A Taste of the Sun Gino's Italian Escape (Book 2)

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www.hodder.co.uk
 First published in Great Britain in 2014 by Hodder & Stoughton
An Hachette UK company

Copyright © ITV Ventures Ltd 2014

Recipes copyright © Gino D’Acampo Ltd 2014

Television series Gino’s Italian Escape: A Taste of the Sun copyright © ITV Studios Limited 2014.
Licensed by ITV Ventures Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photography copyright © Matt Russell 2014

Design by Georgia Vaux

The right of Gino D’Acampo to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in Any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor
be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and
without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ISBN 978 1 444 79739 8

Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

338 Euston Road
London NW1 3BH

www.hodder.co.uk
 I want to dedicate this book to my beautiful children, Luciano, Rocco and
Mia, for continuing to give me the strength and unconditional love that helps
me through tough days.
 Contents

COVER

TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT

DEDICATION

INTRODUCTION

Antipasti & aperitivi

ANTIPASTI E APERITIVI

Three cicchetti / TRE CICCHETTI

Chicken liver pâté with Marsala wine / PATE DI FEGATO E MARSALA
Gorgonzola, fig and prosciutto wraps / ROTOLINI DI PROSCIUTTO CON FICHI E
GORGONZOLA

Prawn skewers with lemon, butter and chilli / SPIEDINI DI GAMBERONI CON
LIMONE, BURRO E PEPERONCINO

Aubergine, tomato and mozzarella stack / TORRE DI MELANZANE, POMODORI E

MOZZARELLA

Sardines with basil and lemon butter / SARDINE CON BURRO AL BASILICO E
LIMONE

Smoked trout with artichokes and cannellini beans / TROTA AFFUMICATA CON
CARCIOFI E CANNELLINI

Griddled courgette salad with chilli dressing / INSALATA DI ZUCCHINE

GRIGLIATE
 Red peppers stuffed with Taleggio / PEPERONI RIPIENI DI TALEGGIO
Courgette and ricotta tart / TORTA SALATA DI ZUCCHINE E RICOTTA
Grissini wrapped in Parma ham with creamy pesto dip / INVOLTINI DI
GRISSINI E PROSCIUTTO

Aperol Spritz / APERITIVO VENEZIANO ALL’APEROL

Soups
ZUPPE

Culatello, onion and bean soup / ZUPPA DI CULATELLO, CIPOLLE E FAGIOLI

Traditional north Italian chicken soup / BRODO DI POLLO CLASSICO
Beef and cannellini bean soup / BRODO ALLA FRIULIANA
Smooth fennel and tomato soup with prawns / VELLUTATA DI FINOCCHI E
POMODORI CON GAMBERI

White fish soup with melted Taleggio toasts / ZUPPA DI PESCE CON CROSTINI E
TALEGGIO FUSO

Spinach and lemon soup / VELLUTATA DI SPINACI E LIMONE

Mushroom soup with Marsala wine / VELLUTATA DI PORCINI CON MARSALA
Artichoke and lemon soup / ZUPPA DI CARCIOFI E LIMONE

Stews & bakes

STUFATI E PIATTI AL FORNO

Baked citrus sea bass / SPIGOLA AL FORNO CON ARANCE E LIMONI

Whole roasted sea bream with potatoes and samphire / ORATA ARROSTO CON
PATATE E SALICORNIA

Crispy chicken baked with lemon and fennel / POLLO AL FORNO CON LIMONI E
FINOCCHI
 Chicken breasts in mascarpone sauce / PETTI DI POLLO CON SALSA AL
MASCARPONE

Stewed neck of lamb in thyme and red wine sauce / STUFATO DI AGNELLO CON
TIMO E VINO ROSSO

Slow-cooked veal casserole / STINCO DI VITELLO IN CASSERUOLA

Chicken and porcini mushroom casserole / CASSERUOLA DI POLLO CON
PORCINI

Tuscan baked fennel / FINOCCHI AL FORNO ALLA TOSCANA

Baked polenta with oozing Gorgonzola / POLENTA AL FORNO CON
GORGONZOLA FUSO

Spicy cannellini bean and spinach stew / STUFATO PICCANTE DI FAGIOLI E

SPINACI

Fish & seafood

PESCE E FRUTTI DI MAR

Slow-cooked squid in a spicy tomato sauce / CALAMARI AL SUGO DI

POMODORO PICCANTE

Braised scallops with peas and sun-dried tomatoes / CAPESANTE BRASATE CON
PISELLI E POMODORI SECCHI

Octopus and potatoes with lemon and chilli / POLPO E PATATE CON LIMONE E
PEPERONCINO

