TASTES of SARDINIA
Rugged and untamed, the island of Sardinia has a rhythm of life that is still largely determined by the seasons, with the year punctuated by the numerous festivals, or feste. Food, and the hospitality associated with sharing it, is integral to the way of life.
In Oliena, there’s a yearly event called cortas apertas (‘the doors are open’), when local people open their homes and demonstrate the making of traditional foods. Following a way of life unchanged for centuries, the women bake bread and sweets, and the men milk their sheep before breakfast.
This was the Sardinia I grew up in. We always had a couple of cows, plus some chickens and rabbits. I have strong childhood memories of gathering berries, wild greens and herbs from the hedgerows. It was while I was working summer seasons in my uncle’s bar that I realised what I wanted to do with my life, so I spent the next few years gaining experience in kitchens of various resort hotels. In 1997, I opened my first restaurant, Cala Luna, in Sydney, where I slowly introduced Sardinian specialities. I believe you can cook Sardinian food anywhere in the world using local produce.
I’m excited to be able to share with you the regional cooking of Sardinia. My recipes are mostly from the province of Sassari, but what matters is to cook using the best seasonal produce you can fi nd, and to enjoy it with friends, family and good wine. Buon appetito!
A Sardinian Cookbook by Giovanni Pilu and Roberta Muir, with photography by Anson Smart (Jacqui Small, £25). The Lady readers can buy a copy at the special price of £20(incl p&p). Call 01903-828503 and quote APG7.
Serves 4
Remove quails from the fridge 20 mins before cooking. Cover and set aside in a cool place to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/ gas mark 7. Heat a frying pan, add the oil and when hot, add potato and cook over a medium heat for 5-6 mins, until brown on all sides.
Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel to drain. In the same pan cook the onion, garlic and fennel for 5 mins, until soft and lightly coloured. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl, then add potatoes to the bowl. Add chicken livers to the same pan and cook for 2 mins on each side, until lightly coloured. Remove from the heat, chop roughly and add to the bowl, with tarragon, parsley, chilli, zest, egg, salt and pepper. Mix into a moist stu ng that can be moulded into shape. Set aside to cool.
Fill the cavity of each quail with the cooled stuffing. Cross each quail’s legs and secure with a toothpick to keep the stu ng in place. Place 2 slices of pancetta on a clean, dry workbench in a cross shape. Place a quail on top, breast-side down, and wrap pancetta around it. Repeat with remaining quails and pancetta.
Brush the quails with some of the honey and place on an oiled baking tray, breast-side up. Cook the quails for 12 mins, then brush the figs with the rest of the honey and add to the baking tray. Return to the oven for 6 mins or until quails are golden brown and figs are caramelised. Check quails are cooked by piercing a thigh with a skewer – if juices run clear, they are ready.
Arrange 1 quail and 2 g halves on each plate, drizzle with cooking juices and scatter with tarragon.
For the basil cream
For the basil cream, put all the ingredients into a food processor and process until well combined and creamy. Set aside.
Heat a frying pan over a low heat, add the oil and, when hot, cook the onion until soft but not coloured. Add the tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring and crushing them with a wooden spoon, until sauce thickens slightly. Stir in salt flakes, then place in a blender and purée until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a large, clean saucepan.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the sea salt, then the pasta and boil according to manufacturer’s instructions on the packet. Drain, reserving some cooking water. Place tomato sauce over a low heat. Add pasta and toss to coat, then add 2 tbsp of the reserved cooking water and stir well, adding a little more if necessary to give a glossy appearance.
Remove from the heat, add the tuna and toss through the pasta for 1 min, until the outside of the tuna turns opaque. Serve in pasta bowls, drizzled with basil cream.
In Oliena, there’s a yearly event called cortas apertas (‘the doors are open’), when local people open their homes and demonstrate the making of traditional foods. Following a way of life unchanged for centuries, the women bake bread and sweets, and the men milk their sheep before breakfast.
