Fried Artichokes

Ingredients
4 artichokes
sunflower oil for deep fat for frying
5 salted anchovies
200 ml olive oil
freshly ground black pepper and salt

Method
Heat the sunflower oil in a large pot or if you have a deep fat fryer, use that till the oil has reached 180° C.

Trim the hard outer leaves away from the artichoke and shave off the tough layer of the stalk. Fry the whole artichokes for about 10-15 minutes. Once golden brown and tender, remove from the oil and drain. Cut the artichokes in half, remove the hay from the centre and then press them between two plates.

Heat the olive oil in a small pot over a low heat. Fillet the anchovies, if necessary and rinse well under cold water to remove any excess salt.

When the the olive oil is warm add the anchovies and soften using the back of a fork until the anchovies break up, season well with salt and pepper.

Before serving, quickly refry the artichokes in the deep fat to reheat. Drain the artichokes on kitchen paper, season with salt and pepper and serve the anchovy sauce separately.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Baked Ricotta

Ingredients
500 g tub fresh ricotta
1 red chilli
1 small bunch tarragon
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
1 small bunch chives
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 180° C.  Finely chop the herbs. Remove the seeds from the chili and chop finely too. Mix all the herbs and chilli together.

Gently unmould the ricotta on to a greased baking tray. Season the ricotta with salt and pepper and using your hands, gently press the herb and chili mix on to the ricotta. Drizzle with the olive oil and place in the oven for about 15 minutes. In this time the ricotta will firm up.

Remove the ricotta from the oven and slice wedges. Serve with a green salad and some freshly baked bread.

Tip: If possible, we recommend using the organic ricotta from Lindenhoff. It's flavour and texture are far superior to anything you'll buy in the supermarkets.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Asparagus and Turnip Greens Pasta

Ingredients
1 bunch green asparagus
2 bunches turnip greens
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons capers
500 g spaghetti
olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil for the spaghetti.

Remove the hard bases from the asparagus and discard them. Slice the asparagus diagonally into 3 pieces. Finely chop the garlic and rinse off the turnip greens, removing any hard stalks.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 3 tablespoons olive oil and fry the asparagus for about 5 minutes until golden and al dente. In the meantime, boil the spaghetti in the pot of boiling water for about 8-10 minutes.

Add the garlic and capers to the asparagus and fry for a further 2 minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the pan with the asparagus and toss the ingredients well together. Add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water and season with salt and pepper. The pasta should be shiny, not dry and well amalgamated.

Stir the turnip greens through the pasta until they have just wilted and serve immediately.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours