All language subtitles for Nigellissima.S01E05.720p.iP.WEB-DL.AAC.H.264-BCH

I love this breakfast ciambella,
which I call my yogurt pot cake.

I mean, it is one of the traditional
cakes of Italy.

Now, I'd often eaten it but I'd never
made it. But I found the recipe

because one year I'd rented a house
in Italy for the summer

and I was having a bit of a nosey
rummage through the kitchen,

as one does. And I found the sort of
book you dream of finding.

A bit like a scrapbook, a bit like a
notebook

with lots of hand-written recipes and
some bits torn out.

And here was the recipe for this
cake, so of course I copied it down.

It's such a sunny cake, I think. I'm
totally charmed by it.

Of course it helps that it's easy to
make.

You use your yogurt pot as a unit of
measurement,

once you've emptied it out of yogurt,
which you also use.

But to start off with you just get
your three eggs.

You separate them and you whisk the
whites.

I've got a thick, firm snow here.

So it's on to the yolks. Three yolks.

I have to empty the yogurt pot before
I can start using it

to measure all of my other
ingredients.

I have to say I find this so
charming, this recipe.

My little yogurt pot and everything
measured out.

There's a sense of security this
sort of old-fashionedness gives.

I want two yogurt pots of sugar.

This needs to whisk.

I want it quite aerated
as well as smooth.

Right, onward. One pot of vegetable
oil. Just any flavourless oil.

I've got a pot now of cornflour.

Although actually in Italy,
they use potato starch,

but cornflour or potato starch,
they both work.

One pot.

In that goes.

I just want to scrape down all the
flour...

..that's on the sides of the bowl.

Mmm. Pretty luscious
thick golden batter at this stage.

And obviously you can use a wooden
spoon

and a bowl or a hand whisk -
after all, this recipe,

such as it is, pre-dates by far

expensive electrical gadgetry in the
kitchen.

I've got a couple of ingredients that
aren't measured in my yogurt pot.

And one of them is lemon zest, about
half a lemon's worth.

And what I mix with this,

which is THE Italian smell of baking,
is vanilla.

Although I'm not going to use the
yogurt pot for the vanilla,

obviously, I'm sticking to that sort
of idea,

by using the cap to measure it.

I want two caps full of vanilla.
Let's mix this together.

Now, at this stage, the batter is
almost play-dough-like.

Really thick and oozy and eggy.

But it is missing an essential
component.

And you've noticed maybe that I
haven't used any raising agents.

That is because the whites do all
the raising.

Or the rising.

About a third of them goes in first,

and at this stage I don't fold in
gently.

I am vigorous, violent, even.

And this, in baking terminology, is
called lightening the batter.

In other words, it's slightly more
liquid now,

so it makes it much easier to fold in
the rest of the egg whites,

which I will do a bit more calmly and
gently.

I've got my cake tin. It's a savarin
mould.

The Italians call this cake a
ciambella, that's the shape it is.

And look at this ooze round.

Ooze round a bit too much the way I'm
going.

It does look as if I'm filling this
to the rim and I really am.

But although it rises, it falls again
slightly

so it shouldn't spill out onto the
oven.

Speaking of which, it needs about
half an hour,

thirty-five minutes, in a moderate
oven.

And then once it's out and cooled, I
dredge it with icing sugar.

Slice it and bite it. And feel
totally Italian.

Although even when at home, I make
myself feel Italian in the kitchen,

I do feel the need to go back often.
To soak it all up and replenish

my Italian spirit.

Italians takes their traditions very
seriously,

and I mean, why wouldn't they? So I
can get a bit apprehensive

when I toy with them, as I can do.

And one of my little new inventions,
or changes,

is that Italians tend to make their
meatballs out of minced beef,

and sometimes pork or a mixture.

And I thought, why not just make
things easy

and just use Italian sausages? I was
very gratified

that when I cooked this once, some
Italian friends,

not only did they like this, but
actually they asked for the recipe.

If you want to, you can unwrap them.
That is very good.

I just take a packet of Italian
sausages

and squeeze the meat out from the
skins.

Although actually, like my mother, I
believe in child labour.

And now my own children are too big I
use my niece and nephew.

So, about the size of a cherry
tomato.

Your hands are much better suited to
it then mine,

cos you've got nice small hands.

See, I've already made mine too big,
so ignore me.

Like that one? That looks perfect.

So just roll them, roll them, roll
them. You go first. Perfect.

As you roll the meatballs, just place
on a baking tray or any flat surface.

You'd be surprised how many you can
get out of one packet of sausages.

If you use small people with small
hands, 40 meatballs is easy.

Is that the right size? Perfect.
Perfecto.

Yeah. Si. Grazie.

Then brown the meatballs.

The thing about this is, not only
does it make the look lovely and
bronzed,

but it makes more of their flavour go
into the sauce for later.

I start off by heating some garlic
oil in a pan.

