Jamie Cooks Italy (2018) s01e01 Episode Script
The Aeolian Islands
Buon giorno, Torino.
There's nowhere quite like Italy.
Look how busy it is.
I love it.
The landscapes, the people, the history.
It's unbelievable.
And, of course, the most amazing food.
I'm just having a moment.
I love it and I always have done.
This is like my idea of heaven.
Great food here isn't about Michelin-starred chefs.
It's about home-cooked recipes.
So, in this series, I'm going right to the heart of Italian cooking.
Ooh.
So good.
To the mammas and the nonnas of Italy.
These are some of the best home-cooked recipes in the world.
They've perfected recipes handed down over generations.
I'm just doing what I'm told.
I love it.
I'm travelling far and wide to see what secrets I can learn.
From these true masters of the kitchen.
That is a game-changer.
And I'll be showing you how to cook up delicious Italian dishes With flavour like this, you're going to go nuts.
That use the nonnas' way to transform the simple.
Into the sublime.
I'm going to have to stop myself eating.
It's so good.
Me and my best buddy, and mentor, Gennaro Contaldo, Are in the awe-inspiring Aeolian Islands.
To discover authentic island recipes untouched by time.
Look at that, Gennar.
So beautiful.
Wow.
Centuries of seclusion from the mainland.
Have seen the islanders develop their own distinct style of cooking, Using ingenious combinations of their spectacular local produce.
Look at these two volcanoes, Gennar.
It's incredible.
The seven Aeolian Islands were once submarine volcanoes.
That emerged from the sea around 700,000 years ago, And are scattered just north of Sicily.
Gennaro's taking me to the archipelago's food capital, Salina.
My lord.
.
The sea.
Yes.
The mountains.
Look at this.
Come on.
It's so beautiful.
You've got like, essentially, forests up there.
And you know this is one of the only islands of the Aeolians.
That has, like, natural spring water? That's why it's so green.
It's a lot greener than the others.
That's good.
I didn't know that.
There's a strong tradition of cooking with the island's amazing.
Produce here and, fortunately, its crystal-clear water.
And rich volcanic soil produce a sensational store cupboard.
I can smell the sea, I can smell the flowers, I can smell the herbs.
But it's the creative flair of Salina's nonnas that turn.
Simple back garden ingredients into mind-blowing recipes.
And I'm here to learn their tricks.
It'll be down here.
We're off to meet a legendary nonna, who at 92 is still farming capers.
Nonna Franchina.
Si.
Benvenuto a casa mia.
Wow.
Look at her.
Bless you, bless you.
Ciao.
Ciao, ciao.
Si, si, si.
Nonna Franchina runs her small-scale caper farm from her back garden.
Salina is the home of some of the best capers in the world.
And right now, it's harvest time.
So here's the caper plant.
And the little berries here.
And which ones are the best one, Nonna? Piccola.
From her Beautiful.
I can't wait to taste it.
Nonna Franchina wants to teach me her very favourite recipe, Using the best of Salina's land and sea.
Squid with caper stuffing in a tangy tomato sauce.
92, Gennaro.
So when did she first start cooking, Gennar? 82 years of cooking on this lovely planet.
That's a lot of experience.
Nonna, OK? Si.
So we're going in with breadcrumbs.
The first lesson from this master of the kitchen.
Is how to make the caper stuffing.
So three eggs.
Pecorino? No problemo.
Ecco la.
Parmesan's lovely but the Pecorino's got the tang.
The taste.
The freshness.
A sprinkle of parsley and then the magical moment - caper time.
May I eat one? Mangiare? This is my first caper from the island.
My God.
Gennaro, it's a different level.
It's a different level.
They're fat, they're juicy.
They're perfumed.
Capers are a real fast track to flavour.
Just a tablespoon will turn this stuffing.
Into something really special.
This is olive oil from the island.
Uno.
Due.
Look at the teapot.
I just love her.
I want to take her home.
Two cloves of garlic, a splash of water, a good old mix up, And we're ready to stuff the squid.
Si Push it in.
I just love her hands.
You know, all those years of cooking.
To learn from the nonnas, what a joy.
Every time I stuff it, she corrects it.
Needle and thread.
No way.
I never seen this in a million years.
A lot of chefs use toothpicks, you know, cocktail sticks, But she don't like it cos she says stuff still comes out.
I'd use a toothpick.
Learn again.
Can you show me, nonna? Ecco.
Ecco qua.
So I've never seen this before.
