Christmas at Caldesi in Campagna
Christmas Dinner menu PRIMI Fettuccine ai funghi selvatici Homemade fettucine with wild mushrooms Ravioli al pesce Homemade ravioli stuffed with seabass, lemon butter sauce Calamari in umido Slow cooked calamari, tomatoes and chilli Ribollita Toscana Tuscan bean, vegetable and bread soup Melanzana alla parmigiana Baked layers of aubergine, tomato and Mozzarella
Paillard di petto di pollo ai funghi selvatici e tarufo Panfried chicken breast, wild mushrooms, black truffle Saltimbocca alla romana Veal escalopes pressed with sage leaves and Parma ham, white wine sauce
A Chunk of Pecorino…
Conoglio in casseruola al vino bianco e olive Casserole of rabbit, black taggaische olives, white wine
No truly Italian cheeseboard would be complete without a chunk of Pecorino. Many regions have their own recipes for this cheese made using only ewe’s milk but they all share many similarities in the way they are rubbed with olive oil and some also with tomato paste. The origins of this ancient cheese go back some 2000 years. These days there are five distinct types which are defined by Italian law and protected under the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) scheme.
DOLCI Cioccolato fondente Warm chocolate fondant, vanilla ice cream
SECONDI Orata in acqua pazza Black bream with tomato, braised fennel and white wine
Budino di panettone e gelato alla cannella Warm panettone pudding, cinnamon ice cream
Cinghiale alla Maremmana con polenta al tartufo Maremma style wild boar, truffled polenta
Pannacotta alla vaniglia con fruti di bosco Vanilla pannacotta with preserved berries
Selezione di formaggio Italiani A selection of Italian cheeses, walnut bread and honey Tiramisú al vin santo Tiramisú made with espresso and Tuscan Vin Santo
£35.00 per person for three courses. Extra vegetables not included. An optional service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill. VAT is included.
Cenone di San Silvestro New year’s eve menu
Christmas Lunch menu
Arrival
PRIMI
Glass of prosecco and crostini
Antipasti Capesante e calamari Panfried scallops, pancetta, pea puree and grilled calamari
Filetto al pepe verde o grigliato Fillet of beef grilled or with green peppercorn and brandy sauce Filetto di ippoglosso con salsa di capperi e olive Panfried fillet of halibut, capers and olive sauce
DOLCI
Primo Tagliolini al tartufo Tagliolini pasta with fresh black truffle
I favoriti Selection of Giancarlo’s signature desserts
Ribollita Toscana Tuscan bean, vegetable and bread soup Porchetta e lenticchie Warm thinly sliced pork stuffed with herbs, slow-cooked lentils
SECONDI Orata in aqua pazza Black bream with tomato, braised fennel and white wine
Ravioli al branzino Homemade ravioli filled with black bream, lemon and butter sauce
Cinghiale alla Maremmana con polenta al tartufo Maremma style wild boar, truffled polenta
Sorbetto
MAIN COURSE Pollo con rucola, balsamico e pecorino al tartufo Roasted breast of corn fed chicken, truffle cheese rocket salad
Calamari in umido Slow cooked calamari with tomatoes and chilli, toasted sourdough
£75.00 per person for three courses. Extra vegetables not included. An optional service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill. VAT is included.
Tortelloni di rapa rossa con ricotta, burro e salvia Beetroot ravioli stuffed with thyme and ricotta, butter and sage sauce
Caffè Caldesi, Italian Restaurant, Café and Bar 118 Marylebone Lane London W1U 2QF Tel: 0207 487 0753/4
We’re constantly adding new courses see www.caldesi.com
PecorinO Fiore Sardo – lightly smoked and ripened for a few months for the table or six months for grating, at which point it develops a sharper flavor. Pecorino Sardo – has a dolce (mild) version, aged 40–60 days, and a picante, a hard cheese, aged at least 2 months. There is also an old curious delicacy called casu marzu (‘rotten pecorino’ or ‘maggot cheese’) where the larvae of the cheese fly are introduced into Pecorino Sardo.
Pappardelle al ragu Homemade pappardelle, duck ragu
DOLCI Cioccolato fondente Warm chocolate fondant, vanilla ice cream Budino di panettone con gelato alla cannella Panettone pudding, cinnamon ice cream Pannacotta alla vaniglia con sanguinelle Vanilla pannacotta, blood orange coulis £25.00 per person for three courses. Extra vegetables not included. An optional service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill. VAT is included.
La Cucina Caldesi The Italian Cookery School 118 Marylebone Lane London W1U 2QF Tel: 0207 487 0750/6/8
Pecorino Romano – a sharp zesty cheese made in Latium (Lazio), Tuscany and Sardinia. Aged for 5 months for the table, it is also hardened for at least 8 months to give a fairly strong tasting cheese for grating.
PecorinO Toscano – made from sheep herds in Tuscany and a few towns near Perugia and Viterbo. Aged at least 4 months, it is a relatively mild cheese. Pecorino Siciliano – aged at least 4 months and is the strongest and most spicy of the pecorino cheeses. You might also come across Pecorino di Fossa, aged in cellars and traditional pits in Umbria; Pecorino Affinato in Vinaccia: and Pecorino Tartufo, made with black and white truffles. In the South it is traditional to add black peppercorns or red chili flakes to Pecorino. With different maturation times the cheese develops from a fresh ‘zesty’ cheese through to the more mature ‘nutty’ or ‘piquant’ even ‘sweet’ cheese. Mature pecorino is also used as a Parmesan replacement for grating or served with fresh fruit and honey at the end of a meal.
Caldesi in Campagna Fine Dining Old Mill Lane, Bray Berkshire SL6 2BG Tel: 01628 788 500
www.caldesi.com 7