Essteele has selected three elegant Italian dishes created by three world-famous chefs. From seafood to sweets, be inspired by these traditional yet beautifully simple recipes including a classic antipasto, a hearty main course, and a showstopping dessert.
Michelin star chef Grazia Soncini's simple lemon-marinated anchovies is the perfect Christmas starter and can be made in under an hour.
Follow your antipasto with Braised Rabbit and delicious Cannoli di Ricotta
Antipasto: Lemon marinated anchovies by Grazia Soncini
Ingredients
- 48 fresh anchovy fillet
- 300ml of lemon juice
- 100g of white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 chilli
- extra virgin olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- fennel fronds
Method
Preparing the anchovies. To butterfly the fish, remove the heads and slice each anchovy open along its belly. Rinse the cavity carefully to remove any residual entrails and blood, then push down skin-side up on a chopping board and push down firmly to loosen the spine
Carefully peel away the skeleton from each fish, then rinse the fillets thoroughly under cold running water and drain well
For the marinade: mix lemon juice, white wine vinegar and salt until fully emulsified. Pour marinade into a bowl or large tray and add anchovies to the tray skin-side up. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate for 20-30 minutes, until the flesh turns a lighter colour
Drain anchovies well and arrange the fillets across a serving platter or plate. Drizzle over a little olive oil and garnish with the fennel fronds, chopped chilli and a generous grinding of pepper