Jamie Cooks Italy | Chargrilled Squid, Chicken Pot Roast, Seafood Stew and Fresh Pasta and Pesto

Summary

In this culinary adventure, the hosts traverse Italy, absorbing the diverse flavors from Nonnas across the country. They present mouthwatering recipes inspired by their journey, including a tender chicken and aubergine pot roast with zesty couscous, a grilled squid with a lively caper salsa, homemade pasta with broccoli and pesto, and a hearty fish stew brimming with Puglian ingredients. Each dish is a testament to the hosts' passion for Italian cuisine, promising a feast for the senses.

Takeaways

• 🍽️ Traveling across Italy has inspired the authors to create recipes influenced by regional dishes.
• 🐔 A chicken and aubergine pot roast is highlighted as a melt-in-your-mouth dish with island flavors.
• 🍛 The pot roast is paired with a light and zesty couscous that absorbs the dish's juices.
• 🌶️ The recipe includes the use of three whole chilies and two cloves of garlic for a spicy kick.
• 🍅 Cinnamon is used to add an extra layer of flavor to the dish.
• 🦑 A grilled squid recipe with a caper salsa is described as super-easy and vibrant.
• 🍋 The caper salsa incorporates lemons, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, chili, capers, anchovies, pistachios, and mint.
• 🍝 Homemade pasta is recommended for serving with a broccoli and cheese pesto sauce.
• 🥦 The pesto is made by frying anchovies, garlic, and chili with broccoli, then blending with cheese and olive oil.
• 🐟 A one-pot fish stew is introduced as a Puglian-inspired dish packed with fresh produce.
• 🥣 The stew includes onions, celery, garlic, potatoes, chili, parsley, courgettes, mussels, clams, peas, and squid.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is showcasing Italian recipes inspired by the diverse culinary traditions across Italy, from the north to the south and from the mountains to the islands.

What type of dish is described as 'melt-in-your-mouth' in the script?

The 'melt-in-your-mouth' dish described is a chicken and aubergine pot roast.

What side dish complements the chicken and aubergine pot roast?

A light and zesty couscous that soaks up the juices from the chicken and aubergine pot roast complements the dish.

What are the key ingredients in the caper salsa for the grilled squid?

The key ingredients in the caper salsa include lemons, extra-virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, fresh chili, capers, mashed anchovies, chopped pistachios, and fresh mint.

How is the squid prepared before grilling?

The squid is prepared by scoring it at an angle in a crisscross pattern before grilling.

What is the purpose of using anchovies in the pasta sauce described in the script?

Anchovies are used in the pasta sauce as a seasoning to add depth of flavor to the dish.

What type of pasta is recommended for the broccoli and cheese pesto recipe?

The recipe suggests using homemade pasta that is designed to hold the vibrant fresh broccoli and tangy cheese pesto.

What is the significance of the fish stew described in the script?

The fish stew is significant as it is a one-pot wonder that showcases a variety of fresh Puglian produce, making it a triumph of a dish.

What are the cooking times recommended for the clams, mussels, and squid in the fish stew?

The cooking time for the clams, mussels, and squid in the fish stew should be a maximum of three minutes.

What is the role of the fresh ingredients in creating the flavor of the fish stew?

The fresh ingredients in the fish stew create layers of mind-blowing flavor, contributing to a rich and satisfying taste experience.

What is the significance of the Nonnas mentioned in the script?

The Nonnas are significant as they represent the traditional Italian home cooks from whom the presenters have learned and been inspired by during their travels across Italy.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Italian Culinary Journey

The speaker shares their experience traveling across Italy with Gennaro, learning from local Nonnas and discovering regional dishes. They highlight a chicken and aubergine pot roast inspired by the islands, which is served with a light and zesty couscous. The cooking process involves browning the chicken, cooking aubergines, and adding a mix of spices, onions, capers, and tomatoes to create a harmonious blend of flavors. The dish is completed with pine nuts and baked until the chicken is tender, making it a perfect feast for gatherings. Additionally, they mention a simple grilled squid recipe with a caper salsa, which includes lemon, olive oil, garlic, chili, capers, anchovies, pistachios, and fresh mint for a vibrant and fresh taste.

