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MICHAEL: Welcome to the Bonacini Farm.
It's our little piece of paradise
and it's where we love to come to get away from it all.
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Every Christmas, we pack up the car
and head on up for the holidays.
We've had a lot of really great meals up here.
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With a name like Bonacini, you'd expect many of those
great meals to be Italian.
After all, [Speaking in Italian].
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But, my heart still belongs to Wales,
that's where my mother's from and I spent many a great year
growing up there.
[Speaking Welsh]
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And what I'd like to do today is share with you
some of my some of my favourite Christmas recipes
from both Italy and Wales.
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Can you think of anything more Welsh
than leeks and potatoes
that come together in a rustic,
but slightly sophisticated soup?
That happens to be one of my favourites.
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The one question that I get asked the most
is where did my love of food and cooking come from?
And the short answer to that is I blame my parents.
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My earliest childhood memories growing up in Wales
were on the family farm
when my parents were in market gardening
and had a small dairy herd.
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And it was there that they taught my family, myself,
the value of local home-grown seasonal produce that you
cook and work with, and show it great respect.
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I'm ready to add some chicken stock.
Light, golden, and just a little sweet.
[Sizzling]
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And just top it up with a touch of water.
And, of course, let's not forget the seasoning.
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And these flavours will start coming together
and really turning into a heart-warming soup
for a cold winter's day.
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Baking scones is about as traditional as you can get,
and these ones are super easy to make:
cheddar and bacon.
It's going to go perfectly with that wonderful
leek and potato soup.
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Flour, baking powder,
along with smoky paprika. That makes the basis for my dough.
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That's good.
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Combine and bring it all together with some cold butter.
It makes the perfect savoury scone.
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This is Welsh cheddar.
Just what I'm looking for.
Has a little creaminess, a touch nuttiness,
and a wonderful, spicy, nippy end to it.
It's going to be perfect with that crisp bacon.
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I think that's about it.
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Now, a quick score,
just so it makes it easier to break after baking.
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So, a quick egg wash,
just to provide a nice little shine and glaze
to the top of the scones,
but I'm also going to top these off
with a little more grated cheese.
And one little secret.
This is a little Welsh salt.
It has been smoked over Welsh oak.
[Sniffing] And it smells divine.
Ready for the oven.
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You've got to take a look at this soup.
It is really looking terrific
and those flavours have become so intense.
My mouth is watering already.
Let's ladle some up.
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So, a touch of crème fraîche
right in the middle.
A little smoked salmon.
Some freshly chopped chives.
And a drizzle of olive oil.
That is a delicious holiday soup.
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It is rich and earthy.
You get the wonderful meaty flavours from the bacon
and the chicken stock.
And then it hits that very rich and wonderful crème fraîche.
This is two worlds colliding:
rustic meets a touch of sophistication.
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Light, fluffy.
What a great combination with a soup like this.
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Great taste, great texture,
nice crunchy crust, and that hit of salt.
All washed down with a glass of Prosecco,
a great little sparkling wine from Northern Italy.
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I'm sure it'll come as no surprise that pasta
in the Bonacini household is a favourite go to.
But this particular pasta dish that I'm going to show you
is a little different.
It's more like a potato dumpling meets a little bit of cheese
and we like to call it gnocchi.
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You know, the key with making perfect gnocchi
is to boil the potatoes in their skins,
'cause that prevents the potato from becoming overly wet.
And the idea there is that the drier the potato,
the less flour you have to add,
and therefore the lighter the gnocchi is going to be.
Perfect.
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So, we'll add a little ricotta cheese.
The king, and I mean the king all cheese in Italy,
Parmigiano-Reggiano.
And a good amount of cheese, I want to have that nutty,
rich parmesan taste.
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Added flavour, I have these beautiful,
slow roasted buds of garlic.
And of course, I've got to use a little of that
garlic oil in there.
Just watch how easily this bud breaks down.
That...
is roasted garlic heaven.
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It's going to be good tasting gnocchi.
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So, before we start rolling the gnocchi out and forming them,
we should do a little test
to make sure we've got the seasoning
and the density spot on.
It'll take about two to three minutes to cook,
it'll float to the top,
another 30, maybe 45 seconds more,
and then ready to lift out and have the taste test.
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It's looking good.
Has a nice firmness to it, but not overly firm.
You see the way the fork just cuts into that?
That tells me it's light and fluffy.
That's a good start.
Oh yeah.
Cut the dough in half, a lot easier to work with that way.
And start to gently roll on a lightly floured board.
I'll cut that one in half,
both hands working the dough together.
Now, we're ready to cut our first gnocchi.
About half an inch to three quarters.
