0:00:02 > 0:00:06How does your family celebrate a traditional Welsh Christmas?
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Tinsel? Turkey?
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Trifle? Sprouts?
0:00:11 > 0:00:14You won't find many of those things in our house
0:00:14 > 0:00:16as we do Christmas slightly differently.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19My name is Michela Chiappa,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22and I'm Welsh born, but Italian bred.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24And I'm equally proud of both my cultures.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30And so just like thousands of other Welsh Italians throughout Wales,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34my family has taken traditions and recipes from both countries
0:00:34 > 0:00:37to create a unique festive food fusion.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:00:40 > 0:00:44From pasta to pears, leeks to laver bread,
0:00:44 > 0:00:49I want to share with you a Welsh-Italian culinary mash up
0:00:49 > 0:00:51to get your Christmas taste buds trembling
0:00:51 > 0:00:55and maybe change what you put on this year's festive plate.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01From Merthyr to Bangor, Aberystwyth to Newport,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I'm going to take you on a mouthwatering journey
0:01:04 > 0:01:08in search of the perfect Welsh-Italian Christmas.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14We got the computer! I told you, didn't I?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17December 25, 1990.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Merthyr Tydfil.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21So that's me, Michela,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24in the Rupert the Bear cast off dressing down.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26My baby sister, Romina, is struggling
0:01:26 > 0:01:29to unwrap her very big Christmas present.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32And middle sister Emi screams in delight.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36I remember this Christmas really well,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38because Emi and I got our very first computer.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42A beast, almost as big as Romina's toy car,
0:01:42 > 0:01:46which my Uncle Laz soon took over to play Space Invaders and Pong
0:01:46 > 0:01:48for hours on end.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51The gifts we were given that morning were probably no different to those
0:01:51 > 0:01:54unwrapped by most Welsh families 26 years ago.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57However, what unfolded over the rest of our Christmas Day,
0:01:57 > 0:02:03the traditions, the get-togethers, the food was far from typical.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04For the Chiappa clan,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08the festivities began and ended on a single street in Merthyr,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Lower Thomas Street.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13It still gets me every time I walk down this street.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16I've not got any family left living here,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19but it's just a really weird feeling,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22because this is packed with history for me.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25I was born here. I was born in that house up there, on the top floor.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27That was my Nonna's house.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31That was Uncle Tony with his family, five children.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Uncle Frank and Auntie Tina was this one here.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38And Christmas Day was utter chaos.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40The whole tribe, uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces
0:02:40 > 0:02:44would gather together after church and roll en masse
0:02:44 > 0:02:46from house to house.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49It was chaos. Utter, utter chaos.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51There were probably 25 of us,
0:02:51 > 0:02:57maybe even 30 ranging from newborns, kids, grandparents, mums, dads.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58This was before lunch started.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02This was biscuits, nuts, cake, the typical Italian thing.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04"You've got to have some. Have another coffee."
0:03:04 > 0:03:06"I've just had one next door." "You've got to have another one."
0:03:06 > 0:03:11Noise, noise, noise! And that was the start of Christmas.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Actually, it was just the beginning of a five-hour food festival,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17platters of cured meats, cheeses, smoked salmon,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19snails for my uncle Laz.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Eugh!
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Anolini in brodo, food of the gods.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24We'll get onto that one later in the programme.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Then a Welsh-Italian main course mash up,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29turkey crown with all the trimmings,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33beef stracotto, roasties, vegetables, Yorkshire puddings.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36And then you'd get onto the cheese, then there'd be the desserts,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39about six desserts because everybody needs their favourite
0:03:39 > 0:03:41from poached pears, tiramisu, panettone,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Christmas pudding had to be on there, brandy butter.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47There'll be some chocolates offered, and then coffee.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50And there might be a bit of ice cream.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51In fact, it wasn't really a meal.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53It was a marathon.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57But it was, and I still want it to be, magical.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00And probably more so than ever because for me now,
0:04:00 > 0:04:01with two small daughters,
0:04:01 > 0:04:06I feel it's my responsibility to keep these traditions alive.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10But I also understand that in today's nonstop, 24/7 world,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12traditions are easily lost.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13SHE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:04:13 > 0:04:14Even in my own family,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18with Emi now living in America and Romina now working in London,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21five generations of tradition could melt away like snow.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24Which is why, this year,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26I've decided it's about time
0:04:26 > 0:04:30I reinvigorated the Chiappa family Christmas.