Wow.
Nonna has locked in the flavour so beautifully.
We're in a for a real treat.
There's so much care, love, attentions.
To keep the squid tender, the parcels are slowly poached.
In a very simple tomato sauce, laced with more of those magical capers.
Yeah.
Fantastico.
The squid blip away slowly for about 20 minutes.
Before they're sliced and served with spaghetti, Lashings of sauce and, for a final flash of flavour, some extra capers.
Look at that.
Ho, ho, ho.
Nonna.
Fantastico.
My God.
Delicioso.
Fantastico.
.
I'm just having a moment.
So good.
The pasta Nonna just wants to feed everyone.
She wants to feed me, Gennaro, she wants to feed the whole crew.
This is what nonnas do.
T-they're feeders.
It's so good.
The Pecorino with the capers and the garlic and the breadcrumbs, It's just soaked up all that lovely tomato ragout.
I'm going to have to stop meself eating.
It's so good.
Thank you.
Grazie mille.
Prego.
Grazie.
Salute, Nonna.
Grazie.
You are the best.
Nonna Franchina's authentic recipe.
Is exactly what I was hoping to find.
The way she used those outrageously beautiful capers.
To turn simple seafood into something sublime has blown my mind.
The next day, I'm buzzing with inspiration and I can't wait.
To get cracking on a recipe using that epic combo of island flavours.
Me and Gennaro are going to cook the most delicious squid dish, Inspired by Nonna Franchina.
Yes.
How good was that? She was unbelievable.
This char-grilled squid with a lively caper salsa is super easy.
And guaranteed to get those taste buds zinging.
Of course, we're bigging up capers.
Mint, anchovies, lemon juice, olive oil.
Gennar's going to get a couple of lemons.
And he's going to squeeze it into this bowl.
Come on.
Squeeze it, squeeze it.
Top up the juice of two lemons with the same amount.
Of extra virgin olive oil.
Throw in three cloves of chopped garlic and a fresh chilli.
The next ingredient will be the ingredient of the island - capers.
They often come in brine.
I think the ones in salt are the best, don't you? They're the best indeed.
Right, put them into some fresh water.
And let them sit for an hour and then you can squeeze the salt out.
When the excess salt comes out So good.
You get the perfume.
Look at those.
Little pearl from the island.
And then Gennaro is just going to lightly chop them.
Next, mash four anchovies to give the salsa.
A wicked depth of flavour.
And for texture, I'm adding a handful of chopped pistachios.
That's it.
Now, anchovy.
In you go, big boy.
Right.
The last thing that we're going to do to this salsa is mint.
We're going to chop that up.
So fresh.
Smell, smell, smell.
Whack in half a bunch of chopped mint, Top up with extra virgin olive oil and give it a whirl.
I've got the squid here.
Now, look at this.
This is literally off the boat from the fisherman.
But get down your fishmongers, get some nice fresh squid.
It's been gutted and skinned.
I'm going to show you a technique.
To make this squid grab onto flavour.
I'm going to run my knife down the length of the squid, Like this, to open it out like a book.
It's very simple.
I'm just going to score the squid at an angle.
And you don't want to go all the way through.
And you simply go crisscross.
And I think it's equally as fascinating as Nonna Franchina.
With that needle and thread, right? She was trapping stuff on the inside.
We're doing the reverse.
Trapping the flavours on the outside.
It's time to cook.
Straight on.
I've fired up a barbecue, But you could do this in a screaming hot griddle pan or a grill at home.
And then we're going to put our legs on.
This aggressive heat of the barbecue will char.
And really sear the squid, right? And it'll start sort of flowering out that crisscross, And that's what's going to grab that salsa.
To keep squid tender, you've either got to go low and slow, Like Nonna Franchina, or hot and fast.
This baby's ready in a minute.
And it'll start to roll up.
Look at that.
Come on.
That squid is done now, right? Very, very quick.
It goes into our little dressing here.
And you just turn it.
And those little scores just grab onto that fantastic salsa.
Look at that.
Yeah.
Slice through the squid.
To really show off the beautiful Salina island salsa.
And serve it on top of some thickly-sliced tomatoes.
That is for you.
Do you know what? It's the Islands in a plate.
It definitely is.
Right, come on, big boy.
Yep, shall we tuck in? We're going to tuck in.
My God.
The squid is so tender.
And the capers are so fresh.
The chilli gives it that lovely little hum.
You know, the squid has grabbed hold of all of that gorgeous dressing.
