Michael Bonacini's Christmas at the Farm (2017) - full transcript

♪

MICHAEL:
Welcome to the Bonacini Farm.

It's our little piece of
paradise

and it's where we love to come
to get away from it all.

♪

Every Christmas,
we pack up the car

and head on up for the holidays.

We've had a lot of really great
meals up here.

♪

With a name like Bonacini,
you'd expect many of those

great meals to be Italian.



After all, [SPEAKING IN
ITALIAN].

♪

But, my heart
still belongs to Wales,

that's where my mother's from
and I spent many a great year

growing up there.

[SPEAKING WELSH]

♪

And what I'd like to do today is
share with you

some of my some of my favourite
Christmas recipes

from both Italy and Wales.

♪

Can you think
of anything more Welsh

than leeks and potatoes

that come together in a rustic,



but slightly sophisticated soup?

That happens to be one of my
favourites.

♪

♪

The one question that I get
asked the most

is where did my love of food and
cooking come from?

And the short answer to that is
I blame my parents.

♪

My earliest childhood memories
growing up in Wales

were on the family farm

when my parents were in market
gardening

and had a small dairy herd.

♪

And it was there that they
taught my family, myself,

the value of local home-grown
seasonal produce that you

cook and work with, and show it
great respect.

♪

I'm ready to add
some chicken stock.

Light, golden, and just a little
sweet.

[SIZZLING]

♪

And just top it up with a touch
of water.

And, of course, let's not forget
the seasoning.

♪

And these flavours will start
coming together

and really turning into a
heart-warming soup

for a cold winter's day.

♪

Baking scones is about as
traditional as you can get,

and these ones
are super easy to make:

cheddar and bacon.

It's going to go perfectly with
that wonderful

leek and potato soup.

♪

Flour, baking powder,

along with smoky paprika. That
makes the basis for my dough.

♪

That's good.

♪

Combine and bring it all
together with some cold butter.

It makes the perfect
savoury scone.

♪

This is Welsh cheddar.

Just what I'm looking for.

Has a little creaminess, a touch
nuttiness,

and a wonderful, spicy, nippy
end to it.

It's going to be perfect with
that crisp bacon.

♪

♪

I think that's about it.

♪

Now, a quick score,

just so it makes it easier to
break after baking.

♪

So, a quick egg wash,

just to provide a nice little
shine and glaze

to the top of the scones,

but I'm also going to top
these off

with a little more grated
cheese.

And one little secret.

This is a little Welsh salt.

It has been smoked
over Welsh oak.

[SNIFFING] And it smells divine.

Ready for the oven.

♪

You've got to take a look at
this soup.

It is really looking terrific

and those flavours have become
so intense.

My mouth is watering already.

Let's ladle some up.

♪

So, a touch of crème fraîche

right in the middle.

A little smoked salmon.

Some freshly chopped chives.

And a drizzle of olive oil.

That is a delicious holiday
soup.

♪

It is rich and earthy.

You get the wonderful meaty
flavours from the bacon

and the chicken stock.

And then it hits that very rich
and wonderful crème fraîche.

This is two worlds colliding:

rustic meets a touch of
sophistication.

♪

Light, fluffy.

What a great combination with a
soup like this.

♪

Great taste, great texture,

nice crunchy crust, and that hit
of salt.

All washed down with a glass of
Prosecco,

a great little sparkling wine
from Northern Italy.

♪

♪

I'm sure it'll come as no
surprise that pasta

in the Bonacini household is a
favourite go to.

But this particular pasta dish
that I'm going to show you

is a little different.

It's more like a potato dumpling
meets a little bit of cheese

and we like to call it gnocchi.

♪

You know, the key with making
perfect gnocchi

is to boil the potatoes
in their skins,

'cause that prevents the potato
from becoming overly wet.

And the idea there is that the
drier the potato,

the less flour you have to add,

and therefore the lighter
the gnocchi is going to be.

Perfect.

♪

So, we'll add a little ricotta
cheese.

The king, and I mean the king
all cheese in Italy,

Parmigiano-Reggiano.