0:04:30 > 0:04:31Yay!
0:04:31 > 0:04:35So I'm going to go on a journey all across Wales to meet other fellow
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Welsh Italians and see what their traditions are.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41And maybe even pinch a few for myself.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43And then I'm going to put together
0:04:43 > 0:04:47the ultimate Welsh-Italian festive menu.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54While the largest and best-known Welsh-Italian communities
0:04:54 > 0:04:55are here in the valleys,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58there are many others spread across the country.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01So I'm going to begin my festive odyssey
0:05:01 > 0:05:04with a trip to the very tip of North Wales, Bangor,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08and a cosy little restaurant overlooking the Menai Straits.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13Pulcinella's is run by husband and wife team Mario and Yasmin De Rosa.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Originally from Pompeii in the south of Italy,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Mario's been in Wales since his teens.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23Alongside Bangor-born Yasmin, they make a perfect Welsh-Italian team.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25And today Mario has offered to show me
0:05:25 > 0:05:27a traditional Pompeii Christmas dish...
0:05:27 > 0:05:30- Hello! Piacere!- Piacere! - How are you?
0:05:30 > 0:05:32..with a distinct Welsh twist.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Come on, then, Mario.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36I want to see, I'm starving, what are we doing?
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Well, it's turkey, the main meat.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42- OK.- We're not going to do a full, we're going to split in pieces.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43- OK.- Each one will be its own.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Roasted?- Roasted.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49In the oven with potatoes, baby onions and peas.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53- With rosemary.- OK. - And cubed smoked pancetta.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58It's interesting, because it's kind of like a traditional British roast,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00but you get your own individual portion.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04Something like that, but everything is cooked together.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Nothing apart, everything is cooked in the same tray
0:06:06 > 0:06:09and we're going to put everything in it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10Oh, interesting.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11A one-pot turkey dinner?
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Come on, as any Welsh mam knows, it takes a minimum of six pots,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18five hours, and four large glasses of Prosecco
0:06:18 > 0:06:21to pull off a decent Christmas feast.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Still, Mario reckons his Pompeii pot roast
0:06:23 > 0:06:26from his mamma's own traditional recipe, no less,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28is not only a one-dish wonder,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31it also takes just one hour to cook.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33I think this might be worth watching.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35So, tell me, where do you spend Christmas now?
0:06:35 > 0:06:36Do you spend it in Wales, or in Italy?
0:06:36 > 0:06:41- In Wales.- So do you keep all these traditions alive for Christmas?
0:06:41 > 0:06:43We try. Every minute, I try to spend it
0:06:43 > 0:06:46with the family, friends, the closest thing.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48The things which make you happy.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Adding the food, it just tops up everything.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Food, family, friends, and a one-pot Christmas dinner.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56This man's got style.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57Shove everything in there.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- Shove everything!- Shove everything in there.- I like it!
0:07:00 > 0:07:04- Onions, peas, just garden peas. - But look at those lovely colours.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08- How simple and... And cheap this.... - That's it. You feed a nice family
0:07:08 > 0:07:11of six, even seven people, but it's so easy to do.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Now we need to add a bit of garlic.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15- OK.- Little bulbs, yeah?
0:07:16 > 0:07:17OK.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19- Few pieces of those. - Go on, give me a go.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25That's it! You're really going for it, aren't you?
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I've noticed there's a cheeky glass of wine there.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29My mamma always said,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- when you cook you have to have a little glass of wine.- Always.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33For atmosphere.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Obviously, not to overdo it, just a glass of wine while you cook.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Just a little one.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40It puts you in a better mood and things, it relaxes you.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Do you know what? It is my favourite time to have a glass of wine.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45- Just when you're cooking. - Would you like a glass of wine?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- I wouldn't say no!- You shouldn't!
0:07:48 > 0:07:49Right, time to crack on.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Next, a good glug of olive oil.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53Fresh rosemary.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Just spread it around, everywhere.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Make sure then all the oil amalgamates with it.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00OK, and what's going in now?
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I would love some black pepper.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05- Salt, obviously.- Obviously.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07But not too much.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Like anything else, if you do too much it will overpower.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- Too much! Too much! Too much!- Too much!
0:08:11 > 0:08:12Next...
0:08:12 > 0:08:14We move to the turkey breast.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- That's a pretty big breast, I have to say.- It looks like an eagle! Yes!
