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

Flavours for the Christmas Festivities

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 Here comes the long awaited Christmas festivities celebrated with lunches and dinners all pre organised to enjoy each other’s company.
The time to enjoy different recipes, flavours, aromas of various traditional cuisine’s that can all combine together with the Mediterranean theme: – diversifying from the usual
Roast Turkey….

Risotto alla Campagnola
(Risotto with Ceps and 5 Cheeses)

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 400g Condimento Porcini Sauce
– 35g Buon Brodo (Vegetable Bouillon)
– 500g Vialone Nano Rice
– 1 Shallot Finely Chopped
– 50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 28g Butter
– 50ml White Wine
– 60g 5 Cheese Sauce
Agnello ai Carciofi
(Lamb with Artichokes)

Ingredients for 6 portions:

– 6 Giudia Artichokes
– 6 Lamb Stincottos
– 100g Pancetta (Bacon)
– 1 Onion Finely Chopped
– 1 Clove Garlic Crushed
– 50ml White Wine
– Freshly Chopped Parsley
– 50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Salt and Pepper

Fry the garlic, onion and diced pancetta (bacon) in the olive oil until golden then add the lamb until slightly browned. Add the white wine and allow to evaporate. Salt and pepper to taste.

Once the lamb is nearly done, (approximately 20 minutes), cut the giudia artichokes into quarters and add to the lamb with the parsley.
Heat throughout.

Serve at once.

Pistacchio Pesto

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An interesting and innovative pesto made purely of Pistachio nuts finely chopped and blended with extra virgin olive oil. It is known as the real Sicilian Pesto, full of enticing flavours, ideal as an ingredient for pasta, fish and meat dishes. Nice as part of a vinaigrette with a twist.

Penne al Pistachio

Ingredients for 4 portions:

– 250g Dried Egg Pasta
– 100g 5 Cheese Cream Sauce
– 50ml Milk
– 150g Pistachio Pesto
– Shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano

Cook the Penne pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. In the meantime heat the 5 cheese sauce and milk to form a creamy sauce.
Add the pistachio pesto.
Drain the pasta and toss in the sauce .
Serve at once with shavings of Parmigaino Reggiano.

Rack of Lamb with Pistachio Crust

Ingredients for 2 portions:

– 2×6 bone Racks of Lamb
– 1 Tbs Fresh Thyme
– 3 Tbs Pistachio Pesto
– 1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 1 Tbs Fresh Breadcrumbs

Pan fry the racks of lamb to seal. Mix all the other ingredients together to form a paste and spread on the 2 racks of lamb.
Roast in a medium oven for approximately 12-15 minutes. Serve at once.

* Variations to the lamb the pistachio crust works wonderfully with Sea Bass fillets, salmon fillets etc.

A nice change in the traditional Beef Wellington using the Pistachio Pesto instead of mushrooms.

Potted Stincotto

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 A dear friend had made at a dinner party an exquisite starter of potted lamb served with sour bread toast. It was delicious and everyone was impressed with the flavour. After having a chat in the kitchen and asking for her recipe she kindly pointed out to me that it was one of the products I had given her to try! Wow! It was the Lamb Stincotto!!! To this she said that she had also made it with the Pork and Duck, all a great success. I thought that this wonderful and easy recipe would give another way of serving the stincottos and keeping customers coming back for more– if you don’t eat it before serving!!!

Potted Lamb StincottoChef

Ingredients for 6 starter portions:

– 2 Lamb Stincotto
– 200g Butter
– Seasoning– Pepper , Mace
– Freshly Flat Leaf Parsley
– 2-3 Shallots
– 2-3 Cloves Garlic
– Splash of Brandy

First of all prepare 6 ramekin dishes buttered.
Cook the lamb shank in the oven. In a saucepan melt the butter, some of it keep to one side and bout half continue to cook till clarified for the topping. In another saucepan cook gently until golden the shallots and garlic finely chopped.

Remove all the lamb from the bone and put in a blender, add the seasoning, parsley, brandy, the shallots and garlic. As you blend all the ingredients slowly add the melted butter to make a moist paste. If there is not enough butter melt and add some more. Taste and add more seasoning if required.

Place the lamb in the ramekins, level off and top with clarified butter. You can put some spring of fresh parsley of other herbs on the lamb before pouring the butter so that it makes a lovely decoration. Refrigerate to cool down.
Better served the following day as it takes all the flavours. To serve, remove from the ramekin and serve with melba toast.

Variants to this recipe

The Pork Stincotto can be made with fresh thyme, a little rosemary and instead of brandy use Port and a touch of chilly in the mix. This is nice served with the New Orange & Onion Relish we have just launched.

The Duck Stincotto can be made with tarragon and juniper berries and a touch of dry vermouth. This works extremely well with the New Strawberry & Balsamic Jelly.