Many of my favourite recipes come from Sunday pranzo (lunch) at our family farm on the Morning Peninsula in Victoria, surrounded by Italian flavours. The food I love to eat and make is layered with Sicilian heritage and history.
Spiced chicken
(Pictured above)
Sicilian cuisine has been infused with North African influences for centuries, with ingredients such as couscous, oranges, lemons, artichokes, rice, almonds, pistachios, cinnamon, saffron, sumac, nutmeg, cloves, sesame and dried fruits. This recipe is a celebration of those flavours.
Serves 6-12
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6 chicken legs
1 cup (250ml) white wine
6 garlic cloves, skins on, crushed
2 walnut-sized pieces of fresh ginger, sliced
1 tsp chilli flakes
4-5 rosemary sprigs, plus extra to serve
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
3 star anise
3 cloves
2 cardamon pods
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
2L (8 cups) chicken stock
4 zucchini, chopped into diamonds
1 cup (200g) Sicilian olives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parsley sprigs, to serve (optional)
For the couscous
2 cups (370g) couscous
2 cups (500ml) boiling chicken stock or water
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley or mint (optional)
½ cup (80g) pine nuts, toasted with ¼ tsp cumin and ¼ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium–high heat, then fry the chicken in batches until golden on both sides (about eight to 10 minutes), then set aside.
Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping all the lovely bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, rosemary, fennel seeds, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, star anise, cloves, cardamon, paprika, cinnamon and tomato paste. Give it a good stir – the liquid will be a gorgeous, deep orange-red.
Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, then simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another 20 minutes. Check the seasoning, add the zucchini and cook for five minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the olives.
To make the couscous, combine the couscous in a large bowl with the boiling stock and stir vigorously to combine. Cover immediately with a tight lid or cling wrap to allow the couscous to absorb all the liquid. After five minutes, fluff up the couscous with a fork, gently scraping across the top layer, then turn 45 degrees and fluff up the second layer. Repeat until you get to the bottom of the bowl. Mix through the herbs and toasted, seasoned pine nuts or leave it plain if you prefer.
Serve the chicken with extra rosemary sprigs and parsley (if using) with the couscous on the side in a bowl.
Radiatore with peas
Radiatore pasta dressed simply with extra-virgin olive oil and butter, sprinkled with finely grated cheese and lots of pepper, is a favourite that always leaves me wanting more, but radiatore with peas comes a close second. Mushy peas with not-so-mushy peas for the top along with finely chopped dill, lemon and a pinch of chilli flakes for a tangy, spiced edge leaves everyone going back for seconds. My grandbabies’ favourite dish is any pasta with peas or pesto (or the two combined). It’s so easy and quick to prepare.
Serves 4-6
½ cup (125ml) mild olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
Dill, small handful finely chopped, plus some small fronds to serve
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional), plus extra to serve
Salt
Black pepper
5 cups (775g) fresh or frozen peas
2L (8 cups) boiling water
500g radiatore or other short pasta
Juice of ½ lemon
Freshly grated pecorino, to serve
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, then add the shallots, celery, dill, chilli (if using), salt and pepper. Fry until the shallots are translucent, about five to seven minutes.
Add 620g of the peas and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the boiling water and season with a pinch of salt. Cook, partially covered, for about 45 minutes. Mash the peas from time to time. By the end the sauce should be a chunky puree.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add salt and cook the pasta until nearly al dente, then add the remaining peas. Drain the pasta and peas and return them to the pan. Add the lemon juice, season with pepper and stir, then add the pea sauce and stir again.
Serve in individual bowls and top with the extra dill and chilli flakes, if using. Don’t forget a big bowl of grated pecorino for the table.
Mel’s hazelnut and orange biscotti
Melanie Russo is a professional chef and a family friend. She worked alongside me throughout the 22 years I had my cafe, Shop Ate Cafe & Store. Mel’s biscotti recipe is a twist on a classic Italian-style biscotti that became very popular in our cafe. Her recipe is a treasure to savour with every bite.
Makes 24
3 egg whites, at room temperature
2¼ cups (250g) ground hazelnuts
1 cup (100g) almond flour
1 cup (250g) caster sugar
2 tsp natural hazelnut extract
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 cup (150g) icing sugar, for coating
½ cup (160g) good quality marmalade, or ganache or Nutella
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Lightly whisk the egg whites with a fork in a large bowl until light and frothy, then add the ground hazelnuts, almond flour, caster sugar, hazelnut extract and orange zest and mix well.
Sift the icing sugar into a separate bowl, ready for coating the biscotti.
Roll a heaped tablespoon of biscotti dough into a ball, then coat the ball in icing sugar. Place the balls on the baking tray and squash or press down on each ball with your thumb, creating a well in the centre of each biscotti and also a few cracks. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the biscotti are lightly brown on top and golden underneath. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Place a heaped quarter teaspoon of marmalade on to each biscotti. Alternatively, fill with ganache or Nutella. These biscotti will keep for up to a week stored in an airtight container.
