Smokin' hot!

Nduja from Calabria

'Nduja (pronounced 'un-doo-ya) di Spilinga - A firey, smokey, soft spreadable salami which originates from the small town of Spilinga in the region of Calabria, in the deep South of Italy. 

In 2008, a stumble upon the roadside Trattoria da Mimma, in the Capo Vaticano area of Calabria, changed my life. Ok, well as far as food experiences go, the simple pasta dish I had at this trattoria had me craving it well after the holiday ended. To this date, I think this single food item forms one of the most memorable dishes I have eaten on all my travels. 

Ah, the joys of the simple things in life. Spicey and smokey, there is just something so addictive and moorish about the flavour. Fast forward a year or two later after my trip and I spot a Calabrian stand in London's Borough Market and I was ever so excited to see the 'nduja for sale here! It also started appearing on some pizza and pasta menus in London overtime.

It is apparently made with various parts of the pig that produce a high fat content, including belly, shoulder and jowl. The meat is ground very finely and then mixed with some salt, and ALOT of roasted and ground sweet and hot peppers (another region specialty). It is then stuffed back into the large intestine and smoked for about a week, then dried for three weeks or more. Then voila, you have this versatile ingredient, that can be spread on bread, eaten with cheese, mixed into pasta sauces and a whole host of other recipes that I can't wait to try!

For now though, it is best as a quick and simple pasta sauce.

My quick pasta alla'nduja e pomodori (Serves 2)

Ingredients
1. Enough pasta for two people (traditionally served with a long fusilli of the region, but linguine or whatever pasta you prefer is fine)
2. 1-2 tbsp of 'nduja to taste, depending on how much spice you can handle
3. Handful of cherry tomatoes
4. Salt and pepper to taste and basil to garnish

Method
1. Cook your pasta as you normally would
2. At the same time, in a little olive oil, throw in some cherry tomatoes and add the nduja to gently melt it. I prefer the cherry tomatoes still relatively fresh, so only cook these until the skin bursts. You could also use chopped tomatoes (tinned or fresh) if you prefer a more tomatoey flavour with just the hint of 'nduja.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water and mix the pasta into the sauce. Add some of the liquid if the sauce is to dry. 
4. Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with basil if so desired. I have also seen it served with ricotta, so you could add a dollop of ricotta or other soft cheese when serving, to soften the flavour of the 'nduja - it will melt and mix into the sauce.
5. Enjoy!

Quick and tasty dinner - 'nduja with pasta

Trattoria Da Mimma - Capo Vaticano in 2008

Fusilli alla 'nduja - the original dish I had

Under the Bridge

In a quiet corner of the London Bridge area lies Bermondsey Street. A street unbeknown to me until just a few months ago. For me, London Bridge meant Borough Market and as that was largely an event for a Saturday morning, there was no inkling that this street represented a buzzy area of a weeknight filled with bars, restaurants and an arty vibe. My first visit was a cold and grey Tuesday evening to the newly opened José, by José Pizarro - a former chef of the popular Brindisa in Borough Markets. In this small space, plates were flying around the crowded room, wait staff attended us efficiently and red wine flowed as we perched ourselves along the front window pane, watching the world outside and enjoying the dishes as they arrived. Croquettes were creamy and flavoursome and not stodgy, Iberian ham was cut thinly with a nice texture, chicken livers in garlic and fino were more-ish enough for a second plate, seabream was fresh and perfectly cooked and a blackboard special of rare Pluma Iberica was charred nicely and resembled a nice steak, though was surpassed by a similar dish we had at the Corner Room the month before. Lamb meatballs were not as exciting but a simple salad with walnuts and apple was a nice balance to the meatier dishes we ordered. Thoroughly enjoyed my meal here, it was simple, yet fulfilling with a nice vibe and great service; be prepared to queue.

José
104 Bermondsey Street London, SE1 3UB 
UNITED KINGDOM
http://joserestaurant.co.uk/
No Reservations
GBP23pp

Jamon Iberico Manuel Maldonado

Padron peppers

Croquetas

Tomato Bread

Rocket, Mahon cheese, apple and walnuts

Chicken livers, garlic and fino

Lamb meatballs,spicy tomato sauce

Pluma Iberica, served rare

Seabream, black olives and orange

Returning to this area, I found myself walking down and spotting a coffee shop I wanted to visit, a return to José or the newly opened restaurant of José Pizarro - Pizarro; or simply sampling a couple more of the drinking dens that lined this quaint street that appeared to be hidden away and offering a contrasting environment from the busy thoroughfare that is Tooley Street. 

Zucca, a relatively new modern Italian restaurant, was a single small room with an open kitchen, allowing you to watch the chefs in action. Complementary potato frittata and homemade bread basket, with a fruity and nicely bitter olive oil (sold for GBP10 a bottle which we later bought) was brought out and enjoyed before our meal commenced. A seabass carpaccio with lemon, peppers and chilli was light and refreshing, if not, cut slightly too thick. There are only two pasta dishes on the menu so we ordered both. A homemade Tagliatelli with a tasty ragu of venison and parmesan and an Orrechiette with slow cooked broccoli and salted ricotta, were the highlight of the evening. Cooked al dente, and with the simple meaty ragu and ricotta sauce - makes for an easy lunch meal for locals. Mains of the infamous Veal chop with spinach and lemon was cooked medium, and juicy with a nice charring; however, the Yin/Yang dish of Squid "Nero" with white polenta, was rather one dimensional and lacked any true standout of flavours. The prices are not high but if in search for a place to eat in the area, I do think there are better options. None the less, José, coupled with the drinking dens such as Village East, Garrisons and The Hide Bar do make this little corner worth seeking out.

Zucca

184 Bermondsey Street

London, SE1 3TQ 

UNITED KINGDOM
http://www.zuccalondon.com/

GBP40pp (including 2 glasses of wine)