A LITTLE bit of ITALY
Sample the tastes of Southern Europe with one chef’s Easter feast inspirations
“Easter is an exciting time, especially in Southern Europe,” Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli says.
Growing up in Lombardy, the Michelin-starred owner of London’s Locanda Locatelli enjoyed elaborate Easter processions with his parents. Roasted capretto — a milk-fed kid goat — or lamb would be the centre of the family feast.
Lamb shanks, served with spring-fresh artichokes, make a fine Italian-inspired alternative to a classic roast leg of lamb for the holiday.
“The brilliant thing about lamb shanks is that they are virtually impossible to overcook … The meat will be meltingly tender and will just fall from the bone,” Locatelli writes in his latest cookbook, Made at Home: The Food I Cook for the People I Love (Fourth Estate, 2018).
The collection includes more than 150 family recipes that represent the various places Locatelli calls home: from North London to northern Italy, and the seaside vacation spot in Puglia he shares with his wife, Plaxy, to the restaurant they run.
As a sharp and sweet accompaniment to his Easter lamb shanks, Locatelli recommends his fresh salad of char-grilled eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and wild garlic. Recipes excerpted from Made at Home: The Food I Cook for the People I Love by Giorgio Locatelli, published by Fourth Estate, 2018. 2.2 lb (1 kg) large Jerusalem artichokes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup + 1 tsp (85 mL) extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup (160 mL) Pinot Grigio or other subtle white wine vinegar 7 oz (198 g) of each golden, white and purple heritage carrots
10 oz (284 g) pea shoots
1. Cook the artichokes in boiling salted water for about 1 hour (depending on the size), until tender but still firm. Drain under cold water to stop them cooking further, then peel and slice 1 cm thick. Drizzle with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the olive oil, then season and put on a hot griddle pan or barbecue until marked.
2. Pour the vinegar into a dish, put in the artichokes, cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate for 2 hours, turning them every so often. Lift out of the vinegar ( but reserve this). 3. Peel carrots and then, still using the peeler, shave into long strips. Put into a bowl of iced water to crisp for about 10 minutes. Drain, season and put into a bowl. Toss with the reserved vinegar and the rest of the olive oil, then add the pea shoots. Arrange the artichokes in a serving dish with the carrots and pea shoots.