Potato and smoked salmon crocchette / CROCCHETTE DI PATATE E SALMONE

AFFUMICATO

Pan-fried sea bass with cannellini mash and basil sauce / SPIGOLA CON PURÉ
DI CANNELLINI E SALSA AL BASILICO

Fresh cod and red onion frittata / FRITTATA DI MERLUZZO E CIPOLLE ROSSE
 Roasted monkfish wrapped in Parma ham / CODA DI ROSPO AVVOLTA IN
PROSCIUTTO CRUDO

Lemon-dressed raw langoustines / MAZZANCOLLE ALLA CRUDAIOLA CON

LIMONE

Whole salmon with roasted peppers, potatoes and anchovies / SALMONE AL

FORNO CON PATATE, PEPERONI E ACCIUGHE

Sea bass with capers and butter sauce with griddled carrots / BRANZINO CON
SALSA DI BURRO E CAPPERI E CAROTE GRIGLIATE

Pasta
PASTA

Bologna-style rigatoni with mortadella and chicken / RIGATONI AL RAGÙ DI

MORTADELLA E POLLO

Pasta with rabbit ragù / FUSILLI CON RAGÙ DI CONIGLIO

My grandfather’s tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce / TAGLIATELLE ALLA
BOLOGNESE DI MIO NONNO

Fresh Ligurian fettuccine / PASTA FRESCA ALLA LIGURE

Florentine pasta shells stuffed with beef and béchamel sauce / CONCHIGLIONI
RIPIENI ALLA FIORENTINA

Pappardelle with sausages and leeks / PAPPARDELLE CON SALSICCE

Potato and roasted pumpkin gnocchi / GNOCCHI DI ZUCCA
Linguine with mussels and black pepper / LINGUINE ALLE COZZE E PEPE NERO
Pasta with sweet red onions, chilli and fillet steak / PENNETTE CON CIPOLLE
ROSSE E MANZO

Spaghetti with king prawns and tuna / SPAGHETTI AI GAMBERONI E TONNO

Pasta with pesto, green beans and potatoes / PASTA CON PESTO GENOVESE,
FAGIOLINI E PATATE
Baked pasta with aubergines, red onions and Parmesan / TORTIGLIONI ALLA
PARMIGIANA

Rice & risotto

RISO E RISOTTI

Simple saffron risotto / RISOTTO ALLO ZAFFERANO

Risotto with red radicchio and Italian sausages / RISOTTO AL RADICCHIO
ROSSO E SALSICCIA

Baked risotto with aubergine, basil and mozzarella / RISOTTO AL FORNO CON
MELANZANE, BASILICO E MOZZARELLA

Risotto with fresh crab, lemon and parsley / RISOTTO CON GRANCHIO, LIMONE
E PREZZEMOLO

Four-cheese risotto with fresh chives / RISOTTO AI QUATTRO FORMAGGI

Seafood risotto / RISOTTO AI FRUTTI DI MARE
Treviso-style risotto with radicchio and dry vermouth / RISOTTO ALLA
TREVISANA

Traditional Venetian rice dish with pancetta and peas / RISI E BISI
Traditional Italian rice salad / INSALATA DI RISO CLASSICA
Leek, Taleggio and pine kernel risotto / RISOTTO CON PORRI, TALEGGIO E
PINOLI

Meat & game

CARNE E SELVAGGINA

Crispy chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella and pesto / PETTO DI POLLO
RIPIENO CON MOZZARELLA E PESTO

Chicken in balsamic vinegar with asparagus and cherry tomato salad /

POLLO ALL’ACETO BALSAMICO CON INSALATA DI POMODORI E ASPARAGI
 Simple Italian-style roast chicken with thyme and garlic / POLLO ARROSTO
SEMPLICE

Venetian-style calf’s liver in white wine and sage sauce / FEGATO ALLA
VENEZIANA

Roasted pheasant in red wine sauce / FAGIANO AL VINO ROSSO

Veal shanks with Parma ham and white wine / OSSOBUCO ALLA MILANESE
Rabbit in white wine, rosemary, olive and tomato sauce / CONIGLIO ALLA
CACCIATORE

Marinated beef skewers with a three-bean salad / SPIEDINI DI MANZO

MARINATO CON INSALATA AI TRE FAGIOLI

Proper northern Italian meatballs / POLPETTE

Modena-style trio of meats with chilli and rosemary / TRIS DI CARNE ALLA
MODENESE

