burrow deep to suck the moisture that other plants would never find; and the buds are picked before they flower and then either packed in salt or vinegar for preservation.
The miniature capers in delicate white wine vinegar are ideal for that special more refined recipe, the larger capers in salt need rinsing well but are more delicate in flavour not having that slight sharpness to them that the vinegar can give, but can be salty and you may not need to add salt to the recipe – so beware !

Cold Roast Swordfish with Caper, Tuna & Sundried Tomato Cream

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 1kg Piece of Swordfish
– 2 Garlic Cloves
– 110ml White Wine
– 40ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Salt & Pepper
– 30g Miniature Capers
– 15g Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil
– 100g Tuna in Olive Oil
– 40g Sundried Tomatoes in oil
– 80g Mayonnaise
– Splash of Lemon Juice

Leave the skin on the swordfish. Make small slits through the skin and push in the slivers of garlic. Place the swordfish, skin side up, in a shallow dish, lightly oiled. Pour over the white wine, season with salt and pepper, drizzle more oil and roast at 190’C for about 40 minutes, basting frequently until slightly cooked through. Leave to cool.
In the meantime, make the cream by blending all the ingredients together until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To serve, slice the swordfish very thinly, discarding the skin, and arrange on a dish, place the cream to one side. Serve at once.

Marinated Parmesan & Buffalo Mozzarella with Capers, Garlic & Lemon

Ingredients for 4 portions:

– 2 Buffalo Mozzarella
– 150g Piece of Fresh Parmigiano Reggiano
– 40ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 10ml Lemon Juice
– 1 Grated Zest of Lemon
– 1 Garlic Clove Crushed
– 40g Miniature Capers
– 2 Tbs Finely Chopped Parsley
– 200g Mixed Lettuce Leaves
– 2 Tomatoes Finely Diced

Slice the mozzarella and Parmesan, arrange alternatively on a dish.
Whisk all the other ingredients to make the dressing.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then spoon over the cheeses and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.
When ready to serve, place some mixed leaves on a plate, top with the cheeses and some of the dressing. Scatter the diced tomatoes around the plates.
Serve at once.

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 ParsleyCook 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.

Fish

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If you have a party of 8, here is a suggestion based on fish for their menu using fresh and interesting ingredients, giving a twist of the unusual to the recipes. These recipes are ideal for vegetarians that like to eat fish. A colourful starter and main course that will tempt anyone.

Starter – Conchiglioni stuffed with Tuna and Wild Fennel

Ingredients for 8 portions:

– 24 Large Shells cooked
– 4 Fresh Tuna steaks
– 10 Tbs Wild Fennel Condiment
– 20 Tbs Pomodorina Tomato Sauce
– Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

Poach the Tuna steaks, flake and mix with the wild fennel condiment. Use this to fill the precooked shells of pasta.

Place the pomodorina on the base of a plate, top with the stuffed shells and bake in an oven for about 5 minutes till heated through.

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil all round and serve at once.

 

Main Course – Salmon with Olives, Tomato & Pesto Vinaigrette

Ingredients for 8 portions:

– 8 Salmon Fillets (approx. 180g each)
– 180g Black Olive Paste
– 100g Fresh Breadcrumbs
– 15 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 3 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar (gold cap)
– 6 Tbs Pesto alla Genovese
– 4 Tomatoes finely diced

Cut the salmon fillets horizontally. Mix the black olive paste with the breadcrumbs and spread in between the fillets, making a sandwich. Wrap it loosely in foil and bake for 10-15 minutes in a medium preheated oven.

In the meantime, whisk the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and pesto to make a dressing, then add the diced tomatoes.

Serve the salmon with the dressing drizzled around it.
Accompany with:
Baby Potatoes (charlottes)

– 2 kg Baby Potatoes (charlottes)
– 1 Tin Baby Artichoke Hearts In Oil and Herbs

Pomodorina

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Pomodorina is an exceptional concasse of tomatoes, herbs and oil with flavour and body that very little can beat.
Made with fresh tomatoes picked from the crème de la crème of crops during the peak of the season, pomodorina can be used as a base to make sauces, canapé’s, soups, whatever the immagination creates. Small diced tomatoes make it an authentic home made concasse that tastes and looks homemade. Once you have tried it you will never turn back again !

Penne al Finocchio e Pomodoro
Penne in a Fennel & tomato sauce

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 500g Ferrari Penne
– 2 Fennel Bulbs
– 500g Pomodorina
– 20ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Salt & Pepper
– 60g Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Drop the Penne in salted boilingwater until cooked al dente.
In the meantime thinly slice the fennel and pan fry in the extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes. Add the pomodorina, salt and pepper.
Toss the pasta in the sauce, add the parmesan and serve at once.

Coda di Rospo al Sole
Monkfish in a pink sauce

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 6 Monkfish Steaks
– 600g Pomodorina
– 200g Mascarpone
– 80g Sundried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
– 2 Cloves Garlic Crushed
– 10g Freshly Chopped Parsley
– 30ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Salt & Pepper
– Seasoned Flour for Coating
Pan fry the garlic and parsley in the olive oil for a few minutes until golden. Place the monkfish in the seasoned flour to coat then add to the hot oil.
In another plan slowly heat the pomodorina and mascarpone until well amalgamated. Chop the
sundried tomatoes and add to the sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.
Once the monkfish is golden add the sauce until the fish is cooked to perfection and still moist. A splash of white wine can enhance the dish but an option. Serve at once.

Summer Is Here!

