Anna Bini is an acclaimed chef and restaurateur in Italy and abroad. Signora Anna was born and bread in Tuscany in a small town near Florence. As a child she moved to the coast where her family opened a hotel catering to summer tourists. Today she owns and manages three restaurants in Paris with the help of her sons. Casa Bini is among the oldest and best Italian restaurants in Paris and has received a wealth of accolades over the years. Signora Anna gives traditional Tuscan cooking classes to both professional chefs and amateurs in Italy and in France. Her cookbooks are available in Italian and French and an English translation is under way. A group of London based food bloggers had the privileged to be invited to take part of a masterclass with Signora Anna at the Open Kitchen in Hoxton.
 |
| Anna Bini |
The evening started with some rather lovely Tuscan charcuterie, cheeses and red wine. We were then given aprons and each one of us had a station where we cooked a very hearty and traditional Tuscan dish Courgette flan with chicken liver pate. It was interesting to hear that Signore Anna doesn’t use salt in her dishes, she uses stock cubes to flavour and add seasoning to her dishes, a practice that I am not sure works for every dish. Also, I loved when she said ‘you need to make a judgement on looks, feel and flavour while cooking. Recipes are just a guideline’. Signora Anna is so graceful and a highly energetic lady. It was so refreshing and a privilege to cook with someone so knowledgeable.
 |
| Tuscan flavours: sopressata, pecorini, salami and red wine |
Courgette flan with chicken liver pate (serves 6 people)
For the flan
· 8 courgettes with their flower
· 300g béchamel sauce
· 50g unsalted butter
· 50g grated Parmesan cheese
· 2 eggs
· Nutmeg
· Breadcrumbs
· 2 spoons olive oil
· 2 cloves garlic
· 1 bunch of fresh parsley or mint
· 1/2 stock cube
Wash the courgettes and dice them, cut the pistils off the flowers and shred them into small pieces. In a pan put ½ glass of water, the butter, stock cube, diced courgettes and flowers, garlic and shredded parsley/mint. Cover the pan and cook on a high flame for 5 minutes. Take the lid off and keep stirring so that the liquid evaporates. Once the courgettes are cooked, chop the mixture finely and mix with the béchamel, add a pinch of nutmeg, 2 eggs and mix carefully. Add the grated Parmesan at the end. Grease an oven mould (preferably use one with a hole in the middle) and dust with breadcrumbs, pour the courgette mix in and bake in the oven at 220°C for approximately 30 minutes until it is golden.
For the pate
· 500g chicken livers
· 20g unsalted butter
· 2 spoons olive oil
· 1/2 beef stock cube
· 1 finely chopped onion
· ½ glass white wine
· 2 anchovy fillets
· Juice of ½ squeezed lemon
Wash the chicken livers thoroughly and cut them into small pieces. Put them in a pan with the butter, olive oil, stock cube and onion. Sautee on medium flame for approximately 15 minutes with the lid on. Take off the lid and turn the gas to maximum and keep turning and sautéing them. When they are nicely done add a tiny amount of wine and keep turning them; add more wine this way 2 or 3 times until it is finished. Add the anchovies, stir well, add the lemon juice and keep on the gas for a further 10 minutes, stirring often. When the flan is ready and has cooled down, serve it with the pate in the centre.
This dish is very robust and filling. Fantastic centre piece for a dinner party with friends in a cold evening accompanied by red wine I can’t think of a better way to share the love of food. I would add chicken hearts to the pate. Chicken hearts are very popular in Brazil.
 |
| Above: my flan, below left: vegetarian version with mozzarella balls and right: Signora Anna’s flan |
Great evening with some serious food, lashings of olive oil and plenty of Tuscan wine. Thanks to Signora Anna Bini, Propellernet and Tuscany Now for organising the evening.
For more info on Casa Bini Tuscan retreat and cooking classes contact Tuscany Now
Another perspective on this fun event from Italian food blogger Federica can be read here: PastaBites
Another perspective on this fun event from Italian food blogger Federica can be read here: PastaBites
