Paci Restaurant Italian Restaurant in Southport, Ct.

Coconut Cake with Chocolate Espresso Sauce

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter

1 ½ cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

1 ½ cups grated coconut (fresh or unsweetened from health food store)

COCONUT CAKE - CONTINUED
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 10-inch round pan and line the bottom with
parchment paper, set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Cream butter until soft.

Using medium speed, add sugar, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until light and fluffy.

Mix in vanilla. May look slightly curdled.

Using low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing to incorporate.

Scrape down sides of bowl.

On low speed, alternately add flour and milk in three batches, beginning and ending with flour. Mix 20-30 seconds after each addition to moisten. Scrape down sides as necessary. Increase speed to medium and mix another 1 ½ minutes to increase structure of cake.

Fold in coconut.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan, gently smooth top and bake 55-60 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on rack about one hour, then turn out, remove paper and turn right side up to cool completely.

When cool, slice and serve with chocolate espresso sauce.

Chocolate Espresso Sauce

4 double espressos (12 oz.)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup heavy cream

4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (24 oz.)

In a small pot over medium heat add espresso and sugar and cook to reduce by half, about 18 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add 1 cup of cream to pot, bring to simmer, about 5-6 minutes, and turn off heat. Bring mixture to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

In a double boiler over simmering water, melt semi-sweet chocolate ships. When melted, remove from heat and gently mix in espresso mixture. Stir to incorporate. If not smooth, pass chocolate through a fine sieve.

Yield: 3-1/3 cups

Snapper Livornese This recipe serves four people. It calls for two (2 pieces) eight to ten ounces of snapper filet.
	Two, 8 to 10 ounce snapper filets salt and pepper to taste place in 8" skillet
	ADD 1½ cups marinara sauce ¼ cup pitted calamata olives 1 Tbls capers ¾ cup julienned basil 2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbls dry white wine cover and place in a preheated 350 degree oven cook for 14 minutes
Preparation Steps: Add fresh snapper to skillet. The following ingredients can be combined in a small bowl
		Combine 1½ cups of marinara, ¼ cup pitted calamata olives, 1 tablespoon capers, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, ¾ cup julienne basil, and 2 tablespoons dry white wine. Pour mixture over snapper and place skillet in preheated 350 degree oven and cook for approximately 14 minutes.

Ricotta Gnocchi 2 lbs. Fresh Ricotta 1 Cup Parmigiano 3 Cups Flour Salt to Taste Fresh Ground Pepper
	Place 2 lbs. Ricotta in bowl and mix with kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Add 1 cup parmigiano cheese and mix thoroughly.
	Using approximately 3 cups of flour; slowly add small amounts of flour at a time - just enough to keep mixture together to create a round form.
	Once formed, place on a floured board. Knead gently by hand adding flour as you knead. Remember less is more. Dough should be slightly sticky. Cut into eight sections and roll dough into ½ inch rope. Cut piece about ¾ inch in length on a diagonal. Have ready a lightly floured cotton napkin placed on a baking tray on which you will place cut gnocchi.
	Gently drop gnocchi in boiling water - let rise to the surface (about 15 seconds) and remove with a slotted spoon. Place in bowl and toss with marinara sauce

Veal Braciola 2 lbs. Veal Top Round or Scallopine Filling Ingredients:

	1¼ Cup Coarse Bread Crumbs ¼ Cup Fine Bread Crumbs 1/3 Cup Flame Raisins 1/3 Cup White Raisins 1/3 Cup Pignoli Nuts 1½ Tablespoons Extra Virgin Fratata Olive Oil 3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped 3 Cups Parmesan Cheese ¼ Cup Chopped Parsley and Basil 1 Egg, Beaten ¼ Cup Prosciutto de Parma Salt and Ground Pepper to taste
Veal Sauce:
	1 pint Veal Stock 1 cup dry white wine 1 Tbls. Butter Salt and Pepper to taste
In a stainless bowl combine the following:
	Course and fine breadcrumbs Flame and white raisins Toasted pignoli nuts Chopped garlic Parmigiano cheese Parsley and basil Prosciutto de Parma
Mix ingredients well. Then add Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 beaten egg and salt and pepper to taste. Mix again and place to the side. Take the top round veal, thinly slice, and place slices between wax paper and pound out veal to 1/8^th of an inch. Place the slices of pounded veal on a flat surface, cover each slice with the filling mixture, roll and secure the veal with a toothpick or string. Cooking Braciola and Sauce: In a non-reactive sauce pan, add 3 Tbls. Olive oil and 1 Tbls. of butter, on medium heat brown braciola on all sides, and remove from pan. Put to the side. Using same pan, de-glaze on high heat for 30 sec. using 1 Tsp. butter, 1 pint veal stock, and 1 cup of white wine. Bring pan down to simmer and add the braciola back into the pan. Cover and turn braciola frequently for even cooking, replacing cover each time, for 25 min. Braciola may be sliced or served whole. Pour sauce over the braciola before serving.

VEAL MILANESE

2 Lbs. Top Round Veal Cutlets

1 Loaf Ciabatta Bread

Flour

Eggs

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic, minced

Fresh Basil, chopped

Vine Ripe Holland Cherry Tomatoes

Lightly pound the veal cutlet, not too thin.

Slice Ciabatta bread and bake on low in the oven over night. (Bread needs to dried out, not browned. If you bake at a higher temperature to avoid baking over night, watch that it does not brown).

Grind bread to a medium crumb consistency.

Dredge the pounded veal in flour, then dip into the egg, then the breadcrumbs.

Lightly press the crumbs into the veal so they cling to the meat.

Heat large frying pan with enough oil to brown veal without covering meat completely on medium-high heat. Do not smoke oil

Place breaded veal gently in pan and cook until golden brown on each side.

Remove finished veal from pan and place on paper toweling to absorb excess oil before garnishing.

Garnish with chopped tomatoes tossed with oil, garlic and basil.