Crostini di fegatini (Chicken liver crostini)

These recipes are compliments of Costanza Belloni-Filippe of Villa Il Paradisino, Florence, Italy

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients for 6 servings

300gm (.75lbs) chicken/duck or rabbit livers

2 big red onions

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp capers in vinegar

2 cloves garlic

2 anchovy fillets

3 sage leaves

2 bay leaves

1/3 cup Marsala wine or cognac

500gm (1 lb) of country bread (cut about 1 cm 1/2 inch thick)

salt

Clean and cut the onion into rings. Clean, wash and chop the livers. In a sauce pan saute the livers and the onions with the olive oil, the bay leaves and the sage, until they are very brown. They need to start sticking (about 15 minutes). Add the garlic and the wine and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring continuously; they should cook without adding wate4r so reduce the heat if they dry out too much.

Remove from the heat and put the livers into an electric mixer, together with capers, anchovies, and chop until very fine. At the end, if you like more liquid add 2 tbsp more of olive oil, or a little bit of marsala, or a tbsp of milted butter in a little bit of water.

Slice the bread and spread some of the mixture on each slice.

Torta salata ai porri (leeks savoury flan)

These recipes are compliments of Costanza Belloni-Filippe of Villa Il Paradisino, Florence, Italy

Preparation time : 1hr

Dough
½ cup flour
¼ cup water
2 tbsp oil.
Salt
Ingredients
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 leeks
50 ml milk
1 egg
¼ cup parmesan
1 cup stracchino cheese like cream cheese
4 oz of emmental or mozzarella cheese
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper

The filling
Finely chop the leeks into rings and fry gently in olive oil, add salt, pepper and grated nutmeg and then cover the pan and cook till soft, adding little by little milk and then water. (about 45 minutes)

In the mean time make the dough

On the table put the flour and pour in the middle oil, water, and salt and work with your hands to form a ball. Set aside in the fridge to cool.

When the leeks are ready, leave to cool and then add ½ of the parmesan and 1 egg.

Then divide the dough in two parts and roll out very thin almost transparent on of the circles of dough. Put into a buttered flan pan. Pour in the leeks mixture, then the cheeses in pieces and sprinkle on top with parmesan.

Cover the top with the other half of the dough rolled very thin. Make sure there are some holes and sprinkle with olive oil on the top.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 centigrade (375F).