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A PASSION FOR ITALIAN
Tobie Puttock has been a cooking pal of Jamie Olivers for 10 years, and while he lives in Australia, his passion is for Italian. Here Tobie shares his favourite recipes from his new book, Daily Italian.
Hes been a cooking pal of Jamie Olivers for 10 years, becoming the launch head chef at Fifteen in London and now executive head chef at Fifteen in Melbourne.
During his career, Australian chef Tobie Puttock has cooked his way around Europe but always found himself in Italian kitchens and soon developed a true passion for Italian food.
It is about the sheer brilliance of a cuisine that has endured and evolved over the centuries - about its flexibility, healthiness, tastiness, lack of fuss and the sheer love with which it is cooked, served and shared, he enthuses.
Now he is sharing some of the lessons he has learned with his book, Daily Italian, which features his favourite Italian recipes as well as dishes he has discovered, reinvented and perfected working as a chef in some of the worlds great Italian restaurants.
In the foreword, Jamie Oliver, who first met Tobie when they worked together at the acclaimed River Cafe, says of his pal: The thing with cooking is that recipes are just recipes and cooking really is just
cooking.
But what makes food taste special - and inspires other people to get cooking or try new things - is whether the person cooking it has personality, a smile on their face and a sense of celebration and fun. Tobie has all these qualities.
Here are some of his mouthwatering recipes:
GRILLED MUSSELS WITH BREADCRUMBS AND CHILLI
(serves 4-6 as a starter)
1kg (2lb) mussels
3tbsp olive oil
60g breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil for flavour
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C (360F). Rinse the mussels under cold water and remove their beards - a sharp tug usually does it. Scrape off any barnacles by using the sharp end of one mussel against the shell of another.
Select a saucepan that has a lid and is large enough to hold the mussels comfortably. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil over a medium-to-high heat, add the mussels and cover. Once most of the mussels have opened - this will take a couple of minutes - remove the saucepan from the heat, discarding
any unopened mussels.
Wait for the mussels to cool, then remove and discard their upper shells. Using a spoon, loosen the flesh from the bottom shell. Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, chilli and a lug of extra
virgin olive oil in a small bowl, then spoon the mixture over the mussels in their half shells. Season with salt and pepper then place the mussels side by side in a baking dish. Brown in the oven for about five
minutes. Serve immediately.
TAGLIATELLE WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND SARDINES
(serves 6 as a starter, 4 as a main)
4tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 stick pale celery (from centre of bunch), finely sliced
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stalks finely sliced and leaves roughly
chopped
400g (14oz) cherry tomatoes
a splash of chardonnay
400g (140z) cleaned and butterflied sardines
extra virgin olive oil for flavour
500g (1lb) dried tagliatelle
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, heat the four tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over a low heat and gently saute the onion, garlic, celery and parsley stalks (set aside the
leaves) until the mixture starts to soften.
Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and, using your fingers, remove and discard the seed and place the flesh in the frying pan with the onion.
Cook the tomato mixture over a high heat, stirring continually. After about three minutes add the chardonnay. Allow the alcohol to reduce for about two minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the sardines and a really good hit of extra virgin olive oil. Cover the ingredients
in the pan with greaseproof paper and leave to sit for about five minutes. The heat from the tomatoes and juices will gently cook the sardines.
Cook the tagliatelle until its al dente. Drain, then add the pasta to the pan with the sardines. Use tongs to carefully coat the pasta with the sauce. Fold in the parsley leaves and add a splash of extra virgin
olive oil. Serve immediately.
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