I am so excited about Antonio Carlucio being part of Italy week on Masterchef. (Rome was beautiful wasn’t it?)
His cooking really gets my culinary juices flowing!
Coupled with Gennaro Contaldo, the chef who mentored Jaime Oliver, they are Two Greedy Italians who travel Italy discovering and showcasing La Cucina Povera in BB2′s production of Two Greedy Italian’s – Poor Man’s Food. This Italian adveture really highlights all the fantastic facets and ideals that make La Cucina Povera my favourite style of cooking.
Last night, the first in the Italian series, has already seen Andy and Kylie cook offal, the quintessential poor mans food, and one that most people think of when speaking about this very subject. But I am here to tell you cottage lovers, it is so much more. Knowing this little fact fuels my energy when writing about La Cucina Povera. The recipes can be so exciting and so easy to cook, and the ingredients although they are sometimes humble, are vibrant and full of flavour. And to top it all off this style of cooking is healthy, satisfying and budget friendly, especially when you grow your own ingredients. But dont worry if you can’t or don’t, there is always the trusty farmers market.
♥
(Recipe was taken from the BBC website, Two Greedy Italians – Poor Mans Food episode. Check out the link for candied peel.)
Lemon and ricotta tart
This tart is delicious served on its own or with roasted pears.
Ingredients
- For the pastry
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- 1 x 400g/14oz ready-made puff pastry
- plain flour, for dusting
- 1 lemon, finely grated zest only
- For the filling
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- 300g/10½oz ricotta cheese
- 200g/7oz mascarpone cheese
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200g/7oz candied peel, roughly chopped
- 125g/4½oz caster sugar
- 6 free-range eggs, separated
Preparation method
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to a 3mm/⅛in thickness. Use the pastry to line a 25cm/10in pastry case. Cover with a damp cloth while you make the filling.
- In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, mascarpone and candied peel with 100g/3½oz of the sugar and five of the egg yolks until smooth and well combined.
- Whisk the egg whites in another large, clean bowl until fluffy. Whisk in the remaining sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
- Using a large metal spoon, fold the whites into the ricotta mixture, then pour into the pastry-lined tart tin.
- Beat the reserved egg yolk in a bowl. Fold in the overhanging pastry and brush with the egg yolk. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the pastry is cooked through and the filling has a slight wobble in the centre.
- Set aside to cool for two hours, then sprinkle with lemon zest.
Love it!
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Do you have a vege patch or grow herbs in your garden, however small?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh yum, that sounds so delsih! I absolutely LOVED that series of the Two Greedy Italians. How hilarious are they! We met Antonio Carluccio years ago in Prahran at an Italian risotto making competitiom – have always been a fan! : )
Mez, you lucky duck! Melbourne is so fab for food. Were you in the comp or just watching?
Just watching, it was part of the food and wine festival from memory. I remember being there with my mum and dad and they were so star struck. He’s as gorgeous in real life as on TV! : )
Love it Mez! I’ll have to come down for a geez and a coffee that time of year