Marinated Sardines
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
1 x 4-oz (116 g) can small, good-quality Spanish sardines in olive oil
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
3 pickled peppers, thinly sliced, or to taste
1 handful chopped parsley leaves
crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine sardines with their oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic and peppers. Cover and allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
- To serve, transfer sardines to a shallow dish or plate and pour marinade over. Garnish with peppers and parsley, and serve with crusty bread.
Drink Pairings
Garlic Prawns
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 lb (454 g) sustainable prawns, peeled and deveined
½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 pinch chili flakes, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp (30 ml) Fino or Amontillado sherry
1 pinch lemon zest
½ lemon, juice only
2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped parsley leaves
crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Rinse prawns under cold running water for 2 minutes. Drain and thoroughly pat dry with paper towel.
- In a large heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat oil over high heat. Once oil shimmers, add prawns to pan. Cook on one side for 30 seconds, flip, then stir in garlic, chili flakes, salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add sherry and cook for 1 more minute, or until prawns are opaque and cooked through. Add lemon zest and juice and parsley and toss to combine. Serve immediately, with crusty bread.
Drink Pairings
Rapini, Pancetta & Ricotta Crostini
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
3 paper-thin slices pancetta*
3 to 4 stems rapini or broccolini
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 mini baguette, cut into 1-in (2.5 cm) slices
½ cup (125 ml) ricotta
salt and pepper, to taste
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 pinch chili flakes, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Lay pancetta slices on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack or plate, reserving baking sheet with pancetta fat for step 3. Keep oven on for toasting baguette.
- Prepare an ice bath. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch rapini or broccolini until cooked, about 1 minute, then transfer immediately to ice bath. Once cool, drain and pat dry, then roughly chop and set aside.
- Place baguette slices on baking sheet used for pancetta. Drizzle with 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil and bake until toasted and golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, season ricotta with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Heat remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add chili flakes and rapini and sauté for 1 minute.
- To assemble, spread about 1 tbsp (15 ml) ricotta on each bread slice. Top evenly with rapini, then crumble pancetta and sprinkle over each.
- * Ask for paper-thin slices at your deli counter.
Drink Pairings
Prosciutto & Melon
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
½ small cantaloupe, rind cut off, seeds removed
2 oz (60 g) Prosciutto di Parma
2 to 3 tbsp (30 to 45 ml) balsamic vinegar reduction
1 handful fresh basil leaves
black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut melon into 2 to 3-in (5 to 8 cm) chunks. Wrap each piece of melon with a piece of prosciutto, cutting prosciutto to fit, if desired. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and garnish with basil and pepper.
Drink Pairings
Taralli
Ingredients
Serves 24
1 tsp (5 ml) active dry yeast
½ tsp (2.5 ml) white sugar
¾ cup (175 ml) lukewarm water
2½ cups (625 ml) all-purpose flour
½ tsp (2.5 ml) kosher salt, plus extra for boiling
½ tsp (2.5 ml) fennel seeds
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together yeast, sugar and water and allow to sit for 5 minutes to activate yeast.
- In a large bowl, mix yeast mixture with remaining ingredients until it comes together into a dough. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and knead for 5 to 8 minutes, or until smooth. Then place dough in a clean oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, divide dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3-in (8 cm) long rope (do not dust with flour), then fasten ends together to create a loop.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Working in batches of 2 to 3, drop each loop in the boiling water and cook until they float to top, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to lined baking sheet.
- Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F (180 C) and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving. Taralli will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
Drink Pairings
Salt Cod Dip served with Music Bread
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
½ lb (227 g) salt cod fillets
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
5 whole black peppercorns
1 small bay leaf
1 small shallot, peeled
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 strip lemon zest, plus extra grated zest for garnish
½ lemon, juice only
½ cup (125 m) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnish
salt, to taste (if needed)
chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Sardinian music bread or crackers, to serve
Instructions
- Soak cod in cold water for 24 hours in refrigerator, changing water 2 to 3 times throughout soaking time.
- Rinse cod well. Place in a saucepan and add milk, peppercorns, bay leaf, whole shallot, garlic and lemon zest. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, then remove pan from heat and allow to sit for another 15 minutes.
- Remove cod from milk. Remove any bones and skin and discard. Discard bay leaf, shallot and lemon zest but reserve milk and garlic.
- Transfer cod to a food processor or blender with ¼ cup (60 ml) reserved milk, lemon juice and reserved garlic. Pulse a few times, then with food processor or blender on low speed, drizzle in olive oil until mixture reaches desired consistency of dip, adding more reserved milk to thin out if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed (you may not need any, depending on saltiness of cod).
- Spread dip in a shallow dish, then garnish with lemon zest, parsley and olive oil. Serve with music bread or crackers.