And a good amount of cheese,
I want to have that nutty,

rich parmesan taste.

♪

Added flavour, I have these
beautiful,

slow roasted buds of garlic.

And of course, I've got to use a
little of that

garlic oil in there.

Just watch how easily this bud
breaks down.

That...

is roasted garlic heaven.

♪

It's going to be good tasting
gnocchi.

♪

So, before we start rolling the
gnocchi out and forming them,

we should do a little test

to make sure we've got the
seasoning

and the density spot on.

It'll take about two to three
minutes to cook,

it'll float to the top,

another 30,
maybe 45 seconds more,

and then ready to lift out and
have the taste test.

♪

It's looking good.

Has a nice firmness to it, but
not overly firm.

You see the way the fork just
cuts into that?

That tells me it's light and
fluffy.

That's a good start.

Oh yeah.

Cut the dough in half, a lot
easier to work with that way.

And start to gently roll on a
lightly floured board.

I'll cut that one in half,

both hands working the dough
together.

Now, we're ready to cut our
first gnocchi.

About half an inch to three
quarters.

Take the back of a fork, lightly
floured,

and get a gentle roll

creating the classic potato
gnocchi grooves.

♪

So, now the gnocchi's rolled and
shaped.

The next step is for me to
prepare the pancetta

and winter greens that I'll be
serving them with.

This, my friends, is the Italian
version of bacon.

It pork belly that's been cured,
hung to dry,

and is a keystone ingredient in
any italian kitchen: pancetta.

♪

These are cinnamon cap mushrooms

and what I'm looking for when I
choose a selection of mushrooms

is the look, the texture, what
they bring to a finished dish.

A simple white cap mushroom, cut
it a little chunky

so it stands up and stands out.

And, the last piece of the
puzzle

is just to tear up some
wonderful winter greens.

Here I've got some collard, the
tops off of beets,

and this here is
a little Swiss chard.

Just coarsely torn up 'cause
they're all going to cook

and wilt down.

Oh, I almost forgot.

A little fresh thyme.

First job, fry off this
pancetta.

♪

That is pure flavour.

♪

My water's boiling.

Three minutes, three and a half
minutes at the most,

and these gnocchi will be ready.

Oh, look at that.

Beautiful bright colours,

the aroma, a little bit of juice
from the wine and the stock.

Just needs a little knob of
butter

to add a touch of richness.

♪

That is good.

A little more butter into my
pan.

♪

[SIZZLING]
So, these gnocchi are now

getting a bath in this nut brown
butter.

Rich and full of flavour.

The sage just adds another taste
accent to it.

Now I'm going to plate.

It's the finishing touches.

A little love on the
presentation.

Got to grab some of this juice

and these lovely, light and
fluffy gnocchi.

And of course, a pasta is not a
pasta without a good amount...

the king of cheeses,
Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Looks like another snowfall
maybe.

A glass of wine.

A lovely, crisp Pinot Grigio

from way up in the
north of Italy.

It's going to work really well
with the richness

of this dish.

♪

I think I said this was heaven.

It truly is,

it's heaven on earth.

It is big, and rich, and
flavourful.

Once you've had gnocchi like
this,

there's no other way to have
them.

♪

♪

MICHAEL: When my wife and I
first renovated this old farmhouse

we treated ourselves by putting
in a wood burning oven.

Which mean we can cook
breakfast, lunch, and dinner

whilst warming the house.

♪

And, since it's up and running,

and got a great burning ember
bed,

I think it would be a fun way to
cook a real Welsh classic.

♪

Take a look at this.

Fresh from my favourite butcher,
a bone-in leg of lamb,

which is perfect for roasting.

'Cause as far as I'm concerned,

when you roast anything on the
bone, it's guaranteed to be

so much more juicy and so much
more tasty.

What I like about lamb is that
it is big and rich

and full of flavour,
and therefore,

you can use big and rich
flavours to help it along.

I'm going to use a little
rosemary,

which adds a savoury, crisp
flavour to it.

