How to make chicken and chorizo risotto

Creamy slow-cooked risotto is a simple and economical Italian dish that dominates the cuisines in many of the regions. Although chicken and chorizo isn't particularly typical of Puglia, you can change the flavours once you have the basics down (think seafood risotto, zucchinni, porcini and so on). It's pretty easy to adapt, once the ingredients are chopped and thrown in it's just a matter of stirring it around until the liquid has been absorbed. 

Ingredients (serves 6)

- 3 chicken breasts, diced

- 150g chorizo, sliced
- 500g Arborio rice
- 150g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 300ml dry white wine

- 1.5L chicken stock 

- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large knob of butter
- 4tbsp of olive oil

- Salt and pepper for seasoning (a few pinches)

Method

On a medium heat, warm the olive oil and butter in a large pan and add the onion once it's hot. when the onion has softened (takes a couple of minutes), add the garlic. As the garlic turns golden, empty the packet of risotto into the pan and stir around until the rice becomes translucent. This seals in the flavour and takes between 5-10 minutes.

Add 150ml of white wine and stir until all the moisture has been absorbed (takes about a minute – not long). Add a good splash of the stock and keep stirring – keep doing this until all of the stock has been

used up. Add salt and pepper sporadically to season.

Some schools of thought say that you should add all of the stock at once and let it simmer until soaked. But traditionally it’s better to add one cup at a time and stir until completely taken in because it helps the starch dissolve and makes it creamier.

While this is going on, add the chicken and chorizo to a hot pan of oil and cook. Leave to the side until all the stock has been soaked by the rice (see previous steps) then add to the pan, along with the parmesan. Add the rest of the white wine (150ml), cover and leave to simmer. We left it for about 10 minutes while we made a salad. Once the liquid has gone, it’s ready to serve and eat!

By Simon Eggleston

Our favourite 4 beaches in Puglia!

With soft, white-sand beaches and crystal clear water, it's no wonder the Italians call Puglia the 'Caribbean of Italy'. In August, the northerners flock to the coastline here, to relax by the true blue, enjoy the delicious food and soak up some rays.

Trullo Carlotta is generally a 40 minutes' drive from some of the best beaches on Torre Canne and Capitolo (Adriatic Sea) and is a great place to stay if you're looking for a bit of sand between your toes. We also have a private pool on-site if this doesn't float your boat.

Below is a very select handful of beaches we tend to go back to every year, and we'll be honest: we always usually go to another beach a bit further up called San Stefano, one of the most exclusive and famous beaches in its own private cove, popular with celebrities and VIPs. However, in an act of solidarity we'll not be promoting it until it matches the state of the facilities it offers with its prices. So for now, enjoy our fave four!

1. Sabbiadoro, Capitolo

A clean, family-friendly beach with an ibiza-esque vibe. One for the kids, especially if they're older. If you get tired of relaxing by the crystal blue (imagine that!) you can use the sports court, relax in the on-site bar and restaurant pr take the children to the playground. They even have free Wi-Fi. For more information visit www.lidosabbiadoro.com. Busy at weekends.

2. Lido Verde, Torre Canne

A great private beach, one of the cheaper ones. But if you wanted to really cut costs and you've remembered to bring the bright yellow umbrelloni and a couple of chairs from the pool room, there's a great patch of free beach to the right hand side as you walk onto it. It's clean and usually quiet, and you can enjoy access to the facilities and bar. You can also park on the road outside the entrance if you don't want to pay for parking.

3. Lido di Monopoli, Monopoli

This is a great little beach if you're staying in the town. It's a short walk from the centre and costs nothing, although this means there are no facilities either. Cafés and restaurants are within sight and it's clean.

4. Cala Porto, Polignano

A simple and free patch pf sand on a small inlet surrounded by rocky caves. Many of the locals use the rocks to set up camp for the morning, afternoon or day. You're close to some incredible restaurants and cafés such as Trattoria Il Grottone offering superb antipasti and fresh seafood, as well as being a short walk from the historic town of Polignano.

How to make limoncello!

Limoncello made at Masseria Cesarina

Limoncello is a lemon flavoured digestif typically made in Southern Italy and is an absolute favourite of ours.

Usually when you order a limoncello at the end of a meal the waiter will leave you with the bottle and you pay an overall price, a nice touch.

It's also surprisingly easy to make at home. You just need a few lemons, some water, sugar and some vodka or pure alcohol - and about 10 days to let the zest soak.

Our friends at Masseria Cesarina B&B in Castellana Grotte have been making their own limoncello for years now and told us - loosely - how they make it.

The taste will differ depending on factors such as the lemons (nothing can beat the ginormous vibrant lemons you find on the Amalfi coast for example), the water quality and the alcohol you use to ferment the zest. Below is a rough guideline for you to experiment with.

You will need:

Fermenting at Masseria Cesarina

• 5 organic lemons
• 500ml of pure alcohol or vodka
• 5 cups water 
• 5 cups sugar
• A big glass jar like the one in the picture to the right

Instructions:

• Zest the lemons - use a knife or peeler, not a grater
• Pop them into the jar and add the alcohol 
• Leave for 10 days
• Boil the sugar and water to make a syrup
• Once the syrup is cooled pour into the jar and stir until mixed
• Serve chilled!

If you've made the limoncello with pure alcohol you can keep it in the freezer without it freezing, making it easy to serve as and when. The colder it is, the better. Enjoy!

How to make fried Zucchini flowers - stuffed with goats cheese

July was zucchini season and that meant we could all eat courgette flowers. 