It makes them nice and brown before
we add the sauce.

Thank you very much.

Grazie mille.

I would say "you're welcome" but I
don't know what it is.

If someone says "grazie",
you just say "prego".

Back to my young apprentices...

I get them to snip some spring onions
into a bowl

and then I add them to the pan.

I've got some oregano. Pizza herb.

Yeah, I like that sprinkled on top.

Absolutely. I'm going to do quite a
lot.

If you wanted to at this stage, you
could add some wine or vermouth.

We're going to add tomatoes.

I then add two cans of chopped
tomatoes.

Half-fill each can with some cold
water and swill out into the pan.

Would you like to add a bit of
pepper?

That's enough, otherwise Ella won't
like it.

Ella, you can add salt if you like.

Are you going to go over there?
Well done.

All that's left to do is add a couple
of bay leaves.

It's quite liquid, because I'm going
to let them simmer without a lid on

and that means all of the water will
evaporate

and it will have a really strong,
gutsy taste.

I'll move up a bit so you can have a
look.

Smell nice? Oh, it smells so good.

I like to give the meatballs a gentle
stir in their sauce

and then when they're bubbling
I let them cook for about 15 minutes.

No more.

Before I serve I always like to
taste, just to check the seasoning,

and if I feel it needs it
I add some parsley.

You can eat the meatballs with
whatever you like,

but I would be sacked by my family if
I didn't serve them with spaghetti.

Right.

OK. This is what you made, guys.

You made this, didn't you, you two?

They did.

Anyway, it's delicious.

OK, I have managed to wrap a meatball
in pasta.

Can I model for you?

That's very good work.

Did you start
with the meatball and wrap round?

I am so much more a girls' night in,

rather than a girls' night out
kind of a person.

Hello. Hello.

Obviously, if I have a friend coming
over in the week

I'm not up to any heavy lifting in
the kitchen,

but if I can, I love to go out and
buy a special ingredient

so I can rustle up a treat.

Today espresso liqueur is calling me.

I will be seeing you soon. Bye.

Bye-bye.

Since the person coming over has got
a sweet tooth,

pudding is a priority. I'm making my
tiramusini.

As you might imagine
this is a version of tiramisu.

One of the great virtues of this
version

is that it takes only moments to
rustle up.

I start off with some savoiardi,
which are like ladies' fingers.

I break these into pieces and drop
them at the bottom of some glasses.

I add some espresso liqueur to some
freshly made but cooled espresso,

though any strong coffee would do,

and then I pour this over the sponge
fingers.

Just to help the soaking process
start,

I do squish the biscuits down into
the liquid.

To make the topping I start off by
breaking an egg

and then I whisk the egg white until
it is frothily thick.

I put some mascarpone into a large
bowl

and then I drizzle over some Marsala,
followed by some sticky honey

and then beat altogether with a
wooden spoon.

Finally I fold the egg whites into
the mascarpone mixture.

And then I spoon this light topping
onto the biscuits.

And I try to create a kind of
whipped-up effect,

which will look so beautiful when I
dust them with cocoa later.

But for now I just stick them in the
fridge,

and unlike a proper big tiramisu,

my tiramusini needs no more than 20
minutes.

So pudding's sorted and it's so
luscious and creamy

that I want something with a little
feistiness and fire first.

I'm talking about my simple, speedy
seafood with chilli and marjoram.

Right, I have my squid and my prawns.
I always keep a stash of them

in the deep freeze and they're thawed
and ready to go.

Always good to top up on parsley and
obviously I'm after some marjoram.

Really sweet and delicate, but it
won't be overwhelmed

by the chilli peppers or their
gorgeous red rasp.

If there's one thing I like better
than a seafood supper,

it's a seafood supper that has red
chilli in it.

That fire sets it off so well.

I'm going to attempt to get rid of
most of the seeds,

but I like some left behind. It can't
really be too hot.

You could, I suppose, and I have
done, use dried red chilli flakes,

but for me it's something about that
Chinese lacquer red

of the fresh chilli cut into little
strips.

And now this is like the Golden
Triangle of flavour.

In a wok or any big pan, really, put
some oil...

..and then let me amass my weapons.

I want garlic and I want lemon and I
need a grater.

So, in goes the chilli.

I might leave a bit to be sprinkled
over the squid and prawns later.

Now this, this I can't stop doing

and that's grating lemon zest into
hot oil when I cook.

All of the flavours really of a lemon
really are in the zest,

all of the oils. And they permeate
the cooking oil,

which in turn permeates the food it
cooks.

And what's more, it scents the room
beautifully.

Beautiful. Now the garlic.

Not so beautiful to look at
than that gorgeous yellow,

but, oh, what a smell, what a taste.

Chilli, lemon, garlic, these are my
heavy hitters,

but I want some delicacy too for
herbs.

