The secret to any tomato-based pasta dish is the marinara sauce. In typical Italian fashion, making it is an art….. simple, quality ingredients blended together in perfect harmony and cooked for just the right amount of time to optimize the flavour of the sauce. 

You can easily make this one at home or pick up a jar ready to go at Mercato Sociale in Downtown Oakville.

Combine the sauce with gnocchi or pasta from your local grocery store, or pick up fresh pasta also made daily at Mercato Sociale.

INGREDIENTS:
(makes enough sauce for 6 servings)

• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2.5 kg San Marzano canned whole tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled but not crushed
• 150 g salt
• 1 small white onion
• 1 generous bunch of basil

(For 6 servings, this sauce requires approx 900 g of pasta.)

METHOD:

1. Chop the onions small, and add them plus the olive oil and the whole cloves of garlic to a saucepan. Cook gently until the onions are brown and tender.
2. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil, then add the salt and the basil leaves. Basil should be added as whole leaves not chopped or shredded.
3.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Then remove the whole cloves of garlic, and use an immersion blender to blend the sauce to your desired consistency.
5. Serve with your favourite gnocchi or pasta.

Recipe Courtesy of: 

Mercato Sociale House
257 Lakeshore Rd E, Oakville
905-338-7564
mercatosociale.ca

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Enzo's Marinara Sauce

Confit Duck Leg

Ingredients:

• 3 × 10 oz duck legs
• 2 ½ tbsp salt
• 4 ½ tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp ground star of anise
• Small strip orange peel
• ⅛ tsp cumin seed
• ¼ pod cardamom (or a small pinch of ground cardamom)
• 1.5 litres of duck fat (enough to fully submerge legs)

Method

1. Combine all dry ingredients and orange peel in a bowl. Rub evenly over the duck legs and let sit 24 hours refrigerated.
2. Preheat oven to 325 °F.
3. Rinse and pat dry the duck legs. Place into a heavy-bottomed pot and cover fully with duck fat.
4. Bring just to a gentle boil, remove from heat, cover with foil, and place in the oven.
5. Cook 2–3 hours, until fork-tender and meat pulls easily from the bone.
6. Remove from fat, cool slightly, and serve.

Crisp and Creamy Sunchoke (or Jerusalem Artichoke)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb sunchokes, cleaned and scrubbed
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

Method

1. Slice ½ lb sunchokes thinly and fry at 350 °F until crisp.
2. Peel remaining 1 lb sunchokes. Add to a small saucepan with the butter and 2 tbsp water.
3. Cook gently until soft, then pass through a fine sieve until smooth and creamy. Keep warm and serve.

Sour Cherry Jam

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup sour cherry jam
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Juice of ⅓ lemon

Method

Simmer in a small saucepan until thickened and slightly tart. Cool before using.

Recipe Courtesy Of:

Spencer’s on the Waterfront
1340 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington
905-633-7494
spencers.ca/

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Confit Leg Of Duck with Crisp and Creamy Sunchoke & Sour Cherry Jam

ROMESCO SAUCE

You can make this sauce in advance and refrigerate until needed. 

INGREDIENTS

• Roasted red peppers (strained) – 1 litre
• Toasted almonds (sliced) – 1½ cups
• Canned tomatoes – 1 cup
• Sherry vinegar – 2 tbsp
• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
• Extra virgin olive oil – 1½ cups
• Salt – to taste

METHOD

1.  Combine all ingredients in a Vitamix or high-speed blender.
2.  Blend until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.
3. Heat through before serving

PAN-SEARED PICKEREL

METHOD

1.  In a hot non-stick pan with 1 tsp of cooking oil, place your portion of pickerel skin side down. Gently press the fish to prevent the skin from curling- this ensures an even sear and crisp, golden skin. Cook skin side down for 4-5 minutes, until the fish is approximately three-quarters cooked through.
2.  Flip the fish and begin glazing. Add the juice of half a lemon to the pan and allow it to reduce in volume by half. Add 1 tbsp of butter and swirl the pan as it melts to emulsify the glaze. Once fully incorporated, remove from heat. Plate and serve immediately.

CHARRED BROCCOLINI

METHOD

1. Clean and trim broccolini to desired size. Blanch in boiling water until tender to your preference, then finish in a hot cast-iron pan with butter, lemon, a touch of garlic, and chili flakes for flavour.

Recipe Courtesy of: Bardo Burlington
419 Brant St, Burlington
(905) 412-5699
bardorestaurants.ca

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Pan Seared Pickerel with Charred Broccolini & Romesco Sauce