AN INTERVIEW WITH GENNARO CONTALDO
His first time in London, why he refers to Parmigiano Reggiano PDO as ‘the King of Cheeses’, and three incredible recipes to spotlight it
At last year’s demonstration you told a lovely story about coming to London as a young man and finding a shop in Soho which sold Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, and how that made you feel. Could you tell that story to our readers?
“When I first came to London in 1969, I loved the bright lights of the West End – remember I came from a very small village – and London was so very exciting for a youngster! During one of my many jaunts into Central London, I found an Italian deli in the heart of Soho. As I entered, I was amazed at what I saw – salamis and hams hanging from the ceiling and great big hunks of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO on the counter – the smell was intoxicating and it immediately transported me back to home. In those days, you couldn’t find produce from home easily – in fact if it wasn’t for small independent shops like this one, you had to rely on someone bringing it for you when they visited. So, whenever I was in Central London, I always paid a visit to this deli and made sure I bought a small piece of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO to grate on my pasta dishes. Funnily enough the shop was called Fratelli Parmigiani.”
You refer to Parmigiano Reggiano PDO as ’The King of Cheeses’. What makes it so special for you?
“It’s a versatile cheese, you can not only grate it on pasta, but you can add it to so many different dishes, including sweet dishes. It adds just the right saltiness to a dish resulting in a rich and flavoursome taste. You can also enjoy Parmigiano Reggiano PDO on its own, as part of a cheeseboard, with drinks or simply as a nutritious snack when you’re hungry and on the go. And the best bit, there is no waste, you can even use the rind – add it to your soups, stews and ragus for a richer flavour– and you can even grate the rind!
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO has a long history, it is 1,000 years old and it is still made in an artisan way still today.”
FRITTELLE DI CAVOLFIORE AL PARMIGIANO REGGIANO CON SALSINA
Parmigiano Reggiano cauliflower bites with a garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano dip (starter / with drinks)
24-month Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 servings
1 x cauliflower head, cut into florets (approx. 500g cauliflower florets)
3 x eggs
salt and pepper
1 tbsp plain flour
80g Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, grated
vegetable or sunflower oil, for frying
For the dip:
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp plain yoghurt
30g Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, grated
1 x garlic clove, diced or grated
1 tsp paprika
black pepper
a few chives, finely chopped
Method:
Cook the cauliflower florets in slightly salted water for 3 minutes. Drain well and leave to cool.
In the meantime, make the dip – in a small bowl, combine all the ingredients, mix well and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, a little salt & pepper, flour and 20g of grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO together. Coat the cauliflower florets in this mixture. Heat abundant oil in a pan, when hot, deep fry the florets for about 3-4 minutes until golden all over.
Drain on kitchen paper, leave for a minute, then coat in the remaining grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO. Place on a dish and serve alongside the dip.
“These moreish cauliflower bites can be served as an antipasto or with drinks. 24-month matured Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is added to the light batter, used as a coating and added in the tasty dip giving you a burst of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO deliciousness at each bite. Be warned, once you start eating them, you can’t stop! The dip is also delicious served with crudites so it’s worth making more especially when serving with drinks”
CONCHIGLIONI RIPIENI AL FORNO CON PARMIGIANO REGGIANO PDO
Filled baked pasta shells with Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (main course)
40-month Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Serves 4
Ingredients:
250g conchiglioni pasta (large shells)
salt
30g grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
½ x mozzarella ball, sliced in small pieces
For the tomato sauce:
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 x garlic cloves, finely sliced
700 ml tomato passata
approx. 350 ml water (rinsed out of the passata jar)
handful of basil leaves
salt and pepper
For the filling:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 x medium-sized red onion, finely sliced
350g ricotta
150g cooked ham, finely sliced
50g grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
black pepper
Method:
First make the sauce – heat the olive oil in a pan, sweat the garlic for a minute, then pour in the tomato passata, water, some salt and pepper and basil leaves. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for about 30 minutes, whilst you prepare the rest of the dish.
To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the onions, reduce the heat and gently fry for about 15 minutes until the onions have softened.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
In a bowl, combine ricotta, ham, 50g of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, black pepper and the cooled onions.
Place a large pot of slightly salted water on the heat, bring to the boil and cook the pasta shells until “al dente” – check your packet cooking instructions and reduce the time by 3 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool.
Place nearly all the tomato sauce into an ovenproof dish.
Place the filling mixture into a piping bag (if you don’t have one, use a teaspoon) and fill each pasta shell, then place them over the tomato sauce. When they are all done, spoon blobs of the remaining tomato sauce over the shells and sprinkle all over with 20g of grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO.
Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Place pieces of mozzarella over each shell and return to the oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese has nicely melted.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and serve.
“This delicious pasta bake takes a little time to prepare, but it is well worth it. Crumbly, grainy 40-month Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is added to enrich the ricotta filling, giving it just the right amount of saltiness. Serve with a green salad for a nutritious meal the family will love.”
GELATO ALLA PERA E PARMIGIANO REGGIANO PDO
Pear and Parmigiano Reggiano PDO ice cream (dessert)
18-month Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
4 x egg yolks
150g caster sugar
500 ml milk
1 tbsp plain flour
4 x ripe pears, peeled and cut into small chunks
70g grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
a few chopped walnuts for serving
Method:
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until creamy. Place the milk and pears in a non-stick saucepan over a medium heat and cook until it nearly comes to the boil.
Remove from the heat, pour into the egg mixture whisking in the flour making sure you don’t end up with lumps (an electric whisk will help remove any lumps).
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon or whisking all the time, until the mixture begins to thicken slightly.
Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly, then place in an ice cream machine to churn for about 20-25 minutes for a soft serve – refer to your machine instructions for timings, etc.
Either serve immediately or transfer into a container and place in the freezer until required.
If you don’t have an ice cream machine, simply pour into a cold plastic container, place in the freezer and every 20-30 minutes stir with a spoon until you obtain an ice cream consistency.
You will probably have to do this several times over a 4-5 hour period.
Serve in individual glasses or bowls topped with chopped walnuts
“Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and ripe pears go so well together as part of a cheeseboard or snack, so why not in an ice cream?! Delicate 18-month Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is used to make this delicious dessert which will surely impress your guests – ask them to guess the flavours! Serve with a sprinkling of chopped walnuts to add a bit of crunch.”
For the students watching, it was more than a cooking demonstration. It was a masterclass in knowing your ingredients, treating them with care, and allowing them to shine. Good food doesn’t need to be about complication. We nibbled on chunks of the fresh, grassy 12 month, the crystalised, nutty 24 month and the sweet-sour, intense 36 month Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, noting their different characteristics as we watched Gennaro cook. And as he finished up, he gave one last piece of advice: “Learn the basics, learn them well, understand your ingredients, and then you can start playing.” A lesson in Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and pasta, yes, but also in what it means to be a chef.