I've got marjoram, which I think of
as the softer-skinned cousin

to oregano with a slightly sweeter
disposition.

You get more of an aniseed hint from
the marjoram, actually.

Always good in my book.

How about parsley as well, let's not
neglect that.

A bit of iron, A bit of vitamin C.

And fling some of this in the pan
now.

So we're moments away now, cos this
takes hardly any time to cook.

I've got my prawns...

..which I'm tempted to call shrimp
because it goes better with my squid.

For me this is absolutely the perfect
girls' night in.

A good chat. A good supper and a
bottle of rose wine.

Or if I'm feeling macho, maybe some
cold beer.

You don't need to use a wok. I mean,
after all,

a wok is scarcely an Italian piece of
equipment,

but I'm a messy cook and it makes
spillage less likely.

The lemon zest does really flavour
everything, but now it's the turn of
the juice.

And why I want this is because
I want a light

but still fiery and zingy seafood
gravy.

There's something about the drama of
this, the pink coral prawns,

the white squid with the red chilli
and the green herbs

against this black rice.

It's very, very easy to cook.

It's sturdy so you don't have to fear
over-cooking it.

And all I do is put a cup of black
rice in the pan,

cover it with a cup and a half of
cold water and bring it to the boil.

And once it comes to the boil I turn
it down really low and clamp on a lid

and leave it to cook until the rice
has absorbed all of the water.

I'm going to heap the seafood over
the rice,

and I have to say that this is one of
those suppers that probably,

in fact definitely, takes longer to
eat than to cook,

and I am a fast eater.

A bit more herbs.

The remaining bit of chilli.

I will put the rest of this crimson
confetti in here.

As far as I'm concerned
we can crack open the wine

and we're ready to eat.

Now, Julie, we have squiddles.

Oh, delicious, thank you. Rose.
Thank you. That looks lovely.

I want to get my hair like this one
day.

Don't you think she looks divine?
Mmm, gorgeous. Isn't he fantastic?

Some restaurants have after-dinner
martinis on their menu.

I kind of think these look like
after-dinner martinis,

only in lusciously edible form.

Just letting just enough cocoa settle
on those peaks.

And also it gives a bit bitterness,
which is perfect after supper.

Especially for you. This looks
delicious. Thank you.

What is this called? It's
tiramusini, little baby tiramisu.

Oh, it's really strong at the
bottom. It's nice.

It is, isn't it?

When you go to the best bits. A bit
of double coffee,

like a double espresso. Yeah, that's
quite right.

Although I take a lot of comfort from
old traditions,

it is very exciting seeing new
traditions emerge.

I've recently learnt of a way of
cooking pasta in Italy,

all the rage, that goes against
absolutely everything

I've ever been taught about how to
cook pasta by Italians.

I'm starting off with some garlic
oil.

Now I'm making a pea and pancetta
risotto, no rice is involved,

but we'll come to that.

So, here goes with some pancetta.
Quite a lot.

It's a very good night-time standby.
Anytime standby.

So once my pancetta cubes are bronzed
and crisp,

I'm going to add my frozen peas. No
need to thaw them.

In they go.

I want to mix these into the
pancetta just so they lose their
frozen look

and maybe suck in some of those
gorgeous salty juices.

You will be amazed by the fact, I
think,

that I'm cooking my pasta straight
here in the pan.

I said it was a pasta risotto and
actually I'm using pasta

that looks like rice, although it's
called orzo.

In it goes.

So whereas normally you have to bring
copious amounts of water to the boil

and then tip in some pasta, now I put
the pasta in... Hmm.

I'm hungry. And add some water. And I
think it's often easier to do this by
ratios.

So I've got about a cup and a quarter
of that pasta,

and I'm going to add about twice
that, two-and-a-half cups of water.

Recently boiled, in it goes.

I mean this takes about half the time
to cook than risotto

and there's no stirring.

I'm just doing this now just to coax
it along.

Add a bit of salt.

And all I'm going to do is let
this come to a boil

and then turn it down to a simmer.

It will be cooked when all the water
is absorbed

and you'll see my new modish way of
cooking pasta.

Very sciccoso,
as they say in Italy.

Now it's all ready and I'm not going
to drain it.

The whole point is the starch from
the pasta

has oozed out into the scant bit of
cooking liquid that remains,

forming its own creamy sauce.

Normally you just throw the starchy
water down the sink.

I'm going to add a little teeny bit
of added gloss with some butter

and you've got to have some grated
parmesan.

It's the perfect thing to cook when
you're tired

and your children are tired.

Mmm.

PASTA SLOSHES

That sound just makes me feel soothed
and I'm salivating.

My Italian friends tell me this way
of cooking pasta

is all the rage in Italy right now.

In this goes.

More for later.

Eating this is like being wrapped in
a warm cosy blanket.

I love its tender jade tangle.

Benissimo!

It's time to add these beauties.

You just need to dive straight into
the dolce.

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