Drink Pairings
Onigiri
Ingredients
Serves 6 onigiri
½ oz (15 g) dried kombu seaweed
1 tsp (5 ml) bonito flakes
2 cups (500 ml) water, divided
1 handful (about 3½ oz/100 g) fresh shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) sake
1 tbsp (15 ml) mirin
1 tsp (5 ml) rice vinegar
2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
½ tsp (2.5 ml) kosher salt
3 cups (750 ml) freshly cooked sushi rice or Japanese short grain rice*
¼ cup (60 ml) furikake ( Japanese rice seasoning)
6 pieces roasted seaweed snacks
Instructions
- In a small, covered saucepan over low heat, simmer kombu and bonito flakes in 1 cup (250 ml) water until kombu is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove kombu and set aside. Skim off bonito flakes and discard. Reserve simmering water for next step.
- Julienne prepared kombu and return to water. Add mushrooms, sake, mirin, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes over low heat, until liquid has reduced by about ⅔, then allow to cool. (Or, allow to marinate in refrigerator overnight for even more flavour.)
- In a small bowl, dissolve salt in remaining 1 cup (250 ml) water.
- To assemble, wet hands with prepared salted water, scoop ½ cup (125 ml) rice into one hand and make an indent in middle of rice. Place 2 tsp (10 ml) kombu and mushroom filling in indent, then mould rice around filling. Squeeze it gently into a triangle shape.
- Sprinkle furikake onto a plate. Roll 2 sides of the triangle in furikake. Wrap a piece of seaweed around remaining side. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- * Cook 1½ cups (375 ml) rice according to package directions, then allow to cool enough to handle, but still warm.
Drink Pairings
Egg Sandos
Ingredients
Serves 6 sandwiches
7 eggs, room temperature (we recommend free-range eggs for their vibrant colour)
¼ cup (60 ml) Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise
1 tbsp (15 ml) whipping cream
salt and pepper, to taste
12 slices Asian milk bread, crusts removed (can also substitute white sandwich loaf)
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Gently add eggs, then bring water back to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer and cook for 6½ minutes. Meanwhile, prepare two ice bath bowls. Remove 3 eggs after the 6½ minutes and place in one ice bath. Cook remaining 4 eggs for 2 more minutes (8½ minutes total), then remove and place in other ice bath.
- Once cooled, peel eggs.
- In a bowl, mash the four 8½ minute eggs, then mix with mayonnaise, cream, salt and pepper.
- Lay out 6 slices of bread. Cut the three 6½ minute eggs in half lengthwise, and lay each half cut-side down in middle of a slice of bread.
- Evenly divide egg salad between slices of bread with egg halves, and spread it out to the edges. Top with remaining slices of bread. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.
Drink Pairings
Miso Tuna Salad
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
2 x 5-oz (140 g) cans tuna in water, drained
1 tsp (5 ml) miso
¼ cup (60 ml) Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise
½ tsp (2.5 ml) mirin
salt and pepper, to taste
2 mini cucumbers, cut into 2-in (5 cm) sticks
1 green onion, thinly sliced
½ tsp (2.5 ml) sesame seeds
1 avocado, sliced, to serve
12 pieces roasted seaweed snacks, to serve
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine tuna, miso, mayonnaise, mirin, salt and pepper.
- Transfer tuna salad to a serving plate. Top with cucumber, green onion and sesame seeds and serve with avocado and roasted seaweed. To eat, wrap some tuna salad and avocado in a piece of seaweed.
Drink Pairings
Chicken Karaage
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
1 lb (454 g) skin-on, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-in (5 cm) pieces
2 tbsp (30 ml) tamari
½ tsp (2.5 ml) sesame oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) sake
1 tbsp (15 ml) mirin
½-in (1.25 cm) piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
vegetable oil, for frying
½ cup (125 ml) potato starch
3 tbsp (45 ml) mochiko (sweet rice) flour
1 tbsp (15 ml) shichimi togarashi spice mix
julienned green onion, for garnish
¼ cup (60 ml) Kewpie ( Japanese) mayonnaise, to serve
½ lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
Japanese takuan pickles, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix chicken together with tamari, sesame oil, sake, mirin and ginger. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 to 2 hours.
- In a wok or high-sided, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2-in (5 cm) vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 F (190 C). Meanwhile, prepare a wire cooling rack with a sheet pan underneath.
- Drain chicken in a colander and discard marinade. In a small bowl, combine potato starch and mochiko flour. Coat chicken in starch mix, shaking off excess, then set aside on a plate.
- Fry chicken in small batches, turning halfway through, until golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C), about 5 to 7 minutes per batch.
- Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi, then garnish with green onion and serve with mayonnaise, lemon wedges and pickles (if using).