Tony & Giorgio. Tony Allan

      Insalata di fagiolini con cipollerosse arrostite

      Bean salad with roasted red onions

      I always think green beans aren’t shown off to the best of their ability in this country. Usually they’re just boiled up in water and served with a knob of butter on top. It’s a pity, when you realise they have so much more to give. Giorgio

      Serves 4

       shallots, finely chopped

       5oml/2fl oz red wine vinegar

       red onions 125ml/4fl oz olive oil

       750ml/1¼ pints red wine

       100ml/3½fl oz white wine vinegar

       2 tablespoons caster sugar

       250g/9 oz extra-fine green or yellow beans

       2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus Parmesan shavings to garnish

       sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

      Put the shallots in a small, non-metallic bowl and pour the red wine vinegar over them. Cover and leave to marinate overnight.

      Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Wash the red onions, but don’t peel them, then rub them with a tablespoon of the olive oil. Place them in a roasting tin, cover tightly with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until tender. Leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the skins, trying not to squash the onions too much.

      Put the wine in a saucepan and boil until it has reduced to a few tablespoons and become shiny and syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the white wine vinegar and sugar. Slice the roasted onions, place them in a deep bowl and cover with the reduced wine mixture.

      Cook the green beans in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes, until just tender, then drain and refresh under cold running water. Add the remaining olive oil to the marinated shallots. Toss the shallot mixture with the green beans and grated Parmesan and season to taste.

      To serve, arrange the red onions on 4 serving plates and top with the green beans and shavings of Parmesan.

      Salad of cauliflower, ham hock and Stilton

      Insalata di cavolfiore, garretto di maiale e Stilton

      This is what I call the best of British – new-season cauliflower, a nice, meaty pig’s knuckle and a dressing made with one of Britain’s greatest cheeses. This is not your normal, everyday salad but an exciting combination of top-rate produce. If the dressing is too thick, use a little of the ham stock to thin it down. Tony

      Serves 6

       2.5kg/5½lb ham hocks 1 onion, halved

       2 celery stalks, roughly chopped chopped parsley

       For the Stilton dressing:

       2 egg yolks

       4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

       1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

       300ml/½ pint olive oil

       50g/2 oz Stilton cheese, crumbled

       salt and white pepper

       For the cauliflower:

       4 peppercorns

       1 sprig of rosemary

       1 bay leaf

       1 tablespoon olive oil

       1 large cauliflower, cut into florets

      Place the ham hocks in a large saucepan with the onion and celery and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 4-5 hours, topping up the water level if necessary during cooking to keep the ham hocks covered. The meat should be almost falling off the bone. Leave to cool in the liquid, then flake the flesh from the ham hocks with your fingers and set aside.

      For the Stilton dressing, make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with a little salt and white pepper, half the vinegar and the mustard. Add the oil a drop at a time, whisking constantly to give a thick, glossy mayonnaise; you can start to add the oil in a thin stream once about a third of it has been incorporated. In a separate bowl, beat the remaining vinegar with the Stilton, whisking well until smooth. Then stir this into the mayonnaise. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

      For the cauliflower, put the peppercorns, rosemary, bay leaf and olive oil in a large saucepan with 1 litre/1¾ pints water. Bring to the boil and then drop in the cauliflower florets. Cook for about 5 minutes, until tender, then drain and refresh under cold running water.

      Place the cauliflower in a serving bowl and arrange the flaked ham on top. Drizzle with the Stilton dressing, add parsley and serve.