Cooking Together Italian – Baked Meatballs; Pea, Lemon & Chive Risotto; Focaccia; Lemon Posset

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Cooking Together Italian Recipes

Our Cooking Together cookery classes are as much about learning to cook as they are a sociable experience. We hope you enjoyed your evening and are ready to recreate the meals at home. The recipes work really well as delicious dinners and make a great combination for dinner party ideas. 

We Cooked:

One Pan Meatballs with Cherry Tomato Sauce & Mozzarella

Ingredients: Serves 2

For the Balls:

  • – 250g Beef Mince
  • – Salt & Pepper
  • – 1/2 Clove Garlic – smashed into paste
  • – Handful Fresh Parsley – rough chop (plus extra for garnish)

For the Cherry Tomato Sauce:

  • – 150g Cherry Tomatoes
  • – 1/2 Banana Shallot
  • – 1 Garlic Clove
  • – 1/2 tsp Sugar
  • – 1tbsp Olive Oil
  • – Pinch of Chilli Flakes
  • – Water

Method:

For the sauce:

  1. Finely dice the shallot, crush the garlic into a paste using salt, and half the tomatoes.
  2. Heat a small saucepan, add the oil and fry the shallots for one minute.
  3. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. If the onions start to brown, turn the heat down and add a spoonful of water.
  4. Add the tomatoes, sugar and chilli flakes and leave to cook until the tomatoes begin to break down.
  5. Add 1/4 cup of water and leave to simmer until the sauce is thick.

Meatballs:

  1. In a bowl mix the mince, salt and pepper, garlic (remember some is for the salsa) and parsley together. Divide into equal sized balls – approx 6
  2. Heat your pan to medium high and pop the balls in, turning so all sides are coloured.
  3. Transfer the meatballs to the saucepan, spoon over some of the sauce and place in a hot oven for 4 minutes.
  4. Top the meatballs with sliced mozzarella and return to the oven for another three minutes.
  5. In the meantime, slice the focaccia and toast in the meatball frying.

Rosemary Focaccia

Ingredients: serves 4

  • – 500g strong bread flour , plus extra for dusting
  • – 7g dried fast action yeast
  • – 2 tsp fine sea salt
  • – 5 tbsp olive oil , plus extra for the tin and to serve
  • – 1 tsp flaky sea salt
  • – ¼ small bunch of rosemary , sprigs picked

Method:

  1. Tip flour into the bowl of a mixer.
  2. Poke a hole into the flour and add the salt, then do the same on the opposite side for the yeast.
  3. Using the dough hook, turn the mixer on to a low setting to combine, then add 2 tbsp of the oil and slowly pour in 350-400ml or warm
    Oil a rectangle tin (25 x 35cm).
  4. Tip the dough out, then stretch it to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for another 35-45 mins.
  5. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples. Mix together 1½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp water and the flaky salt and drizzle over the bread. Push sprigs of rosemary into the dimples in the dough.
  6. Bake for 20 mins until golden. Whilst the bread is still hot, drizzle over 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold with extra olive oil, if you.

Pea, Lemon & Chive Risotto – Main

Ingredients – Serves 2:

  • – 2 tsp Oil
  • – 50g parmesan grated
  • – 1 garlic clove, crushed into a paste
  • – 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • – 220g risotto rice
  • – 100ml white wine
  • – 500ml vegetable stock
  • – 100g garden peas
  • – lemon zest and juice
  • – fresh chives, plus parsley/basil

Method:

  1. Finely dice the onion and crush the garlic into a paste using salt.
  2. Add oil in a saucepan and cook the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
  3. Add the rice and stir through the onions, cooking for a minute before adding the wine.
  4. Allow the wine to reduce, stirring to coat the rice, then add a ladle of the stock. Once the stock is reduced, add another ladle and repeat the process until the stock is all used and the rice is just cooked.
  5. Add the peas and lemon zest with the final ladle of stock.
  6. Finish with grated parmesan, chopped herbs and a squeeze of lemon

Pan-Fried Seabass

How to Pan-Fry…

  1. Dry the seabass fillets with a kitchen towel or blue j-cloth.
  2. Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat, sprinkle a pinch of salt into your pan.
  3. Score the fish and rub the skin side with a little bit of oil.
  4. Place in the pan skin side down and press on it gently for 10-15 seconds, this will help to keep the skin flat.
  5. Season the top side of the fish with a little bit of salt and pepper as well.
  6. Cook until the meat starts turning white, flip and cook on the other side for a minute.
  7. If you wish to add butter and lemon juice, do it now, make sure neither of them touch the skin as that would make