We've got some fresh, floral,
and fragrant thyme,

which will add a nice balance to
that rosemary.

And then to round the mix out,

some amazing...
[SNIFFING] fresh...

[SNIFFING] almost lemony, sage.

♪

♪

Beautiful marinade:

lemon, fresh herbs, garlic,
super simple.

It's a marinade-y, rub kind of
thing.

But, before I start applying it
to the lamb,

let me just sliver up a couple
of cloves of garlic.

Nothing fancy.

This leg of lamb... I'm going to
make a couple of incisions

along the top surface

and one or two on the underside,
right down to the bone.

I'm just going to insert the
cloves of garlic

into these incisions.

♪

Now for the marinade.

I want to use my hands.

The aromas here, they are
absolutely intoxicating.

And, those incisions,

that garlic's going to melt and
become super sweet and sticky,

and just help intensify the
flavours of that lamb.

Now, I'm pretty eager to get it
in the oven,

so that's what we're going to
do.

[WATER SPLASHING]

♪

My local butcher knows me well
enough that when I order

a leg of lamb, he always throws
in some extra bones,

which I love to put in the
bottom of the roasting pan.

I've also got some mirepoix:

celery, onion, carrot,

which is also going to help add
and intensify flavours.

But, in my kitchen, nothing goes
to waste.

The head of garlic.

♪

And, those herb stems.

Perfect place for them to
continue that flavour building.

Nest in the leg of lamb.

♪

A good slow roast and I'll check
it ever once in a while

to make sure it's just doing
what I want it to do.

♪

So, my leg of lamb has been in
the oven 45, almost 50 minutes,

and I'm going to give it a quick
check to see how it's doing.

That looks pretty spectacular.

So, what I'm going to do is wrap
the thin end

with a little aluminium foil, so
it slows down the cooking

of the thin end of the leg,

allowing the ticker portion of
the leg to catch up.

It's that easy.

♪

[SIZZLING]

[GRUNTING]

Would you take a look at that.

Look how it's browned so
beautifully.

A couple of charred areas here,

but that's going to taste
delicious.

It's enough to bring a tear to a
Welshman's eye, let me tell ya.

Let's lift it out.

There we go.

Now, cover it with some foil.

And, in the bottom of this
pan...

that's all the golden goodness
I'm looking for.

♪

Perfect for my roast potatoes.

And, all this ooey-gooey sticky
goodness

in the bottom of this pan is
going to become

wonderful pan gravy.

Look at this roasted garlic.

That's really going to intensify
the flavour of that gravy.

Bones back in.

I've got my pan
on the stove top.

[SIZZLING] It's going to brown
off the last bit

of these root vegetables.

Mash up that garlic, that
roasted,

juicy, sticky-sweet garlic.

[SIZZLING]

Just a sprinkling of flour.

I just like to add that to
thicken up my gravy,

my pan gravy.
Just a touch, not too much.

[SIZZLING]

Now, had a little white wine
left from the gnocchi

and it would be a shame to see
it go to waste.

[SIZZLING]

And, if there's some white,

there has to be some red.

I'll be having a glass of this
with the lamb a little later on.

So, it seems fitting it should
be part of the gravy.

Just take a look at the colour

in the bottom of
that pan already.

Now, the lamb stock.

When I'm up at the farm,
I'm always making stock.

So, I pulled this one
out of my fridge

'cause you never know when
you're going to need it

for such an occasion.

♪

Time to work on
some roasted spuds.

♪

Lamb fat roast potatoes.

Merry Christmas indeed.

♪

♪

MICHAEL: In Wales, you
simply can't have a roast dinner

without having some roast
potatoes.

And I've par-boiled these in a
little chicken stock

and water.

Now they're ready for roasting.

♪

The lamb fat.

Into a good, hot pan.

[SIZZLING]

Turn up the heat.

And in with the potatoes.

Hear that bubbling, and
twitching,

and whistling that's going on?

That's exactly what I want to
hear with these roast spuds.

Make sure they all get a good
coating.

[SIZZLING]

A hit of cracked black pepper.

