Il Forno reveals its favourite meat dishes for the perfect Mother’s Day treat. - Liverpool Echo
LIKE all Italians, head chef Paolo Cillo grew up having the utmost love and respect for his mother.
“Me and my brother liked to cook for her on a regular basis and Mother’s Day was no different. It gave us a chance to show her how much we appreciated everything she did for us”, said the 25-year-old who works at Duke Street restaurant Il Forno.
As the big day approaches this Sunday, Paolo suggests sons and daughters should step into their kitchens and treat their mum to a delicious authentic homemade Italian recipe, while wishing her ‘Felice festa della mamma’ (Happy Mother’s Day).
For the third week of his Chef Special recipes, Paolo is cooking two delicious meat dishes- Braciola di Maiale alla Pizzaiola and Penne All Arrabbiata Con Salsiccia.
He said: “Pork has always been a centrepiece for any special occasion due to its luxury. When it comes to buying meat, it is always worthwhile paying that little extra for a lean cut of meat”.
And after working in the kitchen for many years, Paolo advises his customers to buy meat from a local butcher. “We buy all our meat from Hogan’s, a local butchers based in Merseyside – they are committed to sourcing the finest, local and regional meats in the North West – your local butcher will have the same ethics and it is a great way to support the local community”.
“Growing up in Italy was a true inspiration for my cooking, it’s a known fact that we Italians know more ways to cook pork than anyone else on the planet!” he said, “This is just one of many simple dishes that will encourage you to adapt and change the recipe to suit your tastes. This could end up being one of your family favourites”.
For his second dish, Paolo has gone back to his roots to cook a traditional bowl of Italian pasta with tomatoes and sausage.
He added: “Arrabbiata actually means angry in Italian and if you make this dish right, the penne should have a real kick to it and taste quite spicy.
“It would be wrong not to choose pasta when cooking an Italian dish! Although this dish incorporates a fairly hot sauce, other common pasta sauces in Northern Italy include pesto and ragù alla bolognese, which allows you to add meat to the sauce.
“In Central Italy, you will find more simpler sauces such as tomato sauce and carbonara, and in Southern Italy, sauces tend to include a lot of garlic and olive oil in their recipes.”
