Vincisgrassi is a version of lasagne from the Marche region of Italy – although it may take time to make, the result is an incredible flavour-packed, guest-wowing main course.
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Ingredients
- 50g dried porcini mushrooms
- 250ml fresh chicken stock, hot
- 150g parma ham slices
- 9 sheets (175g) dried lasagne
- 30g butter, plus extra to grease
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 450g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 400g free-range chicken livers, trimmed and coarsely chopped
For the sauce
- 1 small onion, halved
- 8 cloves
- 1 litre whole milk, plus extra for topping up if necessary
- 6 fresh bay leaves, crumpled
- 2 large fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
- 75g butter
- 65g plain flour 150g cheddar, finely grated
¼ nutmeg, freshly grated
You’ll also need…
- 20cm x 29cm shallow baking dish
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Method
- For the sauce, stud the onion with the cloves and put in a pan with the milk, bay, thyme and peppercorns. Bring to the boil, then take off the heat. Leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
- Put the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl, cover with the hot stock and put a ramekin on top to keep them submerged. Set aside. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil.
- Cut the parma ham slices in half lengthways, stack them up, then cut them across into thin slivers.
- Drop the lasagne a sheet at a time into the boiling water and cook for 12 minutes or until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, then lay out the sheets side by side on a large sheet of cling film. Cover with more cling film.
- Drain the porcini, reserving the stock, then squeeze out any excess liquid. Heat the 30g butter and oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the porcini and fry gently for 2 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms, increase the heat and fry for 3 minutes. Add the reserved chicken stock and cook rapidly until the liquid has almost evaporated. Add the chicken livers and fry for 3 minutes, stirring. Add the parma ham and stir until well mixed. Remove from the heat and season with pepper – the ham should make it salty enough.
- Bring the milk for the sauce back to the boil, then strain through a sieve into a jug (discard the flavourings) and make back up to 1 litre with extra milk if necessary. Melt the 75g butter in a medium pan, add the flour and cook gently for 2 minutes, stirring, without letting it colour. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the hot milk. Bring back to the boil, stirring, then simmer gently over a very low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until it thickens to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Remove the sauce from the heat, then add 75g of the grated cheddar and the nutmeg. Season. Butter a 20cm x 29cm shallow baking dish and line the base with 3 of the cooked lasagne sheets. Spoon over a third of the chicken liver mixture, then pour over a third of the cheese sauce. Repeat these layers twice more, finishing with the final lasagne sheets, then sprinkle with the remaining cheddar.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and bubbling and heated through. Serve with a mixed leaf salad.
Nutrition
- 509kcals Calories
- 29.3g (16.3g saturated) Fat
- 30.9g Protein
- 28.7g (6.8g sugars) Carbs
- 3.4g Fibre
- 1.7g Salt
For 8
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