recipes

buffalo mozzarela lasagne neil perry

Ingredients
9 instant lasagne sheets
500g fresh buffalo or cow's-milk
mozzarella
100g freshly grated parmesan
Meat sauce
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
300g pork mince
300g veal mince
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp plain flour
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
a pinch of caster sugar
700ml tomato passata
400g canned diced tomatoes
2 large handfuls basil leaves
Bchamel sauce
50g unsalted butter
2 tbsp plain flour
600ml milk
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Adjust the oven racks so the dish can sit
in the middle.
To make the meat sauce, heat the oil in a
large heavy-based frying pan over
medium heat.
Cook the onion, stirring occasionally,
until softened but not browned.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium-high and
add the meats and a pinch of salt and
pepper.
Cook, breaking up the meat with a
wooden spoon, for 4 minutes or until it
loses its raw colour but is not browned.

Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2

minutes.
Add the vinegar and cook, stirring
occasionally, until it has almost
evaporated.
Add the sugar, passata and tomatoes
and simmer for 10 minutes or until the
sauce thickens slightly.
Check the seasoning, stir in the basil and
set the meat sauce aside.
To make the bchamel, melt the butter in
a heavy-based saucepan over lowmedium heat.
Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2
minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and add
the milk all at once, whisking constantly,
to avoid any lumps.
Return the pan to the heat and keep
whisking, until the sauce boils and
thickens.
Remove from the heat and season.
To assemble the lasagne, spread a
quarter of the meat sauce in the base of
a 29cm x 23cm x 7cm lasagne dish.
Place 3 of the lasagne sheets over the
sauce.
Spread another quarter of the sauce over
the pasta, then a third of the mozzarella,
torn into pieces.
Continue layering the pasta, meat sauce
and mozzarella two more times.
Pour the bchamel sauce evenly over the
final layer of mozzarella, then sprinkle
with the parmesan.
Cook the lasagne for 30 minutes or until
the cheese is brown and the sauce is
bubbling.
Let the lasagne stand for 10 minutes
before serving.

Chickes Cacciatori
] A simple hunter-style chicken dish is great, as it's just set and forget. All the time is in the slow
cooking. I love olives in it, although they're not really traditional. Anchovies and capers wouldn't be out
of place either. I use tinned tomatoes because it's easier, but fresh peeled tomatoes are good as well.

Ingredients
6 free-range chicken legs, cut into thigh and drumstick
cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium brown onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 cups dry white wine
400g can whole tomatoes, chopped with juices
1 cups chicken stock
cup black olives
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Method
1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium to high heat. Add onions, garlic and sea salt and
cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until soft. Remove onions from the pan,
add the chicken and fry, turning pieces to brown evenly.
2. Put the onions back in, add wine and cook until wine reduces to a couple of
tablespoons.
3. Add tomatoes with their juice, chicken stock, olives, bay leaf and rosemary. Reduce
heat to low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
4. The chicken should be cooked but not falling off the bone, and the sauce should have
thickened. Check the seasoning, add a good grind of pepper and fold the vinegar through.

Place three chicken pieces on each of the four white plates, sprinkle with parsley
and serve with soft polenta.