Buon gusto: the table is set and our vita is definitely looking more dolce

Sublime sustenance with these festive winter recipes, as originally featured in our December 2018 Entertaining Special issue (W*237)

Recipe for mushroom dischi volanti and pappardelle with wild boar ragù
‘Caccia’ teaspoon, £51 for set of six, by Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and Livio Castiglioni, for Alessi. ‘Albi’ cheese dish, £220, by Christofle, from Harrods. ‘Portomarinico’ deep plate, €15; bowl, €13, both by Sargadelos. ‘Palissade’ vase, £633, by Hermès. ‘Nami’ tumblers, €62 each, by Giovanni Patalano, for Nason Moretti. Salt shaker, part of ‘Vertigo’ cruet set, £605, by Christofle, from Harrods. ‘Caccia’ forks, £63 for set of six, by Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and Livio Castiglioni, for Alessi. ‘Vega’ candlestick, £140, by Saint-Louis, from Harrods. ‘Cuncha’ deep plate, €15; bowl, €18, both by Sargadelos. Linen napkin, £12, from The Conran Shop. ‘Linara’ fabric in Juniper, £39 per m, by Romo. ‘Petits-Champs’ fabric in Peche, £182 per m, by Pierre Frey. Flowers, by Grace & Thorn. Photography: François Coquerel. Interiors: Olly Mason. Entertaining Director: Melina Keays
(Image credit: François Coquerel)

December 2018 Entertaining Special issue (W*237)

Mushroom dischi volanti

Mushroom dischi volanti recipe

Serves 2
150g dried dischi volanti
pasta (or similar)
1 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
250g mixture of any fresh
mushrooms, cut into large pieces
salt and pepper
2 tbs crème fraîche
25g parmesan, finely grated

(Image credit: TBC)

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, then drain and set aside, reserving a cupful of the cooking liquid. Heat a large pan over a medium flame. Add the oil and the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring to prevent the garlic from browning, Add the mushrooms, season well with salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 8 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the pan with two tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid, the crème fraîche, and half the grated parmesan. Toss well together, season if necessary and serve with the remaining parmesan scattered on top.

Pappardelle with wild boar ragù

Pappardelle with wild boar ragù recipe

Serves 4-6
700g wild boar shoulder (or braising beef), trimmed and cut into 3cm cubes
salt and black pepper
4 tbs light olive oil
100g pancetta, diced into 1cm cubes
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
2 tsp juniper berries, lightly crushed in a pestle and mortar
2 bay leaves
450ml robust red wine
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tbs tomato purée
2 thyme sprigs
pappardelle pasta
grated parmesan, to serve

(Image credit: TBC)

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat half the oil in a heavy pan or casserole over a medium to high flame. Fry the meat until nicely browned on all sides, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the same pan and fry the pancetta for a few minutes until nicely browned and the fat rendered. Add the onion and carrots, then cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft and golden. Add the garlic, juniper and bay leaves, then cook for another couple of minutes. Return the meat to the pan and add the wine, chopped tomatoes, purée and thyme. Bring to a simmer, then cover loosely with a lid and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling, salted water, then drain. Gently toss the pasta and sauce together and serve with grated parmesan.

Crostini toasts, edamame and rocket crostini and mozzarella and tomato crostini

Crostini recipes

Makes 15-20
For the crostini toasts:

1 baguette, sliced into 1cm-thick discs
approx 100ml olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut

(Image credit: TBC)

Heat the oven to 180°c. Brush the bread slices lightly with oil on both sides. Arrange on a large baking sheet and place in the hot oven for 12-15 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and lightly rub each piece with the garlic clove.

For the edamame and rocket crostini:
250g edamame beans
1 small garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tbs olive oil
juice of ½ lemon
large handful of wild rocket leaves, chopped
2 tbs grated parmesan
salt and pepper

Cook the edamame beans in boiling, salted water for 3-5 minutes until just tender. Drain and cool. Place in a food processor with the garlic and process to a rough paste. Transfer to a bowl, then add the olive oil, lemon juice, rocket and parmesan, and mix together well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding more lemon juice if necessary. Spread on the crostini toasts and serve.

