43 Recipes – Ombra: Recipes from the Salumi Bar By Carlo Grossi

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.

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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.

Octopus can vary greatly in taste and texture and we are really lucky here in Australia to have such a diverse offering of the species across all our waters. Personally, I love the octopus from Fremantle as its texture and flavour are always sumptuous. This recipe gives you a soft, tender, melt-in-the-mouth octopus. Lightly boiled potatoes add a little starch while the green beans bring just a touch of crunch. I always find a spicier style of extra virgin olive oil really brings things together. The octopus looks impressive when presented whole, but you can also chop it into 2cm pieces before warming it with the vegetables. Serves 4

500g octopus tentacles 1 large onion, roughly chopped 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped 1 large carrot, roughly chopped 3 bay leaves 3 sprigs thyme 2 cloves garlic 200ml white wine 2 potatoes, boiled until tender then peeled and cut in cubes 100g green beans, blanched 5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 5 to 6 basil leaves extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling 1 lemon, cut into wedges salt and cracked black pepper

Place the octopus in a large saucepan with the onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme and garlic. Pour in enough water until the octopus is just covered. Add the white wine and bring just to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and poach for 1 hour or until the octopus is tender. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the octopus to cool in the poaching liquid. Once cooled, drain the octopus (and chop into 2cm pieces, if desired), then toss gently in a saucepan over low heat with the potato, beans, parsley, basil and olive oil until warmed through. Serve warm or cold with a squeeze of lemon and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Suckling lamb, pomodoro

This dish is one of those ones that screams comfort. It’s bowl food, the kind you can tuck into with some soft polenta or crusty bread to mop up the sauce. It will make you feel good, both cooking it and consuming it. Serves 6 1 × 1.2kg piece boneless suckling lamb shoulder ¾ teaspoon whole cloves ¾ teaspoon toasted fennel seeds 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 teaspoon salt 500g 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 50ml olive oil 150ml white wine 350ml passata 350ml chicken stock 30g packaged breadcrumbs ½ cup (50g) grated Grana Padano Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-forced).

Cut the lamb into roughly 4cm 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.

PIZZA DIAVOLA

The ‘devil’s pizza’ is another spicy pizza and one of the favourites of Ombra’s regulars. It’s got just enough kick to satisfy even the most discerning of our chilli lovers. Makes 1 pizza Coarse semola flour, for dusting 250 g Pizza Dough (page 108) 50g San Marzano tinned tomatoes, blended 100g fior di latte, torn into small pieces 30g thinly sliced hot salami ½ long red chilli, finely chopped olive oil, for drizzling Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan-forced). Lightly oil a large pizza tray or preheat a pizza stone. 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 the preheated pizza stone using a paddle. Spread the tomato sauce over the dough with the back of a spoon. Scatter with the cheese, salami and chilli, then drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until crisp and golden.

PIZZA PROSCIUTTO, GORGONZOLA

You can talk about matches made in heaven until the cows come home, but nothing will beat the combination of prosciutto and gorgonzola. I love the lava-like gorgonzola when it comes out of the oven, with the sharp smell of the blue cheese that’s just waiting to be adorned with silky slices of prosciutto, which soften just from the heat without needing any cooking. I think I need a slice now!

Makes 1 pizza Coarse semola flour, for dusting 250g Pizza Dough 90g fior di latte, torn into small pieces 30g Gorgonzola cheese, chopped olive oil, for drizzling Salt and cracked black pepper 50g thinly sliced prosciutto Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan-forced). Lightly oil a large pizza tray or preheat a pizza stone. Lightly dust the workbench with semola flour. Stretch the pizza dough using your hands ensuring the edge is thick enough to form a crust. Transfer the dough to the prepared tray or the preheated pizza stone using a paddle. Scatter the fior di latte over the dough followed by the Gorgonzola. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve the pizza draped with the prosciutto.