We’re excited to announce our series of feasts of Italy – La Festa – exploring the regions of the food capital of the world. Join us to navigate you through four courses of Italian cuisine like a local, starting with antipasto, onto primo, then secondo and always finishing with something sweet.
Our feasts of Italy will be packed with flavour, full of fresh ingredients and a celebration of everything the region has to offer.
Our first stop is Rome on Wednesday 24th May at 7pm. Our four courses for £48 will take you on a whistle-stop tour of the culinary delights the Eternal City has to offer. Read on for the full menu and to book your place.
Our antipasti course includes Suppli cacio e pepe – Rome’s ultimate fried street food, a rice-filled fritter not to be confused with the classic arancino. Followed by our primo pasta dish of Bigoli all’Amatriciana. As the name suggests, the origin is the city of Amatrice in the far northern reaches of Rome’s region of Lazio.
The secondi of Porchetta with herbed quinto-quarto stuffing is a nod to the ancient Roman ‘nose to tail’ approach of using every part of the pig.
And to finish we have a Crostata ricotta e visciole, a shortcrust pastry pie filled with layers of visciole (sour cherries) and sweetened ricotta. Originating from the Jewish quarter, to this day you can still enjoy it in Rome’s Jewish ghetto bakeries.
We look forward to welcoming those of you who can make our first in these series of La Festa dinners on Wednesday 24th May. Book using the links below. And if you can’t make this one we hope you can make one of our next up regional dinners – Palermo, Bologna, or Venice – in this regional trip around the food capital of the world.
*Please note on the dates of the regional dinners our current Chef’s Menu will be unavailable and instead our La Festa Regional Chef’s Menu will be available.
Valentine’s day just got EXTRA!!!
We present to you a special one off delivery run in Brighton & Hove on Monday 14th February for our special Valentine’s At Home bundles
Grab your boo thang, your crush, your palentine or your galentine and enjoy five courses of pure Italian sexy time….. ahem… I mean food…sexy food!
Want to spoil your Bae? You are just one click away from ordering a Valentine’s bundle which includes a bottle of fizz.
Love is in the air at Cin Cin Hove and Cin Cin Fitzrovia too! We are celebrating Valentine’s day on the 16th February this year. Expect a show-stopping seven course menu, with expertly paired wines to compliment each course.
There are a couple of tables left, we strongly advise booking now to avoid missing out.
Valentine’s at Cin Cin
This year, we will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on Wednesday 16th February at Cin Cin Fitzrovia and Cin Cin Hove.
Whether you count yourself as a Valentine, Palentine or Galentine, enjoy our specially curated 7 course menu of deliciously indulgent treats.
Dishes to share and dishes to savour, including a starter of Arancino of wild mushroom & taleggio before moving onto the main event – Sirloin of beef or Roasted shallot crostata for you vegetarians, each served when crispy potato & rosemary terrine, glazed red onion, parsley & garlic emulsion.
There’s also an optional wine flight to choose and our fabulous cocktails combined with a candlelit atmosphere are the perfect recipe for your romantic date.
Valentine’s Vouchers
The perfect Valentine’s gift for lovers of Italian food. Treat your family, friends, loved ones or colleagues to a fun dining experience at our award-winning restaurants in Hove and London.
The gift of a culinary journey with our ever changing 5 course chef’s menu, made up of our absolute favourite dishes using only the best seasonal produce. The option to pair the menu with expertly chosen Italian wines complimenting each dish is perfect for the wine enthusiast in your life.
Available to order via our website.
Wild Mushroom Ragu
Ingredients
400g x sliced mixed wild mushrooms (or selection of your choice)
1 x diced white onion
4 x sliced garlic cloves
4 x sprigs fresh rosemary stripped and chopped finely
4 x sprigs fresh thyme stripped and chopped finely
150g x mascarpone
150g x white wine
3 tbsp x olive oil
360g x fresh or dried pasta
Pecorino or Parmesan for grating
Method
1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a heavy based skillet pan on a high heat (tip make sure you’ve got your extraction
on full blast and maybe a window open). Put mushrooms in your hot pan a handful at a time, letting
each handful cook before adding the next, with a good pinch of salt, fry for a few mins until the
liquid starts to come out of the mushrooms.
