Torino Observations

A city we've long tried to visit and finally we did. It didn't disappoint, nor did the food. Torino is a gastronomic destination where the Slow Food movement began. It is the home of Lavazza, vermouth, choclate and grand cafes. Barolo and white truffles come from nearby. Eataly, the famous global chain of Italian food and wine, is based here. Below are some highlights over our short 48 hour visit.

• Tre Galline: probably my favorite as this was the closest to a traditional trattoria. Highlights were my bollito misto, a bagna cauda with the usual veggies including cardoons (and interestingly about a tablespoon of beef tartare), and a fresh ricotta decorated with crisp leaves and herbs. I think our agnoletti were probably best here. 
• Dolce Stil Novo: one-star modern Italian in Venaria Reale outside of Torino in a lovely palazzo with garden. Chef Alfredo Russo moved from his two-star restaurant in Aosta a couple years ago to open this new restaurant. Highlights were a Russian Salad which I adored (a decomposed modern version), veal tongue with a bright green, cold herby veloute, rabbit & red cabbage, and a "white pasta" or lasagna of super thin pasta sheets almost like a borek.
• Ristorante Consorzio: a good trattoria with three gamberi from the Gambero Rosso, mainly traditional local dishes with a modern touch and carnivore slant. Sweetbreads with a sweet and sour sauce were particularly good.
• Trattoria Valenza: a very simple place on the other side of the tracks in Borgo Dora spilling over with character, particularly the pork-bellied owner. Agnoletti were very good here, particularly their emulsified meat sauce. Perhaps a bit rough around the edges, but I loved it. 
• Osteria Aniche Sere: unable to go but apparently good.
• Combal.zero: an El Bulli kind of place, had we been here longer we would have tried.

Chanterelles & Shellfish Salad

A tempting combo to make. Would be a great start to any meal. Stolen from Carluccio's mushroom cookbook on pop's bookshelf.

500 gr of chanterelles or other interesting mushroom (hen of the woods)
white wine vinegar
water
small raw prawns
scallops
crabmeat
EVOO
chopped coriander, parsley, dill
lemon
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper

1. cook mushrooms in vinegar, water and salt 2-3 minutes
2. drain and cool
3. shell prawns, cook in water until just pink
4. slice scallops
5. make vinaigrette using EVOO, lemon juice and herbs
6. marinate scallop ten minutes
7. mix mushrooms with prawn and crabmeat
8. add scallops, adjust seasoning and serve at room temperature

New Fennel Salad

This has always been a favorite, kept simple with an olive oil and lemon dressing. Here I've developed the dressing a bit adding white balsamic vinegar. The sweet of the latter and the spicy of the chili contrast very nicely with the fennel. This makes a lot of salad, so if making less best to keep the proportion of fennel to onion intact.

four fennel bulbs, including tops
one small red onion
EVOO
juice of half lemon
juice of a clementine
rice wine vinegar
white balsamic vinegar
chopped chives and parsley
1 tsp of chopped red chili
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper

1. slice fennel and onion with a mandolin
2. chop fennel tops finely
3. mix with other ingredients, including vinegars to taste
4. let marinate six hours before serving

Christmas Dinner

A super nice, long Christmas Eve dinner at Mamie's. Sure was a lot of work but I had three sous chefs: toon, pops and tophe.

• Three dozen oysters & mignonette sauce
• White asparagus with mashed mint & butter sauce
• Mirin- and soy-marinated salmon eggs on blini with creme fraiche
• White crab, grapefruit & truffle vinaigrette
• Madagascan prawns & home-made wasabi mayonnaise 
• Scallop, celeriac puree & chanterelles
• Pumpkin veloute & hazelnut crunch
• Pine cone home-smoked salmon & sweet pickled cucumbers
• Spaghettini with scallops & black trumpet mushrooms
• Jerusalem artichoke soup & duck confit 
• Foie gras & Pic's rhubarb-tarragon compote
• Assorted cheeses & Loupiac 

Carpaccio & Wasabi Remoulade

Stumbling across this in an old Jason Atherton cookbook. Irresistible and need to make it soon.

marbled ribeye
1 1/2 tbsp EVOO
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
1-2 tsp wasabi paste
2 tblsp brown mustard seeds

wasabi remoulade  
1 small celeriac
1 1/2 tsp maldon sea salt
1 1/2 tsp wasabi, to taste
1 1/2 tbsp mirin
2 egg yolks
1 tsp dry English mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
250 ml groundnut oil

1. trim beef to a neat log of even thickness througout; heat frying pan and add EVOO; season beef, sear one minute on each side until brown
2. remove beef and let cool, rub over wasabi paste
3. tip mustard seeds on a tray, roll beef in seeds to coat, then wrap in double layer of cling film; freeze 1-2 hours until beef is firm
4. shred celeriac into thin strips; toss with salt and let degorge; rinse and squeeze out excess liquid; pat dry
5. for mayonnaise, put wasabi, yolks, mustard and soy sauce into food processor slowly adding oil, season 
6. add mayo to celeriac, stir in
7. remove beef from freezer, unwrap and slice into wafer thin slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, serve with wasabi remoulade, and toasted foccacia

Saltimbocca Alla Romana

I've made this many times but this one was special. Thanks to pops for a DVD of an old 1980s cooking tour of Italy, I got a first-hand look at how a local trattoria in the middle of Lazio makes a good saltimbocca. Serve with spinach or swiss chard, and Tuscan potatoes.

veal scaloppine
prosciutto san daniele
sage
white wine
butter
00 flour
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
EVOO

1. lay out veal, place 1 or 2 sage leaves on top depending on size 
2. lay over prosciutto and fasten with toothpick, which should pierce sage to hold in place
3. put plates and serving plate in oven to warm
4. drizzle EVOO into a large pan
5. sprinkle salt into the pan
6. dust the veal generously with flour
7. put them in the pan, then turn on the heat
8. saute one side until starting to turn golden
9. turn over, wait about 30 seconds
10. cut up some cold butter, dip into flour and then into the pan with the veal
11. while the butter is still trying to melt, pour in a couple small glasses of white wine
12. saute for about 2 minutes as sauce thickens
13. remove plates from oven, slide scaloppines on serving plate, adorn with some fresh sage leaves

Tonight's Dinner

A great dinner with the McNabs before their return to Melbourne. They will be missed, but looking forward to some good coffee there soon.

• bresaola, smoked mozzarella & carottes rapees
• tagliolini Assagi with 7 herbs & crushed walnuts
• a killer saltimbocca alla romana
• sides of sauteed rainbow swiss chard and tuscan potatoes (i.e., lots of rosemary and garlic)