Seafood Month at Oregano!

This month at Oregano we are offering a fabulous seafood menu, just for you. 

Get any 2 courses and a glass of wine for £17.95

Starters

Bianchetti - Fried whitebait.

Calamari Fritti - Fresh squid, deep-fried

Gamberoni alla Diavola - Butterfly King Prawns grilled with garlic, white wine, tomato and chilli, served with fried parsnips and rocket salad.

Main

Spaghetti alle Vongole - Pasta cooked with clams, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, chilli and white wine.

Linguine al Cartoccio - Pasta cooked and served with a selection of seafood (including clams and mussels) white wine tomato and parsley. Sealed, cooked and served in tin foil.

Risotto Ai Frutti di Mare - Arborio rice with large prawns, mussels and calamari in a light tomato and white wine sauce

Salmone in salsa di Aragosta - Fresh salmon in a light brandy and lobster sauce with prawns and asparagus tips, on a bed of mash. (£2.50 supplement)

Merluzzo alla Marinara - Fillet of cod in a white wine and tomato sauce with calamari, clams, mussels and prawns (£1.50 supplement)

Pizza Puglia - Pizza topped with  tomato, fresh clams, mussels, squid, garlic, olives and olive oil.

And top it off with a glass of house wine. All for just £17.95!
Don't we spoil you.

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**This offer is based on a set menu. Seafood menu available for a limited time only. This cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Wine is the house wine. Customers must be 18 or over to enjoy free glass of wine. Soft drinks will be provided on request. Some dishes may incur a supplement. Includes VAT, excludes service. Please mention offer to your server upon booking or dining.

Puglia Seafood

By now, everyone should know that Stefano Francioso, restauranteur extraordinaire, hails from Puglia (or "Apulia", as we British philistines call it). But you would be forgiven for knowing absolutely nothing about the region itself. It is the Italians' summer escape of choice, and not a hotspot for tourists from further afield.

Puglia is the heel to Italy's boot. The region lies in the South-East and has the longest coastline in the country. It has been invaded by just about every nearby country you can think of - the Spanish, the French, the Turks, the Greeks, etc etc. Luckily for Puglia, although the invaders may have left, many of their culinary traditions decided to stay, enriching regional cuisine indisputably. This cuisine is what makes the region special, pure and simple. And it is incredibly varied - Pugliese cuisine can change from town to town, even if they are only a mile apart.

The Pugliese terrain is not best suited to farming and tends to nurture legumes and vegetables such as peppers, aubergines, artichokes, and courgettes. However, there is something to be said for being surrounded by so much ocean - it sure does provide a lot of seafood.

Because it's seafood month here at Oregano, we're going to take you through a few of Puglia's best-loved fruits of the sea, as well as a couple of other Pugliese specialities.

Big juicy prawns, baked in a sea salt crust then drizzled with olive oil

Most likely to find in: Gallipoli

Tubetti in brodo di pesce - little tubes of pasta in a fishy, tomato broth, often made by fishermen out of their unsold fish

Most likely to find in: Otranto

Ricci, sea urchins, golden orange star-shaped flesh in a spiky black shell. You can scoop the flesh out with bread or go native and just lick it out, being wary of the spikes!

Most likely to find in: the Southern Adriatic Coast

Purpu alla pignata - Octopus in a spicy tomato sauce with potatoes

Most likely to find in: Salento - the southeastern peninsula which makes up the most southern part of Puglia

Orichiette con le cime di rapa - Puglia's famous "ear-shaped" pasta (made from durum wheat and without eggs) with turnip tops

Most likely to find in: Bari

Meat-lovers should try Zampina - a sausage made with pork or veal - or Bombinette - pork meatballs stuffed with salt, pepper, and cheese

Most likely to find in: Locorotondo

OR Capocollo di Martina Franca, a D.O.P-certified salama, a bit like pancetta

Most likely to find in: ...Martina Franca

Cheese-lovers can indulge in Caciocavallo - or "cheese on horseback", (which, incidentally, is made with cow's milk...not horse's...) which gets its name from the fact it is tied up with rope and left to hang over a wooden board to age

Most likely to find in: The Gargagno

Or, even better, get your chops round some Burrata, strips of mozzarella and cream encased in a mozarella shell.

Most likely to find in: Andria.

And to accompany all of this, Pane di Altamura, delicious D.O.P-certified bread from a locale where everyone has their own bakery. Living the dream.

Most likely to find in: Altamura

So that's it for this week friends. Pop in to see us at Oregano to sample our stunning March seafood menu, and stay tuned for more Pugliese joys next week!

Pizza Dough Recipe

Well Valentine's month is coming to a close, so we can stop with all this lovey-dovey nonsense and get back to normal! We thought we'd wrap up this series with one last romantic activity though: making pizza together. This messy activity is bound to get sparks - and flour - flying. So grab some yeast, roll up your sleeves, and bid February farewell with some fabulous food-making.

Our very own dough-maker hard at work!

