Bonacini's Italian Christmas (2018)

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BONACINI:

Christmas in Italy...

glowing trees in every piazza,

bustling streets adorned

with twinkling lights.

Like many Italians, I have my

feast on Christmas Eve,

and it features salt cod mousse

on crispy polenta crostini,

pasta stuffed with rustic

potato, fresh mint and cheese,

sweet, tender swordfish,

crispy fennel and

juicy blood orange salad,

pork shoulder braised in milk

with roasted vegetables,

and finally, espresso zabione.

This is my Italian Christmas.



An Italian Christmas Eve feast

simply must have

at least one fish dish,

and this is Baccala...

salted cod.

And I'm going to magically

transform that

into a light, airy,

flavourful mousse

served on top of

polenta crostini.

But before I do that, step one

has to take place.

And this salt cod is so salty

and dry and leathery, you

could not eat it just like this.

So, what's important is to soak

it for at least a full day

in cold water and changing

that water several times

to reach the perfect saltiness.

Christmas in Italy

is as much about

the food that gets prepared,

family and friends

that come over,

and about all the

craziness that ensues.



One of the best ways to cook

salt cod is in a small pot,

water and a little milk.

The milk actually

helps mellow down

the big flavours of the cod.

And by salting the cod,

it adds a wonderful firm

texture, which is perfect

for turning this mixture

into a light and airy mousse.

And the gloves of garlic

add their own unique

layer of flavour.

A couple of bay leaves

for a touch of earthiness

and a gentle simmer.

Ready for the next step.

My little twist

to the sharable antipasti

is to serve it

on polenta crostini.

See how easy that

came out of the pan?

Using a small cutter,

something that gives you

about a good bite-size

for these antipasto

to be shared.

Just simply cut

one disc at a time.

The perfect little foundation

to serve a salt cod mousse.



Go get the old

chimney sweeper

Make sure the

chimney is clear

Time to get humming

Santa is coming

I love this time of the year

I'll set the tree

by the mantle

You'll wrap

the presents, my dear

Let's make the dishes

Everyone wishes

I love this time of the year

My salt cod is ready

for the next step.

It's fully cooked

and it's starting to become

really light and flaky.

So, a quick transport

into the food processor,

minus the bay leaves.

But I want to keep

those garlic cloves

'cause they are going to

continue to add great flavour.



And this is where

the magic begins.

A really good

amount of olive oil.



A good crack of pepper.



[WHIRRING]



That looks really good.



You can make a quenelle,

which is a fancy culinary term

for shaping a little mound of

mousse between two spoons,

so you end up with

a little football shape.



Simple little

garnish of parsley.



Almost done.



Such great flavours.

The texture is what

really hits you first.

It is so creamy and soft,

and served on top of warm

grilled polenta.

That little charring just adds a

wonderful, magical touch to it.

Really is a great

way to start off

and Italian Christmas Eve Feast.

Veneto gives us this humble yet

decadent antipasto dish

to start off

our Christmas feast.

And from Sardinia, a rustic

pasta with potatoes,

cheese and a little mint.



Our Italian Christmas Eve feast

includes a classic

all the way from sunny Sardinia,

home to some of the most unique

dishes in all of Italy,

like these culurgiones...

pockets of pastas

stuffed with potatoes,

cheese and fresh mint.

This pasta dough is

really easy to make.

A few simple ingredients...

corn flour, egg, olive oil,

water, and a little salt

and, of course, some elbow

grease, to make a beautiful,

soft, supple dough.

Now, you can always

buy premade pasta dough

at any good grocery store.

Now, we just need to cut out my

little dumpling wrappers.

Culurgiones means

"little bundles",

which is odd because this pasta

is larger than

your average ravioli.



Now, I've preboiled these

beautiful, big potatoes

until they are super

fork tender, light and fluffy,

and have a wonderful amount

of moisture to them.

And it really is

just a simple case

of mashing these potatoes down.



Now, for a little flavouring.

I've gently heated

just a couple of smashed cloves

of garlic in some olive oil,

just to extract that

wonderful garlic flavour.

This garlic oil not only adds a

great dimension of flavour,

but adds a nice silkiness

to the mashed potatoes.



Now, for a unique ingredient

as part of the filling... fresh,

fragrant chopped mint.

[WOMAN SINGING IN ITALIAN]



[WOMAN SINGING IN ITALIAN]

A filling for

this kind of dumpling

would not be complete

without some cheese.