2. Remove all mushrooms and juice from the pan and return the pan to a medium high heat with 1
tbsp oil, add your onions, garlic and herbs to the pan and fry until softened, 5- 7 mins.
3. Add your mushrooms and juice all back to the pan, bring up to a boil for 30 secs, then add your wine.
Bring to a boil for 30 secs, add your mascarpone and turn down to a low heat, simmer until lightly
reduced 5 – 10 mins (be aware that the mushrooms you choose will effect how
much liquid there is, you may want to add a little more mascarpone or a little white wine to balance
the consistency.)
4. Whilst sauce is reducing slowly, bring a pan of salted water up to the boil (it should almost taste like
sea water.) Blanch your fresh pasta for 1 – 2 mins (if dried please be advised by your packet)
Drain your pasta through a colander saving yourself a good inch or so of pasta water in the bottom
of the pan.
5. Add your cooked pasta to the sauce and turn up the heat, splash in some of the pasta water
and cook your pasta until the sauce starts to coat and glaze your pasta, season with a touch more salt
and pepper.
6. In the restaurant we finish most of our ragus with a spoonful more of mascarpone and a
squeeze of fresh lemon juice for extra silkiness and zip.
7. Serve up and grate cheese generously on top.
Tag us on social media with your creations
#cincinrecipes
Bring Cin Cin’s signature flavours into your own kitchen by giving this 3 course meal a go at home. Follow these easy, step by step recipes and impress your loved ones! We would love to see your finished dishes, so tag us in your photos so we can see how you get on!
STARTER
Prosciutto, watermelon & marinated Nutbourne tomatoes
1 packet of sliced Prosciutto (approx 200g) – use San Daniele DOP prosciutto if possible.
1 wedge of watermelon (say 400g)
300g of the best tomatoes you can get hold of – try for Isle of Wight tomatoes
1 bottle white balsamic vinegar
Couple of leaves of torn basil
Maldon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
METHOD:
- Using a sharp knife, slice the skin off the watermelon including any white layer between the skin and the red flesh. Next cut the watermelon into 3 by 3 cm cubes and place them onto a tray, you should have approximately 24 cubes (6 per portion). Drizzle some olive oil over them and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
- Whilst the watermelon is marinading, cut the tomatoes into 2-3cm pieces, no need for straight lines, the more random the better, this will be more pleasing on the eye at the end. Place the tomatoes into a bowl and drizzle generously with some white balsamic (if you can’t get hold of this then a nice sherry vinegar is the next best thing) and some olive oil, salt and pepper. Next, tear some basil leaves and add the bowl before giving a gentle mix – this accentuates the flavours of the tomatoes.
- Arrange 4 small bowls or plates and using a spoon, place the watermelon cubes into the bowls in a random but equally spaced order. Leaving space between the watermelon allows space for the prosciutto and tomatoes to go so that you get a nice even distribution of all the components of the dish.
- Next evenly distribute the tomatoes, then lay the prosciutto in the spaces so that it stands up and leans against the tomatoes and watermelon. Carefully pour the remaining juices from the tomatoes and watermelon into the middle of the bowl so that it collects and soaks in the bottom.
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MAIN
Tagliatelle with sardines, saffron, golden sultanas & fennel
400g of high-quality fresh egg Tagliatelle (if not making the pasta from scratch)
For the pasta:
450g 00 flour sifted into a well on the bench
260g good quality eggs whipped with a folk till smooth
METHOD:
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour well on your bench and using a fork gradually start
to incorporate the flour from the edges until you get a thick, smooth paste. - At this point scrape the fork clean and use a pastry scraper or large, blunt knife to start
chopping the mixture. Fold the flour through and chopping the mix to combine it –
just like you would with chopping herbs on a board. - Once you have a bread crumb like mixture – scrape clean the knife and discard.
Switching to your hands now, start to draw the dough together to form a rough ball.
Knead and knead, the dough will clean the bench and gradually become smoother and
smoother so that there is no longer any dry, crusty, floury bits. After 5-10 minutes of
kneading, wrap the dough tightly in either cling film, baking parchment or wax wrap.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest the dough. - After 30 minutes of resting, the dough will be ready for rolling. Lightly dust the
rollers of your pasta machine with a little flour and work the dough through from the
thickest setting down to the second thinnest setting. Once you have a long thin
rectangular sheet, you can either hand cut the tagliatelle using a sharp knife at 1cm
intervals; or if your pasta machine has a tagliatelle cutter, simply run it through.
