Rick Stein’s Long Weekends

In his new Long Weekend series Rick embarks on extended culinary breaks, all about a 3 hour flight from the UK, visiting markets, restaurants, wineries, cafés and bars, looking for food excellence and also some innovative recipes for you to cook at home.

His first adventure began in an autumnal Bordeaux where Rick started at La Tupina Restaurant to sample gratton with radishes, roast chicken, côte de beouf, wood pigeon roasted in duck fat and wrapped kidneys with caul. He ventured over Napoleon Bridge speaking about Bordeaux architecture. Rick explored a wine fountain then tucked into breakfast of tartine burée and black coffee back at La Tupina.

Rick explored the perfect dishes that make up French lunches including rabbit with prunes, steak tartare, petit salé, poulé au pot, duck confit and cassoulet while tucking into a crew lunch at Chez Mémé. We were then whisked back to Rick’s cottage in Padstow where he showed us how to make a chicken parmentier dish.

In true Rick style, we are then taken to vineyard Chateau Phélan Ségur to meet Véronique Dausse who talked about her vineyard before showing us the winemaker’s barbecued cote de bôeuf with a marrowbone topping. Next, whilst musing on Bordeaux, Rick takes us to seafood restaurant, Le Petit Commerce, where he tried grilled fillet of maigre a la plancha.

Fried ceps sprinkled with garlic and parsley was the next dish on the menu at Marché de Capucins in Places des Capucins, which left Rick pondering on what makes for the perfect long weekend.

Next we met Gael of Garopapilles Restaurant for a selection of dishes paired with wines. First up were clams in the shell with an emulsion of smoked ham, crab with a purée of Jerusalem artichoke, herring roe with hard goats cheese and smoked bell pepper cream paired with Chateua de Charmes-Godard, a 50/50 split of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Then Rick tried veal with pan friend ceps, shallots, lardons, grapes and croutons, pumpkin ravioli with a beef stock sauce and then, preserved lemons, black olives topped with slices of truffle, truffle foam and cucumber flower. These dishes were paired with Chateau Belle-Vue, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The meal finished with caramel parfait with rice crispies, chocolate, caramel ice cream and pineapple sage leaf.

After so many wonderful dishes, Rick attempted a swim in Cap Ferret but had to abandon it, heading next to Chez Hotense Restaurant a la Pointe for some mussels. Back in Padstow, Rick showed us how to recreate the dish: mussels with Bayonne ham and fines herbes.

Rick sampled the local wine, Lillet, at the Casino Royale before visiting Angelika Hermann’s oyster farm, Arcachon Basin Oysters. He then stopped at the Grand Hotel de Bordeaux to try a classic sole meunière.

After musing over the large queues both day and night for L’Entrecôte, Rick took us back to his cottage in Padstow where he cooked the final dish for this week: steak frites with Bordelaise sauce.

The episode ended with a visit to Gavin Quinney at Chateau Bauduc where Rick tried Pauillac lamb with petit pois and pommes Dauphinoise, followed by a wine tasting at Syndicat Viticole des Graves.

This week, an excitable Rick visited Reykjavik, Iceland’s coastal capital and home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history. After a beer and chat with Ymir Björgvin Arthúrsson at Micro Bar, Rick took a walk by the harbour in anticipation of finding the perfect cod. He soon found it at the Icelandair Reykjavik Marina Hotel, where he watched chefs pan cook cod.

Conscious that his attire was attracting a lot of attention, Rick visited the Nordic Store in Lækjargata to buy some more appropriate clothing to blend in with the locals. Kitted out, he joined Mayor Dagur Bergþóruson Eggertssonat at Reykjavik City Hall for a breakfast of waffles with rhubarb jam and cream.

Next, Rick visited the Sun Voyager sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason, made to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the city of Reykjavík which led to Rick thinking about an old Anglo – Saxon poem:  The Seafarer by Ida. L Gordon.

Rick then went on to view the three large murals by Guido van Helten on the Loftkastalinn building in the old west side of Reykjavik. The murals were inspired by images from the archive of the Reykjavik museum of photography from the 1961 screen play, ‘No Exit’ by Jean Paul Satre.

Ready for his next dish, Rick visited Matur og Drykkur Restaurant to try their halibut soup, before taking us back to his cottage in Padstow where he showed us how to make a simple cod gratin with bearnaise sauce.

