Summer Sizzle With Hilary Biller – Season 1 Episode 5 Recipes
FIRING UP ITALY
PORCINI STEAK
Dried porcini (or even shiitake) mushrooms can be ground to a powder and rubbed onto the meat for a delicious, deep flavour.
GAS BRAAI
KETTLE BRAAI DIRECT WOOD OR CHARCOAL FIRE
serves 4
INGREDIENTS
50 g dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms freshly ground black pepper
5 ml (1 tsp) dried thyme
4 thick sirloin or rump steaks olive oil
salt
Using a spice grinder, food processor or blender, process the mushrooms into a fine powder.
Season with pepper and dried thyme.
Rub the mixture onto the steaks and place in a ziplock bag. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Remove the steaks from the bag and rub with olive oil. Season with salt.
Braai over a hot fire for 3–5 minutes per side for rare – the best way to eat the steak – or longer if desired. Good with potatoes of any sort and a salad.
CHARRED POLENTA WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND PARMESAN
‘Polenta’ is the Italian word for corn meal and comes in a rich yellow colour. We know it as mealie meal in South Africa. This recipe can be made with either polenta or mealie meal.
GAS BRAAI
KETTLE BRAAI DIRECT WOOD OR CHARCOAL FIRE
serves 4
INGREDIENTS
200 g polenta
60 ml (4 Tbsp) butter
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra Parmesan shavings salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
1 red and 1 green pepper, halved and cored coarse salt
Make the polenta according to the package instructions. remove from the heat and beat in the butter and cheese with a wooden spoon. Season generously. Pour into a 23 cm round cake pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator, turn out of the pan and, using a sharp knife, cut into wedges. Brush with olive oil.
Prepare the peppers and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Spray the braai grid with non-stick cooking spray and place the peppers skin side down on the grid.
Cook for 10–15 minutes, turning halfway. Halfway through the cooking time of the peppers, place the polenta wedges on the grid and cook for 3–4 minutes per side, pressing down on the polenta with an egg lifter. Serve the polenta with slices of roasted pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and shavings of Parmesan cheese.
ROAST TOMATOES WITH CRUMBS AND THYME
INGREDIENTS
6 large firm red tomatoes, halved
3 bushy sprigs of thyme
85ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
85g fresh white breadcrumbs
6-8 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Lay the tomatoes cut-side up in a shallow baking dish or roasting tin.
Remove the thyme leaves from their stems and put them in a small mixing bowl with the oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
Stir the breadcrumbs into the oil with the anchovies. Spoon this mixture over the tomatoes and bake for 40 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender and the crumbs lightly crispy.
Serve with crusty bread to mop up the lovely juices.
LIMONCELLO TART
Limoncello is an Italian liqueur with a tantalizing sweetness that is offset perfectly by the tartness of lemon. Traditionally served straight from the freezer, a few tots of limoncello can turn a summer evening into a beautiful haze! Use oranges and orange liqueur instead of lemons and limoncello, if preferred.
serves 6–8
INGREDIENTS
BASE
1 x 200 g packet nuttikrust® biscuits
85 g butter, melted
2.5 ml (1⁄2 tsp) ground cinnamon
FILLING
4 lemons
200 g icing sugar, sifted
45 ml (3 Tbsp) limoncello (direct from the freezer), or use more if you want it more boozy (or use a concentrated lemon syrup)
250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream
extra lemon zest for garnish
Spray a 20–23 cm springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Crush the biscuits in a food processor. Combine them with the melted butter and cinnamon and
use to line the base of the pan, making sure the biscuit crumbs come a little way up the sides of the pan as well. Chill to set.
For the filling, zest the lemons and squeeze out the juice. Place both in a large mixing bowl and add the icing sugar and limoncello. Leave to stand for 15 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
Whip the cream in a bowl until billowy. Fold the cream into the lemon juice and icing sugar mixture.
Spoon the filling onto the biscuit base, cover the pan with plastic wrap without touching the top of the dessert, and freeze for at least 4–5 hours or overnight.
Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving, then remove from the pan and place on a serving dish. Top with extra lemon zest.