Take the back of a fork, lightly floured,
and get a gentle roll
creating the classic potato gnocchi grooves.
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So, now the gnocchi's rolled and shaped.
The next step is for me to prepare the pancetta
and winter greens that I'll be serving them with.
This, my friends, is the Italian version of bacon.
It pork belly that's been cured, hung to dry,
and is a keystone ingredient in any Italian kitchen: pancetta.
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These are cinnamon cap mushrooms
and what I'm looking for when I choose a selection of mushrooms
is the look, the texture, what they bring to a finished dish.
A simple white cap mushroom, cut it a little chunky
so it stands up and stands out.
And, the last piece of the puzzle
is just to tear up some wonderful winter greens.
Here I've got some collard, the tops off of beets,
and this here is a little Swiss chard.
Just coarsely torn up 'cause they're all going to cook
and wilt down.
Oh, I almost forgot.
A little fresh thyme.
First job, fry off this pancetta.
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That is pure flavour.
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My water's boiling.
Three minutes, three and a half minutes at the most,
and these gnocchi will be ready.
Oh, look at that.
Beautiful bright colours,
the aroma, a little bit of juice from the wine and the stock.
Just needs a little knob of butter
to add a touch of richness.
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That is good.
A little more butter into my pan.
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[Sizzling] So, these gnocchi are now
getting a bath in this nut brown butter.
Rich and full of flavour.
The sage just adds another taste accent to it.
Now I'm going to plate.
It's the finishing touches.
A little love on the presentation.
Got to grab some of this juice
and these lovely, light and fluffy gnocchi.
And of course, a pasta is not a pasta without a good amount--
the king of cheeses, Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Looks like another snowfall maybe.
A glass of wine.
A lovely, crisp Pinot Grigio
from way up in the north of Italy.
It's going to work really well with the richness
of this dish.
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I think I said this was heaven.
It truly is,
it's heaven on earth.
It is big, and rich, and flavourful.
Once you've had gnocchi like this,
there's no other way to have them.
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MICHAEL: When my wife and I first renovated this old farmhouse
we treated ourselves by putting in a wood burning oven.
Which mean we can cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner
whilst warming the house.
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And, since it's up and running,
and got a great burning ember bed,
I think it would be a fun way to cook a real Welsh classic.
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Take a look at this.
Fresh from my favourite butcher, a bone-in leg of lamb,
which is perfect for roasting.
'Cause as far as I'm concerned,
when you roast anything on the bone, it's guaranteed to be
so much more juicy and so much more tasty.
What I like about lamb is that it is big and rich
and full of flavour, and therefore,
you can use big and rich flavours to help it along.
I'm going to use a little rosemary,
which adds a savoury, crisp flavour to it.
We've got some fresh, floral, and fragrant thyme,
which will add a nice balance to that rosemary.
And then to round the mix out,
some amazing-- [Sniffing] fresh--
[Sniffing] almost lemony, sage.
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Beautiful marinade:
lemon, fresh herbs, garlic, super simple.
It's a marinade-y, rub kind of thing.
But, before I start applying it to the lamb,
let me just sliver up a couple of cloves of garlic.
Nothing fancy.
This leg of lamb-- I'm going to make a couple of incisions
along the top surface
and one or two on the underside, right down to the bone.
I'm just going to insert the cloves of garlic
into these incisions.
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Now for the marinade.
I want to use my hands.
The aromas here, they are absolutely intoxicating.
And, those incisions,
that garlic's going to melt and become super sweet and sticky,
and just help intensify the flavours of that lamb.
Now, I'm pretty eager to get it in the oven,
so that's what we're going to do.
[Water splashing]
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My local butcher knows me well enough that when I order
a leg of lamb, he always throws in some extra bones,
which I love to put in the bottom of the roasting pan.
I've also got some mirepoix:
celery, onion, carrot,
which is also going to help add and intensify flavours.
But, in my kitchen, nothing goes to waste.
The head of garlic.
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And, those herb stems.
Perfect place for them to continue that flavour building.
Nest in the leg of lamb.
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A good slow roast and I'll check it ever once in a while
to make sure it's just doing what I want it to do.
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So, my leg of lamb has been in the oven 45, almost 50 minutes,
and I'm going to give it a quick check to see how it's doing.
That looks pretty spectacular.
So, what I'm going to do is wrap the thin end
with a little aluminium foil, so it slows down the cooking
of the thin end of the leg,
allowing the ticker portion of the leg to catch up.
It's that easy.
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[Sizzling]
[Grunting]
Would you take a look at that.
Look how it's browned so beautifully.
A couple of charred areas here,
but that's going to taste delicious.
