6:00am Friday 1st January 2010
Eating healthily needn’t equal boring food. If you source your basic ingredients well, the goodness of the products will ensure the flavours take care of themselves. Discover the Origin is a campaign designed to promote some of Europe's finest food and wine products such as Parma Ham, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Burgundy wines. Their main mission is to get people excited about where their food and wine comes from and appreciate quality but affordable luxuries...
Conchiglie Pasta Shells Stuffed with duck ragout - Serves 4
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tbsps chopped garlic
• 400g seeded and chopped tomatoes
• 3 shredded roasted duck breasts
• 500ml duck stock reduction
• 1 large knob cold butter
• chopped fresh parsley
• 250g conchigilie pasta shells
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1. Boil a large pan of water and add a pinch of salt.
2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan and add the shallots. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes.
4. Continue to saute and add in the duck meat.
5. When the water is boiling in the other pan, add the pasta shells and cook.
6. Stir in the reduction to the duck and bring to a boil, then simmer for 3-4 minutes.
7. Stir in the butter and parsley and remove from the heat. Season again if necessary.
8. Drain the pasta shells and fill each individually with the ragout mixture.
9. Serve in a bowl with grated Parmigiaino-Reggiano over.
Pheasant wrapped in Parma ham with a mango sauce - Serves 4
• 4 pheasant breasts
• 8 rashers pancetta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper, to season
• For the mango sauce:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 15g fresh ginger, grated
• 1 large ripe mango, diced
• 2 tbsps white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsps caster sugar
• 250ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsps crème fraîche
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C. For the mango sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the ginger and mango and cook for 1 minute.
Add the vinegar, sugar and stock and bring to the boil then allow to bubble for 15 minutes. Transfer to a jug along with the crème fraîche and whizz with a hand blender until smooth. Season and keep warm.
Meanwhile season the pheasant breasts and wrap each one in two slices of pancetta. Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan and cook the pheasant breasts for 1 minute on each side until brown.
Remove from the hob and transfer to the oven. Roast for 5–8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the frying pan from the oven. Transfer the pheasant to a board and cover with foil then leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with the mango sauce, cooked wild and long-grain rice and tender stem broccoli.
Parma ham and walnut roulade - Serves 4
• 10 slices Parma ham
• 150g cream cheese or low fat soft cheese
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 50g roughly chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp freshly chopped chives
• 1 tsp fresh chopped parsley
• freshly ground black pepper
1. Lay out two slices of Parma ham on a work surface, placing one directly on top of the other. Next, place two more slices on top of the first, overlapping them halfway down these slices. Continue to form a square of Parma ham. 2. Mix the soft cheese with the herbs, crushed garlic and roughly chopped walnuts. Season with black pepper, then spread carefully and evenly using a palette knife, over the Parma ham. 3. Roll up the Parma ham from one side, then wrap in clingfilm for at least 30 minutes. 4. To serve, use a sharp knife to slice the Parma ham roll and serve with salad or fresh fruit – such as melon, grapes or figs.
Super food salad
• 2 medium pomegranites
• 250g podded broad beans
• 250g edamame beans
• 8 Parma ham slices
• Handful of pumpkin seeds
For the dressing:
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 16 basil leaves, very thinly sliced (save 12 whole basil leaves for a salad garnish)
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add the broad beans and edamame beans and blanch for about 2 minutes until they are tender. Drain and refresh in a bowl of iced water. 2. For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and season. 3. Heat a tiny drizzle of olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the Parma Ham slices until golden brown and crisp, turning once. 4. Take a large serving bowl and toss the broad beans and edamame beans in with the pumpkin seeds and inside of the pomegranites and toss together with the dressing then catter over Parma ham pieces l
See January's Dorset Society Magazine for more recipes
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