One thing is for sure, I love Gambas Rojas. So when in Spain, I make an effort to source these beauties (much cheaper there than overseas). These bright red crustaceans (also called aristeus antennatus) are found in the Mediterranean Sea and East Atlantic Ocean. They may not be the cheapest, but boy, the flavours are next level (beats lobster) and much of the flavour is concentrated in the sweet-tasting heads.

These coveted prawns are fished in the fisheries between Dénia and Ibiza, at a rough depth of 600 meters. They come in 4 sizes, the largest (category 1) being the most desired and expensive. Interesting enough, females come in the bigger sizes.

Since I’ve been residing in Madrid for the past month, I figured I need to optimise on the fresh seafood here. Saw some small ones on sale for 6 euros (1/4 kg). So without further ado, here is a simple recipe for Gambas Rojas with garlic.

Gambas al Ajillo

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Serves: 2 Prep Time: 5M Cooking Time: 2M 2M

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 250g of Gambas Rojas
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons of good quality EVOO
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed dried chilli
• Lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash prawns and pat dry
2. Head olive oil in a pan on medium heat and lightly sauté the thinly sliced garlic being mindful not to let it burn. You want to golden and crispy in colour. Once it becomes crispy, take the garlic out and set aside.
3. Turn heat on high now. Add the chilli. Pan fry the prawns roughly 1 minute on each side till they change colour and become opaque. Sprinkle some salt and paprika to flavour. I deglazed with a splash of cognac but this is totally optional.
4. Dish the prawns up and serve on a plate with the remaining oil from the pan. Garnish with the garlic chips you made earlier.

The post Spanish Garlic Prawns appeared first on Kitchenmess.

I love salmon. It is highly nutritious, full of protein and extremely versatile. You can poach, bake, fry, grill, smoke or even consume it raw as a sashimi or crudo. Moreover, because of its high content of omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has been found to relieve depressive feelings and boost our happiness levels when consumed in moderation.

Salmon has a distinctly delicate taste, less poignant than that of other fatty fishes such as mackerel and sardines. Besides, it’s extremely versatile: you can grill it, smoke it, bake it, poach it, or even eat it raw, and be certain that you’ll have an amazing culinary experience every time.

Tonight, I decided to pan-fry my salmon on a cast iron skillet. To get that crispy skin, make sure you pat dry the salmon and slit it about half an inch on the skin-side so that it doesn’t curl up and you get an even sear. I like to salt it heavily in between the slits too (as this takes moisture out so you get an even crispier sear). Heat the cast iron pan on medium-high heat, and once you see some smoke you can add the oil and then place the salmon skin-side down for a good 5 minute or so sear. I like to turn the heat to a low half way through, around the 3 minute mark so that the skin doesn’t turn black.

In the meantime, I made my mirepoix which comprises of diced carrots, onions, and celery, often in the ratio 1:2:1. I got my clams washed and ready and threw it into a pot, along with the mirepoix and deglazed with some vermouth (I did not have white wine on hand). Then I added two generous ladles of fish fumet and some sprigs of thyme, dill and a wedge of lemon for the extra zesty freshness. Close the lid and let it simmer on low heat till the clams all pop open.

Now, back to the fish. It should almost be cooked now so just short of a few minutes till perfection I added a knob of butter and some thyme springs and kept basting it in the pan before flipping it over to give the non-skin side some colour with a light sear.

Once the fish fumet with clams is done, I used a sieve to get rid of the clams and mirepoix ingredients and leave behind only the good stuff : the seafood soup. I added some chopped dills and removed some clams from their shells to place back into the serving bowl with the soup (along with some clams with shells for aesthetic appeal). Next, I simply laid my salmon skin side up and garnished with some freshly zested lemon and chopped dill.  And there you have it, an aromatic and healthy weeknight meal that is keto-friendly and ideal for pescatarians.