Go on, get some flavours of Salina on your own dinner table.
Next up, matriarch Marina turns her beautiful back yard bounty.
Into a phenomenal family feast .
.
and I make a stunning Salina chicken pot roast, Packed with island flavour.
You can talk.
I'm eating.
Me and my old mentor, Gennaro, are on Salina, In the awe-inspiring Aeolian islands just north of Sicily.
Ciao, Francesco.
Look at these beautiful flowers, Gennar.
It's so beautiful.
I love it here.
We're seeking out treasured island recipes, Lovingly passed down through the generations.
But never finding their way out to us.
So fertile, the land.
It's incredible.
And so green.
Where we're going now, you'll just love it.
We're heading to Malfa.
To meet the matriarch of one of the island's biggest families.
Gennaro tells me she's the master of turning humble back yard ingredients.
Into awesome family feasts.
Yeah.
Ooh.
Right, we're here, big boy.
Nonna Marina.
Nonna Marina is 72 and a magician in the kitchen.
She feeds her 10 children and countless grandchildren.
Almost entirely on what's grown in the garden.
And today, we're lucky enough to join the weekly family feast.
Coniglio.
So this is so exciting.
Two different types, Massive family and a beautiful view.
Come on.
Look at this.
Si, si.
Let's do it.
Nonna's making her legendary family lunch.
One rabbit dish is sticky and sweet with wine.
The other, light and creamy with lemon.
I love rabbit and I can't wait to get stuck in.
Nonna Marina Si? Now, a lot of people in Britain don't know about rabbit, But it's very similar to chicken.
It's a wonderful carrier of flavours.
Nonna kicks off recipe numero uno by mixing a glass of white wine.
With a tablespoon of sugar .
.
and adding one finely-sliced onion.
E le mandorle.
Si.
Perche le mandorle? These nuts grow on the island, so Nonna can lavish her dish.
With them, adding such richness, and I love it.
In they go.
Cherry tomatoes, bay leaves, crushed cloves.
And a good glug of a local speciality called vino di musto.
So she ain't mucking about.
This is a very classic flavour to this area.
And it's when they take the leftover must from making the wine.
It's like all the bits of skin and stuff like that.
And what they do is, instead of throwing it away, They re-boil it with sugar.
Nothing here is wasted.
At home, a thick balsamic vinegar will also do the trick.
Look at the colour change here.
It's dark, it's glistening.
It's incredible.
Nonna's second recipe also begins with olive oil, onions, Bay leaves, and nuts.
But this time, the magic ingredient is lemon.
The smell of lemon.
I know.
This is why I love it.
It's the human sieve.
Bella, bella.
See, we're exchanging tips, you see.
I'm learning from her, she's learning from me.
Nonna Marina mixes the lemon juice with four tablespoons of sugar.
There's a builder's cup of lemon juice going in there.
Never seen anything like this before.
Never.
So we've got that flavour of the Islands happening.
We've got the nuts in there, we've got spices in there.
Jamie, can you see how creamy it becomes.
With the lemons and with the sugar? I just love it.
The shine is amazing.
What Nonna's done is, like, She's been very brave and bold with flavours.
The rabbit is left to bubble away for about half an hour.
Until the meat is soft and the sauce reduces.
Nonna Mangiare? Ciao, ciao, famiglia.
Benvenuta.
By using the same base island ingredients, But changing the final layer of flavour, Nonna's knocked up two distinct dishes fit for a feast.
Si mangia.
Buon appetito.
Buon appetito.
Buon appetito.
I can't wait to tuck in.
I love it.
It's so delicious.
And all these little juices, Gennar.
All the little pine nuts.
Con le mani.
.
She said, Eat with your hands.
Don't muck about.
What do you think about the flavours? Each one has got its own flavour in its own way, And with lemons cooks ever so well, that sweet and sour.
I mean, the dark one is completely different, isn't it? It's rich.
Amazing, amazing.
It's got that depth of flavour.
And with the musto of the wine, it's incredible.
Because it's sticky, it's You're right.
It's like barbecue.
Yeah, yeah, it's barbecue, When you put it inside your mouth and you go, Heeeey.
Come on.
You're completely right.
Optimo? What a pleasure to share a classic family Italian lunch.
Beautiful day, beautiful view.
Beautiful nonna.
An amazing dish.
Salute.
Buonissimo.
Molto buono.
Nonna Marina has smashed it.
Her simple, no-nonsense recipes.