Keywords

💡Nonnas

Nonnas, or grandmothers in Italian, are often associated with the tradition of home cooking and passing down family recipes. In the context of the video, they represent the source of culinary wisdom and authentic Italian flavors that the hosts have learned from during their travels across Italy.

💡Chicken and Aubergine Pot Roast

This is a specific dish mentioned in the script, highlighting the fusion of flavors from different Italian regions. It is described as 'melt-in-your-mouth', indicating a tender and delicious preparation method that is central to the video's theme of celebrating Italian cuisine.

💡Couscous

Couscous is a staple in many Mediterranean and North African cuisines, but its mention here suggests a lighter, zesty version that complements the rich flavors of the chicken and aubergine pot roast. It serves as an example of how traditional dishes can be adapted to create new, delightful tastes.

💡Capers

Capers are a key ingredient in several dishes described in the script, adding a tangy, salty flavor that enhances the overall taste profile. They are used in the chicken and aubergine pot roast and the grilled squid salsa, showcasing their versatility in Italian cooking.

💡Pine Nuts

Pine nuts are used in the chicken and aubergine pot roast, adding a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. Their inclusion in the dish exemplifies the video's focus on the use of various ingredients to create a harmonious blend of tastes and textures.

💡Grilled Squid

Grilled squid is a simple yet flavorful dish highlighted in the script. The preparation involves scoring the squid and grilling it quickly, which is indicative of the video's theme of easy yet effective cooking techniques that bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients.

💡Caper Salsa

Caper salsa is a lively and fresh accompaniment to the grilled squid, made with lemons, garlic, chili, capers, anchovies, pistachios, and mint. This keyword represents the video's emphasis on creating vibrant and layered flavors through the combination of various ingredients.

💡Homemade Pasta

Homemade pasta is a central theme in the video, showcasing the art of making pasta from scratch using durum wheat flour. It is used to create a dish with broccoli and cheese pesto, emphasizing the video's focus on traditional Italian methods and the importance of quality ingredients.

💡Broccoli Pesto

Broccoli pesto is a creative twist on the classic Italian sauce, made by cooking broccoli with anchovies, garlic, and chili, then blending it into a pesto. This keyword highlights the video's exploration of innovative ways to use traditional ingredients to create new flavors.

💡Fish Stew

The fish stew is described as a one-pot wonder, packed with fresh Puglian produce, including mussels, clams, squid, and peas. This keyword encapsulates the video's celebration of hearty, flavorful dishes that are easy to prepare and perfect for sharing.

💡Mind-blowing Flavour

This phrase is used to describe the result of cooking with fresh ingredients in the fish stew, indicating the video's goal of achieving complex and satisfying tastes through the careful combination of ingredients and cooking techniques.

Highlights

Traveling around Italy, learning from Nonnas and experiencing regional dishes.

Chicken and aubergine pot roast with island flavors and couscous.

Brown and crispy chicken removed from the pan for even cooking.

Use of three whole chilies and two cloves of garlic for flavor.

Cinnamon added for extra flavor lift in the dish.

Colorful mix of onions, capers, and tomatoes in the dish.

Pine nuts added for texture in the pot roast.

Pot roast bakes until chicken falls off the bone.

Suggestion for a Sunday gathering or dinner party with the pot roast.

Grilled squid recipe with a lively caper salsa.

Caper salsa includes lemons, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, chili, capers, anchovies, pistachios, and mint.

Squid is scored and grilled for a quick and tender dish.

Homemade pasta recipe designed for fresh broccoli and cheese pesto.

Pasta dough made with durum wheat flour and hand-rolled.

Pesto sauce made with anchovies, garlic, chili, and broccoli.

One-pot fish stew with fresh Puglian produce.

Fish stew includes onions, celery, garlic, potato, chilli, parsley, courgettes, stock, white wine, passata, mussels, clams, peas, and squid.

Cooking time for clams, mussels, and squid in the stew is maximized at three minutes.

