Amazing Appetizers-Octopus Salad with Cream of Chickpeas and Rosemary by Chef Carmine Mazza

Here’s a dish from Chef Carmine Mazza of Il Poeta Vesuviano perfect to kick off my summer recipe series. An octopus salad with a twist.


Ingredients
2 Octopus ‘verace’ at least 500 g, 200 g dried chickpeas, 1 clove garlic, 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, extra virgin olive oil, bread

Procedure
Clean and blanch the octopus in plenty of water for about 20 minutes, cool and cut into very thin pieces, season with salt and extra virgin olive oil and set aside. Soak the chickpeas the night before in a pot with water and a pinch of baking soda. The next day, rinse well and cook the chickpeas. In a frying pan, sauté a clove of garlic , add the chickpeas and continue to cook with the rosemary. Puree the chickpeas, adding salt and oil to taste, and spread the cream a plate. Add the octopus, a sprinkle of toasted bread crumbs, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Il Poeta Vesuviano
Viale Europa, 42
Zona Leopardi
80040 Torre del Greco (Na)
081 883 26 73

New Year's Eve with La Poeta Vesuviano...Torre del Greco (Na)

Chef Carmine Mazza has prepared a menu to kick the year off right.

Variazione di mare : (Seafood)

Insalatina di polipetti su finocchi croccanti e salsa all'arancia (Octopus salad with fennel and an orange sauce)
Veli di orata marinata allo zucchero di canna e salsa acida al limone (Orata marinated in brown sugar with a lemon sauce)
Alici e pesce bandiera marinati agl'agrumi(anchovies and pesce banderiera marinated in a lemon and orange sauce)



Minestra di patate e funghi porcini (Minestrone with potatoes and porcini mushrooms)
 filetto di spigola di lenza all'alloro (bass fillet)

Risotto ai carciofi con gallinella di mare e alghe croccanti (Risotto with artichokes, fish, and seaweed)

Ravioli ripieni di ricotta e scampi su crema di zucca piccante ed emulsione al nero di seppia (Ravioli filled with ricotta and prawns on a bed of spicy pumpkin and nero di seppia)

Filetto di dentice scottato su insalatina di scarole e spuma di cavolfiori (Seared snapper fillet on a salad of endive and cauliflower mousse)


Semifreddo al cioccolato e strega , salsa al cioccolato bianco , nocciole del Cilento e uva candita (Chocolate and Strega parfait, white chocolate sauce, nuts from Cilento and candied rasins)

And other traditional desserts

All accompanied with home made pane al pomodoro, alle olive , alla pancetta , grissini e tarallini alle alghe di
The dinner cost 70 Euro (drinks include)

For more inf or, or to reserve call 081 883 26 73 / 328 831 6623
prenota@ilpoetavesuviano.it

Ristorante Il Poeta Vesuviano
 Viale Europa 42, Torre del Greco (Napoli)
http://www.ilpoetavesuviano.it/



Acqua , vino , bevande , distillati , spumanti compresi 70 € a persona.

Marvelous Main Courses-Seared Tuna with White Sesame Seeds and Yellow Pepper Salad with Capers and Mint by Chef Carmine Mazza

Chef Carmine Mazza from Il Poeta Vesuviano in Torre del Greco has tempted me again...This time with this tuna dish perfect for the season.

Ingredients
A fillet of tuna, 500 g

50 g of salt
50 g brown sugar
Sesame seeds
Orange zest
2 yellow peppers
100 g of capers
Pine nuts
Fresh mint
Extra virgin olive oil

Procedure
Marinate the tuna with salt, sugar, and orange peel for 24 hours ...

Toast the sesame seeds in a pan until they become crunchy. Sear the tuna in a pan for 15 seconds on all 4 sides then let cool. Roll in the toasted sesame seeds and set aside.

Cut the peppers into julienne strips and season with olive oil, a little salt, capers, chopped fresh mint leaves, pine nuts and a pinch of curry

Emulsify the mint leaves with the extra virgin olive oil

Place the peppers in the center of the salad plateplace the slices of tuna on top. Drizzle on the olive oil/mint mixture. Garnish with fresh mint.

Italian Version

Il Mare d'Autunno-Il Poeta Vesuviano (Na), November 11

This is an evening you definitely do not want to miss...A gastronomical get together with products from the sea combined with Autumn’s bounty.
Here's the menu:

Appetizer: octopus salad on crisp fennel with an orange sauce
Spicy pumpkin soup and small reef fish

Linguine with shrimp and red cabbage and a touch of piennolo tomatoes

Millefoglie of flag fish and potatoes, sweet and sour broccoletti, raisins, and nuts

Annurca apple tart with a berry sauce

The cost of the dinner € 30 including drinks (water, Coke, Fanta), excluding wine. (*table of four, wine is included)

Reservations and info 081 883 26 73
Ristorante Il Poeta Vesuvino
Viale Europa 42, Torre del Greco - zona Leopardi

Open Tuesday through Saturday evenings, Sundays only for  lunch, closed on Mondays.

http://www.ilpoetavesuviano.it/

Amazing Appetizers - Crema di Ricotta con Passata di Pomodoro Aromatizzato al Rosmarino by Chef Carmine Mazza

I had this appetizer last weekend at a lunch at Cantina del Vesuvio. What a surprise to see that my friend, Chef Carmine Mazza (Il Poeta Vesuviano) was the guest chef for the day. Paired with a Lacryma di Christi Bianco 2009, a view of the vineyards and Vesuvius, who could ask for anything more?
Except the recipe…

250 g ricotta "fruscella”  (fresh ricotta typical of the area)
parmeggiano cheese
white pepper
nutmeg
1 kg piennolo tomatoes
garlic
basil
breadcrumbs
rosemary
hot red pepper flakes

Mix the ricotta with a spatula, adding 1 tablespoon of parmeggiano, a pinch of white pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and chopped basil.

Sauté a clove of garlic in a pan, add the tomatoes (cut into wedges), and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes. Mix everything in a food processor along with fresh basil.

In a hot frying pan, toast the bread ( that has been cut into cubes) with a little olive oil and rosemary.

With the help of a pastry bag, put the ricotta mixture on the bottom of a small glass then pour the tomato sauce on top. Complete the dish with the toasted bread crumbs and a fresh basil leaf.