0:08:17 > 0:08:20I'm glad you're doing this bit, I don't like cutting meat.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22- You don't?- I hate cutting meat. - It's the best bit!
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Flesh is good. Flesh is good.
0:08:25 > 0:08:26Nice and chunky.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Being a breast as well, you don't want to overcook it.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33That's why you leave the skin on as well.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35All right, the next thing we do now, we just... Frying pan.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38- We are just going to seal it from the outside.- OK.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40When you see it, you make, like, a shield around it.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The heat is getting in, but it's not getting out.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46So most of the juice it stays inside, and that's how you want it.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49You wanted cooked, but still nice and tender, the juice.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53And now we're going to put it with our veg.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57And there we are. A little nest, like my mamma used to say.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Lastly, seal some smoky pancetta in a little olive oil.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05For anyone that can't stand to cook a roast turkey on Christmas Day
0:09:05 > 0:09:08because they can't fit it in the oven or, you know,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11they haven't got the time, this is a brilliant dish,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14because one hour in the oven
0:09:14 > 0:09:18and you've got an amazing twist on a roast turkey for Christmas day.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Just push to the side, so it's nice and sealed.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23And it's done.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26- We just have to wait. - Where's our glass of wine, eh?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Yeah, where's the glass of wine? Come on!
0:09:29 > 0:09:32And as promised, just one hour later,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35thanks to the magic of mamma's one-pot turkey roast,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Mario's serving up.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Looks good, but will it pass the taste test?
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Merry Christmas, Buon Natale.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Oh, grazie.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- Buon appetito. Salute.- Salute.- Chin-chin!
0:09:47 > 0:09:49- Buon Natale.- Buon Natale.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51Nadolig Llawen.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Silence! Silence!
0:09:58 > 0:10:02- A sign of good food.- Bellissimo.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07The rosemary, pancetta, Cipollini, it's a great Christmas Day roast.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10One pan, no washing up. What a great little secret.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Simple, and everybody can do it.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Mama de Rosa's Christmas feast.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Grazie, Mama.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Mario, what a character!
0:10:20 > 0:10:22It's been such fun meeting him.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I mean, in there is a little bit of Italy,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29but we're right here on the North-Wales coastline.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32And yet, you know, he made a traditional Italian dish,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35which is different to the ones that I know,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37it was a bit more like what we know back here.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41A roast, in a tin, cooked slightly differently, delicious,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44with such simple ingredients.
0:10:44 > 0:10:45And it was just...
0:10:45 > 0:10:50It's just amazing to see how close our cultures actually are.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54In the morning, I leave Bangor
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and head down through Snowdonia towards Aberystwyth.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00If truth be told, I'm a bit bleary eyed,
0:11:00 > 0:11:05as I spent last night tossing and turning over this sticky question.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07How many times do you have to do something
0:11:07 > 0:11:10before you can rightfully call it a tradition?
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Can you call something that you, or your family,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15or a group of your friends do regularly a tradition?
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Or is it something that has to be repeated
0:11:17 > 0:11:20and then handed down through the generations?
0:11:21 > 0:11:26In the case of my family's Christmas, starting in the 1920s,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28when my great-grandfather, Giovanni Viazzani,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32walked all the way from Bardi in northern Italy to Merthyr.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35And then going down through each of the four generations
0:11:35 > 0:11:39that have followed, our Christmases have always been the same.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Church on a Christmas morning, then a big family gathering,
0:11:43 > 0:11:48followed by a five-hour, Welsh-Italian food-athon.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49So having giving it a lot of thought,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53I think it's safe to say that after 90-odd years,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57the Chiappa family Christmas is a tradition, not a fad.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Aberystwyth greets me with a seasonal, wintry welcome.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11I'm here to meet up with Chiara Agnelli,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15owner of a traditional Italian bar and deli in the town centre.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19But before I can get anywhere near her sumptuous-looking millefoglie
0:12:19 > 0:12:23or cannoli, I get a totally unexpected surprise.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27I just met Juana, or Joan, as she's known around here,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29and apparently we're cousins.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34Yes. She's from the same tiny little village above Bardi as me, Pilati.
0:12:34 > 0:12:41- And so your Nonno, no, your father...- Yes.- ..was cousins...
0:12:41 > 0:12:43- My mother.- Your mother was cousins with my Nonno.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- Yes.- So do you remember...?
0:12:45 > 0:12:48His Nonno then, your Nonno's father.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50- Yes.- My goodness!
