Butter up to an Italian indulgence

Jeeze, sometimes you feel you've only just recovered from one celebration when along comes another "holiday", although this one was that little bit different. On January 6th it was Women's Christmas; that special day of the year when women folk are supposed to take a load off, watch re-runs of Sex and the City and watch their entire domain fall apart as they retire on the couch, with pipe and slippers to hand.

Well, from next week, things will be a bit different in this column, so to celebrate the last hurrah – so to speak – I’ve come up with a menu that will ensure you won’t be able to get off that couch. And, who better to turn to for luxury on a plate than the Italians.

What the Italians do well, they do very well, so I’ve put together an Italian-inspired menu that should win the heart of anyone who subscribes to the old adage that the way to everyone’s heart is via their stomach.

This is food that is rich and tasty in equal measure. The starter is a great little dish seldom seen in Italian restaurants here. Gnudi (pronounced nudie, ahem,) is a type of gnocchi made with ricotta and a little bit of semolina. Surprisingly light in texture, in this recipe they work beautifully with the little golden pool of sage butter they sit in. These can be prepared a day ahead and then poached minutes before you’re ready to serve them. They have made it onto my current death-row dinner menu.

The main course, then, is certainly Italian in inspiration – it’s veal – but perhaps more French at heart, as the chop is served with a rich butter made with nutty Roquefort cheese. Make the butter beforehand and chill it, and then be sure to cook the steak on a very, very hot pan before slinging it in the oven for a bit. This takes just minutes, and all it needs alongside is the simplest of green salads.

[ dkemp@irishtimes.com ]

Food cooked and styled by Domini Kemp and Gillian Fallon