Meat Ravioli with Cream and Tomato Sauce

If you plan well and have the right equipment this recipe will not take you more than 1 and 1/4 hour to prepare , start to finish!!  I had just that time to do it and in that time I managed to clean up too! Thermomix helps saving time but few pots and pans on the gas stove running simultaneously do the same thing! The quantitiy is enough to make 80 ravioli, just enough for hungry four!!

For the Dough
400g strong plain flour
4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt

For the Filling
300g Minced Beef
75g sausage mince
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 small carrot finely chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 crushed clove garlic
Salt & pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 heaped teaspoon cornflour

For the Sauce
1kg Tomatoes peeled and chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
2 clove garlic crushed
1 tsp honey
Salt & pepper
75ml Fresh Cream

Ground Pistacchio and olive oil to garnish

In a food processor add flour eggs and salt and give few pulses till small balls of dough form.  (do not overmix).Transfer mixture to working surface and using hands gather to form a ball.  Cover in cling film and set aside or in a refrigerator. 

Heat olive oil in a medium pan.  Add onion, garlic and carrot and fry till onion is nearly cooked.  Add mince beef and sausage mince and stir.  Continue to fry till mince is cooked.  Add chopped tarragon, salt and pepper and corn flour and stir.  Add egg and cheese and turn off heat.  Stir well then transfer mixture to food processor and process very little to obtain a rough paste.

Using pasta machine, divide dough into three.  Pass each dough many times through the machine so that it becomes smooth and elastic and get a long rectangular and thin sheet of pastry.  Spoon filling size of grape about  in the middle of pastry but 7cms apart. Brush around the filling with a little water then fold pastry over filling.  Press with fingers around filling and then using pasta cutter, cut into rectangle shape ravioli.  Place on a floured tray cover and refrigerate till needed.

Heat a large pan of water add 1 tsp salt and bring to boil.  Cook ravioli for about 5-7 minutes till al dente. serve with Tomato and Cream sauce then sprinkle Ground Pistacchio and drizzle olive oil on top.

Sauce

Heat olive oil in a small casserole, add onion and garlic and cook till soft.  Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes.  Using a hand blender blend mixture to smooth sauce.  Add honey, salt and pepper and boil for few minutes to reduce a little.  Turn off heat add cream and stir.

Nero di Seppia Risotto with Sea Bass Fillets

This recipe serves 4

350g Carnaroli Rice

600ml chicken stock(hot)

2 Cuttle fish plus ink bags

1 medium onion finely chopped

2 clove garlic crushed

1/2 cup white wine

4 sea bass  fillets skin on

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

2 chive flowers

Salt & pepper

Lemon Wedges

Wash rice well under cold running water and leave to drain in a sieve.  Remove ink sack from cuttle fish, (or ask fish monger to do it for you) Clean the cuttlefish and chop into small pieces.  Heat a large pan, add 1tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter, add onion and garlic and fry gently on low heat till onion is soft.  Add rice and stir so that oil and onion cover well each rice granule.  Add hot chicken stock and stir once.  Cover pan with lid as soon as you hear mixture boil, turn heat to the minimum setting and cook for 12 minutes.(do not open lid). Then open lid add cuttlefish and ink and stir.  Add wine, season well with salt and pepper and continue to stir for 3 more minutes till cuttlefish cooks and rice mixture becomes creamy .

Meanwhile heat a large frying pan, add 1 tbsp oil and fry sea bass fillets skin side down for 5 minutes.  Cover and cook for 1 more minute. 

Plate by spooning black risotto at the bottom, top with fish fillet skin side up and garnish with lemon wedges and chive flowers.

Chicken Liver Pate

300g Chicken Livers

1/4 cup Dry Sherry

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

2 rashers streaky bacon

 few bay leaves

Salt & Pepper

75g melted butter

Wash chicken livers under cold running water then put in a small bowl and add dry sherry and two bay leaves.  Leave to marinade for 2 hours.  

Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic.  Chop bacon into small cubes.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium frying pan. Fry onions and garlic till golden and translucent. Add chopped bacon and fry to render fat. Add chicken livers and the marinade and cook for about 10 minutes till livers are just cooked.  Turn off heat, remove bay  leaf and season well with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to food processor and blend till smooth paste forms.  Arrange  paste into serving rameking dishes, place 1 bay leaf on top and pour over the melted butter.  Keeps well in fridge for at least 1 week. Serve with toasted bread and cranberry Jam.