[SIZZLING]

It's that simple for the best
roast potatoes in town.

Into a hot oven.

♪

Winter time is certainly the
time a year to be using

a good rutabaga.

♪

I'm going to roast this rutabaga

with some heirloom carrots and
winter parsnips.

♪

The important thing with
roasting root vegetables

is to make sure they're cut
roughly the same size.

The intent there is that they'll
all cook equally.

♪

A quick maple syrup glaze

and a touch of the acidity from
some Dijon mustard.

Add a splash of olive oil.

♪

Very simple glaze.

Add the rutabagas,

parsnips,

and these gorgeous,

colourful heirloom carrots.

I want them all coated

with that sticky-sweet glaze

and the tangy mustard.

Now, a few leaves of thyme.

You know, thyme, it is a
fragrant and floral herb,

and works well with just about
anything,

but especially when you're
roasting.

Onto a baking sheet with a piece
of parchment.

Makes the clean-up
a little easier.

I think that's enough.

Touch up a little bit with the
salt,

'cause that salt on top is a
nice, crisp touch

when those roots are all
roasted.

A few sprigs over the top of
that

and ready to go to a hot oven.

♪

My roast spuds and roast roots
are just about ready.

And my gravy, I know it's done,

so I'm going to strain it.

♪

You get the full flavours of
that lamb,

a little bit sweet, the right
consistency,

it's exactly what I had in mind.

Let's ladle a jug full.

[SIZZLING]

♪

[SIZZLING, CRACKLING]

♪

These roast potatoes look
absolutely fantastic.

Roasty and crusty on the edges,
on the underside.

And just look at these root veg.

So beautifully roasted

and balanced out with the
mustard,

a little maple syrup, and of
course,

that fresh thyme.

♪

The time has come

and I can hardly wait.

And, there should always be
enough

for at least a sandwich the next
day.

♪

A perfect blushing pink piece of
lamb.

♪

A drizzle of gravy.

♪

And this is a roast dinner

to celebrate with.

Absolutely.

♪

You know, lamb has a distinct
flavour to it.

It's big and bold,

and therefore it can handle
big flavours.

The garlic, and the rosemary,
and the thyme,

they're being accompanied by
lovely roasted root vegetables.

Those carrots are intensely
carrot.

The rutabaga is intensely
rutabaga,

but with just a slight sweet
edge.

And the mustard helps cut any
richness.

This is a dinner that is
triumphant.

♪

♪

I promised you an Italian feast
fit for your holiday table.

How about a slow braised breast
of veal

with polenta and mushroom ragu?

And the great thing about this
recipe is that you can get

most of the work done ahead of
time,

which means more time to spend
with the family.

Let's get started on the veal.

And the Italian side of me has a
hankering

for a scrumptious braised piece
of veal breast.

♪

So, I'm just taking a little bit
of the excess fat off,

but not too much,

'cause we all know fat is what
gives us flavour.

♪

It is going to be scrumptiously
delicious.

So, the first seasoning I'm
going to add are these

absolutely beautifully scented...

[SNIFFING] Toasted fennel seeds.

A light sprinkle.

Next, a little cinnamon stick.

We know that where there's
cinnamon,

there has to be nutmeg.

It's all about the seasonings
for the holidays.

♪

Done.

Next, a little fresh citrus.

Bright flavour, and you'll know
between the orange

citrusy scent and that fennel,

it's a special meal.

A little thyme, just broken off
the branches,

the leaves loosely falling.

Sage leaf.

That's it. I'm ready to roll and
tie my veal breast.

♪

It's all about the sear on my
veal breast.

[SIZZLING]

The pan is good and hot.

Little slick of oil.

[SIZZLING]

And listen to that music.

♪

[SIZZLING]

I had some of the toasted fennel
left over from the seasoning,

so I might as well put it in.

And, if you remember that
tangerine that I used the zest,

let's cut it in half and add
that juice.

♪

Canned tomatoes, diced,

all the juice, in it goes.

And, just enough chicken stock
so that my veal breast

is almost covered with liquid.

