OMBRA:
Recipes from the Salumi Bar By Carlo Grossi
Timeless Italian bar culture gets a modern Melbourne twist at Carlo Grossi’s Ombra. In Venice you’ll often hear the phrase Andiamo per un ombra? (‘Shall we go for a drink?’). And it’s this ‘ombra’, the Venetian name for a small tumbler of wine, that inspired Carlo Grossi’s restaurant – a modern take on an authentic Italian salumi bar right in the bustling heart of Melbourne. The Ombra cookbook brings together the very best of Carlo’s food and hospitality, from lovingly aged meats and homemade sausages to mouth-watering pizzas, all sorts of irresistible bar snacks (cicchetti), hearty evening meals, fermented and pickled vegetables and fruits, and delectable desserts to finish off the evening. With family heirloom recipes and dishes inspired by Carlo’s travels all over Italy, the Italian ideals of preservation and quality produce are on proud display in this collection of familiar and tasty food that’s made for sharing over a lively conversation.
WIN
To win The Ombra cookbook, valued at $39.99, email the prize name OMBRA and your contact details by 13th October 2021 to competition@labelmagazine.com.au
42 / SPRING 2021
Ombra pizza dough
From the start it was important that we had the right style of dough to form the base of all our pizzas. We wanted more of a Roman style of pizza, a lighter, crisper end result than the softer Neapolitan-style base that tends to droop in your hands! We experimented with different fermentation times and ultimately found the best time to be 48 hours. It gives the best crust with just the right amount of chew and great blistering while also allowing the pizza to stand the weight of toppings. Noteworthy here is that we always use the purified water that we serve in the restaurant, which I believe makes a very big difference to the end product in both flavour and density and texture. These elements gave us a great starting point for our pizza program. Cooking pizza at home is like making pasta: it’s tactile. Once you start rolling it out everyone starts to get involved, getting their hands into the dough and making all sorts of shapes and rustic-looking bases. It’s most fun because it really brings people together, and the satisfaction of making something together that you’ll then eat as a group is a truly fulfilling feeling. Makes 10 × 250 g dough balls (enough for 10 pizzas) 8g fresh yeast, crumbled, or 2 tablespoons dried yeast 1 litre water 1.6kg good-quality strong pizza flour 2 tablespoons salt Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup (250ml) of the water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the flour, salt and remaining 3 cups (750 ml) water and mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed slightly and mix for 10 to 15 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a container, cover and leave it in the fridge for 24 hours. The next day remove the dough from the fridge, then cut and weigh it into 10 × 250g pieces. Roll into balls and leave them on a floured tray, covered with a clean tea towel, to prove for another 24 hours in the fridge. The next day the dough will be ready to use.
Pizza ‘nduja
‘Nduja is the fiery salumi from Calabria, rich both in spice and in fat. It’s great as a spread on crusty bread as a cicchetti but it also finds its home beautifully on this pared back pizza with the fior di latte and the delicious saltiness of the anchovy fillets. Makes 1 pizza coarse semola flour, for dusting 250g Pizza Dough (page 108) 40g ‘nduja sauce (recipe below) 90g fior di latte, torn into small pieces 7 anchovy fillets ¼ cup Parmigiano crumb (recipe below) celery leaves, to serve Parmigiano crumb 100g grated Parmigiano 2 tablespoons olive oil
50g unsalted butter 100g panko breadcrumbs 3 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley finely grated zest of 1 lemon ‘Nduja sauce 1 tablespoon olive oil 50g ‘Nduja (page 46) 100ml white wine 100g San Marzano tinned tomatoes, blended
Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper. To make the Parmigiano crumb, spread the grated Parmigiano over the prepared tray and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Increase the oven to 220°C (fan-forced). Lightly oil a large pizza tray or preheat a pizza stone. Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the breadcrumbs and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Crush the cooled Parmigiano with your hands and mix in a bowl with the cooled breadcrumbs, parsley and zest. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week. To make the ‘nduja sauce, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the ‘nduja and cook slowly until it starts to melt. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the tomatoes. Cook on a low heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Lightly dust the workbench with semola flour. Stretch the pizza dough using your hands ensuring the edge is thick enough to form a crust (see recipe). Transfer the dough to the
prepared tray or onto the preheated pizza stone using a paddle. Spread the ‘nduja sauce over the dough with the back of a spoon, then scatter with the fior di latte and anchovies. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve sprinkled with the Parmigiano crumb and celery leaves.
