Catherine Fulvio’s crowd-pleasing recipes

Starters

Grissini Three Ways/Tris Di Grissini

What’s the first thing you nibble in an Italian restaurant? For me, it’s always the breadsticks. They are delicious with Parma ham wrapped around them or dipped in pesto. I love these three different breadstick versions - sesame, thyme and Trapini style, which has sea salt sprinkled on - as they nicely complement each other. Makes about 20 breadsticks.

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To activate the yeast:

• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 11/2 tsp fast action dried yeast
• 280ml warm water

For the dough:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 250g '00' flour
• 90g semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp salt
• egg wash (1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp water)
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tsp sea salt

Method:

1. Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm water in a small bowl and let it stand for 10 minutes. When the yeast is frothy, it's ready to use.
2. Add the olive oil and stir in the '00' flour, the semolina and the salt until it just comes together, adding a little more flour or warm water if necessary. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes, until it's smooth and soft.
3. Brush a large bowl for proving the dough with olive oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the oiled bowl. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7. Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment and dust with semolina.
5. Sprinkle a little semolina over a clean surface. Knock back the dough and knead it on the floured surface for about 3 minutes, until smooth.
6. Roll out the dough into a rectangle. Cut about 20 thin strips and roll into breadstick shapes. This is how I do it: one hand moves forward and the other hand moves backwards. Keep rolling until a fairly even length is reached. Brush on a little egg wash and sprinkle over the sesame seeds on some of the breadsticks, the thyme on others and the sea salt on the rest. Carefully lift onto the baking tray.
7. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until crisp. Leave on the baking tray to set for 5 minutes.

Roasted grapes with jamón Serrano

The roasted grapes are simple and can be added to salads or served on a cheese board. They keep in the fridge for a couple of days as well. Thin wedges of figs or peaches are also delicious when lightly roasted this way. Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

• 500g red seedless grapes, divided into small bunches
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 8-10 thin slices of jamón Serrano

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Put bunches of red grapes on the tray and drizzle with the sherry vinegar. Roast for about 10 minutes on one side and then turn them over and roast for about 8 minutes on the other side. (The cooking time depends on the size and sweetness of the grapes - sweeter grapes can burst open if they're left in the oven for too long, as they're laden with lovely juice.) Baste the grapes from time to time. They will begin to soften and caramelise.
3. Arrange the slices of jamón serrano on a platter alongside the grapes and serve.

Caponata

This is one of my trusty Sicilian favourites that I serve not only as a little snack with freshly baked bread, but also as a starter on a casual antipasti platter to family and friends. If I’m feeling a little peckish I spoon some into a ramekin and warm it up ever so slightly and it energises me again. Makes 350g.

Ingredients:

• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large or 2 medium aubergines, diced into
• 2cm pieces
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 2 x 400g cans good-quality Italian plum tomatoes
• 60ml white wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp salted capers
• 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• sugar, to taste
• 125g green olives, roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
• crusty bread, to serve

Method:

1. Heat some olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the aubergine pieces until they are golden and soft. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
2. Add a little more olive oil. Stir in the onions and celery and cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes, until they begin to colour. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, vinegar, capers, oregano and sugar to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the aubergine and the olives and cook for 10 minutes more. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and allow to cool.
3. Spoon into a serving bowl and place in the fridge for 24 hours so that the flavours develop. Garnish with the parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Mains

North Indian prawn curry

This curry doesn’t take much effort to make. The prawns sit proudly in the superb tangy cream sauce with ginger undertones. Northern India’s cuisine has more yoghurt, cream and butter, and because the climate is very hot during the day and cooler at night, it has fabulous fruits and nuts, so chopped fresh fruits like figs or mango would often be served with the meal. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, whole but pierced 2 or 3 times
• 1 x 4cm piece of fresh ginger, half peeled and julienned and half grated
• 3 small tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ¾ tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• salt
• 400g large raw prawns, shelled, deveined and rinsed
• 4 tbsp double cream
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
• naan bread or poppadoms, to serve

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over a medium heat. Add the fenugreek seeds and heat for about 30 seconds to release the aromatics. Add a little more oil to the fenugreek seeds and stir in the red onion, green chilli and the sliced ginger. Gently cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are just softened.
2. Place the tomatoes, garlic and the grated ginger into a food processor and blend to a fine purée. Stir this purée into the onions along with the ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala and turmeric and season with a little salt. Cook over a medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it thickens.
3. Add the prawns and enough water to cover them by half. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 3 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked. The sauce should be light but not watery. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream. Add half the lemon juice and then taste the sauce, adjusting the seasoning and adding more lemon juice if necessary. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and serve with naan bread or poppadoms.