Produce big, bold dishes that burst with island flavour.
Beautiful.
I can't wait to get cracking on a recipe.
That turns Salina's ingredients into a show-stopping meal.
So I'm going to cook for you the most amazing chicken dish.
That's going to blow your mind, inspired by the island, Inspired by Nonna Marina.
And inspired by those two incredible rabbit dishes.
This stunning chicken and aubergine pot roast with zesty couscous.
Packs the full force of Salina's flavour.
For me, this is a family meal and I want to do it with chicken.
Chicken is the meat of choice back home, right? And they eat a lot of chicken here as well.
So first up, I've got three of these little beauties.
I'm going to cut them quite big.
I'm going to do bad kind of chunks.
Clanks.
Bits like that.
And this is quite unusual.
But I really want to try and create a harmony.
Between that chicken and the aubergine.
They're as important as each other.
To soften and season the aubergine, generously sprinkle with salt.
And leave to sweat and draw out the moisture.
Now for the chicken.
Skin side down on everything, right? So the chicken is browning off.
A really important stage.
You want to render that fat out.
And that fat is what's going to kind of continue the story.
With the vegetables and the aubergine.
When the chicken turns brown and crispy, whip it out of the pan, Rinse the salt off the aubergine and get it sizzling.
Let's get some colour, just like the chicken.
Look at that.
Yes.
Once browned, set aside the aubergine.
And fire in three whole chillies and some chunks of garlic.
Beautiful.
My God.
Look at that.
Yes.
Cinnamon gives it that extra flavour, that lift.
It's not native, but the islanders love a bit of spice.
Now, bringing it back home.
Add three bashed-up bay leaves, three sage leaves.
And two sprigs of rosemary.
We now need to tell the story of the island, right? So we want the pine nuts, we want the almonds, we want The capers.
Yeah.
So I'm going to cut the onions nice and fine, Just like Nonna Marina.
Good boy.
Throw in the onions, Followed by a good handful of those island heroes - capers.
The flavour from all those beautiful herbs, capers.
Look at the colours.
Add the tomatoes, followed by the chicken and aubergine, And let all of those flavours harmonise.
My gosh.
Ho, ho.
They're all around each other.
Let's put some lemon juice in there.
We want to big up lemon juice for that sweet and sour vibe, Just like our Nonna.
I'm not going to put the sugar, Cos I think the way we cook the onions is going to be sweet enough.
Go on, big boy.
No pips.
No pips.
Pine nuts go in.
A-ha.
Can't wait.
Go on, put them in.
So this beautiful thing goes in the oven.
For about half an hour to 40 minutes at 180 Celsius, Until the meat just falls off the bone of the chicken.
Now, we are going to serve this with couscous.
I like to add a pinch of saffron to the boiling water.
Chuck us a lemon, big boy.
And so add the juice of half a lemon.
And I'm going to leave the lemon in there.
The hot water is going to infuse with that skin.
It's going to be lovely.
It's really easy, isn't it? Completely easy, easy.
And then I'm just going to pour in the couscous.
Visually, about half as much.
The islanders picked up this staple from their North African neighbours.
It's now a popular alternative to pasta.
And will work a treat with my pot roast.
Going to be so good.
And the only thing I would do, Gennar, Is a little oil.
Just cos you're loving it, kissing it, dressing it.
And we'll add a few capers.
That's like paying respect, right, Gennar? Yes, indeed.
And then just put a lid on top.
That's all you do.
Nothing.
No cooking, no steaming.
Just that.
12 minutes, that'll be ready and it'll keep warm.
All that's left to do is serve.
Come on.
My God.
Look at that.
This sensational, melt-in-your-mouth, Chicken and aubergine pot roast.
Serenades you with the island's flavours.
And hits the ultimate high note with the light and zesty couscous.
Juicy.
Yes.
Look at that.
So tender, look at it.
Really, really delicious.
I mean, what you get there is essentially a pot roast.
Meat just melting off the bone.
The aubergines are insane.
Buttery and meaty.
Honestly, hand on my heart, like, The aubergines are as good as the chicken.
And I think this would be amazing back home on a Sunday.
For a big gathering, a dinner party.
It's a brilliant feasting dish.
You can talk.
I'm eating.
Next time, We find out why Puglia is the hottest food destination in Italy.
Absolute heaven.
Look at that.
I get a right old rollocking from Puglia's pasta grannies I love it.
.
.
and I serve up an epic seafood celebration you'll never forget.
