From cocktails to nibbles – for food writer Amber Guinness, aperitivo hour is a time to combine maximum flavours, minimal effort and memorable moments…
The aperitivo in Italy is a serious business, a sacred ritual of stimulating the appetite before dinner. It is also universal: whether you are drinking an expensive cocktail at a swanky hotel or sipping a beer straight from the bottle in your local bar, tradition dictates that any drink after 6pm must be accompanied by something delicious to eat, often rather a lot of delicious somethings. There is a saying: “l’appetito viene mangiando” (“appetite comes with eating”) so many bars often offer a wonderful selection of nibbles to get you going before the evening meal.
Many a student has sustained themselves with these titbits; for the €5 they spend on their Campari Spritz (prosecco over ice with a good glug of Campari and a splash of soda – heaven) they can gorge themselves on nuts, bruschette, crostini and slices of thick rustic pizza.
I adore aperitivo hour and have included these recipes in my new book Italian Coastal. Aside from the fact that it reminds me of happy evenings in Italy, aperitivo time is also an easy way to feed a crowd as you can usually pre-prepare a selection of snacks, leaving you free to chat to friends over drinks. If you make it abundant enough you cut out the need for a first course; after a crostino with ‘nduja and ricotta, a slice of pizzetta with lemon and thyme, and a few handfuls of salted almonds or squares of chickpea panelle you can happily go straight into the main course without feeling hard done by.
CROSTINI WITH RICOTTA, LEMON AND CRUNCHY SAGE
A friend made a version of these crostini when we were staying at her house on Tuscany’s southern coast. I was struck by how aromatic and delicate they were, with a punch coming from the chilli flakes, along with the clashing textures of soft ricotta and crunchy sage.
Ingredients
6 large sizes of white stale sourdough bread sliced 1cm thick
250g tub of ricotta, drained
Grated zest of 2 lemons
Pinch of chilli flakes
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
70ml olive oil
24-30 sage laves
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in half
Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF
Method
1. Cut the bread to your preferred size and arrange on a baking tray. Toast in the oven for 5–7 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and completely dry. Remove the crostini from the oven and set aside until ready to serve.
2. In a bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest, chilli flakes, salt and pepper with a fork.
Cover and store in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
3. Pour the olive oil into a wide frying pan and heat over a medium heat for a minute or so until sizzling. Add the sage leaves in a single layer and fry for 30–40 seconds. As soon as the edges begin to curl and crisp up, remove the leaves with tongs – don’t leave them any longer or they will become bitter.
4. Drain on a plate lined with paper towel and sprinkle generously with salt. Rub the crostini tops with the garlic halves and drizzle with a little extra olive oil. Place a heaped tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on each crostino and finish with another drizzle of olive oil. Top with crispy sage leaves and serve immediately with a glass of fizz.
PEACHES IN WHITE WINE
This is hardly a recipe – more a decadent combination of flavours that immediately transports me to sun-soaked days in the tiny bay of Laurito, just around the corner from Positano. This is home to the famous beach shack restaurant Da Adolfo (reachable by boat), where everyone is served a large jug of white wine with peaches before lunch. In my native Tuscany, fruit sellers at our local market ask anyone buying a bag of peaches, “Ma, da mangiare or per il vino?” (“To eat or to soak in wine?”) to gauge the maturity and quality of the peaches required.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 ripe but firm yellow peaches
1 bottle dry white wine
Ice cubes to serve
Method
1. Cut the peaches in half, removing and discarding the stones. Slice each half into three or four segments, depending on size – you want them to be small enough to eat in one mouthful.
2. As you go, put the slices in a serving jug. When you’ve finished, pour the wine into the jug, then place in the fridge to chill and infuse for at least three hours. Serve in wine glasses over a few cubes of ice. Drink immediately.
PROSECCO, LIMONCELLO AND BASIL COCKTAIL
This light, citrussy spritz has been popping up along Italy’s coast, particularly in Sicily. Apart from being a beautiful colour and wonderfully refreshing, it’s also a good way to use up prosecco or limoncello. It’s important to get the balance right – too much limoncello will make it too tart and alcoholic.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Ice cubes, to serve
Handful of basil leaves
90ml limoncello
1 bottle good quality prosecco
Soda water, to taste
6 lemon slices
Method
1. Fill a glass with plenty of ice and a few basil leaves. Pour over 15ml of limoncello, followed by about 125ml of prosecco and a splash of soda water. Gently stir to combine.
2. Add a slice of lemon to the glass and garnish with a few more basil leaves. Repeat to make six cocktails or increase the quantities and make as many as you like.
Italian Coastal: Recipes and Stories From Where The Land Meets The Sea, (€35, Thames & Hudson) is out now.