These are the rinds of the
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

that I save up.

This is looking delicious
already.

♪

Now I'm going to make some
polenta.

So, I have some chicken stock
and water, which is boiling,

just the way I like it.

Season with salt

and a little crack of black
pepper.

♪

A good drizzle of olive oil.

♪

And this polenta is nothing more
than ground cornmeal.

♪

We're now ready to add
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

♪

Just rubbed with a little olive
oil.

Take our polenta while it's
piping hot.

♪

Pat it down, work it into the
corners.

Make sure there's no air bubbles

and as flat as you can make it.

♪

I'll leave the polenta
here to cool

while I prepare
the mushroom ragu.

♪

These are purple foot mushrooms,
hence the colour.

♪

And these are chanterelles.

I've been lucky enough to find
the odd one or two

on the property.

And what's going to happen with
these mushrooms,

they'll cook down very fast,

it's going to bring a wonderful,
earthy flavour

that's going to blend so well
with that braised veal.

Before I cook the mushrooms I'll
just pop the polenta

into the fridge.

♪

My polenta's firmed up nicely.

So, all I want to do here is
give a little trim

to square off the edges.

♪

Just a little butter to stop
things from sticking.

♪

Simple arrangement in the bottom
of the dish.

Next, we'll take a little
sprinkling

of grated parmesan.

♪

This is taleggio.

A soft, mild mannered cheese

similar to brie.

Just a couple little wedges

which will start to melt.

Let's get it in the oven.

♪

And when it comes out of the
oven it looks this good.

A little sprinkle of parsley.

Do I have your attention now?

That is absolutely gorgeous.

♪

A nice thick slice of veal
breast.

Right on the edge of the plate.

And now the sauce.

♪

Simple seedling greens.

All I can say

is [SPEAKING ITALIAN].

♪

This is a dish that has
character, charm,

and Italian sophistication.

♪

Nutmeg, cinnamon,

oh so fitting
at this time of year.

Those mushrooms have a little
more heft and weight,

earthy.

A great balance with
a glass of Barolo

from a Nebbiolo grape.

Wonderful balance in both

the wine...

and the dish.

♪

♪

The holidays are certainly a
time for a little

self-indulgence.

And I don't think there's a
better way to have

real great self-indulgence

than having a molten chocolate
lava cake,

a real classic.

We'll let that slowly melt.

♪

Some butter.

♪

Let's give these a little flour.

♪

I'm going to split
the vanilla bean.

♪

Look at that.

Butter and chocolate all melted
together.

In with the chocolate
to my egg mix,

just adding a little at a time
so it doesn't separate.

The chocolate's going to cool
down a touch

and thicken up.

♪

A little flour.

Some cardamom.

♪

And now, a little something to
keep you up for Santa:

some finely ground espresso
beans.

♪

[GRINDING]

♪

Just putting the espresso beans
through the sieve

so they're nice and fine.

♪

Have my lightly buttered and
floured ramekins.

Guaranteed to come out of the
mould.

♪

Before I put these in the oven,
we'll start poaching our figs.

♪

Cinnamon,

cloves,

honey,

it's almost like eating a fig
flavoured with

Christmas pudding.

♪

Just enough red wine to cover
them so they can poach.

♪

Look at those.

Perfect.

A little light crust, golden
brown.

I've got my figs.

Look how that red wine has
thickened up.

And these figs look like they're
about to burst.

♪

The moment of truth.

It's almost jumping out of the
ramekin.

♪

A dollop of whipped cream.

A little powdered sugar.

And a touch more...

Of the fig poaching liquid.

I always think of dessert as the
grand finale to a meal

and this one is a showstopper.

Now, the moment of truth.

When I cut it open, I want to
see the molten chocolate run.

♪

That is nice.

Really nice.

♪

Well, all that's left is to grab
a dram of whiskey

and cuddle up by the fire with
the ones you love.

That's what I'm going to do.

Wishing you great company,

all the best of eating,

and much warmth and love from my
kitchen to yours.

Merry Christmas.

♪

♪