Newsletter November 2003
Modern Country Living - Domestic Bliss
Game On: Fagiano - as in " I’m gonna make
you an offer you can’t refuse!”
Why is it somethings sound, taste and look so much
better when abroad? I love all things Italian, M.N.O. (money no
object) I would not hesitate to have a chic apartment in Rome
or a Tuscan Villa or indeed both! I just spent a weekend surrounded
by Italians in this country and they made all of our surroundings
more alive and filled us with lots of Dolce Vita. But the single
most important feeling that came out of the weekend was family
and how important children, wives, husbands, grandmothers and
grandfathers are and that is something that doesn’t come naturally
to the British. I grew up in a very loving, encouraging and nurturing
atmosphere, always eating with my parents and was never banished
from their side or made to feel left out. I still went to bed
at a set time and my parents still had a life but when there was
food on the table we all sat down as a family and ate together
and recounted the day’s events – “What’s the news” would be the
opening line.
If dinner hour was a recipe, I would write it like this:
Everyday Dinner at Home
2 parents
2 or adjust measurement to suit, children
A delicious seasonally inspired main course and pudding per person
1 prettily set table
1 jug of water
1 bottle of wine
1 basket full of freshly baked bread
Serve with lots of love, fun and the day’s events!
Recipe:
Fagiano Parmigiano
6 pheasant breasts
200g bread crumbs from a peasant bread dried on the Aga
4 tbsp flour
Salt and pepper
80g grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
Zest of 1 lemon
3 sage leaves, chopped finely
Olive oil
Clarified butter
2 large organic eggs
First lay out 3 large dinner plates in a row. Put
the flour some salt and pepper in the first one and mix it together.
Put the eggs in the second and beat them up. On the third plate,
mix together the breadcrumbs, sage, lemon zest and parmesan.
Beat the pheasant breasts between 2 pieces of grease
proof paper until they are about 1cm thick. Dip each pheasant
breast into the flour, then the egg and finally into the breadcrumbs
pressing them in. Lay the coated breasts on another piece of greaseproof
paper.
Heat up about 1 tbsp spoon of clarified butter and
1 tbsp of olive oil up in a large frying pan over a medium heat
until it starts to bubble. Sauté each breast for 2-3 minutes
on each side. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm until they
are all done.
Serve each one with a wedge of lemon extra parmesan
cheese and a tossed green salad.
Tip: Come and See me at the BBC
Good Food Show were I will be hosting the Great British Theatre
in Rick Stein’s Food Hero section. The BBC Good Food Show is on
from November 26th to November 30th at the NEC in Birmingham.
Click
here to visit the website.
This article by Amy Willcock appears
in The Shooting Gazette November 2003, and is reproduced here
with permission.
Click here for more of
Amy's Newsletters