0:12:50 > 0:12:52You find cousins everywhere.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55I, constantly, with my father... We'll go to a new town,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57whether it's in Wales, or in Italy,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59"Michela, Michela, meet your cousin."
0:12:59 > 0:13:00And I'm like...
0:13:00 > 0:13:02You know, we were on a flight recently
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and there was a cousin of mine! So you're a real Welsh Italian.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Yes. Yes.
0:13:07 > 0:13:14I was actually born across the road where there is a Starbucks now.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17At this point me and Juana,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19my long lost cousin I never knew I had,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21are joined by two other members
0:13:21 > 0:13:24of Aberystwyth's thriving Welsh-Italian community.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Pierre and Paolo.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30I don't think I'm related to either of them,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33although both of their families also hail from Bardi.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34So you never know.
0:13:34 > 0:13:35So, tell me,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I'm trying to find out whether we all have the same traditions.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42So, for Christmas, what are your traditions?
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Definitely anolini in brodo.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45- Definitely.- Snap.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50It's all anolini, anolini.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51The wife is the same.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Anolini, anolini.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56What is this anolini?
0:13:56 > 0:13:57It's the dish of the gods.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Or so my father would have you believe.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Traditional Christmas fair in Emilia-Romagna,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05the North-Italian region my family originate from.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Anolini in brodo consists of tiny pasta parcels
0:14:09 > 0:14:12plumped with braised beef, cooked in a chicken broth
0:14:12 > 0:14:16and sprinkled with plenty of Parmesan cheese.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18My dad, if any guests come,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and he sees them eating anolini he goes nuts.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23He's like, "This is like gold dust in our house."
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Oh, yes. You save them.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28I have to keep a reserve, yes.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Definitely.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34There's an ever-growing number of Aberystwyth Welsh Italians
0:14:34 > 0:14:35joining me at the table.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38And all agree that no Christmas could possibly be complete
0:14:38 > 0:14:41without anolini in brodo.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Although, in fairness, aside from Sicilian Adriano,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47everybody else, Pierre, Paolo, Luisa, Mauro
0:14:47 > 0:14:51and my long lost cousin Juana all originate from the same area
0:14:51 > 0:14:53in northern Italy as me.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58And there, anolini is as traditional as Christmas pud.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Owner, Chiara, on the other hand, is from Milan, but with Sicilian blood.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04And for her, no Christmas feast would be complete
0:15:04 > 0:15:07without Melanzane alla parmigiana.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09An incredibly simple Italian classic
0:15:09 > 0:15:13for which every family will have their own particular recipe.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15And Chiara's about to show me hers.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- That's the tomato sauce. - OK. So you already made this?
0:15:18 > 0:15:22- Yes.- Onions, garlic, oregano. I do put sugar.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25MICHELA GASPS That's all right.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28- Yeah, no. Just to bring the... To take the acidity out.- I do.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30And then you bake the aubergines in oil.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31- And bake them in the oven?- Yes.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34- For what? 5-10 minutes? - One thing I've noticed...
0:15:34 > 0:15:38- No, less than that.- OK. - Much less. Probably five.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39One thing I've found about the aubergines,
0:15:39 > 0:15:44in Italy I used to soak them with the salt.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Now I don't need to do it here.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I don't understand why.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52It's because they modify the vegetables, I think.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Shh. Don't tell anybody, OK.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Melanzane alla parmigiana is essentially a vegetarian lasagne.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01So you treat your aubergines like the pasta sheets,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04so you layer it with, like, a tomato sauce
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and then the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10And that's it. It's delicious.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14There's a bit of a debate whether it's a dish from Emilia-Romagna
0:16:14 > 0:16:17or whether it's a dish from the south, right?
0:16:19 > 0:16:21But, whatever, it's a lovely dish.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23OK. Mozzarella.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- Thank you.- Grated. Grated mozzarella.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30I've already got it this way because I think it's easier.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Next, add a dash more salt, a bit of pepper,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35and a sprinkling of oregano.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38That's the first layer complete, now just repeat.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40You must have learned how to cook from your mum.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- Not really.- No? - No, she doesn't cook.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- An Italian who doesn't cook? - I know. It sounds so strange.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50And sometimes I'd rather not say, because no-one believes that.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52- But that's the truth.- Wow!