T-bone steak with courgette ribbons and goat’s cheese / TAGLIATA ALLA
FIORENTINA CON STRISCE DI ZUCCHINE E FORMAGGIO DI CAPRA

Lamb escalopes with wild mushrooms and white wine / SCALOPPINE

D’AGNELLO AI FUNGHI E VINO BIANCO

Pizza & bread

PIZZA E PANE

Piedmont pizza with Taleggio and parsley / PIZZA ALLA PIEMONTESE

Pizza with courgettes, chilli and fresh mint / PIZZA CON ZUCCHINE,
PEPERONCINO E MENTA

White pizza with potatoes, rosemary and mascarpone cheese / PIZZA BIANCA
CON PATATE, ROSMARINO E MASCARPONE

Traditional folded bread with Genovese pesto / PIEGATA TRADIZIONALE ALLA

GENOVESE
Calzone with ricotta cheese and Parma ham / CALZONE RICOTTA E PROSCIUTTO
CRUDO

Pizza filled with Taleggio and rocket / PIZZA RIPIENA DI RUCOLA E TALEGGIO
Ligurian loaf with Taggiasca black olives / FILONE CON OLIVE TAGGIASCA

Sides & salads

CONTORNI E INSALATE

Spicy potato salad / INSALATA DI PATATE PICCANTE

Tuscan-style roasted potatoes with red onions / PATATE ALLA TOSCANA
Crushed potatoes with garlic, sage and rosemary / PATATE GRATINATE CON
AGLIO, SALVIA E ROSMARINO

Sautéed potatoes with garlic and thyme / PATATE IN PADELLA CON AGLIO E TIMO
The ultimate tomato, pepper, artichoke and bread salad / PANZANELLA
Red pepper, Taleggio and courgette salad / INSALATONA DI PEPERONI,
TALEGGIO E ZUCCHINE

Roasted tomatoes with balsamic vinegar / POMODORI AL FORNO CON ACETO

BALSAMICO

Baby leeks with peas and crispy Parma ham / PORRI E PISELLI ALLA
CONTADINA

Baked rice with peas, pancetta and asparagus / RISO AL FORNO CON PISELLI,
PANCETTA E ASPARAGI

Savoy cabbage with pancetta and white wine / VERZA CON PANCETTA E VINO
BIANCO

Bean and asparagus salad with balsamic glaze / INSALATONA DI FAGIOLI E

ASPARAGI

Desserts
 DOLCE

Baked figs with honey and vanilla mascarpone / FICHI AL FORNO CON MIELE E
MASCARPONE ALLA VANIGLIA

Cantaloupe melon granita / GRANITA DI MELONE

Ricotta mousse with chocolate and cinnamon sauce / MOUSSE DI RICOTTA CON
CREMA AL CIOCCOLATO E CANNELLA

Coffee pots with melting chocolate / COPPE AL CAFFE’ CON CIOCCOLATO FUSO
Chocolate ice cream with raisins and chocolate chips / GELATO AL
CIOCCOLATO CON UVETTA E GOCCE DI CIOCCOLATO

Sweet pasta filled with ricotta, hazelnuts, orange and chocolate / MEZZALUNE
DOLCI RIPIENE DI RICOTTA CON CIOCCOLATO, ARANCIA E NOCCIOLE

Polenta cake with oranges and Cointreau / TORTA DI POLENTA CON ARANCE E
COINTREAU

Amaretti and chocolate mousse cake / TORTA FREDDA DI CIOCCOLATO E

AMARETTI

Honey ice cream / GELATO AL MIELE VENEZIANO

Bitter chocolate and almond squares / QUADRATINI DI CIOCCOLATO E
MANDORLE

Chocolate Panforte with Amaretto liqueur / PANFORTE AL CIOCCOLATO

Classic Italian apple strüdel / STRUDEL ITALIANO CLASSICO
Apples poached in red wine with Amaretti biscuit cream / MELE AL VINO
ROSSO CON CREMA DI AMARETTI

Florentine biscuits / BISCOTTI FIORENTINI

Lady’s kisses / BACI DI DAMA
Double chocolate, pistachio and chilli biscotti / BISCOTTI AL CIOCCOLATO,
PISTACCHIO E PEPERONCINO

Pear and banana sweet bread / DOLCE CON PERE E BANANE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INDEX
A fter the huge success of Gino’s Italian Escape I was so excited to be
asked again to revisit more of my beautiful home country. This time I delved
into the northern regions of Italy (although I say that loosely as some
regions, such as Tuscany, are technically in central Italy!), where less
familiar but just as wonderful cities and foods awaited me: Venice, Burano,
Bologna, Modena, Parma, Florence, Siena, Genoa – all are amazing places
to visit and I got to enjoy each and every one on a fabulous three-week
journey.