And this here is

a chunk of gruyere.

Not what you might expect

in an Italian dish.



And this cheese has a mild,

slightly nutty,

but sweet finish to it.

[WOMAN SINGING IN ITALIAN]

Perfect time for a taste.



Now, that's got really great

flavour... cheese, mint

and little, fluffy spuds.

[WOMAN SINGING IN ITALIAN]

So, this is where the fun

begins.

Just a little egg wash

around the outside

will help make sure

that these little parcels

are sealed up good and tight.

A little pinch...

and a fold.

This is where it gets really fun

with everyone involved...

kids and all.

And if they don't come out

all the same in shape and size

that doesn't matter.

It's about the fun behind it.

It's about getting in that

Christmas spirit.



While my culurgiones are cooking

in the boiling, salted water,

I have a very simple but perfect

sauce to finish them off in.

A little garlic,

shallots, olive oil,

and passata...

strained tomatoes...

simmered and seasoned

to the right consistency

and taste.

See how the culurgiones have

started to rise to the top

of the boiling water?

That tells me they're ready.

And just ever so gently,

lay them into

the simmering sauce.



Honestly, I could almost eat

them right out of the pot

and it wouldn't

be the first time.



Have to grab a little cheese.

The finishing touch.



Look at it, packed

full of that creamy,

cheesy, minty potato.

That is so good. Oh...

These kinds of dishes

that come out at Christmas time

are so special.

Mmm.



Babbo Natale would

love these jolly,

fat potato stuffed

pasta parcels,

and pretty certain

he'd enjoy my next dish...

a swordfish with cherry

tomatoes,

briny capers and olives...

a Christmas secondo.



Don't you just love the smell of

freshly brewed coffee?

I know I od.

It's an aroma I never seem

to get tired of.

And this heady,

aromatic brew of coffee

is perfect for my

up and coming dessert.

But first, it needs

to cool down a little,

whilst I get on with my

secondo...

pesce spada alla ghiotta,

which simply means "swordfish,

capers, tomatoes and olives."

Take a look at this gorgeous

swordfish steak.

That's cut right from the loin.

And what I love about this is

its texture, its density.

It has a sweetness to it.

In fact, I often think of this

as steak of the sea.



And swordfish is a lean fish,

so you have to keep your eye on

it whilst you're cooking.

To get things going, I need to

sear off my swordfish.

Now, that needs to be

done in a good hot pan,

but still with

a little gentle care.



Now, that's a lovely caramelized

and seared swordfish steak.



Using the same pan,

garlic, and then,

these beautiful,

plump, sugary,

sweet pomodorini...

small tomatoes

or cherry tomatoes.

And what I love about these

is they blister, they shrivel,

they become super juicy,

and they burst in your mouth.



Fiery heat from these chillies,

the sweetness of the tomatoes,

all balances out.

Add my capers for that

briny, salty little hit.

And these gorgeous, earthy,

aromatic olives...

green and black.

To bring it all together,

a good glug

of crisp pinot grigio.



And any of the juices

don't go to waste.

Down to a gentle, gentle simmer.

Lid slightly ajar for

a couple of minutes.

Oh...

A little cold butter

and a quick stir around.

And this technique is called

mont au beurre...

classic French,

but also used in Italy.

And it just brings

that sauce together,

enrichens it and gives

it a nice little sheen.

You know, I'm tempted to serve

it just in the pan as it is.

Because it is Christmas,

we're going to

dress it up just a little.



And just a little parsley.

This is a true taste

of a Calabrian and Sicilian

Christmas dinner.

See that just touch

of blushing pink?

That's pretty perfect

in my mind.

That is so tender, so succulent,

and full of flavour,

and it comes

together so quickly.

It is a quick, easy dish

that you can knock out

for a big family

at a Christmas dinner or a

Christmas Eve feast.

That was a great secondo.

How about we go

next deep into Sicily

for a palette cleansing salad

course between our two secondi?



When Sicilians prepare

a Christmas feast,

it more often than not

will include a fennel

and orange salad.

And that cool, crunchy,

liquorice flavour from the

fennel

and the sweet juice

of those blood oranges

makes this a perfect side dish

for my Christmas feast.

And these gorgeous

feathery fronds,

I'm going to hang onto those

'cause I have a plan for

them a little later on.