Fresh zucchini flowers, stuffed with cheese, ready for the batter

The flowers of the courgette, also known as 'squash blossoms' or zucchini flowers, are completely edible once the stamen is removed.

Although July is over, keep this dish in mind for next year. There are loads of recipes you can find if you search on the internet (we followed River Cottage guidance on batter) but the idea is really simple, easy and makes for a great appetiser.

For the 10 zucchini flowers you will need:

• 100g soft goats cheese
• A handful of freshly chopped chives
• A handful of freshly chopped parsley
• A dash of salt and pepper

Add this all into a bowl and mix together.

For the batter you will need:

• 75g plain flour
• 30g corn flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 150ml water 
• 500ml sunflower oil (or enough to cover the flower in the pan you use)

Add this all into a bowl and mix together.

1. Carefully remove the stamen (the sticky-out yellow thing) from the inside each of the flowers - try not to rip the base or the petals as this might let the cheese melt out.

2. Carefully stuff the goats cheese into the flowers, taking care not to rip the flower, and twist the ends of the petals so it seals the cheese inside.

3. Heat the oil, test the temperature by dropping a tiny bit of batter in. If it sizzles straight away it should be hot enough.

4. Dip the flowers into the batter mix and carefully place into the hot oil - try to make sure none of the flowers are touching in the pan, perhaps do just two at a time.

5. Once the flowers are a golden colour, bring them out and place on a napkin to soak up any excess oil.

6. Once all the flowers are cooked - enjoy! Easy!

Triggianello Birranova Beer Fest

Birranova brewery shop

Triggianello beer festival - one of the highlights of our holiday. If you're lucky enough to be staying in the locality when it's on you should definitely make a visit.

Sponsored by the Brewery Birranova, a micro-brewery just off the main square where the event is held, the small festival was born five years ago to promote local craft beer along with live music, activities and sumptuous street food. Until recently you could find a variety of beers from different breweries but now it seems that Birranova have monopolised the event.

This year the festival was early, starting on July 22-26 and we went along on closing night.

Selection of beers in the shop

From the two beers that we tried, the blonde was the best

 - Linfa. Slightly cloudy from the hops but light enough to enjoy a few - not quite the lager we're used to in Britain but refreshing in the evening heat.

The darker beer was like drinking a dessert. Abboccata it was called - full of flavour, quite sweet. It allowed the drinker to experience different stages of taste. Not for the faint hearted.

We wondered around the square and watched the Italians socialise. It's obvious they are not big drinkers, no stumbling around or scenes of lariness. Lots of food - while we socialise in the UK over alcoholic drink and coffee, the Italians are big socialisers over food - no matter what age.

Last year they had a live band on closing night, this year guest DJ Kyra Kole was playing a reggae, hip-hop and funky soul set.

Brewmaster Donata di Palma, owner of the Birranova microbrewery that sponsors the event, went over to England at the age of 16 to learn the language. He soon developed a taste for the beer and two years later in 1992 he produced his own beer at home. But it wasn't until 2004 that he opened his first

microbrewery - and started the real training in Germany.

Now he is a fully-fledged master brewer and houses a popular pub in the centre of the small town. His beers are sold around Italy and rumour has it he has expanded to the UK.

Birranova Beer Fest 2016

A trip down via del memory – by Charlotte

This was what Trullo Carlotta looked like when we visited for our first summer holiday in 2004!

View of the trulli in 2004

Recent view of the trulli

The villa used to be owned by a local artist. When we arrived there
were all sorts of little designs everywhere Including, if I remember correctly, a stuffed toy lion resting on a tree – home to a huge nest of wasps.

And it was pastel yellow.

Since then a lot of work has gone into the property and grounds. Over the years patios, extensions and a pool have been added. It's grown from a small two bedroom traditional peasant house to a four bedroom rustic villa.

The garden, once an overgrown field, is plush with fruit trees, vegetable patches and all sorts of voluminous bushes including bougainvillea.

View of the garden in 2004

Recent view of the garden

When I found these photos as I was moving house last year I was astonished at how much it had changed. It's interesting to see how much things can evolve so much in a relatively short time, but lovely to see the product of a bit of hard work. And even better to be able to share it with visitors who love the trullo as much as we do.  

               

Trullo Carlotta is lovely family-owned villa in Castellana Grotte, Puglia. To find out more about Trullo Carlotta including key info, features and facilities and prices please visit our website www.trullocarlotta.com. For all holiday enquiries, contact Caroline by email: trullocarlotta@gmail.com or phone: +441423 871741.

What is a trullo?

When I tell people about our native Puglian peasant house I often get asked, “What exactly is a trullo?” I often start with the way it looks; a little white stone igloo with multiple conical roofs. Puglia is dotted with them, specs of white set among the olive groves across the landscape.

These native houses were created by local Puglian peasants and have been dated back to the 14^th century, when the farmers and labourers used to work out in the fields during all seasons. They are shaped the way they are so that they could be disassembled easily – so that when the tax man came along they could just pull them apart!

Whole families used to live in them. They were designed with two layers of limestone stones – very thick layers so that they would keep cool in the hot summers and retain the heat during the cold damp winters. This is an effective design which you can noticeably feel when you stay at Trullo Carlotta, as it stays cool in the day and warm during the night.

The trulli of Puglia have often been associated with magic, castles, mystery and fairytales. They are certainly a mysterious beauty, unique to this region of Italy.

One of the local towns, Alberobello, is a truly awesome sight. A hillside of trulli upon trulli, a village with a really historical feel and full of local artisans. Alberobello is a UNESCO Heritage site which is a popular tourist destination – well worth a visit if you’re in the area.