Baked river sole with mustard potatoes and salsa verde

When a new chef announces his arrival with a festival of food from Lombardy, you sit up and take notice. I had heard that a young gentleman called Anurudh Khanna was making his presence felt in the capital, and was obviously keen to meet him. We broke the ice over a delicious plate of pan fried polenta with pancetta and mozzarella. The cornmeal cake was crisp, the cured pork was moist and the cheese, nice and fresh.

I was at Italia, a restaurant that was started by the Italian celebrity chef, Antonio Carluccio, a couple of years ago. Chef Khanna, the new executive chef at The Park in New Delhi, which runs Italia, had come up with a menu featuring the rich and creamy food typical of north Italy. And with each course, as I got to know him better and better, I realised that there was quite a creative, ladle-wielding soul lurking within him.

We tend to think of Italian food as one homogenous mass, but like food anywhere else, Italy has different strains of cuisine in different parts. The warmer southern regions, for instance, have spicier food cooked in olive oil. The colder north traditionally uses thick creams and butter to enliven its food, though health reasons — and the widespread production and spread of olive oil — are increasingly prompting the northerner to switch to the healthier option.

Breaded veal escalopes

Health terrorists will be after me with a spear of asparagus for this, but a pat of butter and a dollop of cream make all the difference to a dish. That was one reason why the gnocchi de patate — potato dumplings with mushroom sauce — I ate was so delicious. The ravioli de zucca, pumpkin ravioli butter with walnut sauce, likewise was smooth and buttery.

Of course, even in Lombardy, the many provinces have their own specialities. But overall, the food is rich. Meat figures prominently on the menu and cooks seek to emphasise the taste of the meat — beef, lamb or pork — in their dishes. I had some excellent breaded veal escalopes, served with spaghetti in a tomato basil sauce. The veal was soft and juicy, and just lightly spiced, allowing me to get a taste of the meat.

The people of Lombardy like their cheese, for the region and the adjoining areas produce all kinds of wonderful cheeses, right from Gorgonzola and Parmigiano reggiano to Taleggio. Not surprisingly, the regional minestrone is cooked with parmesan, as is the meat dumpling, tortellini alla Bolognese.

The north also likes its risottos. Pastas are the southern staple, but the north is known for the rice dish because paddy is cultivated in many parts of the region. One of the most famous risottos of Lombardy is the risotto alla Milanese, cooked with saffron. The spice gives the rice a lovely hue, and its own distinctive flavour.

Pumpkin ravioli

The people of Lombardy are known as die-hard carnivores. But meat is not their only identity, for fish from rivers and lakes are cooked in all kinds of ways. Chef Khanna conjured up a mouth watering river sole which he had baked and then served with mustard potatoes and salsa verde. He first marinated the fish with salt, pepper, white wine and garlic, and then baked it till it was moist but done. The salsa verde was prepared by blending some bits of parsley with anchovy, lemon juice, garlic, salt, bread crumb and olive oil. Then he tossed potatoes with cream, mustard, salt and pepper. Finally, he neatly arranged the fish and potatoes on a platter, and topped it with the green salsa verde.

Chef Khanna, who has been honing his skills with a host of Italian chefs over the years, prepared every dish with meticulous care. Though only 32, he cut his teeth learning how to toss his pasta at La Piazza at the Hyatt in Delhi, which is arguably one of the best Italian restaurants in the country.

But he brings to my mind an old saying in Hindi: a halwai never tries out his own sweets. The chef, whose knowledge of Italian food is comprehensive, likes north Indian food. But then he is a Delhi boy — and the taste of rich, north Indian food seldom leaves those who grow up in the city. His heart may be in the north — I’m just happy that his mind is on Italy.

Oven-roasted beet and goat cheese salad with balsamic vinegar and arugula
(serves 1-2)

Ingredients: 100g peeled and roasted beetroot • 30g arugula leaves • 50g goat cheese • 10ml balsamic vinegar • 10ml extra virgin olive oil • 1ml honey • crushed pepper to taste • salt to taste

Method: Slice the beetroot into fine pieces. Arrange them on a plate. Blend the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and keep aside. Top the beetroot with shredded arugula leaves. Break the goat cheese into small pieces and arrange over the arugula. Pour the dressing over the salad. Season with salt and pepper.        

Photographs by Rupinder Sharma