It's enough to bring a tear to a Welshman's eye, let me tell ya.
Let's lift it out.
There we go.
Now, cover it with some foil.
And, in the bottom of this pan...
that's all the golden goodness I'm looking for.
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Perfect for my roast potatoes.
And, all this ooey-gooey sticky goodness
in the bottom of this pan is going to become
wonderful pan gravy.
Look at this roasted garlic.
That's really going to intensify the flavour of that gravy.
Bones back in.
I've got my pan on the stove top.
[Sizzling] It's going to brown off the last bit
of these root vegetables.
Mash up that garlic, that roasted,
juicy, sticky-sweet garlic.
[Sizzling]
Just a sprinkling of flour.
I just like to add that to thicken up my gravy,
my pan gravy. Just a touch, not too much.
[Sizzling]
Now, had a little white wine left from the gnocchi
and it would be a shame to see it go to waste.
[Sizzling]
And, if there's some white,
there has to be some red.
I'll be having a glass of this with the lamb a little later on.
So, it seems fitting it should be part of the gravy.
Just take a look at the colour
in the bottom of that pan already.
Now, the lamb stock.
When I'm up at the farm, I'm always making stock.
So, I pulled this one out of my fridge
'cause you never know when you're going to need it
for such an occasion.
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Time to work on some roasted spuds.
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Lamb fat roast potatoes.
Merry Christmas indeed.
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MICHAEL: In Wales, you simply can't have a roast dinner
without having some roast potatoes.
And I've par-boiled these in a little chicken stock
and water.
Now they're ready for roasting.
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The lamb fat.
Into a good, hot pan.
[Sizzling]
Turn up the heat.
And in with the potatoes.
Hear that bubbling, and twitching,
and whistling that's going on?
That's exactly what I want to hear with these roast spuds.
Make sure they all get a good coating.
[Sizzling]
A hit of cracked black pepper.
[Sizzling]
It's that simple for the best roast potatoes in town.
Into a hot oven.
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Winter time is certainly the time a year to be using
a good rutabaga.
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I'm going to roast this rutabaga
with some heirloom carrots and winter parsnips.
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The important thing with roasting root vegetables
is to make sure they're cut roughly the same size.
The intent there is that they'll all cook equally.
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A quick maple syrup glaze
and a touch of the acidity from some Dijon mustard.
Add a splash of olive oil.
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Very simple glaze.
Add the rutabagas,
parsnips,
and these gorgeous,
colourful heirloom carrots.
I want them all coated
with that sticky-sweet glaze
and the tangy mustard.
Now, a few leaves of thyme.
You know, thyme, it is a fragrant and floral herb,
and works well with just about anything,
but especially when you're roasting.
Onto a baking sheet with a piece of parchment.
Makes the clean-up a little easier.
I think that's enough.
Touch up a little bit with the salt,
'cause that salt on top is a nice, crisp touch
when those roots are all roasted.
A few sprigs over the top of that
and ready to go to a hot oven.
♪
My roast spuds and roast roots are just about ready.
And my gravy, I know it's done,
so I'm going to strain it.
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You get the full flavours of that lamb,
a little bit sweet, the right consistency,
it's exactly what I had in mind.
Let's ladle a jug full.
[Sizzling]
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[Sizzling, crackling]
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These roast potatoes look absolutely fantastic.
Roasty and crusty on the edges, on the underside.
And just look at these root veg.
So beautifully roasted
and balanced out with the mustard,
a little maple syrup, and of course,
that fresh thyme.
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The time has come
and I can hardly wait.
And, there should always be enough
for at least a sandwich the next day.
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A perfect blushing pink piece of lamb.
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A drizzle of gravy.
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And this is a roast dinner
to celebrate with.
Absolutely.
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You know, lamb has a distinct flavour to it.
It's big and bold,
and therefore it can handle big flavours.
The garlic, and the rosemary, and the thyme,
they're being accompanied by lovely roasted root vegetables.
Those carrots are intensely carrot.
The rutabaga is intensely rutabaga,
but with just a slight sweet edge.
And the mustard helps cut any richness.
This is a dinner that is triumphant.
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I promised you an Italian feast fit for your holiday table.
How about a slow braised breast of veal
with polenta and mushroom ragu?
And the great thing about this recipe is that you can get
most of the work done ahead of time,
which means more time to spend with the family.
Let's get started on the veal.
And the Italian side of me has a hankering
for a scrumptious braised piece of veal breast.
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So, I'm just taking a little bit of the excess fat off,
but not too much,
'cause we all know fat is what gives us flavour.
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It is going to be scrumptiously delicious.
