Spaghetti con Barba di Frate

Yes, indeed spaghetti with monk's beard.

Last year I was asked if I would translate a cookbook from German to English. As I wasn't working full time and you all know how I feel about food the answer was pretty obvious to me. It was a wonderful experience and I was already enamored by Donatella Maranta's work, but I have come to an even higher appreciation for her cookbook Rule of Pi.

The cookbook has now been published as an ebook in English and I can't help but feel a little proud to see the (virtual) product of something I helped make.... Go have a look here. 

Two weeks ago I ventured out to the farmer's market for the first time in a very long time and came away as inspired and excited as always. I had found an ingredient that Donatella wrote of with near reverence and I was very enthousiastic to try it out. Barba di frate or monksbeard is a vegetable I would most liken to samphire or "Meeresbohne" as it is sold here.

This dish from Donatella is light, easy to make and was very well received by the friend who came for dinner.

Here is the recipe, with permission, in the words of the inventor herself:

Barba di frata – monks beard – grows on sandy ground near the ocean.

Whenever I see these green bundles I always imagine how the wind moves the plants in gentle waves and makes them glint silver in the sunlight. Salty air and the scent of algae.

One bunch will serve 4 people. Remove the reddish roots and carefully wash the barba di frate.

Fry 1 cm strips of streaky bacon until crisp and put to one side. Pluck the leaves off about three sprigs of flat leaved parsley. It shouldn’t be too much as you only want to add a hint of fragrance.

Cook your spaghetti all dente. Add the barba for the last 3 minutes of cooking time.

Keep back one cup of pasta water!

Drain the spaghetti and the barba and add them into a preheated serving bowl with a few knobs of butter and some good olive oil. Add the cooking water slowly and mix well. Sprinkle over your parsley and the bacon.

This goes well with lots of Parmesan. And if once again I have some ricotta salata I am truly in seventh heaven. 

There you go. It couldn't be easier or tastier. And if you can't find the monksbeard, do give it a try with samphire!

PS: It was so delicious I made myself the exact same thing the next evening! ;-)

 

Mackerel and Samphire

Switzerland is just coming off a major heatwave. 30+ temperatures for days on end really gets to you. So I was really pleased to find these two ingredients wandering around the largest Coop in town. they made for a light and refreshing meal.

I have only had samphire once before. I visited my sister and her in-laws in England a month ago and this gnarly sea vegetable was quite the revelation. Funnily enough they are selling it under the name "Meerbohne" (sea bean) in Switzerland.

Mackerel is a fish you don't come across too often in a landlocked country in Europe. But I read about it often in my English cookbooks and it's always praised as a really healthy oily fish. Add to that I would really like to build up my confidence in preparing fish of all kinds so when I saw the lonely last mackerel on the fish counter I decided to take it home... :-)

This meal was really easy and quick to prepare and since I only needed a frying pan the clean up was minimal too.

Ingredients:
One mackerel
Salt
Pepper
A small sprig of rosemary, leaves picked
One small garlic clove, crushed in its skin
Butter
Samphire (I had ca. 150 g)

1. Start by rinsing your fish quickly under cold running water and making sure it's clean inside (yes, that happened). Pat it dry with a paper towel, then take a sharp knife and make deep cuts, ca. 1 cm apart on both sides right down to the bone. This will help any flavorings you use penetrate the flesh and also make the fish cook more quickly. I then sprinkled both sides liberally with salt and pepper (and some lemon zest, but don't think this element was worth it in the end result). Rinse your samphire under cold running water in a sieve and let it drain well.
2. Heat your frying pan to medium high heat and add a small amount of vegetable oil. Place your fish in the hot pan and then LEAVE IT ALONE. Fish does not like to be hassled. After about three to four minutes you can check to see if the underside has gone brown and crispy. If so, turn it over carefully with a fish slice or spatula. Add the rosemary and garlic to the pan for a bit of aroma, give the pan a shake and leave it to finish cooking. Transfer it to you plate after another three minutes or so.
3. Reheat the same pan (you could wipe it clean with a paper towel, but don't have to) and let a nice knob of butter melt. Then add your drained samphire. Gently toss or stir it and let it warm through. It should be ready in about three minutes. Only add some pepper. No salt as it is very salty in itself and no lemon juice, as acidity will make it loose its brilliant color.
Enjoy.

Next time I will try flavoring the mackerel by rubbing it with either five spice or garam masala.