9. Anatra All' Arancia

Well, now I tell you one of the main course Italian food. Anatra all Arancia is a timeless classic Italian food.

Anatra all Arancia or duck with orange may be primarily associated with France but it is also a very popular dish in Italy. Making them may seem a bit daunting at first but the result is worth the effort. Try making Anatra all Arancia for your next festive occasion.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:4 lb duck
3 oranges
2 oz butter
salt and pepper
1/4 pint stock
1 wineglass red wine
2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
watercress (to garnish)

Ingredients for 1/2 pint demi-glace sauce:3 tablespoons oil
1 small onion (finely diced)
1 small carrot (finely diced)
1/2 stick of celery (finely diced)
1 tablespoon flour
1 pint brown stock
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 button mushroom (finely chopped)
bouquet garni

Method:

1. Place the thinly pared rind of 1 orange inside the duck with a good nut of butter and seasoning.

2. Spread remaining butter over the breast.

3. Truss the duck and place it in a roasting tin with the stock.

4. Roast in a moderately hot oven at 400F (200C) or Gas Mark 6, for 15 minutes per lb and 15 minutes over, basting and turning the duck from time to time.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the oranges for the garnish.

6. Cut the oranges into segments, removing all the pith and membranes. Reserve any juice.

To prepare demi-glace sauce:

1. Heat a small pan.

2. Put in the oil.

3. Add the diced vegetables.

4. Cook together on a low heat until the vegetables are barely coloured.

5. Stir in the flour and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until it is a russet-brown.

6. Draw pan aside.

7. Cool mixture a little, and add 3/4 pint of cold brown stock and the remaining ingredients.

8. Season and bring sauce to the boil, half cover the pan and cook sauce gently for 35 - 40 minutes, skimming it when necessary.

9. Add half the remaining stock to the pan, bring it to the boil and skim; simmer for 5 minutes. Repeat this process with the remaining stock, then strain sauce, return it to a clean pan and cook until syrupy.

10. Remove the duck from the roasting tin and keep hot on a serving dish.

11. Tip off the fat from the roasting tin, leave the sediment behind, then add wine and orange juice; boil up well.

12. Strain into demi-glace sauce, add redcurrant jelly and simmer until it is a syrupy consistency.

13. Adjust seasoning.

14. Spoon a little sauce over the duck.

15. Garnish duck with the watercress at one end and with orange segments at the other.

16. Serve the Anatra all Arancia hot.

17. Serve the remaining sauce separately.

8. Minestra

Minestra is a heart-warming soup that can be used for any occasion. Although, I have specified certain vegetables to be used, minestra can be made with just about any vegetable that you have lying around. Minestra should only be made with vegetables and not meat. Minestra is normally made without any pasta content but my family prefer to have thin pasta added. Therefore, I suggested using vermicelli type pasta.

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
1 carrot (thick slices)
1 onion (thick slices)
2 sticks of celery (thick slices)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 pints of water
1 bayleaf
1 small leek
6 French beans
salt and pepper (to taste)
2 small potatoes (small chunks)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
2 tomatoes (skinned, de-seed, chopped)
tablespoon parsley (chopped)
Parmesan cheese (grated)
Vermicelli pasta (handful)

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan.

2. Put in the vegetables and fry until just turning colour; shake and stir occasionally.

3. Add water, bayleaf, leek and beans.

4. Season lightly and simmer for about 30-40 minutes.

5. Add potatoes and simmer for a further 20 minutes.

6. Add garlic, tomatoes, vermicelli pasta and parsley.

7. Simmer for a further 10 minutes.

8. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

Tip

1. More water can be added, if necessary, during the early stages of cooking if the soup seems too thick.

2. If serving the minestra the day after you make it, store it in the refrigerator and heat it at least slightly, as it loses some of its flavour when chilled.

3. Serve with freshly baked bread and a nice wine.

7. Zuppa Inglese (Traditional Italian Pudding)

Now, I will tell you about italian traditional food dessert - Zuppa Inglese.
Zuppa Inglese is a rather difficult one to make than tiramisu.
It is creamy and soft texture pudding.

Although Zuppa Inglese translates as "English soup" ,it has nothing to do with soup at all.

Zuppa Inglese is a delicious dessert made with savoiardi biscuits, liqueur, custard and/or blancmange.

If you cannot finish it all on the one sitting, it will keep quite well in the fridge for the next day.

Italian Region : Emilia-Romagna

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 packet of savoiardi biscuits

1 pint of custard
1 pint of strawberry blancmange (Use blancmange powder from the supermarkets)

2 cups of liqueur (Use mixture of white wine, whisky, martini, sherry or whatever your personal preference happens to be)

Method:

1. Make up custard as per manufacturer's instructions:

2. Add sugar (2 tablespoons) to milk.

3. Add custard mix.

4. Stir custard.

5. Make up strawberry blancmange as per manufacturer's instructions:

6. Stir the strawberry blancmange.

7. Pour the liqueur mix into a medium sized dish.

8. Allow both custard and blancmange to cool before using.

9. Spoon a layer of the strawberry blancmange onto the base of the dish.

10. Spread the strawberry blancmange over the base of the dish.

11. Quickly dip one side of the savoiardi biscuits in the liqueur.

12. Then, quickly dip the other side of the savoiardi biscuits in the liqueur.

13. Layer the soaked savoiardi biscuits on top of the strawberry blancmange.

14. Finished first biscuit layer.

15. Cover with a layer of custard.

16. Finished custard layer.

17. Start the next savoiardi biscuit layer of the zuppa inglese.

18. Finished second biscuit layer.

19. Spoon over the strawberry blancmange.

20. Finished second layer of zuppa inglese.

21. Start third biscuit layer.

22. Cover the third biscuit layer with custard.

23. Start the fourth layer of savoiardi biscuits.

24. Spoon strawberry blancmange over the fourth biscuit layer.

25. Start the fifth biscuit layer.

26. Cover final biscuit layer with custard layer.

27. Decorate top biscuits with drops of strawberry blancmange.

28. Place finished Zuppa Inglese overnight in the fridge or a cool room for it to set.

29. The finished zuppa inglese should be firm but moist.

30. When the zuppa inglese has set, you can slice it and serve.

Tip:

You do not have to stick to the flavours that I have outlined. You can use whichever flavoured blancmange or custard you prefer for this Zuppa Inglese recipe.