Caponata Neapolitan

Neapolitan refers to the city of Naples in Italy, which has a strong tradition of using seafood in its cuisine. Families in the area prepare the dish as a summer staple. They serve it cold, with a crusty Italian bread or as a side dish to a main course of meat or fish. The capers and fresh tomatoes contribute some tang to the dish, but balanced with the addition of semolina sugar.

The secret to making a perfect caponata is to select Italian eggplants with thinner skin, which helps in absorbing the flavors and makes for a tender dish. If you use the long and thin variety, the eggplant will have a tougher, leathery skin when cooked—something you wouldn’t want in a plate of caponata. Big white onions have a milder, sweeter flavor especially when sautéed so use it instead of the red onions. Lots of chefs recipes are available at the link.

The eggplants must be prepared separately, as do the other ingredients. It is only during the assembly of the dish that all the components of the caponata are blended together. This ensures that the flavors remain distinct and at their peak during cooking instead of jumbled up together. After all, the eggplants will soak up liquid, thereby absorbing the flavors just when you’re ready to serve the caponata. Refrigerate the caponata overnight to let the flavors develop. Serve over a glass of refreshing wines like the Chianti Classico, Valpolicella, or Château Rasque Alexandra Rosé.You can also check great recipes on Gourmandia.ca.

Ingredients

3 eggplants
2 oz. capers
1 heart of celery branch
4 oz. green olives
1 large white onion
5 large tomatoes
1 oz. garlic
¾ cups olive oil
1 tsp. wine vinegar
3 bay leaves
salt, pepper
One can add to these ingredients:
8 anchovies in olive oil
1 oz semolina sugar
1 large bunch parsley
1 small bunch thyme
1 box of tuna in olive oil

1. Wash, peel and dice the eggplant. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Sauté the eggplant until it absorbs the oil and softens. Remove from the heat and transfer the eggplant on a flat serving dish. Set aside.

Sicily is the birthplace of the caponata, an aubergine salad moistened with a sweet and sour sauce. Its popularity has spread through the rest of the Peninsula, with each region having its own version or recipe of the caponata. In this version, Chef Charles Caruso of the Hotel Aiglon in Paris, France, has chosen to make caponata, Neapolitan style. Tuna and anchovies are added into the traditional Sicilian aubergine or eggplant. Because of that, the resulting dish takes on a more filling and complex character compared to the original version.

2. In the same pan, heat some olive oil. Sauté the garlic, chopped onions and celery. Allow onions to perspire then add diced tomatoes. Add the olives, capers, tuna or anchovy, thyme, and bay leaves.

3. Put back the cooked eggplants into the pan with the other ingredients. Mix.

4. Pour some wine vinegar and sugar. Stir then season with salt and pepper.

5. Arrange a layer of lettuce on the serving dish. Transfer the caponata on top of the lettuce then garnish with tomatoes.

Crustacean Filled Salad

Crustacean Filled Salad

Salads don't always have to include salad greens as long as there are other vegetables and a salad dressing in the mix. Most often, meat, poultry or seafood is the highlight in the salad more than the greens itself. In this recipe by Chef Jean Andre Charial of the L'Oustau de Baumaniere restaurant, crayfish, prawns and butterbeans form the core of the salad. It is a colorful salad, with a rosy pink from the vinaigrette bisque, red from the diced tomatoes and orange from the chopped carrots.

The white beans, tossed in mayonnaise, stand out in its creamy appearance while flecks of dark from the truffles and green from chopped chives complete the salad's rainbow hues. Instead of tossing the salad ingredients as is traditional, the diced tomatoes dressed in olive oil are layered with the cooked white beans so that their flavors and textures remain distinct with every bite. Use other types of beans like cannellini, navy beans or white beans if you can't find butterbeans.

At the heart of this salad of course are the seafoods. Also known as Dublin bay prawn or Norway lobster, and sometimes Scampi, langoustine is a popular crustacean in Europe but not widely consumed in the United States and Canada. It might easily be mistaken as a lobster because of the similarity in body shape but the langoustine is slimmer. Buy them as fresh as you can at the fishmonger's. In case the langoustine is not available, you can just substitute it with other seafood such as lobster, crayfish or prawns. Other recipes are available at Gourmandia.ca.

