Mackerel slow-cooked with garlic, red peppers and parsley – Σκουμπρι με σκορδο, κοκκινη πιπερια και μαιντανο

Today I wanted to eat fish and so I went to find my good fishmonger. One of my buys was super-fresh mackerel, which is one of my favorite fishes.

Σημερα το τραπεζι εχει ψαρακι, που το εχω λαχταρησει λογω ταξιδιων στα μερη που εχει μονο γουρουνακια, κοτοπουλακια και αρνακια με μοσχαρακια! Πηγα λοιπον στον καλο μου τον ψαρα στην Ραφηνα και αναμεσα στα αλλα πηρα φρεσκωτατα σκουμπρια (οταν τα εζουληξα ηταν σφιχτοτερα και απο το ….), που ειναι απο τα αγαπημενα μου ψαρακια.

I decided to cook it in a primitive way. A child can do it. Here it goes.

Αποφασισα να το μαγειρεψω με ενα πρωτολειο τροπο, τοσο ευκολο που και ενα παιδι μπορει να το κανει. Ξεκιναμε λοιπον. Χρειαζομαστε αφθονο σκορδο, κοκκινες πιπεριες, και ελαιολαδο σεε να μεγαλο τηγανι (με βαθυ πατο). Ψιλοκοβουμε τα σκορδα και τις πιπεριες, και μαραινουμε σε μετρια φωτια.

Chop plenty of garlic, and dice red peppers. Throw them in a pan with a touch of olive oil, in medium heat.

After the juices have started running and the aromas of garlic start to be released, lower the heat to low and place the fish on the “bed” of peppers and garlic. The belly of the fish must be down, touching the “bed”.

Αφου μαραθουνε λιγο οι πιπεριες και αρχισουν να αναδυονται τα αρωματα απο το σκορδο, βαζουμε τα ψαρακαι στο τηγανι με την κοιλια να ακουμπα στο “κρεββατακι” με τα σκορδα και τις πιπεριες. Χαμηλωνουμε τη φωτια στο “χαμηλο” (στην κλιμακα του 1-10 να ειναι το πολυ στο 3).

The last step is to add chopped parsley on top of the fish.

Προσθετουμε πανω απο τα ψαρακια σαν τελευταιο βημα και ψιλοκομμενο μαιντανο.

The fish needs about 30 minutes in low heat to be cooked. This is slow-cooking at its best.

Τα ψαρακια χρειαζονται περιπου 30 λεπτα για να γινουν σε αυτη τη χαμηλη φωτια. Ηπια μαγειρικη στην καλυτερη εκφραση της! Καθως τα ψαρακια μαγειρευονται ηπιως, ετοιμαζουμε το “κρεββατακι” του πιατου, που ειναι πατατες τηγανισμενες ηπιως σε ελαιολαδο.

While the fish is cooking, we prepare the real “bed” of the dish, which is sliced potatoes slow-fried in olive oil.

We are now ready to serve the fish on top of the potato slice.

Και τωρα ειμαστε ετοιμοι για να σερβιρουμε το ψαρακι επι της πατατας.

The potatoes are crunchy, the fish is succulent and firm (as it is fresh), the garlic and the red pepper go very well together, the parsley tones down the rather strong ingredients. If you like you add flakes of chilli peppers on top for an extra punch. In any case, this is a delicious, easy to do dish that reminds everyone the virtues of slow cooking.

Οι πατατες ειναι τραγανιστες, η σαρκα του ψαριου ζουμερη και στητη, το σκορδο με τις πιπεριες παιζει ομορφα παιχνιδια, ενω ο μαιντανος ερχεται να τα καλμαρει ολα αυτα. Αν θελετε να ειστε προς την καυτερη πλευρα, προσθεστε και λιγο καυτερη πιπερια (μπουκοβο ας πουμε) και καλη ορεξη.

Restaurant Steirereck – Vienna, Austria

Introduction

Today I continue with my second gastronomic experience in Vienna, the first being in the Restaurant Vestibuel, reported a couple of days ago.

After a rather long meeting and under very wet conditions I found myself in the comfort and warmth of the Steirereck Restaurant in the middle of Stadtpark in Vienna.I selected it after reading the Michelin Red Guide, which has awarded two stars to the restaurant and is overall very enthusiastic about he place.inside

I will start with the food, and finish with the wines.

