Chef's special: Flan-fare for a succulent starter, Liverpool Echo
PAOLO Cillo grew up surrounded by the tastes, smells and sounds of great cooking.
The 25-year-old, who is head chef at Italian restaurant Il Forno, was born in the picturesque town of Potenza, in southern Italy, where he discovered his love for cooking at the tender age of 11.
Paolo says: "Since I was a young boy, I have always had a passion for cooking.
“I was able to use fresh herbs, pasta and fresh local Italian produce on a regular basis, which meant I grew up in a home which had a strong emphasis on food and cooking. I always wanted to be a chef.
“I loved being in the family kitchen and I really enjoyed watching my family cook and helping to prepare dishes. When I was older, I helped in the kitchens of my family’s local trattoria – which only further ignited my passion for food and cooking.”
Paolo’s career began as a pot- washer but he immediately climbed up the ladder by winning a place to train at the prestigious Etoile Cookery School in Italy.
Months after completing his training, he set his sights even higher with ambitions to work in a restaurant more than 1,000 miles away from his home...Il Forno.
He says: “I’d heard about Il Forno through the acclaimed Italian chef and restaurateur Antonio Carluccio, who praised the establishment for its classic dishes. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit Britain, see the restaurant, have a break from Italian life and learn more about Liverpool.
“And, since arriving, the city has met all of my high expectations.
“I think it is a really exciting place in which to live and there is so much to see and do.”
Paolo goes on: “Although I am many miles away from home, I certainly class here as a second home and that is due to how the people are, both in my work time and during my social hours.
“Liverpool people are incredibly friendly and good humoured, and they make me feel more and more welcome as my time here progresses.”
After dazzling managers with his impressive cooking, Paolo became head chef within a matter of months.
And, thanks to his culinary prowess, Il Forno was named one of the Top 10 UK authentic Italian restaurants by a top newspaper magazine and has also attracted rave reviews from, among others, Taste Italia magazine.
For the last two years now, it has also received a gold award in recognition of its high standards by The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association.
But it’s not just in the restaurant kitchen that Paolo likes to cook.
The young head chef, who is getting married in August, also loves to create in the kitchen at home.
I like to cook simple fish dishes when I’m at home – and desserts! I have got a sweet tooth and I love experimenting and cooking traditional Italian desserts.”
As the days get longer and the weather gets a little milder, Paolo says there are more and more ingredients that are perfect to cook with.
“Vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, aubergine and lettuce can be used in a number of different ways to create something really delicious; it’s all about being experimental,” he says.
In the first of four weeks of recipes from Paolo, he has decided to show us how to make a light and tasty starter called Sformatino di Melanzane.
He adds: “This dish is a flan consisting of aubergine, ricotta cheese and cherry tomatoes accompanied by a light pesto sauce.
“It’s a great starter for dinner parties as it is suitable for most guests, especially for vegetarians and cheese lovers. It is a rather simple dish to make as long as you get all your preparation and timings right.
“Sformatino di Melanzane is becoming a firm favourite with our customers!”
Sformatino di Melanzane
Ingredients: 1 x aubergine; 200g ricotta cheese; 50g baby cherry tomatoes; 30g parmesan cheese; 30g mozzarell a cheese; 10g basil.
Method: Finely slice the aubergines and fry them in a shallow pan for a few minutes until golden brown, then take them out of the pan and leave them to dry on a tray.
In a bowl, mix together the cheeses, the ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella with the basil and cherry tomatoes.
Place the sliced aubergines into a ramekin dish, ensuring that the slices overlap the edges. Spoon a quarter of the cheese mixture into each dish and fold the aubergine over the top to seal.
Bake in the oven at 190°C for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, blend together the ingredients for the pesto sauce. Once the flan is cooked, take out of the oven and turn upside down onto a plate. Drizzle the pesto sauce around the flan and serve.
