Most of the food at Embla is Italian, it’s just not presented in a way that is classically Italian. In this recipe, for example, the way the cime di rapa is broken down in olive oil is old Italian nonna stuff. (I think I probably was an old Italian nonna in a previous life.)
Cime di rapa, a bitter green a bit like kale, is a classic Italian ingredient in itself. This technique smooths out the bitterness a bit, but it’s still quite pungent, iron-y and a little bit sulphurous. Paired with the creamy stracciatella, which rounds everything out, and the walnut pesto, which brings texture and nuttiness, it all comes together nicely.
Most store-bought walnuts are extremely old and stale. Find some walnuts that haven’t been in a cool store for a couple of years - ideally, buy them directly from a grower at a farmers’ market. This will completely change what you think about walnuts, in my opinion. At Embla we buy walnuts from Mike at Orway Walnuts He’s incredibly passionate and his nuts are bloody fantastic.
Dave Verheul’s stracciatella, walnut and cime di rapa
Serves 4–6
Prep time: 10–12 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 bunch cime di rapa
2 tbsp oregano leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
½ tsp chilli flakes
100ml olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g stracciatella
Crackers, to serve
Walnut pesto
100g walnuts, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
20g Parmesan, finely grated
100ml olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Remove the leaves and florets from the cime di rapa and set aside in a large frying pan. Lightly peel the stalks if they look particularly woody and fibrous, then slice into 1cm thick pieces and add to the pan, along with the oregano, garlic, chilli flakes and olive oil.
Place the pan over medium heat and cook for 12–15 minutes, until the leaves and florets are wilted. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
To make the walnut pesto, combine the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.
To serve, scoop the stracciatella into a shallow serving dish, then place the cime di rapa and walnut pesto beside it, so it looks like a savoury Neapolitan ice-cream. Serve with your favourite crackers.
This is an extract from the Broadsheet cookbook Home Made, which features 80 diverse recipes for home cooking, sourced from Melbourne's best cooks, chefs and restaurants. Published by Plum, the book is available for $49.95 at shop.broadsheet.com.au