Part I: The Food

troutThe first bite came compliments of the chef. Trout with onion and yellow ginger. Succulent and full of aromas, a nice way to start the meal.

oysterGillardeau Oysters with buttermilk, glass pasta and pea shoots. This is the first dish in the 5-course set menu of the chef. The dish evolves around the oysters and magnifies their taste and flavors. A subtle and discrete dish.

oxheartBraised “Oxheart” Carrot with fillet, milt and marrow from Styrian beef. When I first read the menu, I thought that this was the heat of the ox! Wrong! Oxheart is a type of carrot, named so because its shape is like the heart of the ox! The braised carrot was served on top of raw Styrian beef fillet sliced paper-thin, and topped with a very light vinaigrette with marrow. The sticks you see on top are a type of rich bread with majoram.

breamGilt Head Bream and Moscardini, with black radish, rocket and parsley. The fish was pan fried to perfection, its fresh firm and juicy. And -as always- the skin was the best bite of all! The bream was served on top of a angel pasta bed and was accompanied by one moscardino in vinaigrette, and paper-thin black radish, which was delicious! I must say that I somehow lost the flavors of the moscardini, this iwas rather neutralized. But if you exclude that, everything else in the dish was perfect.

pheasantPheasant breast with chevril root, chanterelle mushrooms and yellow dates. What a wonderful dish! The breast was cooked to perfection, succulent, full of flavours, accompanied by the mushrooms and the dates. But the real taste booster was at the bottom. The skin of the bird was served with a semi sweet and savoury sauce, and this made the difference!

cheese

Cheese selected from a trolley with 60 different cheeses from Europe (mainly France and Italy). My only comment on the cheese is that next time I visit the restaurant, I will ask to have a five course cheese menu!

Part II: The Wines

I now come to the wines of the evening (wine maker, grape, year):

wine

1. Prager, Gruener Veltliner, 2008. Very young, fresh, a superb introduction to the menu.

2. Hiedler, Riesling, 2008.

3. Emmerich Knoll, Riesling Kellerberg, 2007, Smaragd. A knock-out! ? Never had a riesling like this, and I have already had quite many!  Intense fruity aroma, pepper aftertaste, full body! It stood up to the strongest and most mature cheeses like the best brunello! Totally unbelievable!

Epilogue

Value for money: We were a party of three, and the bill for all of this, which lasted exactly 4 hours with immaculate service, was 140 EURO per person.

Style of cooking: This is the type of cooking that builds on the tradition, but is not blinded by it. Especially in the oxheart dish, I felt that all the centuries of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, were somehow encapsulated in the dish. Hegel would be very proud of this dish, as it more or less excemplifies his concept of history as eternal progress through time.

P.S. At the time of the visit, the restaurant was recommended by the Michelin Red Guide as “two stars”.

Restaurant Vestibuel – Vienna Austria

This is a hot report, I have not even digested the food yet, but there is a burning desire inside me to report immediately, as if I could this way relay to you some of the magic I have experienced tonight in Vienna.

I am here for a meeting and I arrived shortly before dinner time. I stay in the historical center, and found the “Vestibul” from the Michelin Red Guide, where it has been awarded a “Bib Gourmand” citation, meaning best value for money.

In any case, I walked the one kilometer in a very mild night and arrived at the restaurant.

vienna1 003It is across the boulevard from the Parliament, in a quiet corner of the Burg Theater.

vienna1 009The decoration inside is 19th century “fin de siecle”, as you can see from the bar photograph.

I was greeted by Veronika Doppler, who kindly showed me to a smoking table near the bar.

The friendly waiter recommended the house specialty for a starter, and I obeyed.

lobster1The dish arrived in the hands of the chef, Christian Domschitz, who explained that it is crunchy gabbage, lightly treated in salt and vinegar, served to accompany the lobster in its butter sauce. This was a first course, and it had in it almost half a lobster! Tender, juicy, divine!

This dish is a poem to the contrast of textures and the divinity of the lobster’s fragile mortal flesh.

If mortality is so beautiful, I am happy to be mortal!

marrow1The main course was my choice. black truffle with beef marrow, served on a “sponge” of crispy white bread. This is beyond description! I have never before tasted such a sweet, buttery substance, that melts in your mouth with overpowering you, while at the same time the truffle infuses the liquid with all the aromas of the woods.

This orgy of a dish was accompanied by a fiery red wine made by Triebauer.

dark1And now the dessert! Dark chocolate praline with campari sauce in the middle, accompanied by blood orange sorbet on the left and orange grog on the right.