With flavour like this, you're going to go nuts.
this version: synced and
There's nowhere quite like Italy.
Look how busy it is.
I love it.
The landscapes, the people, the history.
It's unbelievable.
And, of course, the most amazing food.
I'm just having a moment.
I love it and I always have done.
This is like my idea of heaven.
Great food here isn't about Michelin-starred chefs.
It's about home-cooked recipes.
So, in this series, I'm going right to the heart of Italian cooking.
Ooh.
So good.
To the mammas and the nonnas of Italy.
These are some of the best home-cooked recipes in the world.
They've perfected recipes handed down over generations.
I'm just doing what I'm told.
I love it.
I'm travelling far and wide to see what secrets I can learn.
From these true masters of the kitchen.
That is a game-changer.
And I'll be showing you how to cook up delicious Italian dishes With flavour like this, you're going to go nuts.
That use the nonnas' way to transform the simple.
Into the sublime.
I'm going to have to stop myself eating.
It's so good.
Me and my best buddy, and mentor, Gennaro Contaldo, Are in the awe-inspiring Aeolian Islands.
To discover authentic island recipes untouched by time.
Look at that, Gennar.
So beautiful.
Wow.
Centuries of seclusion from the mainland.
Have seen the islanders develop their own distinct style of cooking, Using ingenious combinations of their spectacular local produce.
Look at these two volcanoes, Gennar.
It's incredible.
The seven Aeolian Islands were once submarine volcanoes.
That emerged from the sea around 700,000 years ago, And are scattered just north of Sicily.
Gennaro's taking me to the archipelago's food capital, Salina.
My lord.
.
The sea.
Yes.
The mountains.
Look at this.
Come on.
It's so beautiful.
You've got like, essentially, forests up there.
And you know this is one of the only islands of the Aeolians.
That has, like, natural spring water? That's why it's so green.
It's a lot greener than the others.
That's good.
I didn't know that.
There's a strong tradition of cooking with the island's amazing.
Produce here and, fortunately, its crystal-clear water.
And rich volcanic soil produce a sensational store cupboard.
I can smell the sea, I can smell the flowers, I can smell the herbs.
But it's the creative flair of Salina's nonnas that turn.
Simple back garden ingredients into mind-blowing recipes.
And I'm here to learn their tricks.
It'll be down here.
We're off to meet a legendary nonna, who at 92 is still farming capers.
Nonna Franchina.
Si.
Benvenuto a casa mia.
Wow.
Look at her.
Bless you, bless you.
Ciao.
Ciao, ciao.
Si, si, si.
Nonna Franchina runs her small-scale caper farm from her back garden.
Salina is the home of some of the best capers in the world.
And right now, it's harvest time.
So here's the caper plant.
And the little berries here.
And which ones are the best one, Nonna? Piccola.
From her Beautiful.
I can't wait to taste it.
Nonna Franchina wants to teach me her very favourite recipe, Using the best of Salina's land and sea.
Squid with caper stuffing in a tangy tomato sauce.
92, Gennaro.
So when did she first start cooking, Gennar? 82 years of cooking on this lovely planet.
That's a lot of experience.
Nonna, OK? Si.
So we're going in with breadcrumbs.
The first lesson from this master of the kitchen.
Is how to make the caper stuffing.
So three eggs.
Pecorino? No problemo.
Ecco la.
Parmesan's lovely but the Pecorino's got the tang.
The taste.
The freshness.
A sprinkle of parsley and then the magical moment - caper time.
May I eat one? Mangiare? This is my first caper from the island.
My God.
Gennaro, it's a different level.
It's a different level.
They're fat, they're juicy.
They're perfumed.
Capers are a real fast track to flavour.
Just a tablespoon will turn this stuffing.
Into something really special.
This is olive oil from the island.
Uno.
Due.
Look at the teapot.
I just love her.
I want to take her home.
Two cloves of garlic, a splash of water, a good old mix up, And we're ready to stuff the squid.
Si Push it in.
I just love her hands.
You know, all those years of cooking.
To learn from the nonnas, what a joy.
Every time I stuff it, she corrects it.
Needle and thread.
No way.
I never seen this in a million years.
A lot of chefs use toothpicks, you know, cocktail sticks, But she don't like it cos she says stuff still comes out.
I'd use a toothpick.
Learn again.
Can you show me, nonna? Ecco.
Ecco qua.
So I've never seen this before.
Wow.
Nonna has locked in the flavour so beautifully.
