He may be approaching 70, but restauranter and cosy TV stalwart Rick Stein is still simmering with enthusiasm for his craft - here are two of his recipes to try...
:: SOUTZOUKAKIA (Meatballs in tomato sauce with cinnamon & cumin) (Serves 4)
For the meatballs:
500g minced beef 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 egg, beaten
1/2tsp ground cumin
1/2tsp dried oregano
2 slices stale white bread (about 100g), soaked in red wine and squeezed dry
1/2tsp salt
12 turns black pepper mill
3tbsp olive oil
For the tomato sauce:
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3tbsp olive oil
5cm cinnamon stick
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp sugar
150ml red wine
1tbsp tomato paste
500ml passata
1/2tsp salt
12 turns black pepper mill
Mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs except the olive oil and, with wet hands, mould into 20-24 rugby-ball shapes. Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat and fry the meatballs until golden on all sides, or grill on a griddle pan if you like grill lines on the patties.
Make the tomato sauce by sweating the onion and garlic in the olive oil with the cinnamon stick, cumin and sugar until soft, about 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the red wine and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium again. Add the tomato paste and passata, season with the salt and pepper and cook until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
Add the fried meatballs and simmer for 20-30 minutes with a lid on the pan until cooked through, adding a little water if the sauce is too thick.
:: SICILIAN FRITELLA RISOTTO (Serves 4)
3 globe artichokes
Juice 1 lemon or 1tbsp white wine vinegar
1-1.2L vegetable stock (see below)
40g butter
3tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped or grated
300g Arborio or carnaroli rice
125ml dry white wine
200g fresh broad beans, double podded if not young (600-700g weight in pods)
200g fresh peas (about 600g weight in pods)
Zest and juice
1/2 small lemon
1/2-1tsp salt
8 turns black pepper mill
70g pecorino, freshly grated
For the vegetable stock: (Makes about 2L)
1 large onion
2 large carrots
1 head celery
1 bulb fennel
1 bulb garlic
Handful thyme sprigs
3 bay leaves
1tsp salt
15g dried porcini mushrooms
3L water
To make the stock:
Peel and slice the vegetables; you don't need to peel the garlic. Put everything in a large pan with the water and bring to the boil. Simmer for an hour, then strain through a fine or muslin-lined sieve. If not using immediately, leave to cool, then refrigerate or freeze.
When ready, prepare the globe artichokes. Remove the stem to within 1cm of the base. Peel off the outer leaves until you reach the pale-coloured centre. Remove the hairy choke with a teaspoon. Pare off any remaining outer leaves with a sharp knife. Cut into six wedges and plunge into a bowl of cold water, to which you've added the lemon juice or vinegar to prevent it discolouring.
Heat the stock in a saucepan. Melt the half the butter with the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat and sweat the onion and garlic for five to 10 minutes until soft. Add the rice and stir well to coat the grains. Add the white wine and stir until it has been absorbed by the rice, then start adding the vegetable stock a ladleful at a time, stirring until it is absorbed, which will take about 20 minutes.
After about 12 minutes, in a separate pan, cook the artichoke wedges in boiling water for five to seven minutes until tender. Remove from the water and set aside. Add the broad beans and peas and boil for about three minutes, then drain. Add the cooked vegetables to the risotto and heat through.
Remove from the heat and stir through the lemon zest and juice, the remaining butter, salt to taste, pepper and half the pecorino cheese. Serve immediately with the rest of the pecorino cheese.
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