The grog was mildly hot, and contrasted beautifully the cold sorbet.

Mamma mia!

vestibul1Veronika, Christian, thank you!

I will be back!

Mit herzlichen gruessen!

P.S. At the time of the visit, the restaurant was recommended by the Michelin Red Guide as “petit gourmand”.

Timbale a la Greque

servedToday I have prepared a dish that belongs to the family of Italian timbale, but I have changed the ingredients to a considerable degree. The overall concept remains the same. The timbale is a big stuffed drum. What has inside varies, as well as its skin. zucchini

I decided to use eggplants and zucchini in the stuffing, combined with penne pasta and ground pork meat. Here it goes.

I got the round zucchinis that I like very much and fantastic bell shaped eggplants and fried them in olive oil.

detail_meat_startFor the meat I got a nice chunk from the upper leg, that had some fat in it. I then browned the meat with onions, one red and one green pepper.After browning, I added tomato paste and two chopped fresh tomatoes.

detail_meatI let the meat to simmer in low heat for one hour.

eggplants_zucchini_detailAfter frying the vegetables, I let them rest on paper, while I prepare the dough for the skin of the timbale. I made it like a rich bread, in order to adsorb all the juices of the vegetables and the meat without becoming excessively soft.

In parallel, I prepare the penne “al dente” so that they do not disintegrate when they cook inside the timbale.

We are now ready to integrate and compose.

Lay the dough on a bell shaped baking dish and work it with your hand so that it covers most of the surface of the dish. I added olive oil and sesame seeds in the dish prior to spreading the dough.

step-1Add the vegetables and slices of parmesan cheese.

step-2Add the penne.

step-3Add the meat and make sure you have at least 2 centimeters to the rim of the dish, as the dough will expand in baking.

ready-to-bakeAdd a layer of dough at the top, spread egg all over to give it a nice golden color, and bake in the oven for one hour, in 250 degrees centigrade. Stick a nice in the timbale a couple if times, to let the steam out.

baked-and-servedOnce baked, let it rest for 15 minutes, then serve on a round dish. A very sharp knife is required when serving.

grand_detailLet the timbale warm your heart with its harmony of smells and tastes!

Leek pie – Πρασοπιττα

I was inspired to prepare a leek pie after I saw some beautiful leeks in the market. Here it goes.

leeksSlice them as thin as possible and brown them in olive oil.

pancettaAdd finely chopped cured pancetta (if you do not have it, bacon will do).

mixAdd a couple of finely chopped dry onions and parseley to colour and add taste, coarse sea salt and pepper.

mix-with-yogurtRemove from the heat and let it rest and cool. Add a couple of eggs and a quarter of a kilo of strained yoghourt.

Grate two large apples and add to the mix.Add a spoonful of cracked wheat, and 100 grams of parmesan.

bakedBake in 200 degrees centigrade for one hour.

servedServe and enjoy.

detail

It is a simple, easy to do pie, but the result I am sure will satisfy you and your guests in the table.

Beef and Pork Stew with dry white beans

Today’s  dish is a stew with dry white beans.

The meat in the stew is beef and pork. pork

I dice the meat and brown it with olive oil.

pork_beef_sauteedIn the same pan I then put sliced green peppers, onions, parsley and celery.

peppersI put the peppers alone at first, and then add the other ingredients.

peppers_onions_celery_parslWhile all of this is taking place, dry white beans from the northern city of Drama are boiling in water.

white_beansWhen the peppers, and onions are soft, I add the meat and half a bottle of good red wine, some slat, pepper and cover the pot. The meat must now cook in medium to low heat for at least one hour.

meat_readyWhile the meat is slowly cooking, I put half of the beans in a mixer and puree them. I spread  them in a baking tray with olive oil.

pureeOn top I add the rest of the beans, and spread them evenly. I add a lot of juice from the stew and bake for one hour in 200 degrees centigrade. To avoid dehydration of the beans, in the first thirty minutes cover the tray with aluminum foil.

beans_readyTo serve, cut a rectangle of the beans and serve the meat next to it.

servedWhat I really like about the dish is the combination of textures in the beans, accompanied by the aromas of the meat stew. IMG_1871

The particular beans I used in the dish are strong in flavor, almost to the point of the bean paste tasting like chestnuts! IMG_1870To accompany the dish, as a matter of fact to announce it, I prepared zucchini rolls with pastirma. Easy peasyFry sliced zucchini in olive oil and dry in kitchen paper.

zucchiniSlice pastirma very thinly. To avoid overpowering the zucchini with the pastirma, cut the slices very thin and short.

pastirmaTake a zucchini slice, add some pastirma, about one third of its length should be covered by the pastirma slice, roll it up and let it rest on the serving dish.

appetizerThese little bites are dynamite! I was quite surprised by the harmonious collaboration of the gentle soft and almost unspoken zucchini with the explosive pastirma!

