I adore Venice. 

It’s such a romantic city, and on the two occasions I’ve visited, we’ve enjoyed the most amazing food and drink. 

I’d love to go again soon, but in the meantime, I’m poring over a fabulous new cookbook that is a virtual trip to Venice – the photography is stunning, and the recipes are mouthwatering.

Cucina del Veneto is by Ursula Ferrigno and published by Ryland, Peters & Small at £22 for a hardback, packed photos by Clare Winfield.

About Ursula Ferrigno

Ursula Ferrigno is a talented cook and prolific food writer who grew up amongst the sun-drenched lemon groves and vineyards of Italy’s rugged Amalfi Coast. She  embodies the Italian and Mediterranean passion for good food, made from the freshest natural ingredients. She specialises in Italian, vegetarian, baking, and gluten-free recipes.

She trained at the Auguste Escoffier School of the Culinary Arts and has taught at leading cookery schools in both the UK and Italy, she toured the US, running classes in all Sur la Table stores, is consultant chef to Caffè Nero and has made many appearances on BBC TV.

The author of more than 18 cookery books, Ursula has also written for Olive, BBC Good Food, The Observer and Taste Italia.   

If, like me, you’re a fan of either the city of Venice or its cuisine, I’d urge you to discover this book too.

In the meantime, here are a few recipes to give you a taste of ‘la dolce vita’ and the fig tart recipe is just perfect for this time of year, when figs are at their best and cheapest:

SWEET & SOUR ONIONS / CIPOLLINE IN AGRODOLCE

“This is a typical antipasto dish eaten throughout the whole of Italy. It makes a good preserve, covered with olive oil in jars. Of all the dishes I cook at the school, this gets the most compliments. It is also a great way to use up an overabundance of grapes. Nothing could be more delicious and, strangely enough, it is one of my most requested recipes and just happens to be the simplest.”

1 dessertspoon caster/granulated sugar

15 g butter

2 bay leaves

450 g Italian bortonni onions (see Note below) or shallots, peeled

50 ml white wine

100 g black grapes, halved and deseeded

a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

bread, to serve

Serves 4

Heat the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan with a tablespoon of water until it caramelizes and becomes the colour of hay. Immediately stir in the butter and bay leaves.

Toss the onions into this mixture for a couple of minutes, then pour in the wine. Season, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the grapes and simmer for a further 10 minutes, with the lid off, to reduce the liquid. Adjust the seasoning and remove the bay leaves.

Pour into a dish and garnish with parsley, if liked. Serve hot or cold with bread for mopping up the delicious juices.

Note: Bortonni onions are small and flat, similar to a disc in shape. Native to Italy, they can be quite hard to find elsewhere, but shallots or large spring or salad onions/scallions will substitute very well.

Shallots and onions (and garlic) all contain sulphurous chemicals called allins, which are responsible for the onion odour (as well as the tears induced by cutting onions).

These are believed by traditional medicine to be a tonic, stimulant and diuretic.

RISOTTO WITH COURGETTES & MOZZARELLA / RISOTTO CON ZUCCHINE E MOZZARELLA

“For the warm Summer months, I can think of nothing nicer to eat.”

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large garlic clove, crushed

500 g courgettes, cut into matchsticks

3 shallots, finely chopped

225 g arborio or carnaroli risotto rice

150 ml dry white wine

750 ml hot vegetable broth (preferably home-made)

125 g mozzarella cheese, cut into tiny cubes

125 g Parmesan, grated

handful of freshly torn basil

extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Serves 4

Combine half the olive oil and the garlic in a sauté pan and fry gently until softened. Add the courgettes and cook over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes until the courgettes are tender. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat the rest of the olive oil in a separate sauté pan, add the shallots and cook gently until translucent.

When the shallots are translucent, add the rice and mix together very well. Cook until the rice is nutty.

Add the wine and cook to reduce the liquid and the rice starts to swell in the pan.

Add ladlefuls of hot broth and stir the rice with a wooden spoon until each addition has been absorbed. Repeat the process continually until all the stock has been absorbed. This should take about 18 minutes but do taste the rice. It should have a slight chalkiness between the teeth.

Once this has been achieved, add the cooked courgettes, mozzarella, Parmesan and seasoning. Stir everything together, cover, and then leave the risotto to stand for 3 minutes.

Serve the risotto in warmed serving bowls and scattered with extra Parmesan, basil leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

 

FIG, AMARETTI & RICOTTA TART / CROSTATA DI FICHI, AMARETTI E RICOTTA

‘When the figs are ripe and succulent, this tart demands to be made. Full of classic Venetian tastes and textures, a small slice with an espresso is just enough to lift your day.“

130 g unsalted butter

250 g amaretti biscuits

175 g full-fat soft cheese

500 g ricotta cheese

100 g caster sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

12 ripe figs, trimmed and quartered

1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds (optional)

23-cm/9-inch deep tart tin with removable base, lightly greased

Serves 8–10

Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/325°F/Gas 3.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Blitz the amaretti in a food processor, then add to the pan with the butter and mix well. Tip the mixture into the base of the tin, then press down with the back of the spoon to evenly distribute the crumbs. Bake the tart base in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Leave to cool.

Mix the soft cheese, ricotta, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest and amaretto liqueur together. Spoon the ricotta mixture evenly over the tart base. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, then top with the quartered figs in a circular pattern. Scatter over the fennel seeds to finish, if using.

Note: You may like to top the tart with a fig leaf syrup as I have done here.

To make the syrup, combine 1 litre water, 3 fig leaves and 150 g caster sugar, then boil together until thick and syrupy.

Drizzle over the tart to finish.