Frankie Dettori’s Italian Family Cookbook. Frankie Dettori

      Divide the Parma ham between 4 plates. Place the figs in the centre, and serve.

      Marco

      “This dish reminds me of happy days spent with my mother’s sister, Zia Luciana, in Genoa. I love the wonderful combination of slightly salty ham with sweet figs. Buy your prosciutto from a good Italian delicatessen and have it sliced paper-thin off the bone in front of you. The figs, either green or black, should be soft to the touch. I believe in sourcing the very best ingredients and allowing the food to speak for itself, without the need for anything else on the plate, even seasoning.”

LINGUA DI VITELLO CON MOSTARDA DI CREMONA

       Cold calf’s tongue with Mostarda di Cremona

      1 calf’s tongue

      1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

      1 onion, halved

      2 celery sticks, roughly choped

      1 whole bulb of garlic, halved

      1 bay leaf

      1 small jar of Mostarda di Cremona, fruits chopped and syrup reserved

      FOR THE SALSA DI ERBE:

      a handful of fresh basil leaves

      a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley

      1 anchovy fillet

      3 tablespoons Parmesan

      3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

      1 dessert spoon lemon juice

      sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

       Serves: 8

       Soaking time: 48 hours

       Preparation time: 10 mins

       Cooking time: 3½ hours

      To prepare the tongue for cooking, soak it in cold water for 48 hours, changing the water at least every 6 to 8 hours.

      Combine all the Salsa di Erbe ingredients in a food processor, and whiz until it is the consistency of thin cream.

      After soaking, place the calf’s tongue in a large pan of cold water, bring to the boil, then refresh under cold running water. Place the tongue back in the saucepan, and add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic and bay leaf. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3½ hours. Remove the tongue, peel off the outer skin (it should come away quite easily) and then refresh under cold water. Once cooled, slice it thinly.

      To serve, spoon the Salsa di Erbe on to 4 plates and then add a layer of the thinly sliced tongue. Sprinkle over the chopped Mostarda di Cremona and a little of its accompanying syrup.

      Frankie

      “I ate this dish many times when growing up in Milan, so I was keen to have it on the menu at Frankie’s. Calf’s tongue is Italian peasant cooking at its finest and Mostarda di Cremona, which is available in most Italian delis, contains whole fruits that have been steeped in a clear, sugary syrup, laced with pure mustard. The end product packs quite a punch, akin to the Japanese horseradish Wasabi, although the Mostarda of my youth seemed less sweet and a helluva lot stronger.”

CARPACCIO CON MOSTARDA

       Carpaccio of beef with a mustard dressing

      200 g fillet of organic Aberdeen Angus beef

      extra virgin olive oil

      4 handfuls of wild rocket, washed and dried thoroughly

      FOR THE DRESSING:

      1 egg yolk

      2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

      2 teaspoons coarse-grain mustard

      1 teaspoon lemon juice

      a dash of Worcestershire sauce

      200 ml vegetable oil

      sea salt

       Serves: 4

       Preparation time: 15 minutes

       Chilling time: 2 hours

      Wrap the beef fillet tightly in cling film and place in a freezer for approximately 2 hours.

      For the dressing, whisk the egg yolk with the Dijon and coarse-grain mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Then slowly pour in the vegetable oil, whisking all the time. Season with the salt.

      To serve, remove the beef fillet from the freezer, unwrap it and – using a very sharp, serrated knife – slice it as finely as you can. (Your fillet should yield approximately 32 slices.) Divide the beef slices between 4 plates and brush lightly with the olive oil, using a pastry brush. Drizzle with the mustard dressing and scatter over the rocket leaves.

      Frankie

      “This is the dish that brought me and Marco together for the first time. To me, it’s the perfect supper for when I come home late from a day’s racing, as it’s relatively light but the meat and the intense flavours of the dressing are satisfying. I eat this as a main course, although in most Italian households it’s regarded as a starter, served with a few mixed leaves and a nice glass of red.”