Back in Iceland, Rick was driving through the snow contemplating the ‘cuisine of wants’ in Iceland, before enjoying a secret lagoon swim. He then had lunch with Ymir, enjoying chicken liver terrine with dandelion syrup, hot spring hard boiled eggs with birch smoked salt and smoked trout paté with fennel and beetroot chutney and chunky basil pesto. At the Fontana Spa, he then tried Icelandic rye bread, baked in volcanic sand, before visiting the Strokkur Geyser, and getting excited about seeing the Northern Lights.

Next, Rick met Ragnar Eiriksson at Dill Restaurant where he tried wild goose with crowberries on a bed of cauliflower pureé. The weather takes a turn for the worse and Rick had a conversation with his driver about the impending storm. At his next location,  Bjarteyjarsandur Sheep Farm Thorrablot, he tucked into roast lamb marinated in blueberries. Back in Rick’s kitchen in Padstow, Rick cooks his own lamb dish: breaded lamb chops with spiced red cabbage.

Then Rick met with Elisabet Skuladottir at Sea Baron Restaurant to try grilled fish skewers or “stinky skate” as they were referred to. He then visited the Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran Church and spoke about Leif ‘the lucky’ Eriksson, an Icelandic explorer considered by some as the first European to land in North America before Christopher Columbus.

Next on Rick Stein’s long weekend, he visited one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland, the Gullfoss Waterfall, located in the canyon of the Hvítá river in southwest Iceland. Then he visited the Fjorubordid Restaurant where he enjoyed langoustine soup and fried langoustine tails. Rick was so impressed with the soup, he showed us how to make it at his home in Padstow.

Rick’s final stop this week was at Íslenski Barinn, the Icelandic Bar, where he tucked into fermented shark and brennivin, a clear, unsweetened schnapps that is considered to be Iceland’s signature distilled beverage.

The episode ends with Rick musing on his long weekend in Reykjavik.

After a whirlwind adventure in Reykjavik including fermented shark, stinky skate skewers and roasted lamb with blueberries, Rick took us on a Long Weekend to Berlin in this evening’s episode of Rick Stein’s Long Weekends.

The episode started with Rick checking into the intriguingly named 25 Hour Bikini Hotel, before heading to the Nobelhart and Schmutzig Restaurant  with Billy Wagner to try smoked eel with jelly and radish shoots, barbecued baby leeks with speck lard and crushed fennel seeds, barbecued and oven baked saddleback pork neck with blanched salad leaves, crushed pine needles and reduced pork stock and lightly seared wild trout with smoked mashed potato and puréed kale.

Next on the menu is a German classic, a Currywurst enjoyed at Konnopke’s Imbiss, as well as a doner kebab and the history of this food in Berlin. After an emotional conversation with Hans, his taxi driver on how Hans was separated from his grandparents, Rick spoke about the renaissance of East Berlin after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Rick’s next stop was La Soupe Populaire Restaurant where, with his guide, Per Muerline, he tucked in to königsburg klopse, a meatball speciality.  Taking us back to his kitchen in Padstow, Rick cooks beetroot marinated salmon with cucumber, apple and horseradish salad.

An ever amusing conversation ensued with Rick and David Pritchard discussing ‘Noir’ Berlin, the dramatic street art across Berlin, before Rick took a ride in the exotic looking Trabant Safari.

He then went to the Cookies Cream restaurant where he tried puréed sunflower seeds and Jerusalem artichoke flam with liquidised watercress and parsley oil, potato strips topped with mashed potato and creamed spinach, Noilly Prat, radishes, spinach juliennes, chopped pistachios, sesame dressing and a fried egg. In true German style, Rick then frequented the Hofbrauhaus and got stuck in to sampling the local brews.

Back in his cottage in Padstow, Rick showed us how to make a bacon joint with sauerkraut and split pea purée.

Then Rick tried smoked fish, oysters, smoked eel and horseradish sauce at the KaDeWe department store, before heading to the Hotel Adlon to sample the Kaiser cup cocktail and the prairie oyster cocktail.

Next, Rick visited Hitler’s bunker with Nick Jackson before trying eisbien steamed pork knuckles, stuffed cabbage and burgerklopse at the Zurletzen Instanz Restaurant.  Heading back to his Padstow kitchen for the last time in the episode, Rick cooks a German apple cake.