Vietnamese beef salad with a ginger and lime dressing Photograph: Joanne Murphy

This recipe is known as Bo Luc Lac, which means jumping beef. The beef hops in the pan as it sautés because of the wonderful marinade. But be careful - the marinade often splattersin the hot pan, so stand back. It’s a popular recipe in our cookery school; it is a great crowd pleaser and looks great on a platter. Plus there’s no oil in the salad dressing, so it’s super healthy too. There’s no oil in the salad dressing, so it’s super healthy too. Serves 6.

For the beef:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp medium-dry sherry
• 2 x 250g beef fillets, cut into 2cm strips
• sunflower oil

For the salad dressing:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lime, juice only
• 1/2 red chilli, minced
• 3 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp freshly grated root ginger

For the salad:

• mixed salad leaves
• 18 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 fresh pineapple, cubed

1. To make the marinade, mix the garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sherry together in a bowl. Add the beef and stir to make sure it's coated with the marinade. Refrigerate and leave to marinate for as long as you can but at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, to prepare the salad, wash the leaves and tear into bite-size pieces. Place in a bowl and add the tomatoes, cucumber and pineapple.
3. Whisk all the salad dressing ingredients together in a jug or place in a sealed jar and shake to emulsify. Set aside.
4. To finish, heat a frying pan over a high heat. Add some oil and heat until it's just smoking. Add the beef, in batches if necessary, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Sear quickly on full heat on one side and turn over when it's brown. The beef should still be pink in the centre (or to taste). When the beef is ready, remove it from the pan immediately and setaside.
5. Mix half of the dressing with the salad. Divide the salad between 6 plates. Arrange the beef so that it's resting on the salad. Drizzle some of the remaining dressing around the plate with a teaspoon.

Catherine's Tip: Try this with fillet of pork and add some toasted cashew nuts for a crunchy finish to the salad. Replace the pineapple with mango for a delicious change.

Palermo Street Pizza Sfincione

I will never forget my first bite into sfincione, from my good friend (and baker) Solina Testagrossa in Ballestrate. Solina shared her secrets with me that day and the recipe below is my take on the authentic sfincione, or Sicilian pizza bread. The pizza in the Palermo region is quite rustic, but other versions were made famous by the nuns of San Vito, who produced beautifully thin layers of dough wrapped around meat fillings. It really is fast food, as it can be picked up at bakeries or from small food carts parked on the pavements.

For the base:

• 2 tsp fast action dried yeast
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 375ml warm water
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 500g '00' flour semolina, for dusting

For the topping:

• 100g cooked, diced pancetta
• 50g grated provolone or caciocavallo cheese
• 40g baby spinach, washed and trimmed
• 400ml classic tomato sauce
• 4 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Stir the yeast, sugar and water together in the warmed bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let it stand for 10 minutes. When the yeast is frothy, it's ready to use. Add the oil and salt and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together, adding a little more flour or warm water if necessary.
2. Switch the mixer on to a medium speed and knead for 4-5 minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth. Alternatively, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes.
3. Brush a large bowl for proving the dough with olive oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the oiled bowl. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Brush a large 20cm x 30cm baking tray with olive oil and dust with semolina.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knock it back and knead for about 3 minutes, then stretch the dough out to fit the baking tray (it should be thicker than a traditional pizza). Scatter over the pancetta, cheese and spinach and then spoon over the tomato sauce, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and oregano.
6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Drizzle with the olive oil and serve in slices.