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With Summer here at last, the wonderful lively colours and flavoursome ingredients in exciting recipe preparations can tantalise your customers, looking for those Mediterranean dishes that are so inviting and tasty.
Char grilled vegetables, miniature capers, yellowfin tuna and delicate artichokes are just some of the ingredients utilised in the following recipes that remind your customers of their fun holidays abroad that they do not want to forget in a hurry !

Stuffed Char Grilled Peppers

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 800g Char Grilled Peppers
– 40g Fresh Bread Crumbs
– 2 Cloves of Garlic Crushes
– 1 Tbs Freshly Chopped Parsley
– 10g Anchovy Fillets
– 20g Miniature Capers
– Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Drain the char grilled peppers from their olive oil. Strain the olive oil and keep for other recipes,
vinaigrettes etc. Mix the rest of the ingredients into a nice stuffing consistency.
Lay the peppers flat with the internal side facing upwards. Spread a little of the mixture in each of the peppers, roll closed and use a toothpick to hold them together.
Place in an oven proof dish, sprinkle with a little of the olive oil from the peppers and place under the grill for a few minutes. The option is to sprinkle some mozzarella on top before placing under the grill.
Sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley and serve at once. Can be served warm or cold.
(Please note that the above recipe can be varied by using the char grilled aubergines instead or doing both).

 

Tuna and Artichokes Salad

Ingredients for 8 portions:

– 800g Yellowfin Tuna Fillets
– 350g Baby Artichoke Hearts
– 2 Cloves Garlic Crushed
– 1/2 Glass of White Wine
– 10g Anchovy Fillets
– 20ml Lemon Juice
– 30ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 20g Miniature Capers
– Freshly Ground Black Pepper
– 1 Tbs Freshly Chopped Parsley
– Mixed Lettuce Leaves

Strain the tuna and the baby artichokes of their oil.
Lightly brown the garlic in the olive oil, add the tuna and the anchovy fillets. Deglaze with the white wine. Add the freshly ground pepper, lemon juice and miniature capers.Remove from heat, add the artichokes and freshly chopped parsley and toss delicately. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Farfalle Rigate

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Ferrari have made us another winning shape, the Farfalle Rigate egg pasta, shaped like a bow or butterfly but ribbed, making it retain the sauce much better and is more attractive than the standard one plain and smooth. This egg pasta lends itself to many recipes but as the summer is approaching it will make wonderful pasta dishes and salads.

Farfalle with Sunblushed Tomatoes, Capers, Anchovy & Raw Tuna

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 500g Ferrari Farfalle Rigate
– 200g Broccoli Heads
– 150g Sunblushed Tomatoes
– 6 Tornatore Anchovy Fillets
– 1 Small Chilli Pepper
– 12 Thin Slices of Raw Tuna
– 1 Clove Garlic
– 20ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 40g Miniature Capers
– Salt & Pepper to Taste

Blanch the broccoli in boiling water and then cool down. In a frying pan heat the oil with the garlic, chilli, anchovy fillets until melted and well amalgamated. Season carefully with salt and pepper. In the meantime cook the pasta in salted boiling water till al dente.
Drain and toss in the sauce. Place each portion in a plate and place on top 2 thinly slices of raw tuna and serve immediately.

Farfalle all’ Antipasto

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 500g Ferrari Farfalle Rigate
– 150g Sunblushed Tomatoes
– 350g Grandantipasto
– 50g Miniature Capers
– 300g Tinned Tuna in Olive Oil
– 40ml Fig Vincotto
– Freshly Chopped Herbs
– Spring Onions
– Salt & Pepper to Taste

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, strain, toss in a little oil and cool down. Chop the fresh herbs like basil, thyme, parsley and the spring onions and toss in the pasta. Add all the other ingredients and season to taste. Leave to marinate for a few hours before serving so that the pasta absorbs all the flavours. A Delicious and colourful Pasta salad.

Four Colours to Go

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Ferrari have developed both their Garganelli and their Strozzapreti pasta in 4 flavours, egg, spinach, tomato and black squid ink, all in one packet. The medley of these flavours is eye catching and exciting. The flavour is delicious and as usual it withholds the “al dente” texture, giving wonderful results.

Here are a couple of recipes that make the colours stand out and the combinations full of taste.

4 Colour Strozzapreti al Pesto

Ingredients for 4 portions:

– 300g 4 Colour Strozzapreti
– 100g Pesto
– 20g Double Cream
– 80g Grilled Peppers
– 80g Sun-blushed Tomatoes
– 50g Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.

In the meantime slice the grilled peppers and sun-blushed tomatoes. Place the pesto, cream and little cooking water from the pasta in a pan and heat gently. Drain the pasta when cooked, toss in the pesto sauce and place in nice deep plates. Garnish with the sliced peppers, sun-blushed tomatoes and top with the shaved parmigiano reggiano. Serve at once.

 

4 Colour Garganelli with Prawns &  Sun-blushed Tomatoes

Ingredients for 4 portions:

– 300g 4 Colour Garganelli
– 3 Fresh Tomatoes
– 2 Spring Onions
– 1 Bunch Fresh Coriander
– 200g Large Prawns Cooked
– 100ml La Nonna Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 80g Sun-blushed Tomatoes

 

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. In the meantime blanch the tomatoes to remove the skin, cut into small pieces and deseed.

Cut the sun-blushed tomatoes into slithers.

In a large bowl place the tomatoes, freshly chopped coriander, finely chopped spring onions, cooked prawns and olive oil, season to taste.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and toss into the prawn mix and serve at once.

Delicious hot or cold. If serving as cold salad add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or dash of condimento morbido aged vinegar.