When
there are millions of recipes available on the Net why must one attend a
masterclass? Well, I personally like the additional
tips that one gets while seeing chefs in action. So in addition to the recipes
that one learns various kitchen hacks, tips and tricks improve one’s kitchen
skills overall.
A
fine Italian restaurant, San Gimignano
at The Imperial recently hosted a
wonderful masterclass with two charming chefs from Italy - Executive Chef
Attilio Di Fabrizio from Belmond
Villa San Michele, Florence and Executive Chef Roberto Gatto
from Belmond Hotel Cipriani. They showcased some classic Italian dishes like gnocchi, risotto and
the tiramisu. The recipes were simple and very easy to replicate at home.
 |
| The Italian Chefs L: Chef Attilo Bi Fabrizio; R: Chef Roberto Gatto |
Before
I share the recipes with you, I am listing some tips to get the maximum flavour
from some of the most basic ingredients.
-
Garlic: If you don’t like the garlic
to be too pungent, you may remove the little shoot that sits at the center of
each clove. This is particularly useful if you are using raw garlic in salads,
etc. Adding a dash of water while sautéing garlic stops it from over cooking.
-
Tomatoes: Add a dash of water and mash
the tomatoes lightly to release the juicy flavour. Even while using cherry
tomatoes, while you may want to retain the shape, a light mash will just help
to cook them perfectly.
-
White Wine: Always try to use dry white
wine else it may become too acidic while cooking.
-
Arborio or Carnaroli Rice: Rice ages too! Older rice may
require more time to cook. Additional tip: toast the rice before adding
wine/stock.
Asparagus: While using asparagus (or any
other vegetable) in pasta, it’s a good idea to saute it in butter, salt and
pepper before adding it to the pasta to be cooked further.
 |
| The delicious spread at San Gimignano. |
Our masterclass was followed by a delicious lunch. You too can taste these dishes and many more as the visiting chefs will be cooking up a storm at San Gimignano until 11th February 2018. And as part of this very first exchange with Belmond Hotels, Executive Chef Prem K Pogakula of The Imperial will also be travelling to Italy later this year to showcase the nuances of Indian cooking to an Italian audience.
 |
| The Italian Chefs with Executive Chef Prem K Pogakula of The Imperial. |
Details:
San
Gimignano,
The Imperial, Janpath, New Delhi-110001.
Ph: +91 11 23341234
Timings: 12.30pm-2.45pm; 7.30pm-11.45pm.
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Recipe by Chef Attilio Di Fabrizio
Fiesole style potato dumplings (Gnocchi) with
fresh tomato and basil
Ingredients:
600
gram potatoes
120
gram flour
10
gr. salt
1
whole egg
1
egg yolk
nutmeg
to taste
0.5
dl. olive oil
500
gr. tomatoes
12
basil leaves
Method:
1)
Wash medium sized potatoes, put them in a pot with cold, salted water, cover
and bring to a boil. Let them cook for approximately 20 minutes. To test the
potatoes, pierce them with a fork and if the potato slides away, it is ready
but if it remains on the fork, it needs to cook a few more minutes.
2)
Once cooked, drain the potatoes, let them cool for a few minutes, then peel
them and purée them with a potato masher or a vegetable mill. On your table
top, (using wood if at all possible), form a fountain shape with the potatoes
and add flour, salt, eggs and nutmeg, mixing the ingredients until you have
obtained a smooth dough.
3)
Heat 4 litres of salted water in a pot and bring to a boil when the dumplings
are ready.
4)
Divide the mashed potato mixture into 6 equal parts, rolling them in the palm
of your hand until you have formed small cylinders about
1.5
cm thick. Cut these cylinders into pieces about 2.5 cm long and roll them ith
your thumb along the tips of a fork, one at a time. Place them on a tray lightly
dusted with flour.
5)
Wash the ripe tomatoes and remove the seeds and central core. Cut each tomato
into 8 or 9 smaller pieces and set aside. In a steel pan 35 cm in diametre,
lightly brown the chopped garlic in olive oil and then add the tomatoes. Cook
for about 5-6 minutes or until they have absorbed their own water and add salt
to taste.
6)
Lightly toss the dumplings into the boiling water and once the water starts to
boil again, let them cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the dumplings with a long
handled colander or a slotted spoon. Add them to the pan containing the sauce
and let flavour for a couple of minutes. Add salt to taste and add the basil
leaves cut into julienne strips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recipe by Chef Roberto Gatto
Green
asparagus Risotto
Ingredients:
Carnaroli rice
Vegetable broth
Butter
Extra virgin
olive oil
Grated parmigiano
cheese
Minced onion
White wine
Salt & pepper
Method:
1) Melt butter in a frying pan and add onions.
Cook for 2-3 minutes and add rice.
2) Toast for 2-3 minutes. Add white wine and
cook until evaporated. Slowly add vegetable broth.
3) Add asparagus, previously cut and
slightly cooked in butter, salt and pepper. Cook for another 15-16 minutes.
4) Remove from heat and
amalgamate parmigiana cheese adding salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle
olive oil and serve.
Note: While Chef Roberto showed us how to make a delicious asparagus
risotto, one can easily substitute the green asparagus with white asparagus or any vegetable of your
choice. Of course, sticking to local, seasonal vegetables will enhance the
flavour. I would recommend trying mushroom, peas, or even chicken or
shrimp.