And do not forget a good red wine to accompany the dish, I would recommend a Xinomavro from Northern Greece.

Salve!

Multi-meal in Munich / Πολυ-γευμα στο Μοναχο

Ο “αδερφος” μου ο Μανολης μενει στο Μοναχο εδω και χρονια, με τη γυναικα του τη Μαρια και την κορη τους την Αθηνα.

My “brother” Manolis leaves in Munich, with his wife Maria and their daughter Athina.

Απο καιρου εις καιρον εχωτην χαρα να τους επισκεπτομαι και παντοτε απολαμβανω μαζι τους εκτος απο την συντροφια και καλο φαγητο και κρασι. Η επισκεψη μου αυτο το φθινοπωρο συνδυαστηκε με ενα πολυ-γευμα που παρουσιαζω σε αυτο το αρθρο.

From time to time I visit them and we always enjoy good food and wine. My visit this fall was the opportunity for a multi-meal that I present in this post.

rieslingΑρχιζω με το πρωτο κρασι, ενα καταπληκτικο ρησλινγκ απο την αλσατια, Clos Hauserer 2004, απο το φημισμενο  Domaine Zind Humbrecht. Συνοδεψε εξαιρετικα τα θαλασσινα μεζεδακια και το ψαρι.

I start with the first wine, a fantastic Riesling from Alsace, Clos Hauserer 2004, from the famous Domaine Zind Humbrecht. It accompanied in a superb way the seafood appetizers and the fish.

seafood_saladΗ σαλατα με τα θαλασσινα ηταν θεσπεσια, ολα τα φρεσκα συστατικα ερχονται απο την Ιταλια, που ειναι 5 ωρες δρομος!

The seafood salad was delicious, fresh ingredients coming from Italy, which is only 5 hours away by truck!

smoked_eelΤο καπνιστο χελι ειναι η αδυναμια μου, και ηρθε απο την Ολλανδια. Συνταιριαξε με το ρησλινγκ με αψογο τροπο!

The smoked eel from Holand had intensity and texture and was superbly balanced by the riesling.

monkfish_rawΗ ολοφρεσκη πεσκανδριτσα ηρθε κι αυτη απο την Ιταλια, και ψηθηκε στο φουρνο με πατατουλες.

A fresh juicy robust monkfish with potatoes was superbly baked in the oven.

monkfish_cookedΚαθε μπουκια και απολαυση! Every bite was a pleasure!

Περναω τωρα στο δευτερο μερος του γευματος, που εχει βαση το κρεας!Το κρασι του δευτερου μερους ειναι μπρουνελο απο το μονταλτσινο, του παραγωγου Altesino, Montosoli 1990. Μετα απο εικοσι χρονια η απιστευτη δυναμη του σταφυλιου εχει μετατραπει σε μεταξενια υφη και πολυαρωματικη γευση.

I now move to the second part of the meal, the one with the meat! The wine was a Brunello di Montalcino,

brunellofrom the famous producer Altesino, Montosoli 1990. Almost 20 years old! Tempered by age, the fiery brunello had mellowed to perfection!

Το πρωτο πιατο του δευττερου μερους ηταν μαυρο λουκανικο απο την Αλσατια. Ονειρεμενο, σερβιρισμενο μονο του, οπως και πρεπει για καθε μαυρο λουκανικο ποιοτητας.

The first dish of the second part was a divine black pudding  (boudin noir) from Alsace.

boudinIt was followed by a new creation of Maria, sauerkraut with duck meat and sausages!

sauerkraut_meatA superb combination of aromas and textures, this dish was so light that I could eat the whole pot!

cheeseTo finish the meal, we had some cheese. Everything was good, except of the 36 month guda on the left, that was a miracle! Find it and taste it whenever you can!

summer_puddingThis marvelous sweet was prepared by Athina, who had just returned from a week’s stay in England and was dreaming Summer Pudding!

P.S. The multi-meal was enjoyed over a period of 10 hours, with intervals of recreation in the nearby forest, with air temperatures ranging from 15 to 10 degrees Celcius. Thank you Maria, Athina, and Manoli!