Full video on my instagram @kitchenmesshk in the Reels section

Crispy Skin Salmon with Fish Fumet and Clams

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Serves: 1 Prep Time: 30M Cooking Time: 10M 10M

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 180g salmon fillet with skin on
• 10-15 clams
• Sprigs of fresh thyme and dill
• 1/4 cup of diced carrots
• 1/4 cup of celery
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1 shot of vermouth or white wine
• 250g of fish fumet (two large ladle spoons)
• Wedge of lemon
• Knob of butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pat dry salmon skin and score the skin half an inch deep, roughly 3 slits.
2. Salt generously both sides of the salmon.
3. Heat a cast iron or heavy skillet on medium high heat. Once hot, add oil and then place salmon skin-side down. Cook for 3 minutes then turn heat down to a low and let it cook for another 3 minutes.
4. Make the fish fumet with clams in the meantime. Add the clams and mirepoix to a pot that is set to medium heat. Add a splash of vermouth or white wine and let it simmer till it evaporates a bit. Add two ladles of fish fumet, the thyme, dill and lemon wedge and let it cook with the lid on for a few minutes till the clams open.
5. Meanwhile, add a knob of butter and spring of thyme to the salmon pan and keep basting with a spoon to coat the side without the skin. Flip the salmon and cook for a remaining 2-3 minutes (depending on thickness of salmon).
6. The fumet should be ready now. Open the lid and get a sieve to strain the contents in order to yield a clear broth. Remove some clams from their shells and place in the broth bowl along with some clams with shells.
7. Layer the salmon skin side up in the broth and garnish with some lemon zest and freshly chopped dill.

The post Crispy Skin Salmon with Clams in Fish Fumet appeared first on Kitchenmess.

Basically, today is a public holiday in Hong Kong. Taught my niece how to bake a matcha chiffon cake this morning then figured lunchtime is just around the corner – what shall I make? I had some Thai basil lying around the house, scavenged my freezer and found some mince pork collar and some baos so figured I’d be resourceful and instead of serving the classic pad pra kao with rice, I could enclose it inside those fluffy soft Chinese baos that you steam.

I guess pad kra pao needs not much explanation. Literally translated, it means “holy basil stir fry”. It is one of the most ubiquitous street foods in Thailand (probably second to the pad thai). It is super easy and fast to make, making it a perfect weeknight dinner. As for where to find those Chinese gua bao’s (刈包), I’d look for your local Asian grocer. I mean, if you are game and time is not working against you, by all means feel free to make your own. Here is a workable gua bao recipe from Kitchen Sanctuary.

As for myself, I’m perfectly fine with saving time by using the store bought version (I have a day job after all to manage on top of my supper club). So I rather focus on the centerpiece of these baos: the pad kra pao delivered with an edge.

Which begs the question? What is the edge? Well…my “secret sauce” today is the Momofuku chili crunch (not I get no affiliate commissions). Just that I so happened to have it in my fridge (was a gift) so I figured it’d be the perfect condiment to drizzle on top. I also had a raddish at home so sliced it thin with my mandoline (be careful of your fingers) to insert inside the bao as well.

And just like that, in the palm of your hands you can have a fushion of Thai with Chinese.

If you like this recipe, please follow my instagram here and tag @kitchenmesshk should you make these little cute pockets of joy. Also, please leave a review below

Pad Kra Pao Baos

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes 10 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: -0.2/5

( 56 voted )

Ingredients

• 500g pork mince (not too lean)
• 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon of light/regular soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 shallot, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 chillis, sliced thinly (deseeded if desired)
• Bunch of Thai basil, leaves torn off
• 1/3 cup of water or chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil
• 8 teaspoons of Momofuku chili sauce (feel free to substitute)

Instructions

1. Marinade the minced pork with the light soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.
2. In the meantime, place the frozen pork baos in a steamer basket with water underneath and turn on the stove to let the baos steam for ~8 minutes over medium heat. They will be down the same time you finish cooking the pad kra pao.
3. In a wok or frying pan on medium-high heat, add the oil and then add the garlic, shallots. Fry for 3 minutes or so. Add the chillis and fry for another minute.
4. Now addthe ground pork. Break the pork mince up to let it cook thoroughly and crisp up.
5. Add the dark soy sauce, sugar and fish sauce. Stir-fry for another minute then deglaze the pan with water or chicken broth. The liquid should evaporate rather fast. Quickly add the thai basil and give it a good stir till it is wilted. Turn off the heat.
6. The baos should be ready. Open the pockets and line the baos with the thinly sliced radish (if using) and spoon in the pad kra pow carefully. Finish each bao with a generous teaspoon of momofuku chili sauce (adjust quantity if too spicy).  Serve while hot.

