Recipes from professional Chef Tallyrand:

GREG'S MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

Envoyez . . . . .

Last weekend saw us mourning the loss of one of my students in a tragic climbing accident, hence my column’s absence. We farewelled Greg on Thursday in a very touching service attended by around three hundred people, where his family and friends shared their memories of his all too young life. He was just sixteen years old with a terrific career ahead of him. At his family’s request we attended in full dress uniform, formed a ‘guard of honour’ and Greg was laid to rest in his uniform.

This week's column is therefore dedicated to him. Greg was infamous for his voracious appetite and a genuine love of food. So I would like to share with you some photos of his dishes and the recipe for one of them. He recently discovered fresh pasta making and enjoyed it as much as I do; combining the fresh ingredients, feeling all the different textures involved, the aroma as you work and knead the dough and finally rolling it out.

Among the fresh pasta dishes he recently made were:

• Fettuccine bolognaise

• Squid ink deep fried lasagne sheets, towered with fresh whole baby squid, tiger prawns, groper and New Zealand greenlip mussels

• Tomato ravioli filled with potato and sundried tomato farce

• Spinach ravioli filled with potato and fresh mint farce

• Walnut pasta ravioli filed with a lemon curd and served with a berry coulis

But the recipe I am going to share with you this week is one that we recently had on our training restaurant’s menu:

“Portobello mushroom ravioli with crunchy shaved
onions and an New Zealand pea essence”

It marries the Italian and Asian influences of pasta. For it is said that pasta making was brought to Italy from China, so if you are not into fresh pasta making, try this dish with a little New Zealand twist. But if you would like to make it with fresh pasta <click here> for the recipe

Au revoir et bon appetit mon ami . . . . .

Ingredients

wanton wrappers	8	pc
Portobello mushroom (large)	1	pc
shallots	1	pc
garlic clove (small)	½	pc
freshly grated Parmesan	25	gm
bread crumbs	10	gm
chopped tarragon		sq
chopped chives		sq
onions	2	pc
milk	200	ml
garlic salt		sq
flour		sq
peas	100	gm
shallots	1	pc
vegetable stock (fresh)		sq
coriander leaves		sq

Method

Ravioli farce

1.	Remove the black area of the mushrooms , cut into approx. 5mm dice
2.	Finely chop the shallots and the garlic clove, sweat in a little butter
3.	Add the mushrooms, tarragon and the chives
4.	Season to taste and allow the mix to cool slightly
5.	Once the mix has cooled add the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, correct the seasoning
6.	Use the wanton papers as you would pasta dough: sandwich the mix between two wantons and seal with an egg wash: shape into the ravioli by cutting into a circle with a fluted cutter (do not discard the trimmings)

Onions

1.	Peel and shave the onions into very fine rings (on the mandolin), place them in the milk to soak for twenty minutes then remove and lightly dry
2.	Toss the onions in the flour and garlic salt, shake free any excess and deep fry the onions: once golden brown place on paper towels to dry; season with salt, pepper and a little extra garlic salt if required (keep warm)

Sauce (allow 50 ml of finished sauce per portion)

1.	Chop the shallots and sweat (cook without colour) in a little butter or olive oil, add the peas heat for a moment and then place into a blender
2.	Add a little of the vegetable stock and the leaves of cilantro, season and blend
3.	Continue adding the vegetable stock until you reach the desired constancy, correct seasoning and pass
4.	This sauce will lose its colour if left heated for too long

To serve

1.	Cook the ravioli in a chauffant, remove and drain, toss in a bowl with a little extra virgin olive oil, finely chopped chives and red capsicum julienne
2.	Place a generous amount of the crispy onions on a pasta plate, arrange the ravioli (three per portion) on top, garnish and coat with the sauce

Chef's Tip

There is no cooking tip this week - just enjoy the recipe.

Enjoy and bon appetit . . . . .

Published 13 August 2001