Just a quick cutting out of the

core of my fennel

before slicing it on a mandolin,

which is a great kitchen gadget.

And this really ensures

that I have good, even,

thinly sliced fennel.



Adding fennel to ice water

helps them crisp up.

Cutting the bulb super fine

makes it easy to twirl

onto your fork.

Plus, I think it looks lovely.

Now, every good salad

needs a little great dressing.

And take a look at

the colour of these oranges.

That is blood orange.

And it's that unique colour

that provides amazing taste

and makes a perfect dressing.

Little olive oil,

balance out the sweetness

and acidity.

And this, white balsamic,

has that great

intensity of flavour.

A little whisk up.

Now, I'm gonna let

my salad dressing sit,

so those flavours come together

and give it a final taste

before I actually

dress the salad.

Back to these beauties.

To prepare these

oranges for the salad,

simply top and tail

and then start

to remove the skin,

along with the pith.



So, to put the salad together,

it's really easy

'cause all the prep is done.

A few oranges in the bottom.

My sliced fennel.

And a light,

fluffy amount in the bowl.

You remember these fronds?

This is where

they come to action.

Now, I love toasted pine nuts,

and toasting them really

brings them to life.

You get that nutty flavour,

but you also get that rich,

butteriness to the nuts.

Now, it's back to the dressing.

It's had a chance to sit

and flavours to mellow out.

And the colour looks beautiful.

Just a little more pepper.

A little of the dressing.

And then, just a gentle toss.





I'm really happy with the way

the salad turned out.

It looks amazing.

It just smells absolutely

delightful.

And that balance of the orange

and the liquorice

from the fennel,

I know is going to be a winner.

Just look at the colour.

Absolutely beautiful.

That wonderful sweet,

slightly acidic blood orange,

that cool fennel

liquorice background,

the little hit of

white balsamic vinegar,

and then this buttery,

nutty flavour that comes from

everywhere but nowhere,

it's those pine nuts...

all together, they are simply

delightful.

In Italy, this dish is often

served to bridge two courses,

such as meat and fish.

It's certainly readied my

palette for our final secondo...

braised pork in milk...

yes, I did say milk...

until it is fall-apart tender

on a bed of carrots,

chestnuts and apple.



It's been tradition in Italy

not to eat meat

until Christmas Day.

But nowadays,

more and more families

seem to be preparing a roast

for Christmas Eve.

And I've chosen to do a long,

slow braised pork shoulder

and I'm serving it

with some coloured roasted

Christmas veggies.

It starts off with two things...

good seasoning,

followed by a good sear.



And this is what we chefs like

to call highly seasoned.



Over to the pot.

Now, for a good searing in olive

oil and a little butter.

[SIZZLING]

And the idea behind the searing

is it gives great caramelization

and colour, depth of flavour,

and I love those

little sticky bits

that end up on the bottom of

the pan that help the sauce

become really rich and dense.



[SIZZLING LOUDLY]

Take a look at that.

Now, that is a good searing.

Now, for a little

more flavouring.

Crushed garlic.

Wonderful, fragrant rosemary.

And some earthy sage.

Just let those flavours come out

before we add...

a good hit of white wine.

[SIZZLING LOUDLY]

That sounds really good.

And just the colour

and the aroma

coming out of this pot

right now, it amazing.

Now...

milk and cream, like I promised.

In goes the milk

and that lovely rich cream.

[MAN SINGING IN ITALIAN]

The idea of using milk and cream

when cooking a

pork dish like this,

one... it adds richness of

flavour,

two... the lactic acids

within the milk and cream

help tenderize.

Time for the lid to go on.

Down to a gentle simmer.

And pretty much,

my work is done.

Time to grab a glass of wine

and prepare

a few Christmas veggies.

[MAN SINGING IN ITALIAN]



This looks so good.

Gently take the pork

out of its milk bath.

Just let that relax...

under some tented foil,

whilst we get onto the sauce.

But before we do that,

I got to show you the curd

that has happened

within the pot.

Look at that.

And it's that curd

that I'm going to transform

into delicious,

silky-smooth sauce

to be served

with the pork roast.

Remove a few of

these st*lks from the herbs.

Many families will

just serve that curd

right over

the sliced pork as it is.

I like to

pour it all into a blender

and buzz it up

into a really tasty,

smooth sauce.

Got to have a quick taste.