Makes 8-10
For the mozzarella and tomato crostini:

3 red or green tomatoes (or both), thinly sliced
2 mozzarella balls, thinly sliced
salt and black pepper
olive oil
fresh basil leaves

Place a tomato slice on a crostini toast, followed by a mozzarella slice, then another tomato slice. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with oil. Add a basil leaf to serve.

Panforte

Panforte recipe

Serves 16
edible rice paper
320g nuts (a mixture of almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios, according to preference)
210g dried fruit (a mixture of candied peel, figs, apricots and raisins, according to preference), chopped
120g plain flour, plus 1 tbs
1 tbs cocoa powder
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
black pepper
180g sugar
200g honey
icing sugar, to finish

(Image credit: TBC)

Line the base and sides of a 21-23cm shallow, round baking tin with edible rice paper. Put the nuts in a large frying pan and toast over a medium flame for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and just beginning to turn golden. Heat the oven to 160°C. Place the nuts and dried fruit in a large bowl. Sift in the 120g of flour and the cocoa, then add the spices, salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Stir well to combine. Put the sugar and honey in a pan set over a medium flame and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat a little and allow the mixture to bubble for a few minutes, then pour it over the nut mixture and mix thoroughly. Spoon into the tin and level the surface with a spoon. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour and press down, using the base of a heavy jar, to make the surface flat. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool, then dust with icing sugar. Serve in slices.

Negroni

Negroni recipe

Makes 1
25ml London dry gin
25ml Campari
25ml vermouth rosso orange slice, to serve

(Image credit: TBC)

Measure the spirits into a jigger. Stir well, pour over ice in a glass and serve with a slice of orange.

Risotto Milanese with scallops

Risotto Milanese with scallops recipe

Serves 4
1 tbs olive oil
40g butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
600ml chicken stock
good pinch of saffron
250g risotto rice
50ml dry white wine
30g parmesan, grated

For the scallops:
12 scallops
salt and pepper
20g butter
1 tbs olive oil

(Image credit: TBC)

Melt the oil and half the butter in a large heavy pan set over a medium flame. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until soft and golden. Meanwhile, put the stock and the saffron in another pot and bring to a simmer. Add the rice to the onion and stir well. Pour in the wine and stir until almost completely absorbed. Add a ladleful of the simmering stock and stir gently until almost completely absorbed. Continue in this way for about 25 minutes until all the stock has been added, or until the risotto is soft and creamy but still with a little bite. Stir in the rest of the butter and the parmesan. To cook the scallops, first season them with salt and pepper. Place a large heavy frying pan over a medium to high flame. Heat the butter and oil and cook the scallops for about 2 minutes on each side. Do this in two batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding the pan. Spoon the risotto onto plates, place the scallops on top and serve immediately.

Chicken paillard

Chicken paillard recipe

Serves 4
4 skinless chicken breasts
1 large garlic clove, peeled
salt and pepper
leaves from 1 thyme sprig
zest and juice of ½ lemon
2 tbs olive oil

(Image credit: TBC)

Place each chicken breast between two sheets of baking paper, then bash and flatten the meat until it is about ½cm thick. Put the garlic in a pestle and mortar with half a teaspoon of salt and crush to a paste. Add the thyme leaves and pound into the garlic paste. Add the lemon zest and juice, olive oil and a good grinding of black pepper, and mix well. Place a flattened chicken breast in a wide, shallow dish, pour over some of the marinade, then turn the chicken so that both sides are well coated. Place another piece of chicken on top and continue in the same way with the chicken and marinade until it is all well coated. Cover and chill for a couple of hours. Heat a pan over a high heat and cook each piece of chicken for 1-2 minutes on each side.

