Italian Cicchetti Class Recipes

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Italian Cicchetti Class Recipes

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Italian Cicchetti Recipes

Our 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:

  • Pea, Lemon and Chive Risotto
  • Mozzarella Arancini  
  • Baked Meatball Lasagne 
  •  

basic Risotto (great for arancini)

Ingredients – Serves 4:

  • – oil 1tbsp
  • – butter 50g
  • – parmesan grated 50g
  • – garlic 3 cloves, crushed
  • – onion 1, finely chopped
  • – risotto rice 300g
  • – white wine 150ml
  • – vegetable stock 1-2 litre, hot (amount of liquid depends on how fast you cook your rice/gas hob vs induction hob etc)
  • – a sprig of thyme
  • – tbsp of mascarpone (optional)
  • – salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Add oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and garlic with some seasoning for 5 minutes until soft. Add thyme, tip in the rice and stir until every grain is coated, then pour in the wine and bubble for 5 minutes. Add the stock a ladle at a time, while stirring, only adding more once the previous batch has been absorbed.
  2.  
  3. Once the rice is cooked, stir through the butter and parmesan, and mascarpone (if using).

Pea, Lemon & chive Risotto

Ingredients – Serves 2:

  • – 2 tsp Oil
  • – 50g parmesan grated
  • – 1 garlic clove, crushed into a paste
  • – 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • – 150g risotto rice
  • – 100ml white wine
  • – 500ml vegetable stock (more if needed)
  • – 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.  
  3. Add oil in a saucepan and cook the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
  4.  
  5. Add the rice and stir through the onions, cooking for a minute before adding the wine.
  6.  
  7. 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.
  8.  
  9. Add the peas and lemon zest with the final ladle of stock.
  10.  
  11. Finish with grated parmesan, chopped herbs and a squeeze of lemon

Vegetable Stock

Ingredients – Serves 6:

  • – 2 medium onions, halved
  • – 4 medium carrots, chopped
  • – 1 to 2medium celery stalks, chopped
  • – Leek or fennel tops, chopped
  • – 1 garlic bulb, halved
  • – Handful of fresh parsley
  • – 1 small bunch fresh thyme
  • – 3 bay leaves
  • – 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • – 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • – 10 to 12cups filtered water

Method:

  1. Place the onions, carrots, celery, leek tops, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper and water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat (If 12 cups of water won’t fit in your pot, you can use 10). Reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered, for 1 hour.
  2.  
  3. Strain and discard the vegetables. Season to taste and use in your favorite soup recipes.

Mozzarella Arancini

Ingredients:

serves 4

  • – 1/2 bulb of mozzarella, torn into pieces
  • – 500g Risotto rice, cooked and chilled thoroughly
  • – 3 eggs
  • – Bowl of plain flour
  • – Bowl of breadcrumbs
  • – Vegetable oil for frying
  • – Parsley, handful chopped
  • – Lemon zest

Method:

  1. Form a rough ball out of risotto rice, about 3cm big.
  2.  
  3. Flatten the ball, stuff with red pepper and mozzarella, turn into a ball again, neater this time, carry on with the rest of the rice.
  4.  
  5. Get a 3 separate mixing bowl ready, place flour in the first, beaten egg in the second and breadcrumbs in third.
  6.  
  7. Dip your risotto balls in the same order, coating the arancini without any uncoated patches.
  8.  
  9. Heat up enough oil to cover arancini halfway on medium-high heat and fry until golden.
  10.  
  11. If you made larger balls of rice you might need to place them through the oven on 180C for 5 minutes to melt the cheese in the centre.

One Pan Meatballs with Cherry Tomato Sauce 

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.  
  3. Heat a small saucepan, add the oil and fry the shallots for one minute.
  4.  
  5. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. If the onions start to brown, turn the heat down and add a spoonful of water.
  6.  
  7. Add the tomatoes, sugar and chilli flakes and leave to cook until the tomatoes begin to break down.
  8.  
  9. 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.  
  3. Heat your pan to medium high and pop the balls in, turning so all sides are coloured.
  4.  
  5. Transfer the meatballs to the saucepan, spoon over some of the sauce and place in a hot oven for 4 minutes.
  6.  
  7. Top the meatballs with sliced mozzarella and return to the oven for another three minutes.
  8.  
  9. In the meantime, slice the focaccia and toast in the meatball frying.

Lasagne 

Pasta 

  • – 300g ’00’ pasta flour
  • – 3 eggs
  • – 1 egg yolk
  • – .5 tsp flaky sea salt

Method:

  1. Tip flour into the bowl and make a well in the middle
  2. Add the salt
  3. Tip the eggs into the well and work together with a fork until the dough starts to come together
  4. Use your fingers to work the dough into a ball
  5. Knead the dough into a ball and continue to work it for five minutes
  6.  Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for half an hour
  7. Put the dough on a floured surface and roll out to 1cm thickness
  8. Roll the dough through a pasta machine from the widest setting to the second thinnest and cut into lasagne sheets

Cheese Sauce

  • – 30g plain flour
  • – 30g butter
  • – 1300ml milk
  • 1/2 tsp mustard
  • 100g cheddar cheese
  • 30g grated parmesan
  • – .5 tsp salt 

Method:

  1. Melt the butter in another saucepan, then add the plain flour. Stir continuously until a paste forms – this is called a roux. Continue cooking for 2 mins.
  2. Add the milk to the roux gradually, stirring as you go, until you get a smooth sauce. Cook for 5-10 mins, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened.
  3. Add the mustard and cheddar cheese.
  4. Season to taste.

To assemble the lasagne

Lay a sheet of pasta in the bottom of your dish and spoon in the meatballs.

Cover the meatballs with the cherry tomato sauce and top with another layer of pasta

top the lasagne with cheese sauce, cover with parmesan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes

We hope you enjoyed the class!

We really hope you enjoyed your class at Food Sorcery. If you have any questions for chef get in touch lovetocook@foodsorcery.co.uk

Spread the word about us! on TripAdvisor or google. If you have any feedback about the class please do let us know.

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We hope you enjoyed the class!

We really hope you enjoyed your class at Food Sorcery. If you have any questions for chef get in touch lovetocook@foodsorcery.co.uk

Spread the word about us! on TripAdvisor or google. If you have any feedback about the class please do let us know.