People often think that making pizza is a nightmare and is something that cannot be successfully achieved at home. Not to do ourselves out of business of course, but at Pizzeria Oregano we're out to prove you wrong and show how easy it is to make pizzeria-standard pizzas in the comfort of your own home.

To make the pizza base, you need just four ingredients:

300f strong bread flour
1 sachet of quick action yeast
1 tsp salt
olive oil

1. Put the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in 200ml of warm water. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and stir together until you have a soft, wet dough.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured, clean surface and knead for five minutes.
3. Place in a large bowl and covered with some oiled cling film. There is no need to leave it out to rise for a long time. Ten minutes is enough!
4. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into large rounds, around 25cm in diameter. Make sure you get the dough really very thin. Place onto a floured baking tray.
5. Preheat the oven to 240C. Add any topping that you wish to use. Try making pizza bianco - this is pizza without tomato sauce. If tomato sauce is more you thing, just use some supermarket passata.
6. Place the pizza on its baking tray into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp.

Have fun!

Italian Words of Wooing

So, that’s Valentine’s Day well and truly done for another year, how did we all do? If you followed my advice from last week’s post, and had a cosy night in, you probably had a fabulous time. But, for those of you who didn’t (or for those who did SO well they need to top it next year) I have just the thing to make your next romantic day a success.

                There can be very little dispute over Italian being the language of love, it’s a romance language for goodness’ sake! It’s beautiful, it’s sexy, it’s...foreign.  In any case, if you want to sweep your date off their feet (or merely baffle them slightly) this is the way to do it. We’ve compiled a list of handy phrases to meet your every loving need.

When it’s just starting out...

Ho preso una sbandata per te. (I have a crush on you.)

Il mio cuore è solo tuo / tua. (My heart is yours.)

Mi ami? (do you love me?)

Vuoi essere il mio ragazzo/la mia ragazza? ( Would you like to be my boyfriend/girlfriend?)

Abbracciami. (Hug me)

Ti voglio baciare. (I want to kiss you.)

When you want to explain how you feel...

Sei l'uomo / la donna dei miei sogni! (You're the man / woman of my dreams!)

Sei il sole della mia vita. (You are the sunshine of my life.)

Sei l’amore della mia vita. (You are the love of my life)

Sei tutto cio' di cui ho bisogno (you're everything I need)

When it’s all going well...

Amore mio (my love)

Un million di baci (A million kisses)

Baciami. (Kiss me)

Tesoro mio (my treasure)

Sei un dono (you are a gift)

Sei stupenda (You’re fantastic)

Mi rendi felice. (you make me happy)

Come sei bella/o (How beautiful you are.)

When it’s getting a little intense...

Per sempre tua/insieme (forever yours/together)

Ti penso sempre (I’m always thinking about you)

Sei tutto per me. (You are everything to me.)

Non posso vivere senza di te! (I can’t live without you)

Senza di te la vita è un inferno. (Without you life is hell.)

When it’s getting serious...

Sposami! (Marry me!)

Con te voglio passare la mia vita. (I want to spend my life with you.)

Con te voglio invecchiare. (I want to grow old with you.)

When “I love you” is enough...

Ti amo! (I love you!)

Ti voglio molto bene. (I love you very much.)

Sono innamorato / innamorata di te. (I'm in love with you.)

Ti amo con tutta l’anima! (I love you with all my heart)

And if the pronunciation of these sweet soundbites leaves you stumped, follow this handy pronuciation guide! And do pop in and see us any time if you feel you need the linguistic practice!

Pizza Movie Night #1 - Romance

Ok, so Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, just three days away in fact. Now, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have got caught up in day-to-day life and totally forgotten that an important factor of the perfect Valentine’s Day is where – and what – you are going to eat. And this takes careful consideration and much planning. If you haven’t managed to book a table, or if staying in is more your sort of thing, then we at Oregano are here to help you make it the perfect Valentine’s Night In.

Because what could be more romantic than a Pizza Movie Night?

Step One: Choose your pizza. 

Now, since V’day is the day of romance, we have selected something to help add an element of heat to your evening: The Calabria. Sweet tomatoes, indulgent mozzarella, and spicy Italian sausage. Sweet, spicy, indulgent. Need we say more? You could try to make it at home from scratch or go for the easy option: order it from us! Because the less time you spend in the kitchen, the more time you can spend with your Valentine...

Step Two: Customise.

If you want to take your night to the next level, we suggest you accessorise this baby. Chilli peppers are widely recognised as an aphrodisiac and symbol of love. It has been discovered that chilli peppers stimulate endorphins (happy chemicals in your brain), speed up your heart rate, and make you sweat. While the last one may not sound super romantic, a racing heart and supreme happiness certainly sound like a loved-up state to me. SO, why not think of adding a few jalapenos to your pizza, to spice up your night a little more.

Step Three: Movie Time.