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Chiara's family secret, passed down by her grandmother, and not,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58of course, her mamma, is to sprinkle lots and lots
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and lots of Parmesan cheese over the top layer.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04And finish it off with a handful of breadcrumbs.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08After 25 minutes in the oven at 190 degrees,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10the end result...
0:17:10 > 0:17:11There you go.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15..is a bubbling Melanzane Parmigiana with a crispy, caramelised crust.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17That's amazing, that crust.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Wow. Look at that!
0:17:21 > 0:17:22Oozy cheese.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23Lovely.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26- Do you like it? - A lovely crunch on it.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33Lovely, isn't it? Can we handle adding this to a Christmas menu?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Where would we fit it in? After the anolini, before?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39I'm sure we'll find a slot somewhere along the line.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41- Yeah.- We could make it an all-day event then.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45From seven o'clock in the morning until seven at night.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Buoyed by my trip to North Wales,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52I drive back south with a head full of ideas
0:17:52 > 0:17:55for my ultimate Welsh-Italian festive menu.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58But I'm only halfway through my road trip.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01And my next stop is the capital city.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I've just arrived here at Cardiff's Riverside market.
0:18:04 > 0:18:05It's a lovely day.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I'm here to meet someone a bit later.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09But first I want to go and see if I can find
0:18:09 > 0:18:12some lovely Welsh produce for my Italian Christmas feast.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Do you know? I love farmer's markets.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17They offer a variety of local home-grown produce
0:18:17 > 0:18:21that even ten years ago you could only really find in Italy.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Produce like chard, packed with nutrients,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27cheap as chips, and delicious, sauteed in a little butter
0:18:27 > 0:18:30with a squeeze of lemon and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Mm!
0:18:32 > 0:18:33Thank you.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Of course, the problem with all this fantastic fare
0:18:36 > 0:18:39is that you end up trying and buying more than you bargained for.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40Cheese.
0:18:40 > 0:18:41Oh, it's delicious.
0:18:41 > 0:18:42'More cheese.'
0:18:42 > 0:18:44I like that. Oh, I think I'll have one of those.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Thank you.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48'Bread to go with the cheese.'
0:18:48 > 0:18:50And... Oh, gin!
0:18:50 > 0:18:51- Do you want a little taste? - Go on, then.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56How would you put gin into, like, a Christmas lunch?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59A lot of people like to mix sloe gin with Prosecco.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04To add an accompaniment to a cocktail.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06This with Prosecco.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09So that's got sloe berries, elder berries, and damson berries.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10So, it's not just sloe.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14I might have just found myself my Christmas Aperol spritz.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16- Perfect.- Sloe gin and Prosecco.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Chard, cheese, bread, and gin.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19Thank you very much.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21'Productive morning!'
0:19:21 > 0:19:23But now it's time for me to seek out
0:19:23 > 0:19:27the next source of inspiration for my Welsh-Italian festive menu.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Cardiff University tutor Bruna Chezzi.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33- Ciao!- Piacere.- Piacere.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- Come stai?- Bene, bene, grazie.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37And who's this little one?
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Ah, this is Oscar Luigi Tudor, my little Welsh Italian.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Hi, Oscar.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49Bruna, who is Italian born, came to Wales to study 15 years ago.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- Could we get two cappuccinos please? - Yes, absolutely.- Thank you.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Fell in love with a Welshman and Wales.
0:19:55 > 0:20:01And now, like me, has started on the next generation of Welsh Italians.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04But being a Catholic, Bruna still observes the Italian tradition
0:20:04 > 0:20:07of eating no meat on Christmas Eve.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Just like we do in the Chiappa household.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- Look how big the cabbages are. - Oh, wow!
0:20:11 > 0:20:13- Look at the parsley.- I know.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- The parsley would be good in the risotto.- OK.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16With the fish, and the prawns.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So the dish that Bruna wants to add to my Welsh-Italian menu...
0:20:19 > 0:20:21A few carrots, yes, please.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23..is a prawn and vegetable risotto.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27A dish where colour is just as important as flavour.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31- Lovely. I'm famished, I am. - I'm always hungry.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34'Andiamo in cucina. Let's go to the kitchen.'
0:20:36 > 0:20:40What I love about a risotto is this is how simple it can be.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42It's some cheap, cheap ingredients.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44You've got... Always start with an onion.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- I always have an onion in a risotto.- Yes, yes.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49A herb. Some lovely veggies.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Some of the cheapest vegetables you can find.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53And then, a risotto.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Now, the most important thing about risotto
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- is you have to have the right rice.- Absolutely.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00So it has to be Arborio or carnaroli,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03because it's a fat rice which absorbs all the flavours.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04'As we get down to business,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07'I take the opportunity to quiz Bruna
0:21:07 > 0:21:10'on a subject very close to my heart.'