After visiting a few more spots in Berlin, learning a lesson in the perils of jaywalking in Berlin and seeing Russian tanks near Brandenburg gate, Rick visited guerilla chefs, Markus and Christian to enjoy roast beef eclairs with hot consommé, scallops with mung beans, black lentils, yellow split peas, apple vinegar, crispy bacon, Japanese green tapioca and fresh shoots, sausages on purée of chervil roots, apricot mustard, fried black radish with a salad of shredded red and white cabbage, carrots and vinegar and finished with a decadent dessert of chocolate brownie with passion fruit, chocolate mousse, apples and pomegranate sauce, crumbled dark chocolate with roasted almonds and chocolate toffee.

The episode started with Rick checking into Motel One and sharing with us his first impressions of Vienna’s architecture, the Danube River and the Johann Strauss statue in Stadtpark before heading to meet Martina Hohenlohe at Hotel Imperial, then Executive chef, Rupert Schnait who cooks wiener schnitzel. Taking us back to his kitchen in Padstow, Rick cooks Viennese herring and potato salad.

Rick enjoys breakfast at the hotel and listens to Mona, the singing waitress. He speaks about Colonel Kulczycki and his discovery of coffee beans and Vienna’s first coffee house before meeting James Mowlam at Landtmann Coffee House where he tucks into some apple strudel with vanilla sauce.

He then notices Vienna’s politically correct traffic light symbols before meeting with Christian Wanek at Rudi’s Beisl Restaurant where he tries zwiebelrostbraten, an all time favourite dish in Austria and Rick visits Mozarthaus and talks about composer Mozart and the world famous opera, “The Marriage of Figaro”. His next stop is at Plachutta Restaurant where he tries tafelspitz.

Having had breakfast at the hotel, Rick meets with Dietmar Muthenthaler, head pastry chef at Demels where he tries apple strudel and sachertorte. Rick then takes us back to his kitchen in Padstow where he cooks apple strudel.

After seeing some of Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s interesting architecture, Rick travels to Fritz Wieninger vineyard where he enjoys some Wiener Gemischter Satz wine. His next stop is Naschmarkt, Vienna’s most popular market, where he tries some sauerkraut. He then meets with Stefanie Herkner and tries some stuffed cabbage sarma.

Rick visits some Viennese cafes, explores the Belvedere Museum which has the largest collection of Gustav Klimt’s paintings and went to Trzesniewski Restaurant where he tried speck, bacon & egg and crab sandwich. Next, Rick visits Meixner’s Restaurant where he tries goulash, before taking us back to his cottage in Padstow to show us how to cook goulash. The episode ends with Rick attending a Strauss Concert at Palais Auersperg.

After checking into the hotel at Quadrilatero al Fresco, Rick tucked into a classic Italian combination of Prosciutto and cheese before musing on the streets of Emilia-Romagna in Bologna and his first experience of Bologna: Bolognese sauce.

At the Scaccomatto Restaurant with Mario Ferrera, Rick tried Parmesan and sweet onion raviolini, before heading to Mercato delle Erbe with Tim Mawn to sample stuffed squid at Banco 32 Restaurant.

Back in his kitchen in Padstow, Rick showed us how to make our own Italian cotoletta Bolognese.

After roaming the unfinished cathedral in Piazza Maggiore, a strong Espresso coffee is in order at Café Aroma to set Rick up for the climbing Asinelli Tower and an ever comical chat between Rick and producer, David Pritchard, at the whispering walls. Rick also settles into a conversation with university students on the piazza.

At Le Sfogline, Rick tried the classic spaghetti alla Bolognese before taking us back to Padstow to show us how to make tagliatelle with sausage ragu. Next, Rick visited Caseificio Santa Lucia to try some Italian Parmesan cheese, then headed to Agri Truismo La Fenice to tuck into grilled pork steaks.

The next stop on Rick’s Long Weekend in Bologna, was to the Biassanot Restaurant for a dish of roast rabbit stuffed with frittata and Parma ham, before he visited the university and the Archiginnasio building.

Enrica Lazzarini then took Rick to Osteria Del Sole to try rosa di Bologna prosciutto, mostarda Bolognese, a jam made of quinces and plums, and Crescentine, a thin 4-inch, round shaped bread.

Rick’s final stop in Bologna was to Ciaccos Restaurant with Ricardo Cattalani where he tried gurnard with passatelli, a pasta formed of breadcrumbs, eggs and grated Parmesan.

The episode ended with Rick showing us how to make panna cotta with pistachios.