Layered flavors created by cooking all fresh ingredients in one pot.

Transcripts

Hey guys. So me and Gennaro have spent the last couple of years traveling around Italy

having the most incredible experience learning from Nonnas.

From the north to the south, from the mountains to the islands, it's been amazing.

So, those dishes have really changed and inspired us

and here are some of the recipes that I think you're gonna love.

This sensational melt-in-your-mouth chicken and aubergine pot roast

serenades you with the island's flavours and hits the ultimate high note with this light

and zesty couscous, that soaks up all of those juices.

When the chicken turns brown and crispy whip it out of the pan.

You've got some colour on the aubergines.

Next, I've gone for three whole chilies and two cloves of garlic.

Cinnamon, extra flavour, that lift!

Throw in the onions followed by a good handful of capers.

Look at the colours!

Add the tomatoes, chicken and aubergine and let those flavours harmonise.

Get it all around each other.

Pine nuts go in.

So, this beautiful thing goes in the oven until the meat just falls off the bone of the chicken.

Come on!

Oh my god!

Ahh look at that.

I think this would be amazing on a Sunday for a big gathering, a dinner party.

It's a brilliant feasting dish.

You can talk, I'm eating.

This grilled squid with a lively caper salsa is super-easy.

Gennar's gonna get a couple of lemons,

top up with the same amount of extra-virgin olive oil,

throw in three cloves of chopped garlic and a fresh chili.

The next ingredient will be capers, look at those.

Next mash our four anchovies to give the salsa an amazing depth of flavour

and for texture add a handful of chopped pistachios.

The last thing that we're going to do to this salsa...mint.

We're gonna chop that up... so fresh.

Top up with oil and give it a whirl.

I've got the squid here,

I'm just gonna score the squid at an angle and you simply go crisscross.

Straight on.

This baby's ready in a minute.

Look at that. Come on.

It goes in

to our little dressing here.

The tomatoes,

are like your edible plate.

The squid is so tender

and the capers are so fresh.

The chili gives it that lovely little hum.

Delicious.

My easy peasey homemade pasta,

is perfectly designed to hold my vibrant fresh broccoli and tangy cheese pesto.

Two big handfuls of this beautiful durum wheat flour

and we want to kind of make a nice dough.

Take little bits like this and we're gonna roll it like this.

Then you take your little fingers and you just dig it in and then you pull it towards you.

Now the sauce, it's using a fantastic typical broccoli of this area.

Of course you could use regular broccoli back home.

I've got some anchovies here. Now look using anchovies,

it's kind of like a seasoning.

It is.

Just fry up the anchovy, garlic and chili for a couple of minutes, then in with the broccoli.

Straight in.

Splash of water.

While the pasta cooks take your softened broccoli

and roughly smash it up to make a wonderful warm pesto.

Just a little cheese in, right.

Extra virgin olive oil just to loosen.

Go on Genar, a little olive oil.

Just a little bit of olive oil.

My pasta and pesto work in harmony

to showcase that beautiful fresh broccoli.

What you waiting for?

Every family needs a one-pot wonder,

so I've come up with a beautiful fish stew

that's packed to the rafters with fresh Puglian produce.

This is a triumph of a dish.

I know you're gonna love it.

Onions first. The celery. It doesn't matter if it's erratic, twist it around like that.

One clove of garlic, the potato here and then I'm gonna use a little chilli, fresh or dried, its all good

and then some parsley.

For a splash of colour, whack in some fresh courgettes.

I now need flavour, that is like the most amazing stock cube right there.

Just a little white wine, half a glass.

We go in with some beautiful passata.

Let's put this on top right.

I'm using fresh mussels to ramp up the taste,

plus clams and a handful of peas.

Squid is a funny one isn't it Genar.

You either want to cook it quick or long.

Yep.

The clams, the mussels, the squid they need three minutes max.

Oh my goodness me!

Look at the colours Gennaro!

Wow.

Oh my god.

Cooking with all these fresh ingredients in one pot

has created layer, upon layer of mind-blowing flavour.

What a feast!