Romanesco with chilli and garlic

Romanesco with chilli and garlic recipe

Serves 4
1 romanesco head, cut into florets
3 tbs light olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and very finely sliced
1 large red chilli, finely chopped
salt and pepper
juice of ½ lemon

(Image credit: TBC)

Cook the romanesco florets in a large pan of boiling, salted water for 3-5 minutes until just tender, then drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pan set over a medium flame. Add the garlic and chilli, then cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add the romanesco and toss in the hot oil for another 2 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper and squeeze over the lemon juice.

Cassata

Cassata recipe

Serves 10-12
For the marzipan:
80g shelled pistachio nuts
80g blanched almonds
80g icing sugar
few drops of green food colouring
1 egg white, lightly beaten until frothy (reserve the yolk for the sponge cake)

For the sponge cake:
170g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
5 eggs
170g caster sugar
zest of 1 orange

For the filling and syrup:
150g caster sugar
700g fresh ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
70g dark chocolate, chopped
70g candied fruit, chopped
2 tbs Grand Marnier

To finish:
200g icing sugar
1-2 tbs lemon juice
glacé fruits

(Image credit: TBC)

To make the marzipan, place the pistachios and almonds in a food processor and chop finely. Add the icing sugar and process well. With the motor running, add the food colouring and enough of the egg white to just bring the mixture to a smooth dough. Wrap and set aside.

To make the sponge cake, line a 21-24cm springform deep cake tin with baking paper. Heat the oven to 180°c. Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, mix well, then set aside. Break the five eggs into another bowl, add the reserved yolk, the sugar and the orange zest, then beat on high speed for about 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Fold in the flour mixture and spoon the batter into the prepared tin. Smooth the top, then bake for 30 minutes until well risen and golden, and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack.

To make the filling, put 100g of the caster sugar in a bowl with the ricotta, vanilla and ground cinnamon, and beat well, ensuring the sugar is completely dissolved. Fold in the chocolate and candied fruit, then leave to chill in the fridge. To make the syrup, put the remaining 50g of caster sugar in a small pan with 30ml water and bring to a simmer over a medium to high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat, stir in the Grand Marnier and set aside.

Cut the sponge cake into 1cm-thick slices across the diameter. Line a 21-24cm cassata mould, tarte tatin tin or pie dish with sloping sides with clingfilm. Roll out the marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, to about a ½cm thickness. Slice the marzipan into strips and use these to line the sides of the cassata mould, smoothing and flattening them where they overlap. Line the base and sides of the cassata mould with cake strips, cutting them to fit. Brush the cake surface generously with some of the syrup. Spoon in the ricotta filling and smooth the top.

Cover the ricotta filling with more cake slices and brush with the remaining syrup. Wrap tightly with clingfilm and chill for 2 hours. Combine the icing sugar with enough lemon juice, added gradually, to make a smooth, thick glaze. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Pour the glaze over the cake to cover evenly. Decorate with glacé fruits and chill until set, for at least 2 hours, or overnight. §

As originally featured in the December 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*237)

Recipe for crostinis, panforte and negroni

Left, marble centrepiece, £2,500, by Willer. Legacy Edition 2008 champagne, £150, by Dom Pérignon, from Clos 19. ‘Wheat’ oval platter, £186, by Michael Aram, from Amara. ‘Versi’ carafe, €330, by Patricia Urquiola, for Editions Milano. ‘Higher’ champagne flutes, €75 each, by Nason Moretti. ‘Labyrinth’ glass cube, £5,000, by Tim Rawlinson, from London Glassblowing. ‘Sunrise’ linen in Jardin, £137 per m, by Pierre Frey. Flowers, by Grace & Thorn. Right, ‘Orfevre-Sommelier’ liqueur glasses, £455 for pair, by Michael Anastassiades, for Puiforcat, from Harrods. ‘Claw’ tray, SEK998 (€95), by Maria Nilsdotter; ‘Bead’ vase, SEK1,448 (€139) for set of three, by The Line, both from Skultuna. ‘Swiss Modern’ knife, £110 for set of two, by Victorinox. ‘Malachite’ dish, £28, by L’Objet. ‘Colombina’ saucer, £19, by Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas, for Alessi. ‘Amoir Libre’ fabric in 013, price on request, by Dedar. ‘Fine’ velvet fabric in Papaye, £89 per m, by India Mahdavi, for Pierre Frey