The episode started with Rick checking into his hotel and talking about St Anthony, patron saint of Lisbon, whose sardine festival sends the city crazy every June. When in Lisbon, start the day with a pasteis de belem (custard tart), just as Rick did, before mooching past trams and up the many hills in the city. Following in Lord Byron’s footsteps, Rick then shared why he likes Lisbon so much. A trip to Cervejaria Ramiro to sample clams, prawns and carabineros is followed by Rick having a classic prego – a simple sandwich of tender, thin steak, very popular dish in Portuguese cuisine. Pork and Clams are next on the menu, back in Padstow this time though – Rick remarked at how delicious the combination of salty pork and sweet clams is. A trip to the Belem Tower was followed by piri piri chicken at Valenciana and a meeting with Joao Moreno the magician! Grilled Sardines at the Moma Grill Restaurant and exploring Lisbon’s famous Aguas Livres Aqueduct were followed by a visit to Restuarante Adraga for clams with prawns, percebes and some grilled bass. The perfect lunch before a wander along Adraga beach.

Back in his kitchen in Padstow, Rick cooks almond tart with a difference – no frangipani, simply butterscotch-tasting almond baked in a pastry case. Deliciously light and crunchy. Next up Rick was treated to a bowl of caldo verde, a popular Portuguese soup of potatoes, kale, olive oil and salt, whilst listening to some live music from fado singers. How lovely.

Having had breakfast at his hotel, Rick visits Acucena Veloso, a fishmonger in the Salshana Fish Market before trying grilled corvina, a classic, lightly flavoured fish that can be found on many lunch counter specials in Portugal. At the Time Out Market, a place that creates food based on the best bites that can be found in the city, Rick sampled choco frito, Peixinhos da Horta, black pork cheek with sweet potato purée and Bacalhau a Bras (salted cod with onions, thinly chopped fried potatoes bound in scrambled eggs).

Inspired by the market, Rick then cooked pastesis de bacalhau (codfish pastries or fritters), a great snack that he enjoyed a couple of at Lisbon Airport. And what better way to end the show, than with a nice drop of chilled vino verde? Cheers, Portugal.

The episode started with Rick checking into his hotel, the Hotel CPH Living, a trendy converted barge floating on the Port of Copenhagen. The following morning Rick starts the day with some breakfast and says how he is pleased to see some sun instead of snow. He then takes a trip to Schonnemann to sample some smorrebrod, a traditional open sandwich in Denmark (consisting of two pieces of rye bread with some form of topping), followed by a bike ride.

A trip to Geranium restaurant to meet chef Rasmus Kofoed and sample razor clams, salted white salmon, dill pebbles with frozen dill juice and fresh cream with horseradish is followed by Rick taking a visit to Paper Island, where he samples some of the local street food including hot dogs with mustard mayo, tomato sauce, fresh and fried crunchy onion. Fried pork belly with lovage potatoes and parsley sauce are next on the menu, back in Padstow.

Rick then takes a trip to Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, an art museum containing a collection of art by Carl Jacobsen followed by a visit to Kadeau Kobenhavn, a relaxed new Nordic restaurant where he meets with head chef and partner, Nicolai Norregaard. Here he samples some dishes on the menu including caramelised whey and cowslip essence tart. Rick then takes a trip to Ved Stranden 10 Bar where he meets Danish actress Sofie Grabol. Rick then continues onto explore Copenhagen’s cuisine by taking a trip to the Fiskebaren Fish Bar where he meets owner Anders Selmer and samples hake on a bed of pine and horseradish emulsion, pickled cucumbers, Spanish chervil and asparagus.

The following day in search of some breakfast he visits Mirabelle bakery to sample some snail Danish pastries followed by a  trip to Bakesvaerd Kirke to see some famous Copenhagen religious architecture designed by Jorn Utzon. Rick then takes a trip to Den Rode Cottage where he meets with owners Anita Klemensen & Lars Thompen and samples dishes on the menu including poached egg topped with crispy rye bread with oyster mayo, pickled strawberries smoked oil gel, pickled green strawberries, pickled green tomatoes, pickled ramson berries, ramson leaves, onion cress, ramson flowers and hay ash.

A trip to Tivoli Gardens (a famous amusement park and garden) with son, Jack Stein is followed by lunch at Groften where they sample fried breaded plaice, stake tartar, raw herring, gravlax, prawn mayonnaise, sausage hash and fish balls. Back in Padstow at his cottage, Rick shows us how to cook Frikadeller with remoulade sauce. To end his long weekend Rick takes a trip to Gammel Mont Restaurant where he meets chef Claus Christensen and samples some turbot, cabbage and lemon butter sauce.