That is good.

Really rich, really intense,

and magically,

the seasoning is spot on.

Sauce is ready.

Let's plate this up.

Now, I know this pork

is super, super tender

just because of the long,

slow cooking it's had.

So, a little gentle

on the slicing.



You can see how moist it is.

Fall apart tender.



Two, three, four

There.

Onto a serving platter.



All this needs now are my

roasted root vegetables.

Look at these.

Roasted carrots, chestnuts,

Cipollini onions,

and a few apples...

delicious things to go

with a roast pork.

And a drizzle of this

delicious creamy sauce.

And, of course, a little extra

always on the side.



Just looking at that pork,

you can tell how tender it is.

Literally melts in my mouth.

And the sticky roasted chestnut.

Simple ingredients

prepared well,

it's the perfect way to

celebrate any Christmas.

This would definitely

please Babbo Natale.

But that being said,

no Christmas meal

would be complete

without a little dessert.

How about a warm

zabione with panettone?



Panettone, it is a light,

fluffy, sweet bread,

studded with candied fruit.

And all across Italy,

you'll see Italians

carrying boxes of these

made at their local pasticceria,

and it is

a quintessential dessert

during the Christmas holidays.

I made this apricot

and pistachio panettone,

which I'm going to smother

in a light, creamy custard,

known as a sabayon...

or a zabione...

with espresso.

And that all begins

with beautiful egg yolks.

Zabione is traditionally

made with sweet wine

or a little fortified wine.

But I'm going

for a little espresso

because I think that coffee hit

and my cooling panettone,

they're going to work

so well together.

And the aromas coming from the

panettone are just amazing.

Little espresso.



I drink it hot

and I love it cold.

Now, the trick with zabione

is really to incorporate as much

air as you possibly can,

whilst cooking the egg yolks

gently over a bagnomaria

or a bain-marie.

Here we go.

[MAN SINGING IN ITALIAN]



You have to take a look at this.

See how much volume I've got?

That's all the air

being incorporated

over the slowly cooked

egg yolks.

Turn this off.

Look at that.

Now, just a little

vanilla to finish it off.



Mmm...

That is going to be good.

Time to cut up the panettone.

Look at that.

Beautiful.

And the smell is

still incredible.

So, what I want to do is really

just cut it into one inch cubes.

And to make it easy, I'll just

take off those two ends.

See how light and fluffy it is?

All those air pockets in there,

pistachio, apricot...

all the good things.



What I like to do

with my panettone

is just toast it up a touch.

Little non-stick pan

and just a touch of butter,

just to keep things loose.



You know, I have to say,

it's really starting to smell

a lot like Christmas here.

The aromas from this panettone

are just beautiful

and my kitchen is full of that

kind of wonderful,

warm baked good aroma,

which I love during the

holidays.

It gets me pretty excited.



My panettone's nicely

toasted up,

has a little crunch...

[SNIFFING]

...and it still

smells amazing. Mmm...

So, the fun part

is to build the dessert,

and it starts off

with a good layer

of my espresso zabione.



That is smothering, toasty,

crispy-crunchy panettone.

But all the great flavours.



And to finish off, a light

dusting of cocoa.



I can't wait to

tuck into this dessert.

I love a nice glass of chilled

Asti Spumante...

when I have a little dessert,

especially at Christmas,

and this fits the bill.

[SNIFFING]

Oh, it smells so good.

Look at that panettone dessert

towering high.

[SNIFFING]

Oh, it smells

so very, very good.

Mmm...

The panettone still warm,

little crispy and crunchy on the

outside from the toasting,

and those little

sweet hits of apricot

and pistachio.

Christmas in Italy is all about

gathering with family

and enjoying a

luxuriously long meal.

I've taken you from

Christmas in Veneto

with sweet salt cod on crispy

polenta crostini.

Then, to the island of Sardinia

for pasta stuffed with potato,

cheese and mint.

On down the coast to

Calabria and Sicily

for swordfish with

sweet cherry tomato,

briny capers and olives.

We stayed in Sicily

for crispy fennel

and juicy blood orange salad.

Then, back up north

to Emilia-Romagna

for tender pork braised in milk.

And finally, to end our

Christmas Eve feast,

this creamy espresso zabione...

popular throughout Italy...

served with a famous panettone.

From my Italian

Christmas Eve table to yours,

a feast fit for Babbo Natale.