Notes

- Assuming 2 baos per person, 500g of minced pork/chicken will make roughly 4 servings (8 baos). - Feel free to substitute the pork with chicken or beef mince - Don't use a pork mince that is too lean; it won't be as juicy.

The post Pad Kra Pao Baos appeared first on Kitchenmess.

I like to marinade my scallops with the miso marinade so that it absorbs the flavours and then pan fry them in a scorching pan. However, if you prefer your scallops crispy, you will need to ensure that they are patted dry first when you sear them in your pan and then you can brush the miso glaze on top after.

As for the types of scallops to use, I love the jumbo Hokkaido scallops. These are the most prized scallops in the culinary scene as they are well regarded for their their size, meatiness, and amazing flavour as a scallop sashimi. Did you know just 3 ounces of these scallops provides 20 grams of protein and just 95 calories?

This miso glazed scallop dish can be served as an appetiser or as a main (of course if you are serving it as a main then cook more than just 3). I can guarantee you that this dish will delight your guests as it not only looks stunning, but tastes absolutely divine.  So without further ado, let’s get on with the recipe.

Miso Glazed Scallops

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Serves: 2 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 3 Minutes 3 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 0.5/5

( 52 voted )

Ingredients

• 6 large Hokkaido scallops (if you can't get your hands on Hokkaido scallops, can be any scallop of your liking)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon of sake
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon miso
• 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
• Microgreens/coriander/scallions to garnish
• Black sesame to garnish (optional)
• Ikura/salmon roe (optional)

Instructions

1. Rinse and pat dry scallops with kitchen towel.
2. Mix miso, grated ginger, mirin and sake together in a shallow bowl. Combine till it forms a loose paste.
3. Put scallops into the miso mixture and coat all over. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
4. In the meantime, heat a skillet on medium high heat and oil it.
5. Once you see some smoke from the pan add the scallops and let it sit and cook for 1 minute. Turn down heat to medium and cook for another 30 seconds.
6. Flip the scallop and let it cook for another minute roughly (or if smaller size then 30 seconds). Baste the scallop with remaining miso sauce using a brush. In the last 30 seconds add the knob of butter.
7. Transfer cooked scallops to a plate and garnish with the micro greens, sesame and ikura (if using).

Also, if you find this recipe useful, I kindly ask you to support my hosting fees, effort and time in writing up this recipe, taking the photos and editing them to share with you all. All I ask is a cup of coffee. Thank you so much. Don’t forget you can email me with any questions at michelle@kitchenmess.com and I’ll do my best to reply to you in a timely manner.

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So, let’s get down to it. Rumour has it, the glass noodles resemble the branches of a tree, the scallions the leaves, and the ground pork the ants. I ran out of scallions at home so just substituted it for chopped coriander leaves here. Feel free to stick with scallions.

Glass noodle are simply clear simply bean thread noodles (n.b. not vermicelli) made from mung bean which can easily be attained in any Asian grocer. What you need to find is Dou Ban Jiang’ a spicy bean sauce.  Other key ingredients will be the minced pork and chicken stock.

Ants Climbing Up a Tree Sichuanese noodle dish

Without further ado, let’s check out the recipe.

Ma Yi Shang Shu (蚂蚁上树)

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Serves: 2 Prep Time: 5M Cooking Time: 10M 10M

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5/5

( 53 voted )

Ingredients

• 300g ground pork
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of dark soy
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 2 tablespoon dou ban jiang
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 inch garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon of rice wine
• 150ml of chicken stock
• 1 bunch of scallions, diced

Instructions

1. Marinate pork in a bowl with sesame oil, light and dark soy. Sit aside for 10 minutes or use instantly if you don't want to wait. 
2. Soak the glass bean noodles in a bowl of hot water in the meantime for a few minutes till it goes soft. Drain.
3. Heat pan on medium high heat with a tablespoon of cooking oil.
4. Add minced ginger, garlic and minced pork. Stir fry for a minute or two till some of the pork changes color.
5. Add the dou ban jiang and fry for 30 seconds before adding the chicken stock.  
6. Cook for 6-7 minutes till all the minced pork is cooked and add the soaked bean noodles and scallions. Give it a good stir in the pan before dishing up to serve in a bowl. Garnish with more chopped scallions before serving. 