So, the first seasoning I'm going to add are these
absolutely beautifully scented--
[Sniffing] Toasted fennel seeds.
A light sprinkle.
Next, a little cinnamon stick.
We know that where there's cinnamon,
there has to be nutmeg.
It's all about the seasonings for the holidays.
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Done.
Next, a little fresh citrus.
Bright flavour, and you'll know between the orange
citrusy scent and that fennel,
it's a special meal.
A little thyme, just broken off the branches,
the leaves loosely falling.
Sage leaf.
That's it. I'm ready to roll and tie my veal breast.
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It's all about the sear on my veal breast.
[Sizzling]
The pan is good and hot.
Little slick of oil.
[Sizzling]
And listen to that music.
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[Sizzling]
I had some of the toasted fennel left over from the seasoning,
so I might as well put it in.
And, if you remember that tangerine that I used the zest,
let's cut it in half and add that juice.
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Canned tomatoes, diced,
all the juice, in it goes.
And, just enough chicken stock so that my veal breast
is almost covered with liquid.
These are the rinds of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
that I save up.
This is looking delicious already.
♪
Now I'm going to make some polenta.
So, I have some chicken stock and water, which is boiling,
just the way I like it.
Season with salt
and a little crack of black pepper.
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A good drizzle of olive oil.
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And this polenta is nothing more than ground cornmeal.
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We're now ready to add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
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Just rubbed with a little olive oil.
Take our polenta while it's piping hot.
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Pat it down, work it into the corners.
Make sure there's no air bubbles
and as flat as you can make it.
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I'll leave the polenta here to cool
while I prepare the mushroom ragu.
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These are purple foot mushrooms, hence the colour.
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And these are chanterelles.
I've been lucky enough to find the odd one or two
on the property.
And what's going to happen with these mushrooms,
they'll cook down very fast,
it's going to bring a wonderful, earthy flavour
that's going to blend so well with that braised veal.
Before I cook the mushrooms I'll just pop the polenta
into the fridge.
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My polenta's firmed up nicely.
So, all I want to do here is give a little trim
to square off the edges.
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Just a little butter to stop things from sticking.
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Simple arrangement in the bottom of the dish.
Next, we'll take a little sprinkling
of grated parmesan.
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This is taleggio.
A soft, mild mannered cheese
similar to brie.
Just a couple little wedges
which will start to melt.
Let's get it in the oven.
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And when it comes out of the oven it looks this good.
A little sprinkle of parsley.
Do I have your attention now?
That is absolutely gorgeous.
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A nice thick slice of veal breast.
Right on the edge of the plate.
And now the sauce.
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Simple seedling greens.
All I can say
is [Speaking Italian].
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This is a dish that has character, charm,
and Italian sophistication.
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Nutmeg, cinnamon,
oh so fitting at this time of year.
Those mushrooms have a little more heft and weight,
earthy.
A great balance with a glass of Barolo
from a Nebbiolo grape.
Wonderful balance in both
the wine...
and the dish.
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The holidays are certainly a time for a little
self-indulgence.
And I don't think there's a better way to have
real great self-indulgence
than having a molten chocolate lava cake,
a real classic.
We'll let that slowly melt.
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Some butter.
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Let's give these a little flour.
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I'm going to split the vanilla bean.
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Look at that.
Butter and chocolate all melted together.
In with the chocolate to my egg mix,
just adding a little at a time so it doesn't separate.
The chocolate's going to cool down a touch
and thicken up.
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A little flour.
Some cardamom.
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And now, a little something to keep you up for Santa:
some finely ground espresso beans.
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[Grinding]
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Just putting the espresso beans through the sieve
so they're nice and fine.
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Have my lightly buttered and floured ramekins.
Guaranteed to come out of the mould.
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Before I put these in the oven, we'll start poaching our figs.
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Cinnamon,
cloves,
honey,
it's almost like eating a fig flavoured with
Christmas pudding.
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Just enough red wine to cover them so they can poach.
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Look at those.
Perfect.
A little light crust, golden brown.
I've got my figs.
Look how that red wine has thickened up.
And these figs look like they're about to burst.
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The moment of truth.
It's almost jumping out of the ramekin.
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A dollop of whipped cream.
A little powdered sugar.
And a touch more...
Of the fig poaching liquid.
I always think of dessert as the grand finale to a meal
and this one is a showstopper.
Now, the moment of truth.
When I cut it open, I want to see the molten chocolate run.
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That is nice.
Really nice.
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Well, all that's left is to grab a dram of whiskey
and cuddle up by the fire with the ones you love.
That's what I'm going to do.
Wishing you great company,
all the best of eating,
and much warmth and love from my kitchen to yours.
Merry Christmas.
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