The episode started with Rick checking into his hotel, the Hotel Playa Victoria Palafox, where he spoke to the hotel receptionist about food in Spain. When in Cadiz, Rick takes a trip to Casa Manteca Bar where he tries white anchovies followed by a visit to Taberba el Tio de la Tiza for some grilled mackerel with piriñaca. A trip to Bajamar Restaurante Cerveceria to sample some delicious churros, hot chocolate and coffee is followed by a visit to Mercado Central de Abastos, a local Cadiz market, where he finds a snail stall containing live snails. Rick then continues to explore Cadiz by taking a trip to Mercado Central de Abastos, one of the oldest covered markets in Spain where he samples a variety of fish and shellfish including clams, winkles, mantis shrimps, murex, razor shells, moray eel and tuna. Rick then goes onto visit Gadisushi and tries a tuna sashimi and manzanilla dish, followed by a trip to Freiduria Las Flores, an authentic fried fish restaurant, where he tastes fried pescado frito anchovies, squid and dogfish. Back in his kitchen in Padstow, Rick shows us how to cook a la rota. Next up Rick is treated to some sherry at Bodega Tradicion, a winery in Jerez where he meets with Lorenzo Garcia-Iglesias Soto. To end a great day of food, Rick watches the sunset over Cadiz.

Having had breakfast at his hotel, Rick talks about the Cadiz city walls and Napoleon’s siege. He then takes a trip to Ultramar & Nos restaurant where he meets with Pancho’ Jimenez Yañes and samples a variety of stews including chorizo and red bean, chorizo and chickpea and cazon and tuna. Rick then samples a variety of arroz dishes at La Marea Seafood, a restaurant specialising in Mexican seafood. Back in Padstow at his cottage, Rick shows us how to cook arroz verde.

A trip to Ventorrillo el Chato to meet Jose Manuel Córdoba and sample some baked tuna marinated in red wine and tortillas de camerones (shrimp fritters) is followed by a visit to the northwest of Cadiz to Sanlucar de Barrameda, where Rick samples patatas aliñadas (cooked potatoes and tinned tuna). He then continues to explore Sanlucar de Barrameda by visiting the fishing harbour where he meets Javier Garat Pérez and samples some boiled Langostinos. To end his long weekend Rick takes a trip to Peña la Perla Flamenco where they host flamenco followed by Rick showing us how to make huevos a la flamenco back in Padstow at his cottage.

This episode starts with Rick checking-in to his hotel, Electra Palace Hotel, which is located in the city centre on the famous Aristotelous Square. Facing out towards the sea of the Thremakios Gulf, the hotel has a byzantine-inspired exterior and is known as one of the city’s architectural gems. Rick experiences a mime artist before grabbing a drink and heading to bed, ready for the next few days ahead of him.

Day 2 begins with trying a cup of Greek coffee, before heading to the Kapani (Vlali) Market – the oldest public market in Thessaloniki. Selling everything from fish, meat and spices to clothes and decorations, the market is known for having everything under one roof and is extremely popular because of its low prices. The aromas of spices and freshly ground coffee is one of the first things to notice, as well as its array of foodie treats. Rick samples gurnard, blita and loukanika – an orange and leek Greek sausage. A trip to The Arch of Galerius and Rotunda is next, some of the most popular Roman structures and destinations in the city of Thessaloniki for both tourists and locals alike. This is followed by a visit to Elenidis Bakery to try the famous trigona pastries, otherwise known as the Panorama triangles. These are a regional speciality from the district of Thessaloniki, Panorama, and were created back in 1956 by John Elenidis. Rick tries the crispy and golden filo triangles soaked in syrup and filled with creamy custard, at the bakery where it all began. On the menu back in Padstow, Rick cooks up Kozani chicken, featuring onions, juicy prunes and a smokey flavour. He then takes a trip to Ellinikomeze restaurant to sample stuffed onions whilst meeting Deputy Lord Mayor, Spiros Pengas. Rick finishes the day off with a trip to see the Zongolopoulos Umbrellas, a famous sculpture on the waterfront created by George Zongolopoulos in 1997.