 

If you like this recipe and find it useful, please leave a kind review

The post Ma Yi Shang Shu (蚂蚁上树) appeared first on Kitchenmess.

This lemongrass coconut curry clam dish could be it. The clams are simmered in a chicken curry-based broth and combined with Southeast Asian notes of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf, then underscored with some earthy turmeric spice and tanginess of tamarind. Fish sauce helps add a touch of umami while palm or brown sugar helps balance out the sourness of the tamarind to impart more complexity to the dish.

This dish is super easy to make and will definitely leave your guests asking for more. I love mopping up the juices with paratha (or feel free to make rice). Always try to use fresh clams if you can find from your local fishmonger and bruise the lemongrass stem (with a mortar and pestle) before using it to ensure maximum flavours are imparted into the broth.

The beauty of this dish is not only the fresh herby and lemongrass flavours but also, it can be all be made in one pan in less than 20 minutes!

I like to serve mine with paratha but feel free to serve it with some crusty bread or steamed rice. Enjoy!

Lemongrass Coconut Curry Clams

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Serves: 2 Prep Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 10 mins 10 mins

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 2.0/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 pound clams
• 2 lemongrass stalks
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/2 inch of galangal, sliced.
• 250ml of chicken stock
• 60ml of coconut milk or cream
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of yellow curry paste
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon or coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon of tamarind
• 1 bunch of thai basil
• 1 birds eye chilli, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Discard the outer dry layer of lemongrass stalks and cut off the bottom bulb. Bruise the lemongrass stalk with a pestle or heavy knife.

2. Add cooking oil (ideally coconut oil) to a skillet and turn on to a medium heat. Add the shallots, lemongrass and galangal and cook for 1 minute until the flavours release.

3. Throw in the clams and let it cook for 30 seconds before adding the chicken stock, turmeric, curry paste, fish sauce, tamarind, chopped chilli and sugar.

4. Close the lid and let it simmer for 6 minutes. Some clams will start to open.

5. Add the coconut cream / milk and continue to simmer the clams with lid closed for another 2 minutes.  By this time, most of the clams should be fully opened.

6. Once all clams open up, garnish with the thai basil. Turn off the heat, give it a quick stir and dish up to serve.

The post Lemongrass Coconut Curry Clams appeared first on Kitchenmess.

So what is stracciatella? Well, my guess is that you are all familiar with burrata. The only difference between stracciatella and burrata is the thin layer of mozzarella; which, to me, doesn’t add that much value anyways. You just want that oozy, creamy goodness inside. Burrata, in fact, came after the invention of stracciatella, as a way to “hold it all together”.

Simply put, stracciatella di bufala is made with the leftover mozzarella curds and  mixing it with salt and fresh cream, thereby creating a sweet and milky delicacy. Its extremely versatile as a cheese, you can slather it on top of pizza or incorporate it into salads. Often it is served at breakfast time in Puglia, alongside toast, proscuitto, and fresh fruit. For more details as to how stracciatella is made, read this article.

The combination of  stracciatella (or burrata) on top of a dish of perfectly cooked al dente pasta is seriously delicious.

Now onto bottarga. Made from cured grey or red mullet egg roe, bottarga is a delicacy not to be missed. Bottarga is not just a delicacy in Italy, but also in Japan (known as karasumi) and in the Arabic speaking countries (known as butarkah). In Italy, mullet bottarga, or bottarga di muggine, is a specialty of Sardinia, where the rose sacs were traditionally sun-dried after salting. The texture is akin to cured egg yolks or a firm pecorino cheese, therefore making it perfect for grating.