We're in a for a real treat.
There's so much care, love, attentions.
To keep the squid tender, the parcels are slowly poached.
In a very simple tomato sauce, laced with more of those magical capers.
Yeah.
Fantastico.
The squid blip away slowly for about 20 minutes.
Before they're sliced and served with spaghetti, Lashings of sauce and, for a final flash of flavour, some extra capers.
Look at that.
Ho, ho, ho.
Nonna.
Fantastico.
My God.
Delicioso.
Fantastico.
.
I'm just having a moment.
So good.
The pasta Nonna just wants to feed everyone.
She wants to feed me, Gennaro, she wants to feed the whole crew.
This is what nonnas do.
T-they're feeders.
It's so good.
The Pecorino with the capers and the garlic and the breadcrumbs, It's just soaked up all that lovely tomato ragout.
I'm going to have to stop meself eating.
It's so good.
Thank you.
Grazie mille.
Prego.
Grazie.
Salute, Nonna.
Grazie.
You are the best.
Nonna Franchina's authentic recipe.
Is exactly what I was hoping to find.
The way she used those outrageously beautiful capers.
To turn simple seafood into something sublime has blown my mind.
The next day, I'm buzzing with inspiration and I can't wait.
To get cracking on a recipe using that epic combo of island flavours.
Me and Gennaro are going to cook the most delicious squid dish, Inspired by Nonna Franchina.
Yes.
How good was that? She was unbelievable.
This char-grilled squid with a lively caper salsa is super easy.
And guaranteed to get those taste buds zinging.
Of course, we're bigging up capers.
Mint, anchovies, lemon juice, olive oil.
Gennar's going to get a couple of lemons.
And he's going to squeeze it into this bowl.
Come on.
Squeeze it, squeeze it.
Top up the juice of two lemons with the same amount.
Of extra virgin olive oil.
Throw in three cloves of chopped garlic and a fresh chilli.
The next ingredient will be the ingredient of the island - capers.
They often come in brine.
I think the ones in salt are the best, don't you? They're the best indeed.
Right, put them into some fresh water.
And let them sit for an hour and then you can squeeze the salt out.
When the excess salt comes out So good.
You get the perfume.
Look at those.
Little pearl from the island.
And then Gennaro is just going to lightly chop them.
Next, mash four anchovies to give the salsa.
A wicked depth of flavour.
And for texture, I'm adding a handful of chopped pistachios.
That's it.
Now, anchovy.
In you go, big boy.
Right.
The last thing that we're going to do to this salsa is mint.
We're going to chop that up.
So fresh.
Smell, smell, smell.
Whack in half a bunch of chopped mint, Top up with extra virgin olive oil and give it a whirl.
I've got the squid here.
Now, look at this.
This is literally off the boat from the fisherman.
But get down your fishmongers, get some nice fresh squid.
It's been gutted and skinned.
I'm going to show you a technique.
To make this squid grab onto flavour.
I'm going to run my knife down the length of the squid, Like this, to open it out like a book.
It's very simple.
I'm just going to score the squid at an angle.
And you don't want to go all the way through.
And you simply go crisscross.
And I think it's equally as fascinating as Nonna Franchina.
With that needle and thread, right? She was trapping stuff on the inside.
We're doing the reverse.
Trapping the flavours on the outside.
It's time to cook.
Straight on.
I've fired up a barbecue, But you could do this in a screaming hot griddle pan or a grill at home.
And then we're going to put our legs on.
This aggressive heat of the barbecue will char.
And really sear the squid, right? And it'll start sort of flowering out that crisscross, And that's what's going to grab that salsa.
To keep squid tender, you've either got to go low and slow, Like Nonna Franchina, or hot and fast.
This baby's ready in a minute.
And it'll start to roll up.
Look at that.
Come on.
That squid is done now, right? Very, very quick.
It goes into our little dressing here.
And you just turn it.
And those little scores just grab onto that fantastic salsa.
Look at that.
Yeah.
Slice through the squid.
To really show off the beautiful Salina island salsa.
And serve it on top of some thickly-sliced tomatoes.
That is for you.
Do you know what? It's the Islands in a plate.
It definitely is.
Right, come on, big boy.
Yep, shall we tuck in? We're going to tuck in.
My God.
The squid is so tender.
And the capers are so fresh.
The chilli gives it that lovely little hum.
You know, the squid has grabbed hold of all of that gorgeous dressing.
Go on, get some flavours of Salina on your own dinner table.
