LAST THURSDAY evening was the first in the series of What’s Cooking – a video broadcast on instagram – live, so of course there was a technical slip up, but despite this slightly fruity certificate 18 start, the event was hugely entertaining and enjoyable.
Our adopted Somm Nico, usually of Spring Restaurant, hosted while our guest Chef Fabrizio Romano, usually of Brat Restaurant, cooked some fresh sustainable mussels from Fin and Flounder. The dish was close to his heart – Pasta & Potatoes with Mussels – a warm your cockles comforter that’s perfect for the cooler weather this weekend.
Watch as Fab waxes lyrical about pasta and pecorino, amongst other things (!) and enjoy Nico pairing our Maison 54 Terret Blanc, all while wearing his fabulous fish hat! See it to believe it. Teaser pic below.
Find Fab’s recipe below and watch along with the video for tips and tricks as you cook!
Pasta & Potatoes with Mussels
INGREDIENTS
120g mixed pasta
300g diced potatoes
300g mussels
1 celery stick
1 carrot
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 chilli
40g passata or fresh tomatoes
50g white wine
20g parsley
20g pecorino
40g smoked scamorza (or provola or smoked mozzarella)
A glug or two of olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
METHOD
Finely chop celery, onion, carrots, half of a garlic clove and half of a chilli. Gently sweat down the mix with a splash of olive oil at low heat until the vegetables are soft.
In the meantime, open your mussels. In a pot with a lid put half of a clove of garlic, half of chilli, the parsley stems and olive oil. Bring your pot to a nice and hot temperature, add your mussels, add a splash of white wine and cover with the lid. When the mussels are about to open put them on a tray. Pick the mussels leaving six or eight for presentation.
When your vegetables are soft add the tomatoes (fresh or in passata form) and cook it down for 3/4 minutes. Add diced potatoes and the mix pasta, add hot water and all of the mussels juice making sure that all the mix in your saucepan is covered with liquid.
Cook the mix like it was a risotto, adding liquid little by little and making sure that it covers the mix all the time. Season to taste and keep going, stirring and adding liquid until both pasta and potatoes are nice and soft.
Add the mussels, give them 30 seconds on the heat and keep stirring. When all the mix is piping hot you can turn the heat off.
Add grated pecorino, chopped scamorza, the chopped fresh parsley and a splash of olive oil. Mix until the cheese melts completely. Serve in a bowl and put a couple of mussels on top.
Buon appetito!