I often get asked what I think the main differences are between the north and
the south of Italy and my answer would always be quite vague, as I truly
believe that sometimes there are such vast differences that it is like being in
different countries, rather than just regions. The north of Italy has been
influenced more by the Germans and Celts who happen to inhabit
neighbouring countries, while the south of Italy has been largely influenced
by the Greeks. Economy-wise the two parts of the country have stark
differences: the north is industrialised – the three corners of the industrial
triangle (Milan, Turin and Genoa) have become the wealthiest regions in the
whole country – while the south still remains more of a rural region with a
warmer climate and a more natural agriculture.

The divide does not end there, as the inhabitants of both parts of the country
consider themselves to have very different personalities – some southerners
believe the northerners to be cold and money-orientated while some
northerners might argue that the southerners are the lower class of the
country.
I personally think that today, most Italians would say that the main
difference between the two areas is apparent in the food they serve. Because
northern Italy is historically a much wealthier region, their cuisine is more
affiliated with richer dishes – they use a lot of butter and cream – whereas
those in the south grow olives in the warmer climate which they press for oil
and live off the fresh vegetables they produce.

Meat is most popular amongst the northern Italians, who use a lot of it in
their cooking; they keep excellent cattle and hog breeds and as a result beef,
veal and pork are the meats of choice, with lamb playing a lesser role. The
way meat is prepared ranges from frying to stewing and boiling, and it is
often cooked in wine or broth flavoured with chopped herbs. Northern
Italians also include a lot of rice and polenta in their meals, and in the winter
they create rich hearty soups, while the southern Italians tend to use tomato-
based sauces and eat cured meats and pulses – and because they have a
larger coastline than their northern neighbours, fish is definitely more
popular than meat. Whichever region you are from, though, the Italian
people are some of the healthiest in the world – so both areas must be doing
something right!
Cheese is a large part of all regional cuisines in Italy and the most commonly
known – Parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta and Gorgonzola – only scratch the
surface of Italian dairy. Because Italy makes cheeses using cow, goat,
buffalo and sheep milks, the range of varieties and flavours is immense, with
each region offering its own specialities and spins on the classics. If I had to
choose three of my favourites from this part of Italy I would choose
Marzolino del Chianti, a young soft cheese made with raw ewe’s milk in the
Chianti region which has an intense flavour; Brillo di Treviso, a red-wine-
washed soft, pasteurised cow’s milk cheese from Venice which has a fruity
flavour of Italian red wine and can be easily melted – so it’s great for
cooking; and, of course, the famous Parmigiano Reggiano, which is
produced within the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and
Bologna. Italian law is very strict and the true Parmigiano Reggiano – a
popular cow’s milk cheese that boasts up to 36 months of ageing, can only
be sold as such if it is produced in these areas.

One thing the north and south definitely have in common is their love for
pasta. Today, both areas use all kinds of pasta in their cooking, but they will
still each have different versions of the accompanying sauces. A very
popular option in the north of Italy is egg pasta, which has a richer colour
and flavour, and a regional favourite is farfalle, the bow-shaped pasta, which
originated in Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy and is used for lighter
creamier sauces. Tortellini is also much enjoyed in the north, and while in
Bologna I got a chance to make the real thing!

Another passion all Italians share – wherever they are from – is good wine.
Italy offers a larger, more diverse array of wine styles than almost any other
nation, so this paragraph had the potential to be huge. So instead I decided to
mention here just three of my favourites from the north of Italy: Pinot Grigio
– typically a light-bodied, crisp, fresh white wine which originates from
Venice; Chianti – a dry red wine made from the Sangiovese grape in a blend
that is hugely popular worldwide; and finally the very special Brunello di
Montalcino. This wine is one of the more expensive in the region and is
produced from a blend of grapes to create a complex flavour which ages
very well. It is often drunk with meats and game, so it is a very popular
choice when dining out. Of course, in the north wine is not only used for
drinking but is also nearly always used in cooking too, so its production
plays an important part in the lives of northern Italians!

I hope this introduction to the beautiful and fascinating north of Italy has
whetted your appetite and intrigued you enough that you want to read on and
try some of my new recipes that I have discovered or created on my journey.
I hope that in making them you enjoy the flavours that my wonderful trip
brought me and experience a taste of the real Italy. As always, my dishes are
easy to create, I will never let you down and still stand strong in saying …

Minimum Effort, Maximum Satisfaction!

Enjoy, and Buon appetito!