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

Easter 

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A couple of recipes that go down very well during the Easter Season especially for the
Vegetarians. They can be made in advance and reheated to order. Try them they are delicious and winners!

Torta Salata al Cocktail di Funghi e Crema Funghi Tartufata
(wild mushroom and truffle tart)

Ingredients for approx. 6 portions:

– 180g Puff Pastry
– 500g Thick Bechamel (menu’ bechamel preparation is exquisite)
– 200g Truffle Paste
– 200g Cocktail of Wild Mushrooms
– 80g Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
– 3 Egg Yolks
– Round baking dish approx. 20cm in diameter

Line the tin with the puff pastry and prick with a fork. In a bowl mix all the other ingredients. Once
well amalgamated pour into the pastry case and bake in a preheated oven at 170’ for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.

When ready slice and serve.

Please note that you can make individual tartlets and serve on a bed of dressed salad leaves.
They can be cooked in advance and reheated.

Fagottini con Salsa di Carciofi
(Artichoke parcels)

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 12 Pancakes (approx 15cm in diameter)
– 300g Artichoke Heart Sauce
– 600g Bechamel (very thick)
– 50g Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
– 50g Butter
– 12 Parsley Stalks or Chives
– Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the artichoke sauce with the bechamel and
parmigiano reggiano. Place a little of the filling in the middle of each crepe. Close the crepe into a parcel and tie with fresh parsley stalks. Butter a baking dish and place the parcels inside and pour over the remainder of the butter. Bake in a medium oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve at once.

Again these can be baked in individual dishes and served directly from the oven.

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.

 

Savoury Tartes

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 Delicious savoury tartes that can be made with a variety of our ingredients and served warm as a starter. A wonderful substitution for vegetarian recipes.

Torta Salata con Carciofi
Artichoke sauce savoury tarte

sauce, 5 cheese sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
Add the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until stiff and then slowly amalgamate with the mixture.
Pour into the pasty case and place in a preheated oven at 120’ for approximately 1 hour.

Serve alone or warm with some 5 cheese and
truffle sauce.

Torta Salata alle Noci
Savoury walnut sauce tarte

Ingredients for approx. 6 portions:

– 1 packet of puff pastry rolled out
– 3 Eggs
– 430g Pumpkin sauce
– 100g 5 Cheese sauce
– 100g Walnut sauce
– 30g Parmigiano reggiano grated cheese
– Salt and pepper to taste
– Whole walnuts to decorate

Line a buttered 20cm dish with the puff pastry.
Prepare the mix by heating slowly the pumpkin sauce, 5 Cheese and the walnut sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
Remove form heat and add the 3 whole eggs and the parmigiano reggiano.
Pour into the pastry case, decorate with whole
walnuts and place in a preheated oven at 120’ for approximately 1 hour.
Serve alone or warm with some 5 cheese and
walnut sauce.

Artichokes & Asparagus

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Just a few summer ideas using Artichokes and Asparagus.
The recipes of Summer are associated with the colours of artichokes and spinach, of peppers and asparagus, the aroma of fresh young herbs of the season, the flavours delicate and interesting.

Risotto with Artichokes & Speck

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 300g Artichoke Heart Sauce
– 1Lt Beef Bouillon
– 60g Speck
– 1 Onion Finely Chopped
– 2Tbs Freshly Chopped Parsley
– 28g Butter
– 30ml Extra Virgin olive oil
– 200ml White Wine
– Salt and Pepper
– 100g Freshly Grated Parmesan
– 500g Vialone Nano rice

Gently fry the onion and speck in the oil and butter until golden. Add the rice and stir until it becomes slightly transparent. Add a little of the white wine.
Keep the stock (22g bouillon to 1 litre of water) in a saucepan constantly simmering over a low heat.
Add some stock to the rice and as it absorbs,
adding more a little at a time. When nearly cooked add the artichoke sauce and the rest of the wine. Salt and pepper to taste.
Once ready (slightly al dente which takes approximately 20 minutes) add the freshly grated parmesan and parsley.
Serve at once.