One of my favourite ways to use bottarga is to make pasta con la bottarga. Start with gently toasting whole, crushed garlic cloves in olive oil in a pan set on low heat. This will impart a subtle allium aroma without distracting from the main flavour of the dish: the briny, salty bottarga. Meanwhile, grate your bottarga as the pasta boils. You want to steep this bottarga off-heat in the warm olive oil to coax out the delicate aroma. Last, save a cup of starchy pasta water from the pasta pot as this is ideal for emulsifying the sauce, which is brought together by simply tossing and stirring the noodles off-heat (i.e. no need to finish the pasta dish on heat, a process called mantecatura).

Fresh lemon juice and zest, plus some freshly chopped parsley helps impart some acidity and freshness to the dish. Plate up the pasta (twirl it around a tong inside a ladle if you fancy more of a refined look) and shower it with a fresh dusting of bottarga to accentuate the salty, briny flavour in the first few bites.

Spaghetti with Bottarga and Stracciatella

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Prep Time: 10M Cooking Time: 20M 20M

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 2.6/5

( 10 voted )

Ingredients

• 40 grams of bottarga
• 60ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 170g of pasta such as spaghetti or linguine
• few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and zest of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon of toasted bread crumbs
• salt

Instructions

1. Grate the bottarga with a rasp grater (microplane works) and set aside on a plate.
2. Heat pot of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook al dente (take off 2 minutes before time instructed on the package). Reserve a cup of pasta water.
3. In the meantime, heat a skillet on medium low heat and add the olive oil and crushed garlic. Wait till the garlic turns light brown and discard.
4. Add the red chilli flakes and cook on low heat for 30 seconds.
5. Take off heat and add the grated bottarga.
6. Add the pasta to the skillet with some pasta water and toss till it emulsifies and coats the pasta all over. Add some parsley, lemon juice plus zest, and salt and continue to add the pasta water in 60ml increments till you get the right consistency.
7. Transfer to serving bowls and dust with fresh parsley, toasted breadcrumbs and a grating of more bottarga. Final touch is to add roughly 30 grams of stracciatella on top of each pasta bowl/dish. Drizzle with a teaspoon of EVOO if desired and serve immediately.

Notes

Grey mullet bottarga, or "bottarga di muggine" in Italian, is sold at some Italian specialty shops and online. It is sold as whole roe sac lobes, or already grated. As with hard cheeses, for optimal flavor we recommend buying whole pieces and grating it yourself. Bottaga, when wrapped tightly, can be stored for several months in the fridge.

The post Spaghetti With Bottarga and Stracciatella appeared first on Kitchenmess.

I am of the firm belief that a hot crumpet, slathered with butter, drizzle of honey, and perhaps a high quality jam, is one of life’s greatest pleasures when it comes to food indulgent moments.

You will need some cookie cutter rings or food rings to get that perfectly round shape. Ideal size would be 7-8cm rings. You will want at least 18mm/0.7 inch in height. To ensure it doesn’t stick, heat the rings on the pan with some oil and grease them with a brush before you pour the batter into each one.

A sleepy starter won’t work here. You need to use an active starter for best results. So feed your starter with water and flour about a day earlier, rather than a starter that has not been fed for some time.

Patience is key too when it comes to making crumpets. Low and slow. If you go fast you will risk burning the bottoms before the top cooks. Oh, and don’t move the rings as you cook.

Oh, and be careful not to add too much baking soda/powder, it can make your crumpets taste metallic.

How do you know when the crumpets are ready? The crumpets are cooked all the way through when bubbles appear on the surface and then pop to make holes. Do not remove from the heat before the holes pop. Flip over quickly to heat up other side and serve with your favorite jam, honey and/or butter.

Easy Sourdough Crumpets

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Serves: 5 Prep Time: 5M Cooking Time: 10M 10M

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 2.1/5

( 9 voted )

Ingredients

• 200g sourdough discard / starter
• 50ml water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Oil for frying
• Butter and/or honey to serve

Instructions

1. Mix the active sourdough discard with water. Then add sugar, bicarb soda, baking powder, salt. Mix again till incorporated.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan with oil on medium heat and place rings on the pan. Once hot, brush insides of rings with the oil from the pan.
3. Pour around 1cm of batter into each ring. Don't move the ring as it cooks. Bubbles should appear quickly and pop.
4. Once bubbles have popped you can do a quick flip and cook for 20 seconds before transferring to a plate and serving with butter and / or honey and / or jam.