Ristorante Uliassi – Senigallia, Marche, Italia

Ristorante Uliassi is located in the small resort town of Senigallia, on the Adriatic sea, a few kilometers away from Ancona. It comes highly recommended from Michelin Red Guide  (two stars) and the Italian Gastronomic Guide Gambero Rosso.

As I was on my way to Ravenna, I decided to stop by and taste the creations of the chef. I arrived just in time one late summer night, to experience the dying light and the emerging darkness.

dining_balconyMy menu choice was the “Tuto Crudo”, meaning “Raw all the way”. This would highlight the qualities of the ingredients and the synthetic ability of the chef, as his contribution to the dish would be primarily the synthesis of the ingredients.

potatoes_oysterThe first dish was oyster with potatoes and red onion ice cream with a leaf of chocolate.

The oyster was sumptuous in taste, full or aromas and it was perfectly supported by the tasty potatoes and the heavelnly onion ice cream. The leaf of chocolate gave the necessary bitter undertone.

shrimp_foie

The second dish was shrimp with duck foie gras and strawberry paste. The raw shrimp is sweet in its own way, ans the acidity of the straberry supplemented it in a harmonious way, while the foie added the body that seafood does not have.

cod_tripe_sea_urchin_eggsI now come to one of the absolutely fabulous dishes of the evening and my entire life as a food lover. Frozen sea urchin eggs with cod tripe. What a pandemonium of tastes,  aromas and all of them encased on the tender silky texture of the cod tripe!

tagliatelle_di_sepiaWhat followed was another absolute masterpiece, cuttlefish tagliatelle with pesto of nori seaweed. The cuttlefish was tender and tasty, drassed in the incredibly rich in aromas pesto of the nori! Heavenly, heavenly, heavenly!

rossetti

The saga continued with “rossetti” which is some type of scampi with olive oil, scallions and pine kerners. It was the perfect calming down dish, after the wild extravagant taste of the previous dish. Back to “normal”, civilized, food!

scampoWe stayed on the scampi family, the next dish was scampi in their shell, with tamarind. I confess I am crazy for scampi in their shell, with minimal add ons, as you can really taste the sea in all its glory!

lonzino_lecciaThe next dish combined surf and turf, with glorious mouth melting smoked lonzino (a type of cured ham) accompanied by raw leerfish (lecchia), and pears soaked in grapa!

ricciolaAs we approach the end, leerfish is again on the menu, this type with coconut milk and olive oil!

bacalaoThe last dish of the menu was “esquisada di baccala”. Raw cod chunks (salted cod from San Sebastian in the Basque Country, quite possibly the best in the world), with potatoes, pendolini tomatoes and basil.This is a hymn to primary ingredients of the best quality, as the cod’s texture  is supplemented by the sweetness of the potatoes and the incredible acidity of the small tomatoes that have been blessed by the volcanic soil of Vesuvius.

tiramisouThe tirami-sou that followed was deconstructed and absolutely fantastic! The mascarpone was intense and ever present, the cream golden and thick, the chocolate dressed in coffee chunky and bitter! A caramelized wet biscuit on top provided the necessary absorbing agent.No cake needed!

Tagliatelle with Octopus Ragu and Egg

Today, after the meat feast in Dario’s officina, I want to share with you a new original recipe that combines all the flavours of octopus with good eggs.

I cooked a octopus ragu, and served it with tagliatelle with an egg on top.  Here it goes.

First we prepare the octopus ragu.

preparation

The first step is to gently sautee onions, whole tomatoes and one big potato. The potato is essential in absorbing excess liguids. and then it becomes a taste bomb to be enjoyed before serving the meal!

preparation2The nice fresh octopus is then placed on top, with dried parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. I use dried stuff in order to avoid having a lot of liguid in the port. The setting of the temperature is low, so the octopous will simmer for at couple of hours.

cookedWhen the ragu is ready, you let it relax for a couple of hours. Then you cut the octous in smaller bits so that they can be served with the pasta. Next step is to prepare the pasta in the juice of the ragu.

pastaGet the best tagliatelle tha you can get, and throw them in the pan with the bubbling juices.

cookingKeep the heat setting at medium, and then low.

cooked_pastaAfter five minutes, the pasta is cooked and the dissh is almost ready. Add the chunks of octopus, and serve.