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For the Sauce:
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
Half a bulb of fennel
1 small pinch of saffron
100ml white wine
150ml whipping cream
30g golden sultanas
20g sugar
40g white balsamic vinegar
40g water
8 sardines – get your fishmonger to butterfly for you (else the best tinned sardines you can buy)
1 lemon cut into wedges and deseeded
Salt and pepper to season
METHOD:
- Thinly slice the shallots and garlic. Next cut the half bulb of fennel into 3 wedges and slice very thinly.
- In a medium size pan heat a little olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) and add the shallots, garlic and fennel – immediately season liberally with salt and pepper as this helps to release the juices and avoids ‘frying’. Continue to sweat on a low heat for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent.
- In the meantime time make the pickled golden sultanas by combining the sugar, white balsamic vinegar and water . Bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat straight away and add the golden sultanas, cover and leave on the side.
- Place the sardines onto a roasting tray, drizzle a little olive oil and cracked black pepper over the top. Place under a hot grill (or a slightly less messy way is to cook in a pre heated 180c oven for 5 minutes.
- Back to the sauce. When the vegetables are soft, add the white wine, whipping cream and saffron, bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes before taking off the heat and allowing to infuse for another 5 minutes. In the meantime, bring a large pot of slightly salted water up to the boil and cook the tagliatelle until al dente – 3 minutes no more.
- Drain the pasta, combine with the sauce, drain the golden sultanas and add to the sauce and finish with a squeeze of lemon and check the seasoning. Give the pasta a good swirl with the sauce so it’s all coated, then portion across 4 plates. Finally, carefully place on top the 2 butterflied sardines and serve.
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DESSERT
Grilled yellow peaches, crème fraiche, raspberries & candied pistachios
5 ripe yellow peaches
2 handfuls of brown sugar
1 sprig rosemary
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 small tub of full fat creme fraiche
1 punnet raspberries
1 handful of pistachios
100g caster sugar
100g water
METHOD:
- Start by cutting the peaches in half and carefully removing the stone. Place the peaches into a bowl along with the brown sugar, rosemary and vanilla extract. Rub together carefully then allow to sit for 30 minutes.
- Whilst you wait for the peaches, make the candied pistachios by placing a medium pan onto the heat. Toast the pistachios in the dry pan until you can see a light golden colour and nutty aroma. Next add in the caster sugar and water continue to stir vigorously whilst it comes to the boil. Reduce the liquor until the pan is dry, continue to stir as the sugar crystalises and coats the nuts. Set aside.
- Switch on the grill and put a non stick frying pan onto a moderate heat. Place the Peaches cut side down into the pan, they will start to caramelise instantly. Try not to fiddle with them, leave them in place. Put the pan under the grill for 3-5 minutes to cook the top.
- Once soft, remove the peaches from the heat and spoon into bowls, dollop some creme friache into the middle and sprinkle over some raspberries, finish with the candied pistachios and serve immediately.
Dine At Home
This week’s menu sees the return of the decadently moreish Burrata with truffled celeriac and rocket.
What could be more in-keeping with the changing seasons than the mighty truffle?
The earthy flavours of the black Autumn truffle have a wonderful heady aroma. Intense & addictive, this truffle has a more intense aroma than its summer cousin.
Having grown through the year under the shade of deciduous trees, harvest season arrives between October and mid March.
And all of this flavour is packed into our Dine At Home menu this week, guaranteed to bring a little autumnal sunshine into your life this weekend.
Pre order your dine at home experience now.
Treat your family, friends, loved ones or colleagues with a voucher for a fun dining experience at our award-winning restaurants in Hove and London or on our Cin Cin At Home delivery service.
Your voucher is beautifully designed and will be emailed to you, ready to be printed from your printer at home or forwarded directly to the recipient.
A Cin Cin voucher is the perfect gift for lovers of Italian food & dining.
Let them enjoy a culinary journey with our ever changing 5 course Chef’s Menu, showing off our chef’s absolute favourite dishes using only the finest seasonal produce. And you have the option to pair this sumptuous menu with our expertly chosen Italian wine flight complimenting each dish – perfect for the food and wine enthusiast in your life.