Notes

* Crumpets freeze well so feel free to freeze for up to 4 months and reheat on pan or toaster * Adjust heat to low when cooking if it browns too much at the bottom

The post Sourdough Crumpets appeared first on Kitchenmess.

Five ingredients really all you need: cherry tomatoes, shallots, garlic, herb(s) of your choosing and extra virgin olive oil. Plus a generous pinch of salt. For those who prefer sweeter tomatoes, I will also include the added option to add a sweetener of your choice too if desired (e.g. maple syrup or agave syrup).

For a smoother and luxurious, silky texture, I removed the skin on the tomatoes. To do this quickly, cut a criss cross slit at the bottom of each tomato then let them boil in a pot of hot simmering water for a minute or two before quickly draining it and letting it sit in a pot of ice water.  Once sufficiently cooled (few minutes) you can easily remove the skin off each tomato with a small paring knife.

Once done, simply put the tomatoes in a big mason jar along with the marinade. I like to use a combination of shallot, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, chopped basil (feel free to use whatever herb you fancy but today I decided to use basil and dill as I had some in my fridge), salt and pepper.  Added a generous dose of extra virgin olive oil and also a teaspoon of maple syrup.  Feel free to swap out the balsamic vinegar with another acid of your choosing such as lemon juice, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, etc.

Now just let the marinated tomatoes sit still in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours minimum. You can also let them soak in all that goodness overnight for up to 24 hours, especially if your tomatoes were sturdy to begin with. I like to serve these with burrata but feel free to use it on salads or to make crostinis.

Marinated Herbed Cherry Tomatoes

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 12M Cooking Time: 3M 3M

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 pound of mixed cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of chopped basil (or pick herb of your choosing such as parsley)
• 3 shallots, diced finely
• 3 garlic cloves, diced finely
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (or vinegar or acid of your choosing)
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

1. Remove skin of the tomatoes. Boil pot of boiling water and slit the ends of each tomato in a criss cross pattern lightly. Throw tomatoes into pot of boiling water and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Drain tomatoes and transfer the tomatoes into a pot of ice cold water. Let it sit for a few minutes before removing the skin with a paring knife.
3. Put peeled tomatoes into a mason jar and add the chopped herbs, garlic, shallot, vinegar, olive oil and sweetener (if using). Add salt and pepper (if desired) and mix. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours or overnight to soak up all the goodness in flavors.
4. Tomatoes are ready to serve. Can bring it back to room temperature before doing so (30 minutes in advance).

Notes

* I like to serve mine with burrata but feel free to toss it in a salad, pasta, on top of grilled fish or on toasted bread (like a crostini).

The post Marinated Herbed Cherry Tomatoes appeared first on Kitchenmess.

Me being me though, I like to step things up a level with a veil of sophistication. I incorporated some anchovies into my recipe and cooked it gently on low heat simultaneously with the garlic in the olive oil and also grated some bottarga for the extra umami touch. Decadence.

One word of caution. While Aglio e olio is simple and can be inexpensive to make, you really need to let the flavours shine. Hence, don’t be a miser and dish out on the best quality pasta and olive oil you can afford. The artisan Martelli pasta is my brand of choice. Martelli is a family-run business located in Lari, a small medieval village near Pisa. They have been making pasta using old-style traditions since 1926.

Aglio e Olio with Bottarga

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Serves: 2 Prep Time: 10M Cooking Time: 20M 20M

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 2.5/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (or 2 peperoncino peppers, diced)
• 3 anchovies, diced
• 1/2 cup of quality extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of grated bottarga
• 4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked al dente, about 10-12 minutes (read packet instructions or go by 'feel'). Drain and transfer to a pasta bowl.
2. Combine garlic, anchovies and olive oil in a cold skillet. Cook over medium heat to slowly toast garlic, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the peperoncino peppers or red chilli flakes. Cook and stir until garlic is golden brown, about another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir the pasta in a bowl along with the salt, black pepper and parsley. Pour in the cooked garlic oil from other pan and toss with the parsley and bottarga.
4. Serve with extra grated parmesan (and bottarga) if desired.

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