This was the Sardinia I grew up in. We always had a couple of cows, plus some chickens and rabbits. I have strong childhood memories of gathering berries, wild greens and herbs from the hedgerows. It was while I was working summer seasons in my uncle’s bar that I realised what I wanted to do with my life, so I spent the next few years gaining experience in kitchens of various resort hotels. In 1997, I opened my first restaurant, Cala Luna, in Sydney, where I slowly introduced Sardinian specialities. I believe you can cook Sardinian food anywhere in the world using local produce.
I’m excited to be able to share with you the regional cooking of Sardinia. My recipes are mostly from the province of Sassari, but what matters is to cook using the best seasonal produce you can fi nd, and to enjoy it with friends, family and good wine. Buon appetito!
A Sardinian Cookbook by Giovanni Pilu and Roberta Muir, with photography by Anson Smart (Jacqui Small, £25). The Lady readers can buy a copy at the special price of £20(incl p&p). Call 01903-828503 and quote APG7.
QUAIL STUFFED WITH CHICKEN LIVERS, FENNEL AND TARRAGON
Serves 4- 4 x 300g quail, tunnel-boned
- extra virgin olive oil, for shallowfrying and oiling
- 300g Désirée (or red skin) potatoes, peeled and finely diced
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely sliced
- 1 bulb baby fennel, washed well and finely diced
- 200g chicken livers, cleaned
- 1 tbsp finely sliced French tarragon
- 1 tbsp finely sliced flat-leaf parsley leaves
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- salt flakes and black pepper
- 8 thin slices flat pancetta
- 2 tbsp honey, warmed
- 4 figs, halved
- ½ punnet baby tarragon, snipped
Remove quails from the fridge 20 mins before cooking. Cover and set aside in a cool place to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/ gas mark 7. Heat a frying pan, add the oil and when hot, add potato and cook over a medium heat for 5-6 mins, until brown on all sides.
Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel to drain. In the same pan cook the onion, garlic and fennel for 5 mins, until soft and lightly coloured. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl, then add potatoes to the bowl. Add chicken livers to the same pan and cook for 2 mins on each side, until lightly coloured. Remove from the heat, chop roughly and add to the bowl, with tarragon, parsley, chilli, zest, egg, salt and pepper. Mix into a moist stu ng that can be moulded into shape. Set aside to cool.
Fill the cavity of each quail with the cooled stuffing. Cross each quail’s legs and secure with a toothpick to keep the stu ng in place. Place 2 slices of pancetta on a clean, dry workbench in a cross shape. Place a quail on top, breast-side down, and wrap pancetta around it. Repeat with remaining quails and pancetta.
Brush the quails with some of the honey and place on an oiled baking tray, breast-side up. Cook the quails for 12 mins, then brush the figs with the rest of the honey and add to the baking tray. Return to the oven for 6 mins or until quails are golden brown and figs are caramelised. Check quails are cooked by piercing a thigh with a skewer – if juices run clear, they are ready.
Arrange 1 quail and 2 g halves on each plate, drizzle with cooking juices and scatter with tarragon.
TROFIE PASTA CARLOFORTE-STYLE (pictured top)
Serves 6- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- ½ brown onion, finely chopped
- 200g yellow grape tomatoes, tops cut off, halved
- salt flakes, to taste
- fine sea salt, for pasta water
- 1 x 300g pack of Sacla tro e fresh pasta
- 300g sashimi-grade tuna, cut into 2cm cubes
For the basil cream
- 20 basil leaves
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- 50g pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- salt flakes, to taste
For the basil cream, put all the ingredients into a food processor and process until well combined and creamy. Set aside.
Heat a frying pan over a low heat, add the oil and, when hot, cook the onion until soft but not coloured. Add the tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring and crushing them with a wooden spoon, until sauce thickens slightly. Stir in salt flakes, then place in a blender and purée until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a large, clean saucepan.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the sea salt, then the pasta and boil according to manufacturer’s instructions on the packet. Drain, reserving some cooking water. Place tomato sauce over a low heat. Add pasta and toss to coat, then add 2 tbsp of the reserved cooking water and stir well, adding a little more if necessary to give a glossy appearance.
Remove from the heat, add the tuna and toss through the pasta for 1 min, until the outside of the tuna turns opaque. Serve in pasta bowls, drizzled with basil cream.