Healthy food never tasted so good. In Eat Like a Sardinian, FRANCESCO MATTANA takes you on a tour of the region and all the delicious food Sardinia has to offer.

Get started with this easy recipe for veggie couscous, a traditional dish from the isle of Carloforte.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sardinia captures the true spirit of Mediterranean cooking. Here, you find a way of life filled with simple, fresh, seasonal ingredients, healthy fats and plenty of time spent cooking, eating and spending time with loved ones. Sardinia is, after all, one of only five designated ‘blue zones’ in the world – where people live longer than anywhere else.

In Eat Like a Sardinian, chef Francesco Mattana invites you to discover the rich and varied food culture of the island, bringing together his experiences learning to cook from the women around him and years of teaching experience to create 90 delicious home-cooking recipes that everyone can master, with all the tips and tricks needed to get them right every time. Find the perfect small bite for your aperitivo hour, stock up your larder with preserves, perfect your pasta and bread-making skills, learn how to entertain the Sardinian way with impressive fish, meat and vegetable dishes and finish it all off with a traditional dolci. Who knew healthy living could be so sweet?

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RECIPE

Serves 4–6

1 lemon
4 artichokes
250g (9oz) couscous
2 courgettes (zucchini), thinly sliced
1 small aubergine (eggplant), chopped into 1cm (1/2 inch) cubes
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1cm (1/2 inch) cubes
1/2 cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 onion, thinly sliced 1/2 Savoy cabbage, sliced lengthways and then into small chunks
150g (5 1/2 oz) cooked chickpeas
2 1/4 teaspoons La Saporita spice mix (or make your own, see below)
extra virgin olive oil
fine sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper

METHOD

First, prepare the artichokes. Fill a bowl with water and squeeze in the juice from the lemon halves, then drop the squeezed halves into the bowl.

Hold an artichoke firmly with one hand and use a small, sharp knife to remove and peel off the tough, dark green outer leaves at the base. Cut off the top 1–2cm (1/2–3/4 inch) of the artichoke, where the leaves are still tough, and leave about 2.5cm (1 inch) of the stem attached. Using a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, peel the tough outer layer of the stem. Cut the artichoke in half and use a teaspoon to scoop out the fuzzy choke in the middle. Cut it in half again so that it is quartered.

Place the artichoke quarters immediately in the lemon water to prevent browning.

Repeat with the remaining artichokes, leaving the quarters in the water until needed.

Put the couscous in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil and then cover with boiling water to 1cm (1/2 inch) above the couscous. Give it a quick stir and cover the bowl with cling film (plastic wrap) or a plate and set aside.

Thinly slice the artichokes, then heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the courgettes, artichokes and aubergine. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in another large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the carrots, cauliflower, onion and cabbage. Keep an eye on both pans, stirring often.

After 5 minutes, add the chickpeas to the courgettes, artichoke and aubergine and continue cooking for around 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables in both pans are cooked but still have a little bit of crunch.

Once the vegetables are cooked, divide the spice mixture between the two pans, season with salt and pepper and stir everything together. Cook for another minute, then remove the pans from the heat. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and fluff it up with a fork. Stir in the cooked vegetables and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve right away or at room temperature.

TOP TIP

You can make your own spice mix with 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground caraway seeds and 1/2 teaspoon aniseed or ground star anise.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Francesco Mattana is an Italian chef and online sensation with a large, loyal community that attracts millions of people across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube. Growing up in Sardinia he was surrounded by great home cooks and an appreciation for local and seasonal ingredients and this inspired him to start his own culinary journey. After working in the kitchen in Sardinia, he travelled to Australia where he opened his own highly regarded Italian restaurant in Brisbane called Ajó. In 2017 Francesco moved to the UK to pursue his passion for teaching, working for some of the top cookery schools in London and eventually becoming the head teacher chef at Jamie Oliver’s Cookery School. Francesco continues to offer cooking classes and to host events and demos in the UK and in Sardinia, teaching people about authentic Italian and Sardinian food. Eat Like a Sardinian is his first book.

Visit Francesco Mattana’s website here.

Follow Francesco Mattana’s on Instagram here.

Read more about Eat Like a Sardinian on the Murdoch Books website.