A taste of Sicily at Ta’ Frenċ
Young, Sicilian chef Rita Russotto, who runs the Satra restaurant in Scicli, Sicily, is teaming up with Mario Schembri, head chef at Ta’ Frenċ Restaurant in Gozo and his kitchen brigade for a themed dinner, A Taste of Sicily, on 7 December, 2013, at 19:00.
Rita is self-taught and has a great passion for cooking. She loves to use the humble ingredients that are linked to the territory of her province and the Sicilian region as a whole to come up with new interpretations of traditional cuisine.
Satra has received excellent reviews by the Sunday Times of London, Espresso magazine and Gambero Rosse. Rita's favourite ingredient are the fava beans that will feature in the first part of the six-course menu that is being offered on 7 December. This is being served with ricotta quenelle, zucchini blossoms, wild fennel and fried baby calamari.
Fish are a feature of the first three courses, the other two courses featuring langoustine with tagliatelle, cocoa beans and lentils, and red mullet with perennial basil, sweet and sour onions, pine nuts and capers.
The main course, which follows a sorbet of toasted almond milk, features lamb with mashed Jerusalem artichoke, mustard green and caramelised pastinaca. The dessert is just as eye-catching, an almond and jasmine pudding with candied fig, grain of almond and prickly pear ice-cream.
All this will be washed down with matching wines courtesy of N.M. Arrigo Ltd.
Ms Russotto is looking forward to her trip to Malta for the event. She previously worked in a restaurant in the Duomo square in Ibla and for the past three years has co-operated with Enrico Russino, whose olive oils and herbs are to be a feature of a tasting session at Ta' Frenċ the following morning, 8 December, 2013.
For more information phone 2155 3888 or make your booking directly on www.tafrencrestaurant.com.
