A consuming passion for food as well as his unmatched knowledge and skills are the ingredients for Chef Marco Martini’s success in the gastronomic world.
The famous chef has been awarded Michelin stars – one of the highest honors in the world of fine dining – for three different restaurants, the latest being for his own restaurant in Rome, ‘The Corner’.
He was in Jeddah recently to participate in the Italian Cuisine Week celebrations organized by the Italian Consulate, in association with the Italian Business Group in Jeddah (IBG).
Chef Martini hosted live cooking classes demonstrating the art of perfecting simple yet delicious Italian dishes.
He says his mission is to reflect the true traditions and culture of Italy in both his food and restaurant.
Chef Martini explored the Jeddah fish market seeking to learn more about the local catch and produce. “It is always fun to see what each city around the world has to offer when it comes to food because food markets inspire chefs to create unique and creative dishes,” he said.
“It is not that easy to create an authentic Italian dish in Saudi Arabia because we do not have the same produce but a good chef would know how to make his dishes flexible with ingredients and be creative with local produce to be able to create the best version of an authentic dish,” he added.
According to the chef, one needs to always use his experience and knowledge about food when recreating a dish, and that is what he did when he hosted cooking classes in Jeddah.
“Most of my dishes are crafted from my memory of my mother’s cooking and how important it was to her to present to our family the best kinds of food, and my knowledge of raw materials and local produce,” he said. “I believe that the art of cooking comes from being passionate about food, knowing your raw materials, paying attention to small details and by believing in your team,” he added.
Chef Martini visited a number of Italian restaurants in Jeddah to explore their menus and cooking methods. “You do not have to be an Italian to perfect real Italian cooking, the only thing you need to do is to actually visit the country and explore the dishes. The beauty of this cuisine is that it is simple and uses simple ingredients. I have seen beautifully made Italian dishes with important ingredients but the thing is that you do not have to stick to all raw materials, the beauty about food is that you can play with it,” he added.
Chef Martini shared with us two of his favorite recipes that promise the real taste of Italy:
Bolognese Tagliatelle (4 persons)
Ingredients:
55 grams butter
55 grams minced beef bacon
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 piece celery stalk, finely chopped
1 whole onion, finely chopped
200 grams minced lean veal or beef
Beef or chicken stock
3 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. This by far is the best-known and genuine Bolognese recipe; it has to be made with fresh or dried tagliatelle and not spaghetti pasta.
2. To make the ragu, heat the butter in a large pan; add the carrot, celery and onion and fry gently for about 10 minutes. Add both varieties of the minced meat and stir with a wooden spoon to break them up into smaller chunks.
3. Cook for about 15 minutes to brown the meat and simmer for a few minutes.
4. Stir in a little stock to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan. Stir in the tomato paste and dilute with a few tablespoons of stock to get a sauce-like consistency. Leave to simmer for about one and a half hours. Add more stock if the mixture becomes dry.
5. At the end of the cooking time, add a little more stock to obtain a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and mix with the sauce. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.
Beef Tenderloin Pizzaiola (4 persons)
Ingredients
• 600 grams fillet of beef
• 140 grams tomato peeled
• 20 grams red onion
• 10 grams extra virgin olive oil
• Dried oregano
• 2 centiliter white vinegar
• Salt and pepper — to taste
• Mixed herbs for decoration
Method:
1. Peel and remove the seeds of the tomato; you should have 100 grams pulp remaining.
2. Finely chop the onion.
3. Sauté the fillet, a minute on each side. Remove, then add vinegar and reduce to dry.
4. In the same pan, add two teaspoons of oil, tomato pulp and onion.
5. Season with salt and pepper, add the meat and continue cooking for another five minutes, stirring the meat a few times. Turn off the heat, sprinkle dried oregano to taste and finish with the remaining oil. With this cooking time the fillet will still be rare, if you prefer to cook it more, leave it in the pan for an extra two minutes.
