Back on the Italian Trail: Garibaldi’s New Menu

I haven’t been to Garibaldi’s in a while and was hardly a regular there but perhaps that is about to change.

With the recession and some love from the restaurants with their shrunken prices I feel a little encouraged to dine out and to visit places that are not on the usual eat list.

Garibaldi’s has launched a new menu. What’s new? More pastas and risottos at more accessible prices; with the expansion of these sections of the menu, it is big and it reads well.

Some of the new choices read beautifully - Homemade Noodles with Slow Cooked Castricum Lamb Ragout and Dried Ricotta, Homemade Crab Meat Tortelli with Mussels, Zucchini and Saffron Sauce and Homemade Pasta Tubes stuffed with Wagyu Beef, Cheese Sauce and Leeks Confit – a combination of luxurious comfort and elegance, it is tempting to slowly eat through this section of the menu. The Trenette with Sardinian Vongole and Grey Mullet Roe in White Wine Sauce was a kicked up version of a classic vongole – strictly speaking, the bottarga is not necessary but a wonderful addition to elevate it and to set it apart.

Moving further down the menu, the risotto menu is the largest I’ve ever seen. Risotto with something from the land or the sea, they’ve got most of the bases covered. Even if you didn’t want to eat a risotto, you’ll be tempted to. One of the new additions that was something that I wanted to try even though I’m not a big fan of carbonara was their risotto carbonara. Seriously, a risotto carbonara – served with parma ham. The only carbonara that I really eat now at this point in time is one with a poached egg. I’ve tasted this carbonara and I think it is an interesting idea. It taste like it but different, it tastes good and is fun to eat but if I had to choose between the two forms, I think I chase the twirl in my fork because combining the desired creamy risotto texture with an already relatively rich, I could only stomach a limited number of spoonfuls.

Whilst the other sections of the menu have expanded as well, it is the expansion of the comfort carbs that sit closest to my heart. That in my books translates simply: I can go in for a plate of delicious comfort plate in some of my favourite forms and pair that with something from the other sections and I’m can be a happy camper.

Garibaldi
36 Purvis Street
#01-02
Tel: 6337-3770

Once again: Chicken & Paprika

I’ve put them together again, chicken and paprika. I think I’ve found a slightly better combination though. Chicken, paprika and chorizo; this trumps the first recipe I worked on. After making this about three times for different crowds, I’m convinced this is a winner. Maybe chorizo will be my new bacon, smoky and paprika included!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chorizo, sliced into 2-cm thick coins
8 chicken thighs
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 rounded tablespoon paprika
90 ml shao hsing wine
6 sprigs of thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy based pan or Dutch oven and brown chorizo and set aside.
2. Using the same pan, brown the chicken pieces until the skin is golden brown. Remove and set aside. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of oil and discard excess.
3. Sweat onions and garlic in the pan for about 3 minutes and then add the paprika and tomatoes and fry for another minute.
4. Add shao hsing wine and deglaze, scrapping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Add chorizo, chicken and thyme into the pan. Add water until it comes up to the halfway point of the chicken. Bring to a boil and then braise for 90 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Eggs&Eggs&Obsessions

I don’t know what it is or how it happened but I love eggs. When I read a menu and I see poached egg, usually everything else fades into the background. When I’m seated at the sushi counter and I spy a block of tamago, I'll have to have a piece or when there is an onsen tamago on the menu, I’ll have an order of that too please, thank you.

mentaiko tamago

Then there is something about an egg and egg combination that is classic and more seductive – I keep thinking about the cover picture Jean-Georges Vongerichten Simple to Spectacular cookbook of his signature egg caviar dish. Over dinner last week, I discovered another egg on egg combination that I loved – Mentaiko Tamago. I had this at Mimigar last week and it was perfectly satisfying. The tamago wasn’t too sweet or too greasy but moist and deliciously punctuated with the tang and distinct mentaiko flavour. I think they should put this on the regular menu.

Mimigar
1 Nanson Road,
#01-08, Gallery Hotel
Tel: 6235-1511