Tagliolini with asparagus & Herbs

Ingredients for 4 portions:

– 250g Tagliolini
– 250g Asparagus Tip Sauce
– 250ml Double Cream
– 4 Garlic Cloves
– 60g Butter
– Salt and Pepper
– 4 Tbs Freshly Chopped Herbs
(Basil, Parsley, Oregano, thyme)
– 100g Freshly Grated Parmesan
In a pan bring the cream to boil with the whole garlic cloves and simmer until they are soft. Remove from heat and discard the garlic.
Add the herbs, butter, asparagus tip sauce and simmer until it thickens. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the tagliolini in salted boiling water for
approximately 30 seconds or until al dente. Drain and toss in the sauce. Add the parmesan cheese. Serve at once.

Artichoke Hearts Sauce 

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A wonderful sauce made with artichoke hearts chopped and cooked in sunflower oil and herbs making a delicious sauce for risottos, pasta, meat and fish dishes, bruschetta and savoury tartes. If one adds lemon juice to keep the colour it can be used on canapé’s. An all season product but especially nice in Spring and Summer.

Tagliatelle in an Artichoke Sauce

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 500g Dallari Egg Tagliatelle
– 400g Artichoke Heart Sauce
– 50g Butter
– 250ml Cream
– 80g Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
– 3 Eggs
– Salt and Pepper
– 1tbs Freshly Chopped Parsley
– 1 Clove Garlic

Pan fry the garlic in the butter, then add theChef artichoke heart sauce. Add half the cream and heat slowly. In a bowl beat the eggs with the parmigiano, rest of the cream, salt, pepper and parsley.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.

Strain, toss in the frying pan and stir with the sauce, then add the mixture from the bowl. Amalgamate and serve at once nice and hot.

** Here one could add some panfried pancetta to give more flavour but it not longer is a vegetarian option.

Artichoke Risotto

Ingredients for 10 portions:

– 1kg Vialone Nano Rice
– 810g Artichoke Hearts Sauce
– 150g 5 Cheese Sauce
– 50g Butter
– 60g Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
– 150ml White Wine
– 1 Finely Chopped Onion
– 44g Buon Brodo ( Vegetable Bouillon)
(making 2 litres of vegetable stock)

Fry the onion in butter until golden, add the vialone nano rice and stir for a few minutes. Add the white wine and let it evaporate over a low heat, then pour the stock a little at time allowing the rice to slowly absorb the liquid until cooked “Al Dente”.

The stock must always be kept on the stove so that it remains constantly hot. After 20 minutes, add the artichoke hearts sauce, 5 cheese sauce, freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, and continue to cook adding the stock when required, stirring constantly.

( The secret in achieving a wonderful risotto is never to saturate the rice with stock to the point of boiling in the liquid, it must slowly absorb a little at a time).

With this special rice, it takes approximately 30 minutes to have the risotto nearly cooked as the vialone nano remains “al dente”. Once the risotto has reached this stage, remove from heat and place in a large baking tray so that it can cool down very quickly. Once cool place in a refrigerator until required. To reheat the risotto, place the portion required in a saucepan adding a little boiling vegetable stock and stirring constantly until ready, approximately 5 minutes. Et voila!

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.

Easter

by

A couple of recipes that go down very well during the Easter Season especially for the Vegetarians. They can be made in advance and reheated to order. Try them they are delicious and winners!

Torta Salata al Cocktail di Funghi e Crema Funghi Tartufata (wild mushroom and truffle tart)

Ingredients for approx. 6 portions:

– 180g Puff Pastry – 500g Thick Bechamel (menu’ bechamel preparation is exquisite) – 200g Truffle Paste – 200g Cocktail of Wild Mushrooms – 80g Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano – 3 Egg Yolks – Round baking dish approx. 20cm in diameter Line the tin with the puff pastry and prick with a fork. In a bowl mix all the other ingredients. Once well amalgamated pour into the pastry case and bake in a preheated oven at 170’ for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When ready slice and serve. Please note that you can make individual tartlets and serve on a bed of dressed salad leaves. They can be cooked in advance and reheated.

Fagottini con Salsa di Carciofi (Artichoke parcels)

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 12 Pancakes (approx 15cm in diameter) – 300g Artichoke Heart Sauce – 600g Bechamel (very thick) – 50g Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano – 50g Butter – 12 Parsley Stalks or Chives – Salt and Pepper to taste Mix the artichoke sauce with the bechamel and parmigiano reggiano. Place a little of the filling in the middle of each crepe. Close the crepe into a parcel and tie with fresh parsley stalks. Butter a baking dish and place the parcels inside and pour over the remainder of the butter. Bake in a medium oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve at once. Again these can be baked in individual dishes and served directly from the oven.