Prepare an egg in a frying pan, with very low heat. It has to be very soft, juicy, without any crust, and the yolk must be ready to explode in a fantasy of taste.

cooking_egg2After two minutes in very low heat, just drop the egg on top of the pasta with the octopus, and you have a fantastic, flavourful dish!

served Enjoy slowly, mixing the soft egg white bits and the yolk with the intense flavours of the octopus and the balancing of the tagliatelle! Be generous with the pepper, it really enhances the dish! And do not forget to sprinkle the egg with coarse salt!

Bon appetit!

Officina della Bistecca – Dario Cecchini’s meat feast

As I promised, I continue with the meat feast that Dario Cecchini offers to his guests in his one year old “Officina della Bistecca”. The evening I visited Officina, Dario had to go to an event and therefore I had the opportunity to see the place without its master.

Officina is right above the butcher shop, and during a hot August night it offers the guests everything al fresco!

grill

The setting is very simple, there is no fancy stuff in Officina, two large tables where the guests mix and a huge grill where the drama and ecstasy of the night is played.

The menu of the feast starts with ground beef that has been jst caressed by heat, and is practically raw. It is served with rosemary, lemon and olive oil and delicious! It is sweet, very tender and leaves a very subtle aftertaste in your mouth.

Το πρωτο πιατο ειναι μοσχαρισιος κιμας, ισα ισα περασμενος απο το τηγανι, μια ανασα μονο! Στην φωτογραφια το βλεπετε με σελινο, που παει θαυμασια, μαζι με φλουδα λεμονιου και λαδακι της εληας. Γλυκισμα και αξεχαστο!

sushi2The green stuff that you see in the photo is celery, which goes really well with the meat.

Moving away from the introductory dish, we face a slab of wood on which the protagonists of the night rest. The costata, the panczanese and – of course! – the fiorentina!

platterThe costata is a  thick rib eye cut, and in the photo it is presented by Dante, the Master of Ceremonies in the Officina. .

Η κοστατα ειναι μοσχαρισια μπριτζολα, κομμενη χοντρη για να ειναι ζουμερη και με μπολικες ουσιες οταν σερβιριστει.

costata0The costata is first grilled flat and then on its side. Observe the marbled flesh!

costata1Once these wonderful cuts are ready, Angelo, the Chief of the Grill Station slices them for the guests.

angelo The costata was sweet, juicy, tender and without dripping blood, although it was cooked medium rare. The reason behind is tha t the meat in Tuscany is aged properly, about 6 days, so there is no blood or water in the flesh when it is cooked, but the absolute minimum.

costata2

We continued with the panzanese, a cut from the rump, that Dario grills and served also medium rare.

Συνεχιζουμε με την πανζανεζε, που ειναι μια εφευρεση του Νταριο, οσον αφορα το ψησιμο στα καρβουνα. Το κρεας ειναι αυτο που λεμε εμεις στρογγυλο. Και ο Νταριο το σερβιρει και αυτο ψημενο στα καρβουνα!

panzaneseObserve that the meat is lean here, no marbles!

panzanese1But is is juicy and full of flavours, although of course is not as tender as the costata!

And now the time has come for the Bistecca Fiorentina, the ultimate treat of the night.

marblesJust see how marbled the cut is! And how thick!

Η φιορεντινα ειναι ενα μια μπριτζολα κοντρα, οι αμερικανοι τη λενε τι μποουν, επειδη το κοκκαλο της ειναι σατ ενα μεγαλο ταυ.

platter2Angelo does a fantastic job and grills the Bistecca to perfection.

bisteca2The fiorentina is finished by grilling it on its side, and as you see it stands on its side quite comfortably!

bisteca3It was worth the wait! After almost 2 and a half hours the queen arived and she was in top form! Needless to say, you must eat everything! Including the fat bits, which are the best in my humble opinion!

Be aware! No salt, no peper or anything else is added to the meat after it is served. This is the secret of enjoying the real taste, texture and flavour of the meat. Another small secret for the enjoyment of the whole experience is to avoid eating bread and the baked potato that comes with the meat. They both fill you up when this is the last thing you want. Stick on the meat and the raw vegetables!

The feast lasted for approaximately four hours. Dario in his “menu” card says three hours, but this is on the low side. In any case, this type of extravagant eating requires time and very good company, and Dario’s guests are usually a very good company indeed!

There is not much else to say, but thank you to the team that put this all together: Marina, who inside the kitchen prepared everything to perfection, Angelo, the grill supreme master, Dante, the animator of the party, and Dario, and Kim who put everything together!

peopleGrazie e buonanote!