DIY Dessert Bar  

I saw this at a wedding and it makes perfect sense to have a DIY dessert bar for everyone to enjoy creating their own yummy designs. Have plenty of long-handled spoons for serving. I like the saffron meringues to be slightly marshmallowy inside and crispy outside. The chocolate drizzle is smooth with a hint of spiciness and so easy to make, as is the orange cream. The lime curd is ‘Ms Make Ahead of Time’ and can be prepared a few weeks in advance, while the sesame pastry cases are delicate and melt in your mouth. Everything is interchangeable and guests can choose their own combination to make everyone happy. This would easily satisfy at least 10 guests.

Saffron Meringues with Orange Cream

These have a pale creamy pink tinge to them and a delicate, slightly Middle Eastern flavour. They also take on a brighter colour when baked, so don’t be lashing in the saffron (which is too expensive anyway to be lashing in!). You could omit the saffron and use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or rosewater instead. Makes 24 x 3cm meringues.

For the meringues:

• 12 (a pinch) saffron strands
• 6 egg whites
• 360g caster sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar

For the orange cream:

• 350ml cream
• zest of 2 oranges
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C/fan 100°C/gas 1. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
2. Soak the saffron in 2 tablespoons of lukewarm water for 15 minutes.
3. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until stiff. Gradually add half the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking after each addition, then fold in the rest. Continue whisking until the meringue is thick and glossy. Fold in the cornflour, white wine vinegar and the saffron and its soaking liquid.
4. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag and pipe 3cm circles onto the parchment paper, swirling upwards to form pretty peaks. Bake for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and leave the meringues to cool in the oven (which will take about 1 hour but overnight is fine).
5. To make the orange cream, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold in the orange zest and icing sugar and chill before serving.
6. Set out the meringues and cream separately for a DIY dessert bar, or to make individual portions, sandwich 2 meringues together with a dollop of cream.

Cinnamon Chocolate Drizzle

This couldn’t be easier. Spread it over a cake as a ganache and let it set before decorating it for a special birthday. You canalso freeze the drizzle for a few weeks. Macadamia nuts could be added to the warm sauce as well. Makes about 400ml.

Ingredients:

• 200g chocolate drops
• 250ml double cream
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon (or to taste)

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring most of the time. Pour into a bowl or jug and serve warm.

Sesame Pastry Cases

Try to roll the pastry out very thinly between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, as it can be difficult, and allow it to rest a little. Once you have shaped the cases, put the baking tray back in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes before baking. Makes 24 heart shapes.

Ingredients:

• melted butter, for greasing
• 220g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
• 100g chilled butter, diced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1 egg mixed with 2 tbsp water, for egg wash

Methods:

1. Brush 2 x 12-hole shallow, non-stick tartlet baking trays with melted butter and dust with flour.
2. Mix the flour and 2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds in a large bowl. Rub in the chilled butter with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix together the egg and the egg yolk, then add just enough egg to bind the pastry and form a soft ball. Roll up and wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
3. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pastry until it's 5mm thick. Cut out 24 heart shapes and lift them into the tins. Carefully prick the base with a fork, taking care not to pierce all the way through. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top. Allow to rest for about 20 minutes in the fridge.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5.
5. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden and crisp. Allow to cool in the baking trays. Remove from the trays and pile up in a jar or pretty bowl, ready to be filled.

Lime Curd

This lime curd completes this celebration of desserts. It just screams ‘eat me, I’m delicious’, not only as a pie filling but overginger scones, as a topping for panna cotta, over slices of fresh melon or just as a gift for your friends and neighbours. Makes about 120ml.

Ingredients:

• 100g golden caster sugar
• 30g unsalted butter, diced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 limes (juice of 2 and zest of 1)

Method:

1. Put the sugar, butter, eggs and lime juice in a heavy-based saucepan and simmer over a moderately low heat, whisking until it's thick enough to hold marks from the whisk. This will take 12-15 minutes.
2. Immediately pour the curd through a sieve into a bowl. Stir in the zest of 1 lime and allow to cool before pouring into a pretty jar. The lime curd can be made up to 1 week in advance - just cover the surface with cling film and seal. Once open, store in the fridge.