To get more flavors out of the langoustine, Chef Jean Andre Charial makes a splendid sauce out of its shells and heads. This is then added to the vinaigrette made of red cherry vinegar and olive oil. The salad dress is then poured into the vegetables and seafood. To provide an interesting counter-texture, the juicy langoustine tails are fried in olive oil. With a crusty bread on the side, this French-style salad is best served with a glorious glass of Sancerre or Chablis.

Ingredients

1 bunch basil
½ lb. carrots
2 tomatoes
12 prawns
2 oz. pine nuts
2/3 oz. truffles
3 2/3 lbs. butterbeans
mayonnaise with a shallot
Court bouillon:
1/3 lb. celery
½ lb. carrots
1 garlic head
1 onion, thyme, laurel, pepper, salt

Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons rapeseed oil
1 tablespoon mustard
3 tablespoons Xeres vinegar
alt, pepper
3 spoons olive oil
5/6 cups crayfish reduction

1. Prepare the langoustine. Separate the body of the langoustine from the tails and take off the shells. Set the meat aside. Meanwhile, extract the essence from the shells by crushing it with a pounder or pestle. Catch the extract in a bowl.

2. Prepare the langoustine sauce. Cook the crushed head and shells on a saucepan with a little drop of olive oil. Add the carrots, onions, and leeks. Add the red wine and fish stock. Cook for half an hour. When the sauce is reduced, pour through a strainer on a bowl. Set aside for use in the salad dressing.

3. Make vinaigrette using the cherry vinegar and olive oil (one spoon of vinegar for three spoons of olive oil). Mix the dressing with the langoustine juice and season with salt and pepper.

4. Prepare the other vegetables. Toss the diced tomatoes in olive oil and set aside. Toss the white beans in mayonnaise and shallots and set aside. Fry the langoustine tails in olive oil and place on napkin or paper for oils to be absorbed.

5. Assemble the salad Use circular mold to make a layer of the tomato, followed by the beans, and a piece of langoustine on top. Pour sauce around the dish and place bits of the remaining langoustine around. Sprinkle truffles and decorate with diced carrots and chives.

Popeye's Special Chicken Pie

Tender, fresh spinach is delicious in salads, pasta, soups and dips and is an easy, healthy addition to many meals. Plus it's versatile—spinach is equally tasty raw or cooked. And spinach teems with important nutrients, such as folate, vitamin E and lutein, to keep your body strong. Lots of healthy gourmet food recipes are just a click away.

Folate is necessary for the production of new cells, including red blood cells. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, particularly in protecting cell membranes from damage, and scientists hypothesize that it has a role in immune function, DNA repair, the formation of red blood cells and vitamin K absorption. Lutein may be able to reverse some of the symptoms of age-related macular degeneration. Eat well and stay strong with these delicious, healthy spinach recipes.

Ingredients

For the Pastry:

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

¼ cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 to 2 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling:

1 ¼ lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 + ½ teaspoons salt

2 (10 oz.) packages frozen spinach, thawed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup pine nuts

4 oz. thinly sliced ham

2 eggs

¾ cup heavy cream

Freshly ground pepper

1. Make the pastry by stirring together the flour, cornmeal, and salt. Using a pastry blender or your hands, add the butter and cut in until the mixture looks similar to coarse crumbs.

2. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of ice water. Sprinkle this mixture over the cornmeal mixture. Stir with a fork until the dough begins holding together. Add another tablespoon of cold water, if necessary.

3. Roll the pastry into a ball and cut into 2 pieces. Flatten into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

4. To make the filling, place the chicken in a large pan. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and bring to room temperature. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken.

5. Place the spinach in a colander and press down on it to remove any excess liquid.

6. Pour the oil and butter into a large skillet placed over medium high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the spinach, garlic, raisins, nuts, and ham. Cook until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes, stirring now and then.

7. Pour the spinach mixture into a large bowl. Add the chicken, eggs, cream, ½ teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground pepper.

8. Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.

9. Place 1 pastry disc between two pieces of floured waxed paper and roll into an 11 in. circle. Place it in a 9 in. pie plate.

10. Pour the filling into the lined pie plate.

11. Roll the second pastry disc out and place it over the filling. Cut 3 or 4 slits in the top crust.

12. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.