(Image credit: TBC)

Negroni recipe

‘Rafi’ platter, £57, by XL Boom, from SCP. ‘Vertigo’ round tray, £615, by Christofle, from Harrods. ‘Big Top’ whisky glasses, £33 for set of four, by Youmeus Design, for Nude. ‘Trafalgar’ decanter, £750, by Linley, from Harrods. ‘Fazzoletti’ art piece, price on request, by Fulvio Bianconi, for Venini. Tarallini, £4 for 200g, from Lina Stores. ‘Vannerie’ tray, £243; ‘Pli’H’ change tray, £370, both by Hermès. ‘Rückl’ snack bowl, £35, by William & Son. ‘Happy’ bowl, £105, by Moser, from Thomas Goode. ‘Hase’ table lamp, £947, by JT Kalmar, for Kalmar Werkstätten, from SCP. ‘Valleta’ fabric in Bermuda, £37 per m, by Villa Nova. ‘San Marino Classic’ marble, £354 per sq m, by Lapicida. Flowers, by Grace & Thorn

(Image credit: TBC)

Recipe for risotto Milanese with scallops, chicken paillard and romanesco with chilli and garlic

Left, ‘Cobra’ dish, £45, by Constantin Wortmann, for Georg Jensen. ‘Caneleto Pink’ vase, £573, part of the Única collection, by Vista Alegre. ‘Hex’ glasses, £80 each, by L’Objet. ‘Vertigo’ pitcher, £865, by Christofle, from Harrods. ‘Moon’ fork, €237 for 24-piece set, by Cutipol. ‘Ruban’ candlestick, £215, by Puiforcat, from Harrods. ‘Petits-Champs’ fabric; ‘San Marino Classic’ marble, both as before. Flowers, by Grace & Thorn. Right, ‘Cosmic’ flatware, £68 for four-piece set, by Diesel Living with Seletti, from Amara. Linen napkins, £12 each, from The Conran Shop. ‘Wisteria’ tumblers, £75 each, by Tee Abkornburee, for Thomas Goode. ‘Cannaregio’ charger plate, £100, by Vista Alegre. Candlesticks, from £600, from Willer. ‘Romantic Gold’ plate, £85 for set of six, by Bitossi Home, from Amara. ‘Iris’ vase, €1,144, by Valentina Cameranesi, for Bloc Studios. ‘Kaze’ wallpaper, £287 per roll, by Studiopepe, for Wall & Decò. ‘Linara’ fabric in Pomelo, £39 per m, by Romo. Flowers, by Grace & Thorn

(Image credit: TBC)

Cassata recipe

Cognac glasses, £270 for pair, by Baccarat, from Harrods. ‘Serve’ cake stand, £66, by LSA International, from Amara. Stag antler cake cutter, £244 for set of two pieces, by Lorenzi Milano, from WallpaperSTORE*. Louis XIII cognac, £2,500, by Rémy Martin. Sperlari Torroncini nougat, £3.50 for 130g, from I Camisa & Son. ‘1017’ coffee pot, £9,500, by Henning Koppel; ‘Bernadotte’ spoon, £245 for 16-piece cutlery set, by Sigvard Bernadotte, both for Georg Jensen. ‘Tie-Set’ espresso cup and saucer, £110, by Hermès. ‘Fine’ velvet fabric; ‘San Marino Classic’ marble, both as before. Flowers, by Grace & Thorn

(Image credit: TBC)

Melina Keays is the entertaining director of Wallpaper*. She has been part of the brand since the magazine’s launch in 1996, and is responsible for entertaining content across the print and digital platforms, and for Wallpaper’s creative agency Bespoke. A native Londoner, Melina takes inspiration from the whole spectrum of art and design – including film, literature, and fashion. Her work for the brand involves curating content, writing, and creative direction – conceiving luxury interior landscapes with a focus on food, drinks, and entertaining in all its forms