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So you did a PhD on the Welsh Italians?
0:21:13 > 0:21:15- Is that true?- Yes, that's right.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16To be more precise,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- it's on cultural representations. - OK.- Of the Italians in Wales.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Did you find anything out that surprised you?
0:21:22 > 0:21:27Yes, for example, one of your programmes, Michela, that I watched.
0:21:27 > 0:21:28The programmes on the Welsh Italians.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- Yes.- I was watching that programme, it really brought tears to my eyes.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Because so many things have changed.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39And I thought, you know, the things you were explaining I thought,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41"Yes, this is me as an Italian."
0:21:41 > 0:21:42But when I was a little girl, you know.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45I'm not sure it's the same any more.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47That's fascinating, I think, because what's happened with us,
0:21:47 > 0:21:52is because we've been brought up in Wales we have clung on fiercely
0:21:52 > 0:21:57to these traditions of doing anolini at Christmas and Easter traditions.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00We've got to give you some credit for the fact that it's like you are,
0:22:00 > 0:22:07- kind of, maintaining...- Oh, totally. - And carry on the, kind of...
0:22:07 > 0:22:11- Italy that, you know, otherwise is going to be...- Lost.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Disappear, going to be lost.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16- Well...- You are maintaining that old-fashioned...
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Well, I hope so. I mean, you say about traditions dying out.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23They don't have to die out. We can bring them back to life.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25- No, exactly. Yeah. - I think that is so important.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Our world is moving so fast.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30And if we don't keep these traditions alive they will get lost.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31Absolutely.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34It would seem from Bruna's studies and observations
0:22:34 > 0:22:36that it might well be down to our generation of Welsh Italians
0:22:36 > 0:22:39to keep these Christmas traditions alive.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42And then, hopefully, pass them on to our children, too.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Shall we add the prawns now, I think?- Sure.- Yeah.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48If you want to know how to make this risotto or any of the recipes
0:22:48 > 0:22:52featured in this series, visit the programme website.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Buonissimo. Complimente.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00Grazie.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05- Salute!- Chin-chin. Buon Natale!- Buon Natale!
0:23:05 > 0:23:08My whistle-stop tour of the Welsh-Italian community
0:23:08 > 0:23:11began in Bangor with Mario's simple, but scrumptious
0:23:11 > 0:23:12one-pot turkey roast.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15And I'm now going to finish my jaunt in Newport,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19with the most decadent fish dish I think I've ever seen.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Twins Sergio and Pasquale Cinotti came to Wales from Lazio
0:23:23 > 0:23:2722 years ago and opened the Gemelli's coffee shop.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Famous for their outlandish sweets and desserts,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31they now also have a restaurant.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36And it's here that Sergio's promised to rustle me up a festival of fish
0:23:36 > 0:23:39that pays tribute to the traditional Christmas dishes
0:23:39 > 0:23:40his mamma used to make.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42What is this? This is sea bass?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44- Sea bass.- OK.- Filleted already.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49So we try to put on one fish as many types of fish as we can.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- OK.- They go beautiful together.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53We've got some monkfish which already chopped.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55We're going to make something like a mousse.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57- OK.- To go inside our fish. Our sea bass.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00We have white crab, which has already been steamed and cleaned.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02- We've got crayfish.- Crayfish.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06And we are in Wales, so we have to use some laver bread.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07Lovely. Let's have a look.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11- So first we cook it for about four to six hours, very low.- OK.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15After, tradition warrants that it comes with oatmeal and...
0:24:15 > 0:24:17So you mix it with oatmeal?
0:24:17 > 0:24:20And bacon powder. Fresh bacon powder.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- Bacon powder. - And we make a cracker.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23Wow, can I have a little try?
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Of course you can. There you are.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Mm.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31I like it. A new Welsh crisp.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32Laver bread and bacon.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Time to crack on with Sergio's piscine extravaganza.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40With the discarded fish bones being used to make up a stock,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43he sets about the monkfish mousse.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Drop in the pre-cooked chunks into the blender,
0:24:45 > 0:24:50add a pinch of sea salt, a healthy glug of fresh cream, blitz,
0:24:50 > 0:24:54then spread this fishy confection over your sea bass fillet. Next...