6. Assemble on the serving dish and garnish with mixed herbs.
—
Email: [email protected]
The famous chef has been awarded Michelin stars – one of the highest honors in the world of fine dining – for three different restaurants, the latest being for his own restaurant in Rome, ‘The Corner’.
He was in Jeddah recently to participate in the Italian Cuisine Week celebrations organized by the Italian Consulate, in association with the Italian Business Group in Jeddah (IBG).
Chef Martini hosted live cooking classes demonstrating the art of perfecting simple yet delicious Italian dishes.
He says his mission is to reflect the true traditions and culture of Italy in both his food and restaurant.
Chef Martini explored the Jeddah fish market seeking to learn more about the local catch and produce. “It is always fun to see what each city around the world has to offer when it comes to food because food markets inspire chefs to create unique and creative dishes,” he said.
“It is not that easy to create an authentic Italian dish in Saudi Arabia because we do not have the same produce but a good chef would know how to make his dishes flexible with ingredients and be creative with local produce to be able to create the best version of an authentic dish,” he added.
According to the chef, one needs to always use his experience and knowledge about food when recreating a dish, and that is what he did when he hosted cooking classes in Jeddah.
“Most of my dishes are crafted from my memory of my mother’s cooking and how important it was to her to present to our family the best kinds of food, and my knowledge of raw materials and local produce,” he said. “I believe that the art of cooking comes from being passionate about food, knowing your raw materials, paying attention to small details and by believing in your team,” he added.
Chef Martini visited a number of Italian restaurants in Jeddah to explore their menus and cooking methods. “You do not have to be an Italian to perfect real Italian cooking, the only thing you need to do is to actually visit the country and explore the dishes. The beauty of this cuisine is that it is simple and uses simple ingredients. I have seen beautifully made Italian dishes with important ingredients but the thing is that you do not have to stick to all raw materials, the beauty about food is that you can play with it,” he added.
Chef Martini shared with us two of his favorite recipes that promise the real taste of Italy:
Bolognese Tagliatelle (4 persons)
Ingredients:
55 grams butter
55 grams minced beef bacon
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 piece celery stalk, finely chopped
1 whole onion, finely chopped
200 grams minced lean veal or beef
Beef or chicken stock
3 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. This by far is the best-known and genuine Bolognese recipe; it has to be made with fresh or dried tagliatelle and not spaghetti pasta.
2. To make the ragu, heat the butter in a large pan; add the carrot, celery and onion and fry gently for about 10 minutes. Add both varieties of the minced meat and stir with a wooden spoon to break them up into smaller chunks.
3. Cook for about 15 minutes to brown the meat and simmer for a few minutes.
4. Stir in a little stock to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan. Stir in the tomato paste and dilute with a few tablespoons of stock to get a sauce-like consistency. Leave to simmer for about one and a half hours. Add more stock if the mixture becomes dry.
5. At the end of the cooking time, add a little more stock to obtain a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and mix with the sauce. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.
Beef Tenderloin Pizzaiola (4 persons)
Ingredients
• 600 grams fillet of beef
• 140 grams tomato peeled
• 20 grams red onion
• 10 grams extra virgin olive oil
• Dried oregano
• 2 centiliter white vinegar
• Salt and pepper — to taste
• Mixed herbs for decoration
Method:
1. Peel and remove the seeds of the tomato; you should have 100 grams pulp remaining.
2. Finely chop the onion.
3. Sauté the fillet, a minute on each side. Remove, then add vinegar and reduce to dry.
4. In the same pan, add two teaspoons of oil, tomato pulp and onion.
5. Season with salt and pepper, add the meat and continue cooking for another five minutes, stirring the meat a few times. Turn off the heat, sprinkle dried oregano to taste and finish with the remaining oil. With this cooking time the fillet will still be rare, if you prefer to cook it more, leave it in the pan for an extra two minutes.
6. Assemble on the serving dish and garnish with mixed herbs.
—
Email: [email protected]