The third day kicks off with breakfast at the hotel, followed by a trip to see the White Tower, a monument and museum on the waterfront of the city. Rick meets Greek cook, Vefa Alexiadou, before returning back in his kitchen to create a veal and aubergine stew. Back in the Thessaloniki region, he finds himself at the Axios Deltra National Park to try his hand at harvesting mussels. The park is known to be one of the most important wetland systems in both Greece and Europe, with the vast landscape providing beautiful scenery. Rick then takes a trip to the town of Chalastra to visit Doukas Taverna, where he tries Mussel Pilaf, a warming Greek dish made with rice and mussels. After meeting Georgios Bazmadelis, Rick and the crew enjoy a lunch  of sardines in vine leaves, rock samphire salad, fava santorini and a haloumi cheese salad – the perfect way to the end the day.

The last day of Rick’s long weekend in Thessaloniki starts with breakfast and a taste of a Keema Bougatsa at Filipos Bantis, a sweet custard filled pastry. He then visits Aristou in the Ladadika area to sample salt cod and chips – a must visit for Rick who loves fish and chips back home in Padstow. After learning about peach harvesting and trying a plethora of peach dishes in an orchard, Rick tries his hand at a peach pie back in Padstow. Finally heading to Agyrovoli Taverna on Eponomi Beach, here Rick samples the last dish on his Greek culinary adventure, grilled bream and bass.

Don’t miss Rick Stein’s Long Weekends in Palermo next week on BBC2 at 9pm, and if you want to try out the recipes yourself, order a signed copy of the accompanying book here. Or if you’re feeling inspired and want to get in the kitchen, come to Rick Stein’s Cookery School for a Long Weekends course. For more information, click here.

The episode starts with Rick checking-in to his hotel, the Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, before heading to the Vucciria market with his crew to sample some of the delicious Italian street food, like boiled octopus, deep fried sardines, and plenty of beer, of course.

Day two begins with Rick tackling the breakfast buffet, a task he really seems to relish, and who can blame him when treats like honey and almond cake, pear flan and the classic Italian pastry of cannoli are on offer. This is followed by a trip to the small seaside resort of Mondello – could be one to add to the bucket list… Lunch was a busy affair at Trattoria Simpaty, with Rick sampling a range of local delights, including spaghetti vongole, octopus, clam and mussel salad, panelle, baby octopus cooked in tomatoes and red wine and calamaretti, all washed down with some chilled Grillo wine. Back in Padstow Rick cooked pasta alla pesto trapanese – a fabulous simple dish with almond, basil and pecorino pesto. One to try out for a mid-week dinner, we think. Rick then meets Viviana Randazzo to enjoy the mouth-watering dish of pasta al forno – typically eaten in Sicily for Sunday lunch.

Rick begins day 3 with a bout of culture, by first wandering around the very peaceful Palermo Cathedral, which was built in 1185 on the area of an earlier Byzantine basilica, followed by a trip to the Mercato delle Pulsi antiques market. Food wise, he gets to enjoy some sfincione, which is a thick crust Sicilian pizza before visiting Spinnatos for a dish featured in his Mediterranean Escapes book, spaghetti with tomatoes capers and mint. After lunch is was time for a dash more culture, as Rick’s calls into Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy, what an amazing piece of architecture! Chicken Marsala is next on the menu, with Rick cooking up the recipe in his cottage. He mentions, how good it is to see this old classic coming back into fashion after many years off the menu!

The last day of Rick’s long weekend in Palermo starts with a trip to Capo market to sample a Fritolaro spleen sandwich – a real legend of Scililian region of Italy. The meat is boiled and then served in a roll with lemon and salt, this was the original street food in Palermo. Would you like try it? Next up, Rick goes to see the famous Vucciria painting by Renato Guttuso. Painted in 1974, it represents Palermo’s lively market of the same name, that Rick explored on day one. This was followed by a bite to eat at Buatta restaurant, with a Sicilian pasta dish of cauliflower arriminati on offer. What better activity to enjoy after lunch, that a wander around a beautiful Baroque square, like Quattro Canti. The last stop in Palermo, with Duchess Nicoletta Polo in her beautiful home, Palazzo Lanza Tomasi, it was time to learn about making panelle, Sicilian chickpea flour fritter – normally eaten as street food in a roll or as a sandwich. Delicious.

Crispy bites of chicken fillet with Aegina pistachio crust and feta cheese dip from Rick Stein’s Thessaloniki, Greece, episode of Long Weekends.