0:24:54 > 0:24:58- We use our laver bread.- Yeah.- Nice.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Now we have our white crab,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05and again, the beautiful red of the crayfish.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10Molto bene. Next sprinkle powdered laver bread onto some clingfilm.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- Wow! Look at that.- Absolutely beautiful colour, isn't it?
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- Very green.- Roll your stuffed fish through the powder,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19seal it in a little clingfilm parcel
0:25:19 > 0:25:22and then leave it to rest on ice for about 20 minutes.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24So we've got our little fish parcel.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26- Yes.- So, how would you serve that up then?
0:25:26 > 0:25:28We're going to make a fantastic Bouillabaisse sauce.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29A lot of shellfish and fish.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31- Delicious.- We're going to cook that.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34We use that as a base on our dish, and put the sea bass right on top.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37This is like fish, fish, fish, fish.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40That's what Christmas is all about. Fish and festivity.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41And most of all, tradition as well.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45That's why I want to included into it laver bread
0:25:45 > 0:25:47and this particular sauce.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- It's tradition. - Keeping traditions alive.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51That's what Christmas is about, yes.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Sergio gets the fish in the oven
0:25:53 > 0:25:56while the shellfish-rich Bouillabaisse bubbles away.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And after nine minutes at 180 degrees.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Yes! Fish!
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Ready. Fantastic.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- That's our fish.- Oh, my goodness.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Our sauce is ready. It smells absolutely fantastic.
0:26:10 > 0:26:11Oh, the saffron.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Absolutely. And the fish and a bit of wine, beautiful.
0:26:14 > 0:26:15Maybe a good facial,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17I could stay and have a saffron facial or something.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20OK. We are going to put just some of it.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23This dish, OK, it's quite a decadent dish.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26You've got four or five different types of prawns in the raux,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29then you've got the sauce, you've got caviar there, white wine.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Christmas you should try to treat your guests.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36So you have to make the effort to spend a bit of money,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39not just on gifts, but as well on food.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Would your mamma have done a dish with caviar and all these things...
0:26:42 > 0:26:44- No.- Or would it have been simple?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47It would be simple, of course, especially those years.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49It definitely would be simple.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52But definitely she would make the extra effort.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57That's it. That's our festive sea bass.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Wow! It looks incredible.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Yeah, we try to put classic and modern approach together.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- Gorgeous.- It looks fantastic. - Amazingly beautiful.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07But I really want to try it.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11- Of course, we take it on the table.- Come on, then.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15So we'll try to cut it right in the centre.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Wow! Look at that.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18See, you've got the grain of laver bread.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21You can see the crab. You can see the crayfish.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25- Absolutely fantastic, isn't it? - It smells amazing.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Come on, I'm starving!
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Wow, I got a big bit. That sauce smells divine.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33- Thank you. Thank you.- There you are.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Wow! Look at that!
0:27:34 > 0:27:36So you've got saffron, you've got caviar.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38I've got it all!
0:27:38 > 0:27:40- Buon appetito.- Buon appetito.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48- Delicious. Wow! - You can taste the fish.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50You can taste the laver bread, yeah.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51It's delicious.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54See, when you've got quality ingredients
0:27:54 > 0:27:57you don't need really to do much elaboration.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59We didn't do much, did we?
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- No.- Not much(!)
0:28:02 > 0:28:06I think it's fresh, simple and delicious.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07Delicious and decadent.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10And with the laver bread and the fresh Welsh seafood,
0:28:10 > 0:28:15Sergio has created a proper Welsh-Italian food fusion.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Would I put it on my festive menu?
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Well, it's certainly given me some food for thought.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22So I've eaten my way all around Wales
0:28:22 > 0:28:25from Mario up north to Bruna down in the south.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30And I think I can now cherry pick lots of different ideas
0:28:30 > 0:28:35to create my ultimate Welsh-Italian festive menu.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38So in the next episode of The Welsh-Italian Christmas,
0:28:38 > 0:28:43I'm going to rustle up a six-course festive menu inspired by my travels,
0:28:43 > 0:28:45and then serve it all up for scrutiny
0:28:45 > 0:28:50when I throw a Christmas party for the Welsh-Italian community.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Missed that vital Italian ingredient?
0:28:55 > 0:29:01Find all the recipes featured in this series at bbc.in/welshitalians.