Next up, matriarch Marina turns her beautiful back yard bounty.
Into a phenomenal family feast .
.
and I make a stunning Salina chicken pot roast, Packed with island flavour.
You can talk.
I'm eating.
Me and my old mentor, Gennaro, are on Salina, In the awe-inspiring Aeolian islands just north of Sicily.
Ciao, Francesco.
Look at these beautiful flowers, Gennar.
It's so beautiful.
I love it here.
We're seeking out treasured island recipes, Lovingly passed down through the generations.
But never finding their way out to us.
So fertile, the land.
It's incredible.
And so green.
Where we're going now, you'll just love it.
We're heading to Malfa.
To meet the matriarch of one of the island's biggest families.
Gennaro tells me she's the master of turning humble back yard ingredients.
Into awesome family feasts.
Yeah.
Ooh.
Right, we're here, big boy.
Nonna Marina.
Nonna Marina is 72 and a magician in the kitchen.
She feeds her 10 children and countless grandchildren.
Almost entirely on what's grown in the garden.
And today, we're lucky enough to join the weekly family feast.
Coniglio.
So this is so exciting.
Two different types, Massive family and a beautiful view.
Come on.
Look at this.
Si, si.
Let's do it.
Nonna's making her legendary family lunch.
One rabbit dish is sticky and sweet with wine.
The other, light and creamy with lemon.
I love rabbit and I can't wait to get stuck in.
Nonna Marina Si? Now, a lot of people in Britain don't know about rabbit, But it's very similar to chicken.
It's a wonderful carrier of flavours.
Nonna kicks off recipe numero uno by mixing a glass of white wine.
With a tablespoon of sugar .
.
and adding one finely-sliced onion.
E le mandorle.
Si.
Perche le mandorle? These nuts grow on the island, so Nonna can lavish her dish.
With them, adding such richness, and I love it.
In they go.
Cherry tomatoes, bay leaves, crushed cloves.
And a good glug of a local speciality called vino di musto.
So she ain't mucking about.
This is a very classic flavour to this area.
And it's when they take the leftover must from making the wine.
It's like all the bits of skin and stuff like that.
And what they do is, instead of throwing it away, They re-boil it with sugar.
Nothing here is wasted.
At home, a thick balsamic vinegar will also do the trick.
Look at the colour change here.
It's dark, it's glistening.
It's incredible.
Nonna's second recipe also begins with olive oil, onions, Bay leaves, and nuts.
But this time, the magic ingredient is lemon.
The smell of lemon.
I know.
This is why I love it.
It's the human sieve.
Bella, bella.
See, we're exchanging tips, you see.
I'm learning from her, she's learning from me.
Nonna Marina mixes the lemon juice with four tablespoons of sugar.
There's a builder's cup of lemon juice going in there.
Never seen anything like this before.
Never.
So we've got that flavour of the Islands happening.
We've got the nuts in there, we've got spices in there.
Jamie, can you see how creamy it becomes.
With the lemons and with the sugar? I just love it.
The shine is amazing.
What Nonna's done is, like, She's been very brave and bold with flavours.
The rabbit is left to bubble away for about half an hour.
Until the meat is soft and the sauce reduces.
Nonna Mangiare? Ciao, ciao, famiglia.
Benvenuta.
By using the same base island ingredients, But changing the final layer of flavour, Nonna's knocked up two distinct dishes fit for a feast.
Si mangia.
Buon appetito.
Buon appetito.
Buon appetito.
I can't wait to tuck in.
I love it.
It's so delicious.
And all these little juices, Gennar.
All the little pine nuts.
Con le mani.
.
She said, Eat with your hands.
Don't muck about.
What do you think about the flavours? Each one has got its own flavour in its own way, And with lemons cooks ever so well, that sweet and sour.
I mean, the dark one is completely different, isn't it? It's rich.
Amazing, amazing.
It's got that depth of flavour.
And with the musto of the wine, it's incredible.
Because it's sticky, it's You're right.
It's like barbecue.
Yeah, yeah, it's barbecue, When you put it inside your mouth and you go, Heeeey.
Come on.
You're completely right.
Optimo? What a pleasure to share a classic family Italian lunch.
Beautiful day, beautiful view.
Beautiful nonna.
An amazing dish.
Salute.
Buonissimo.
Molto buono.
Nonna Marina has smashed it.
Her simple, no-nonsense recipes.
Produce big, bold dishes that burst with island flavour.
