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 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.

 

Sundried Tomato Condiment

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 An intense condiment bursting with Mediterranean sunshine. This combination of rich ingredients, sundried tomatoes, anchovies, capers and extra virgin olive oil make this recipe full of flavour and very versatile to use.

Scaloppine al Pesto di Pomodoro

Ingredients for 3 portions:

– 6 Slices (60-70g) Veal Tenderloin
– 4 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 1/2 Tbs Butter
– 1 Tbs Miniature Capers
– 3 Tbs Sundried Tomato Condiment
– Splash of White Wine
– Flour for Dusting
Gently pound the veal slices to a 3mm thickness.

Dust lightly with flour. Heat the olive oil and butter in a wide frying pan and add the veal for a minute.

Add all the other ingredients to the veal and cook through. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

Please note that you can substitute the veal with chicken, pork and fish fillets, the recipe will still work wonderfully.

 

Crostini of Polenta with Sundried Tomato Condiment

Ingredients for 6 to 8 portions:

– 1kg Polenta ( already made up)po
– 150g Sundried Tomato Condiment
– 100g Mascarpone
– 125g Freshly Grated Pecorino Romano

 
The polenta should be about 1cm thick and cut into square or diamonds of 7-8cm.

Heat the char grill pan and when hot add the polenta squares already brushed with extra virgin olive oil.

Cook until the polenta pieces have grill marks on both sides and form a nice crust.

Divide the Sundried tomato condiment between the squares, add a little mascarpone on top of each, sprinkle with the pecorino romano. Put under a hot grill for a few minutes to melt the cheese slightly, remove and serve immediately.

Miniature Capers

by

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

by

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.

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.