Masters of Italian cooking, Chef Attilio Di Fabrizio and Chef Roberto Gatto believe that it is the quality of ingredients which make each of their dish special, heart warming. They also generate a feel-good-factor as the taste lingers long after consuming their delicacies . Little wonder, the duo brought the best of herbs, cheese, fish, white wine, olive oil and other veggies all the way from their homeland to conduct a special masterclass at Hotel Imperial.
The two have contrasting cooking styles but share a common passion for creating magic with traditional Italian recipes. Both Chef Attilio and Executive Chef Roberto, working at Belmond Villa San Michele, Florence, and Belmond Hotel Cipriani respectively, unveiled their secrets of Italian cuisine at the masterclass as part of an ongoing two-week festival at San Gimignano restaurant of the hotel which culminates on February 11.
The guests were treated to a traditional Italian lunch eaten by families and young couples during summers. It comprised parma ham aesthetically decorated with cut slices of water melon, fish cooked in white wine and risotto. I found the meal hearty and wholesome/ The flavours came in with every bite, and Tuscan fish, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, ensured that cholesterol level didn’t shoot up.
The flamboyant Robertosays he gets irritated when he sees fusion which has gone horribly wrong. “Fusion is confusion. I become angry when I see this. In Europe, Indian cuisine is incorrectly represented. They try qorma but it is nothing like what is made here.”
Giving his take on Indian food, he says, “I want to master Indian cuisine. One of the most popular dishes in my restaurant is a curry dish. ” He has plans to explore the spice market in Old Delhi and try local delicacies.
Offering a piece of advise for those who cook Italian at home, he says: “People should use seasonal vegetables and not imported ones.” Roberto pitched in for ‘Make in India’ when it came to veggies like aubergine, which is available round the year even while supporting Italian cheese and ham.
Meanwhile, Chef Attilio, who makes tasty Tuscan food, started off with elementary tips like how yolk can easily be separated from the egg white without spilling it on the table. “It is necessary for binding it with flour,” he said, while mixing it with his hands.
Garlic was virtually worshipped by the chefs as it plays a significant role in almost every Italian dish. They ensured that it was roasted and looked brownish. They emphasised that a balance is essential between different ingredients.
Chef Attilio says: “The key to good cooking lies in the fact that our ingredients are fresh and healthy and are combined in such a way that the taste of chicken would not be overpowered by any other ingredient. If it is a seafood dish, its taste should not be overpowered by garlic or any other ingredient.”
Noting that ham with water melon is eaten during summers, Chef Attilio says: “In Italy, we have different kinds of ham which are eaten with fresh melons. Tuscan people eat mostly meat but slowly we are substituting that with fish as it is lighter to digest, is healthy and keeps the constitution well balanced.”
Advocating wannabe chefs to focus on the main ingredient, he says: “If Italians prepare a sea food dish, then fish has to be the protagonist. Italian food is all about balancing ingredients.”
For the duo, the trip is helpful as it is not just about cooking and interacting with foodies but also about sharing of knowledge with Imperial’s Executive Chef Prem Kumar Pogakula, who plans to take them to Khari Baoli for spices and trying Mughlai delicacies.
Chef Pogakula, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, and is cooking along with the two chefs, says in Delhi, people get to eat only Indo-Italian. “Like we put garam masala, they don’t use spices at all. Even pepper is not used in Tuscan region. Technically, there are flavours of Parmeson, thyme, rosemary and parsley.”
He underlines the importance of white wine in Italian cooking. “It is used in risotto for de-glazing. When you put butter in onion for sauté, the sugar in onion gets caramelised. That is the base which sticks on the pan. So the wine elevates the flavour.”
Summing up, Chef Pogakula, who will travel to Italy this year to promote Indian cuisine as part of a cultural exchange programme between The Imperial and Belmond Hotels, says India lacks in quality of ingredients because of logistical issues. “Italian hotels run their own farms. Freshness of ingredients is an aspect where we need to focus on.”
