By Christine Salins.
Carlo Grossi has big shoes to fill in producing his first cookbook, Ombra: Recipes From The Salumi Bar (Lantern, $39.99).
The son of Melbourne chef Guy Grossi, he has seen his father enjoy a stellar career in hospitality and food writing, rising to prominence as one of the city’s most lauded chefs.
Having grown up in the kitchens of the Grossi family restaurants, Carlo learnt from the best. He inherited both his father’s passion for Italian food and Guy’s instinct for hospitality.
Ombra, produced by Carlo in close collaboration with his father, showcases the best of Ombra restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD. For those who are unfamiliar with it, Ombra opened in 2012, next door to Grossi Florentino and The Cellar Bar in Bourke Street.
The salumi bar is dedicated to the craft of ageing and preserving meats, as well as pickling, fermenting and preserving vegetables. It heroes everything from cured meats and cheese, to mouth-watering pizzas, bar snacks (cicchetti), pickles and ferments, larger plates and desserts.
Ombra, the book, is a collection of the venue’s go-to recipes, some of them family heirlooms, others inspired by Carlo’s travels in Italy. It’s a fine collection of dishes, perfect for sharing over lively conversation.
The name Ombra comes from the Venetian name for a small tumbler of wine, perfect for this modern take on an authentic Italian salumi bar. In Venice you’ll often hear the phrase Andiamo per un ombra? (‘Shall we go for a drink?’). Any time is a good time for a drink at Ombra!
SUCKLING LAMB, POMODORO
Serves 6
1 × 1.2 kg piece boneless suckling lamb shoulder
¾ teaspoon whole cloves
¾ teaspoon toasted fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
500 g Dutch cream potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
1 onion, finely chopped
⅓ cup oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
50 ml olive oil
150 ml white wine
350 ml passata
350 ml chicken stock
30 g packaged breadcrumbs
½ cup (50 g) grated Grana Padano
Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-forced). Cut the lamb into roughly 4-cm pieces and place in an earthenware dish or roasting tin. Grind the cloves, fennel seeds and peppercorns into a powder with a mortar and pestle, then mix in the salt. Rub the mixture into the lamb.
Add the potato, onion, oregano, parsley, garlic, olive oil and white wine to the lamb. Pour in the passata and stock and mix to combine. Cover the top with the breadcrumbs and cheese and, using your fingers, push some of the crumbs and cheese into the liquid, not disturbing the top of the lamb which will form a crust as it cooks. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the meat is tender.
From: Ombra: Recipes From The Salumi Bar by Carlo Grossi, published by Lantern, $39.99.