Serves 2 as a light lunch

Ingredients

300g skinless chicken breast fillet, cut into strips
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp natural Greek yoghurt
1/4 tsp salt
40g plain flour
1 egg, beaten
30g sesame seeds
30g unsalted shelled pistachios, crushed
500ml  vegetable/rapeseed oil

For the feta dip

60g feta cheese, crumbled
30g natural Greek yoghurt
1 tsp olive oil
1 small red pepper, roasted, skinned & pureed( can use one from a jar)
1 pinch of chilli flakes

To serve

80g mixed salad leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges

Method

Place the chicken strips in a bowl with the brown sugar, yoghurt, mustard, and salt and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dip. Place the crumbled feta in a bowl, add the Greek yoghurt and stir in gently. Add the olive oil, chilli flakes and puréed red pepper and set aside.

Set up 3 plates or shallow bowls, 1 with flour, 1 with beaten egg and 1 with the sesame seeds and crushed pistachios mixed together. Coat the chicken strips first in the flour, then the egg and then the mixed sesame seeds and pistachios. Set aside while you heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan to 180°C, using a temperature probe or sugar thermometer to check. Fry the chicken in batches until cooked through and light golden all over, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil.

Serve with salad leaves, the feta dip in a small ramekin and lime wedges.

Please note, this recipe is one of a handful that does not feature in the book, either because it’s too elaborate, contains ingredients that were too hard to get or were excluded due to lack of space. For that reason, regretfully it has also not been tested.

Danish Apple Trifle

Serves four

Ingredients

3 large Bramley apples (about 1kg), peeled, cored and chopped
75ml apple juice
145g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
4 thick slices of white bread, crusts removed
50g butter
75g hazelnuts,  chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
150ml double cream, whipped

Method

Place the chopped apples in a saucepan with the apple juice and 120g of the sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add to the mixture with the split vanilla pod (or add the vanilla extract). Cook over low-medium heat until the apples have softened to a purée, about 10 minutes, then take off the heat. Leave to cool and then refrigerate until ready to use. (Remove and rinse the vanilla pod; this can be dried and added to a pot of sugar to make vanilla sugar or used to flavour pickles or custard.)

Heat the oven to 140°C/gas 1. Process the slices of bread to crumbs in a food processor. Spread over a large baking tray and bake for 12- 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until uniformly dried but not browned.

Heat a frying pan over a high heat without oil, add the chopped hazelnuts and toast them for 1- 2 minutes stirring frequently to ensure they do not burn, tip into a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in the frying pan and fry the dried breadcrumbs until crisp and golden then add three-quarters of the toasted hazelnuts, and  the cinnamon stir well to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 25g of sugar.

Add a layer of the chilled apple purée to 4 glasses, followed by a layer of the toasted nuts and breadcrumbs. Add another layer each of apple and breadcrumbs/nuts and then top with the whipped cream and the remaining toasted hazelnuts.

Please note, this recipe is one of a handful that does not feature in the book, either because it’s too elaborate, contains ingredients that were too hard to get or were excluded due to lack of space. For that reason, regretfully it has also not been tested.

Kjötsúpa | Lamb Stew

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

1.5kg lamb shoulder on the bone, chopped into 8-10 pieces (ask your butcher to do this)
2 litres water
1 leek, chopped
300g carrots, roughly chopped
100g porridge oats
2 tsp salt
12 turns black peppermill
8 waxy potatoes, peeled (and halved if large)
1 swede (750–800g), peeled and cut into chunks
110g white cabbage, chopped
1 tbsp horseradish sauce (optional)
Handful flat-leaf parsley or celery leaves, chopped, to serve

Method

Trim the meat and remove any excess fat, then place in a large pan, cover with the water and bring slowly to the boil, skimming away any froth that rises to the surface. Lower the heat and simmer gently, with a lid on the pan, for 35 minutes.

Add the leek, carrots and oats, season with the salt and pepper and cook for a further 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and swede and simmer for another 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before serving, remove the lid and stir the cabbage into the stew, together with the horseradish if using. Check that the meat and vegetables are tender and taste for seasoning. Remove the meat from the pan, then discard the bones and cut the meat into chunks.

Serve the vegetables and the broth in warmed bowls, topped with chunks of meat and sprinkled with the chopped parsley or celery leaves.

If you’d like to learn more recipes from the show, book yourself onto our brand new Long Weekends cookery course at Rick Stein’s Cookery School in Padstow. Find out more about the one and two day courses here.