We all know that there are approximately a bajillion rom-coms out there to choose from. Some good, some great, some utterly dreadful. But Valentine’s Day should be a day of relaxation, not one where you bicker over which film to watch, so we’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of romantic foodie films to watch with your romantic foodie lover.

• “Bella Martha” (“Mostly Martha") [German] 

“When a headstrong chef takes charge of her equally stubborn 8-year-old niece, the tensions between them mount... until an Italian sous-chef arrives to lighten the mood” – Don’t let the fact that this is in a foreign language dissuade you, this is a fabulous film which will leave you both hungry and warm inside.

•  “No Reservations”

“The life of a top chef changes when she becomes the guardian of her young niece”  - The English remake of “Bella Martha”, which isn’t quite as good but is still a great watch.

•  “Chocolat” 

“A woman and her daughter open a chocolate shop in a small French village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.” – You’ll be wanting dessert after/while watching this one. Sporting an amazing cast, including Dame Judie, headed by Juliette Binoche and Jonny Depp.

•  “Mystic Pizza”

“Three teenage girls come of age while working at a pizza parlor in the Connecticut town of Mystic.” – Worth watching just for the ridiculous title. And 1988. And young Julia Roberts. WARNING: you need to be in the mood for a ridiculous Julia Roberts rom-com from the 80s. Just sayin’.

• “Last Holiday”

“Georgia Byrd clerks at a New Orleans department store. She defers pleasure: cooks gourmet meals, eats Lean Cuisine; likes a co-worker in silence; has savings, but hasn't left Louisiana. All that changes when a CT Scan discloses she has three weeks to live.”  -  Another daft one, but heartwarming as hell. And who doesn’t love a bit of Queen Latifah in her prime?

There you have it, our recipe for the perfect Pizza and Movie night in. Crack open the wine and have a no-fuss Valentine's Day on us.   

Sweet Treat: Panettone Recipe

Now, I'm sure the more fastidious among you are about to point out that Panettone is traditionally a Christmas thing. And to you I say... you're absolutely right! This sweet bread is usually a Christmas treat in Italy and parts of France, Spain, Italy, and further afield. However, we are rapidly approaching the sweetest month of the year and what could be more romantic than surprising your beloved with a delicious home-made gift on Valentine's Day? Because why should we keep all the good stuff for just one part of the year?

Ingredients:

500g strong white flour
7g salt
50g caster sugar
2 x 7g sachets instant yeast
140ml/5fl oz warm milk
5 free-range eggs, at room temperature, plus extra for egg wash
250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
120g/4½oz dried cherries
120g/4½oz dried sultanas
120g/4½oz dried currants
100g/3½oz whole blanched almonds

Method:

1. Place the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, milk and the eggs into the bowl of a free-standing mixer fitted with a dough hook.
2. Mix slowly for two minutes, then increase the speed to medium and mix for a further 6-8 minutes until you have a soft dough.
3. Add the softened butter and mix for another 5-8 minutes. Remember to scrape down the bowl periodically to ensure that the dough mixes well. It will be very soft.
4. Add the dried fruit and nuts. Mix until all is incorporated.
5. Tip the dough into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and chill overnight until the dough has firmed up enough for you to able to shape it.
6. Prepare a 18cm/7in panettone tin by brushing the inside generously with melted butter.
7. Remove the panettone dough from the fridge.
8. Knock back the dough, shape into a ball and place into the tin.
9. Leave to prove at room temperature for a further 2-3 hours, until the dough just starts to dome over the top of the tin.
10. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
11. Brush the top of the panettone with egg wash and bake for about 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and bake for a further 35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Check the panettone periodically in case of oven hot spots. Bear in mind that the sugar and butter in the dough could brown too much before it is actually fully baked.
12. Remove the panettone from the tin immediately and allow to cool.

Frugal January: Creamy sausage and tomato pasta

Here’s a tasty recipe which uses Italian sausage and a hearty amount of pasta to fill you up for less. We’ve also thought about time-saving here, as most of these ingredients come from cans so you can quickly prepare this while making it seem you spent all day in the kitchen. Worried about the creaminess? Swap the heavy cream for light creme fraiche.

Serves 4

Ingredients
4-5 Italian sausages
1 chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can of Italian style diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato passata
1 cup heavy cream
5-6 big leaves of fresh basil, chopped
500g penne pasta
grated Parmesan for topping

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, brown the sausage. Remove the casings, brown, and crumble the sausages like you would ground beef.
3. Add the onions and garlic to the sausage and sauté for a couple of minutes.
4. Pour in the entire can of diced tomatoes and the passata and heat through.
5. Pour in the cream. The longer you cook the sauce the thicker it will get so simmer it until it is the consistency you want.
6. Add the fresh basil and let it simmer for a few minutes.
7. Finally, mix the sausage sauce with the pasta and serve. Top each serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty garlic bread.

And there you have it! Simple, hearty food to warm you up in this cold January weather. Also good for the students among you who are too busy... "studying"... to cook! Happy eating!