Stefano Manfredi: master of Italian cuisine

Internationally recognised chef and expert in modern Italian cuisine Stefano Manfredi is a committed locavore and seasonal cook. A past winner of the Good Living Sustainability Award, Manfredi has been recognised for his efforts to cook sustainably at the Manfredi at Bells restaurant, located onsite at Bells at Killcare Boutique Hotel. Manfredi speaks to Y7 Lifestyle on the importance of sustainable cooking and the beauty of using homegrown, seasonal produce.

How did it feel to receive the Good Living Sustainability Award?
This award was for last year's publication. It's an honour to have our work at Bells at Killcare recognised, especially for the dedicated team we work with.

Tell us about your work at Bells at Killcare…
To tell you the truth, it was the prospect of developing the kitchen gardens that attracted me to the project at Bells. We now have two gardens growing many vegetables we can't buy like punterelle and treviso tardivo. We also have chickens providing eggs, a bee hive and we've begun an orchard.

What have you done at Manfredi at Bells and Bells at Killcare to make them more sustainable?
We compost as well as provide vegetable scraps from our kitchen as feed for the hens. Our gardens are watered using rain water gathered in large underground tanks. We do our laundry for the property in-house and we try and buy as locally as possible.

Have you seen more chefs and restaurants turning towards growing their own produce?
Yes, it's become something that chefs do these days. From a small city restaurant that grows a selection of herbs to a country restaurant that grows to supply a proportion of their produce, everyone, everywhere can grow at least a little. It’s great to see this emerging.

Are you trying to raise more awareness and promote the idea of growing your own produce?
I'd like to see more rooftop gardens in the city. There is so much wasted space on roofs ‘up in the sky’ that can be put to good use. I think bodies corporate should open these spaces for their owners and tenants.

You’re a great advocate of seasonal cooking – what fresh produce do you love to cook with in spring?
Spring is such a joy for the cook. My favourite things are artichokes, asparagus, broad beans and, of course, lamb. Lamb tastes better in spring and one of my favourite ways to prepare it in spring is to rub a boned and flattened shoulder with a combination of spring herbs, chopped anchovies, capers and garlic, and a good slug of extra virgin olive oil. It then goes on a barbecue until the skin is crisp on both sides.

Your wine list at Bells at Killcare is top notch - what do you love most about Italian wine?
I love the way they're completely different from all other wines. And because Italy has so many grape varieties (some say as many as 2000) it's always an adventure for the palate. Some of my current favourites are Timorasso, Aglianico del Vultura, Schioppettino, Pignolo and Vitovska.

How do you think it compares to Australian wine?
There really aren’t many areas of comparison. They are totally different winemaking cultures – Italy being ancient and Australia relatively new. Italy has an appellation system and Australia has a show system. It's better to celebrate these differences.

The Star in Sydney is becoming known as a foodie destination. What’s it like running a restaurant within a casino?
It's very exciting. Balla is the biggest restaurant that Julie Manfredi Hughes (business partner) and I have opened. We would not have been able to achieve such a huge undertaking without the massive support of The Star. Great also to be working in such a co-operative environment with the teams at Momofuku, Sokyo and BLACK by Ezard, as well as the Food & Beverage team at The Star.

You returned to the Sydney dining scene when you opened Balla – do you think it has changed since you last had a restaurant here?
It's tougher than it has ever been to make a living from restaurants. The margins have tightened and there is much more competition. Having stated the obvious, I still think there are great opportunities to explore. I think social media especially means a restaurant can communicate directly with its market.

You’ve had a long career in the restaurant industry – what has been your proudest moment?
I think I'm proudest when a guest enjoys what we do and takes the time to tell us either at the end of the meal or by letter or email.

Tell us about your high coffee concept…
This was an initiative by the team at The Intercontinental Hotel Sydney who recognised that Australians and Sydney siders in particular, are passionate about espresso. We at Espresso di Manfred work-shopped the concept with them and over a couple of months developed the High Coffee offer. It's been a huge success. I think everyone should go in and try it.

What’s in store for 2013?
I'm writing a book on Italian regional food and wine due out at the end of the year. That's probably enough I think.

And what tips do you have for the home cook?
Choose the best ingredients in season and cook them simply and with care.

BARBECUED LAMB SHOULDER WITH ANCHOVIE, OLIVE AND HERB SALSA
Stefano Manfredi

Preparation time – 20 minutes
Cooking time – 4-5 minutes + 6 minutes to rest the meet
Skills – Beginner

1 or 2 lamb shoulders- boned and butterflied into an evenly thick piece (about 2cm) by your butcher
Half cup mixed fresh herbs- parsley, thyme, rosemary- chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 anchovies, chopped
1 tbsp large salted capers, well washed, rinsed, dried and roughly chopped
Half cup roughly chopped green olive flesh
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Mix olive oil, chopped herbs and garlic together; season with a little salt and several turns of pepper. Take half the mixture and rub into the piece of lamb shoulder. Place on a very hot barbecue grill for 2 minutes on each side. Turn off and rest covered, on a plate or pan to the side of the barbecue to keep warm for 5-6 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the anchovies, capers, olives and vinegar into the remaining herb and oil. Slice the grilled lamb shoulder and place on a serving plate. Spoon on the salsa, season a little more if needed and serve. Serves 4-6 as a main course.

Chef’s tip: Make sure meat has been taken out of refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking as it is best cooked at room temperature. This will help it cook evenly.