Beautiful.
I can't wait to get cracking on a recipe.
That turns Salina's ingredients into a show-stopping meal.
So I'm going to cook for you the most amazing chicken dish.
That's going to blow your mind, inspired by the island, Inspired by Nonna Marina.
And inspired by those two incredible rabbit dishes.
This stunning chicken and aubergine pot roast with zesty couscous.
Packs the full force of Salina's flavour.
For me, this is a family meal and I want to do it with chicken.
Chicken is the meat of choice back home, right? And they eat a lot of chicken here as well.
So first up, I've got three of these little beauties.
I'm going to cut them quite big.
I'm going to do bad kind of chunks.
Clanks.
Bits like that.
And this is quite unusual.
But I really want to try and create a harmony.
Between that chicken and the aubergine.
They're as important as each other.
To soften and season the aubergine, generously sprinkle with salt.
And leave to sweat and draw out the moisture.
Now for the chicken.
Skin side down on everything, right? So the chicken is browning off.
A really important stage.
You want to render that fat out.
And that fat is what's going to kind of continue the story.
With the vegetables and the aubergine.
When the chicken turns brown and crispy, whip it out of the pan, Rinse the salt off the aubergine and get it sizzling.
Let's get some colour, just like the chicken.
Look at that.
Yes.
Once browned, set aside the aubergine.
And fire in three whole chillies and some chunks of garlic.
Beautiful.
My God.
Look at that.
Yes.
Cinnamon gives it that extra flavour, that lift.
It's not native, but the islanders love a bit of spice.
Now, bringing it back home.
Add three bashed-up bay leaves, three sage leaves.
And two sprigs of rosemary.
We now need to tell the story of the island, right? So we want the pine nuts, we want the almonds, we want The capers.
Yeah.
So I'm going to cut the onions nice and fine, Just like Nonna Marina.
Good boy.
Throw in the onions, Followed by a good handful of those island heroes - capers.
The flavour from all those beautiful herbs, capers.
Look at the colours.
Add the tomatoes, followed by the chicken and aubergine, And let all of those flavours harmonise.
My gosh.
Ho, ho.
They're all around each other.
Let's put some lemon juice in there.
We want to big up lemon juice for that sweet and sour vibe, Just like our Nonna.
I'm not going to put the sugar, Cos I think the way we cook the onions is going to be sweet enough.
Go on, big boy.
No pips.
No pips.
Pine nuts go in.
A-ha.
Can't wait.
Go on, put them in.
So this beautiful thing goes in the oven.
For about half an hour to 40 minutes at 180 Celsius, Until the meat just falls off the bone of the chicken.
Now, we are going to serve this with couscous.
I like to add a pinch of saffron to the boiling water.
Chuck us a lemon, big boy.
And so add the juice of half a lemon.
And I'm going to leave the lemon in there.
The hot water is going to infuse with that skin.
It's going to be lovely.
It's really easy, isn't it? Completely easy, easy.
And then I'm just going to pour in the couscous.
Visually, about half as much.
The islanders picked up this staple from their North African neighbours.
It's now a popular alternative to pasta.
And will work a treat with my pot roast.
Going to be so good.
And the only thing I would do, Gennar, Is a little oil.
Just cos you're loving it, kissing it, dressing it.
And we'll add a few capers.
That's like paying respect, right, Gennar? Yes, indeed.
And then just put a lid on top.
That's all you do.
Nothing.
No cooking, no steaming.
Just that.
12 minutes, that'll be ready and it'll keep warm.
All that's left to do is serve.
Come on.
My God.
Look at that.
This sensational, melt-in-your-mouth, Chicken and aubergine pot roast.
Serenades you with the island's flavours.
And hits the ultimate high note with the light and zesty couscous.
Juicy.
Yes.
Look at that.
So tender, look at it.
Really, really delicious.
I mean, what you get there is essentially a pot roast.
Meat just melting off the bone.
The aubergines are insane.
Buttery and meaty.
Honestly, hand on my heart, like, The aubergines are as good as the chicken.
And I think this would be amazing back home on a Sunday.
For a big gathering, a dinner party.
It's a brilliant feasting dish.
You can talk.
I'm eating.
Next time, We find out why Puglia is the hottest food destination in Italy.
Absolute heaven.
Look at that.
I get a right old rollocking from Puglia's pasta grannies I love it.
.
.
and I serve up an epic seafood celebration you'll never forget.
With flavour like this, you're going to go nuts.
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