RICKY PARLANTI HELMS PREGO

Out of all the VIPs in the world, from heads of state to Hollywood celebrities, Chef Ricky Parlanti said the person he would most like to cook for is his family. Awwww…isn’t his answer endearing?

Freshly minted as the Italian Chef de Cuisine of Prego, the Tuscan native is no stranger to the Malaysia culinary scene. When you’re half a decade old like moi, you’re unlikely to forget a veteran chef like Ricky Parlanti who has been in the biz for over 35 years.

Besides his own multi-award winning The Mangotree Restaurant, Parlanti’s past stints include Carcosa Seri Negara, The Peninsula Beijing in China and Hyatt Regency Delhi in India. His inimitable touch also extended to standalone restaurants: Dining in the Dark KL, The Steakhouse KL and The Whiskey Bar.

As the ninth generation of chefs in the Parlanti family and a qualified Master Chef by ALMA La Scoula Internazionale di Cucina Italiana, the most prestigious culinary institute in Parma, Italy, his mettle was reinforced by a slew of accolades: Hospitality Asia Platinum Award 2005/2006 for Excellence in Hospitality Personality Chef of the Year and The Best Chef in Malaysia (Expatriate) Award in the Millennium Gold Awards 2001/2002.

The best proof is the dishes we savoured at Prego. Right from the get-go, effusive praises were heard as we dug into the Burrata with Grilled Spring Vegetable, Basil and Pine Nut Emulsion with gusto.

We relished the well-balanced, delicate flavours and beguilingly soft texture of eggplant, peppers, onion, asparagus, leek and zucchini – a testament to the chef’s judicious use of the freshest quality ingredients with the contadino in mind.

Although presentation is important, Parlanti reckons taste and flavour can be rooted in Italian cuisine with minor adaptations to the Asian palette. He believes “food should speak for itself as nothing compares to the quality of a well-prepared dish”.

I found the truffle-scented Cream of Wild Mushroom too salty for my liking but it’s a minor matter which can be easily corrected. Otherwise, the thick, musky broth of porcini mushroom proved to be a nice tummy warmer.

For the media preview, Parlanti was pitted against Executive Chef Rudy Junaidie in a tongue-in-cheek pasta throwdown. Putting his own spin on Prego’s signature speciality of Special Carbonara in Castelmagno Cheese Wheel made it a crowd-pleaser. Big, lush flavours hugged the al dente pasta thanks to the hearty creamy sauce whipped up using beef bacon, egg yolk, cream and parmesan finished with in a huge Castelmagno cheese wheel.

Chef Rudy Junaidie’s contender of Asian pasta with prawns, fresh coriander, garlic and herb crumbs was delicious too (this was more to my preference) but the man of the hour was undoubtedly Parlanti.

Fennel, thyme, garlic and sea salt were the aromatics used for the Wood Oven Baked Salt-crusted Seabass. Wrapped in greaseproof paper, the fleshy fish was delightfully on point – lightly flaky and sweet, coyly touched with dill sauce.

Diminutive bursts of sweet raisins bestowed an unexpected yet welcomed surprise in the beef jus complementing the Grilled Grain-fed Angus Steak. Served medium rare, this Prego’s house special was a winsome shoo-in with the lunch party.

Next time you visit Prego, let Chef Ricky Parlanti customise dishes according to your desired preferences. Otherwise, he can also design a Menu Sorpresa (Surprise Menu) for your culinary experience, creating flavors that sometimes would bring you down memory lane.

To finish, the chef readily vouched for Tiramisu, the timeless mascarpone espresso trifle of Italy. Prego serves an alcoholic and booze-free version so remember to state your preference when you’re ordering it.

 For reservations at Prego, call tel: 03-2773 8338. Address: The Westin KL, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. Website: http://www.westindining.com.my/prego

BY POPULAR DEMAND! EASY TIRAMISU RECIPE

One hour is all it takes to make this tasty Tiramisu!

Whip, chill & serve!

This is my signature dessert whenever I get invited for 'makan' with friends or when I host family and friends at home. A couple of friends have tried their hands at making it using this recipe so I daresay it's a fail-proof recipe ;-))

Tiramisu

2 packets of savoiardi (Italian sponge fingers - 12 pcs in each pack)

2 tubs of mascarpone cheese (250 g each)

300ml of freshly-brewed coffee of your choice

3 eggs (alternatively use 2 eggs + 200 ml whipping cream)

2 tablespoons of Bailey's Irish Cream (alternatively use 1 tbsp of brandy)

3 tablespoons of sugar

2 teaspoons of cocoa powder

some grated chocolate (optional)

Methods

1. Separate egg yolks from egg white into different bowls.
2. Beat egg yolks while adding sugar little by little to it. Whisk until sugar has been used up and mixture turns pale cream in colour.
3. If you are using whipping cream, add it in at this point. Whip on high speed using a handheld mixer until the cream turns smooth, fluffy and well incorporated with egg & sugar mixture. (Note: If you prefer not to use eggs for this recipe, it is ok to use whipped cream only. Just whip cream on medium speed until light and fluffy, sprinkling sugar into the mixture as you go along. However, I find eggs do give the dessert a nicer, more flavourful 'eggy' taste.)
4. Fold (not stir) in mascarpone cheese gently. (Tip - I used the lowest speed on my handheld mixer to blend this evenly).
5. Then whip egg whites (I use the highest speed on my mixer) until they turn shiny white and stiff. (Tip - to check if the egg whites are stiff enough, just turn your mixing bowl upside down. Believe me, they won't budge or fall off from the bowl! If the whites are still sliding around when you tip the bowl even just a little, continue the whipping process.)
6. Fold egg white mixture gently into the earlier cheese/egg/cream mixture. Do not flatten the whites too much as this will drive the 'air' out.
7. Pour coffee into a wide width bowl and add Bailey's Irish Cream or your choice of liqueur to it. Stir well.
8. Dip each piece of savoiardi (horizontally) into the liquer-laced coffee. (Tip - It is best to let only half of the sponge fingers soak up the coffee or else they can turn too soggy. Alternatively you can line the sponge fingers at the base of your container and brush the top generously with the coffee mixture.)
9. Line these coffee-laced sponge fingers at the bottom of a rectangular serving dish as the base of your tiramisu.
10. Pour some of the mascarpone cheese mixture onto the sponge fingers to cover them adequately. If desired, smoothen the creamy layer and sprinkle some grated dark chocolate on top. This will give the dessert an unexpected chocolatey taste.
11. Continue layering another batch of coffee-soaked sponge fingers on top of the creamy cheese mixture.
12. Cover this layer with the balance of the cheese mixture and garnish with more grated chocolate.
13. Chill tiramisu in the fridge for at least an hour or more. Dust the top with cocoa powder prior to serving.

Final note: if you want to reduce the sugar by half a tablespoon, I reckon it won't affect the taste too much. Also I'd prefer to use stronger coffee as the taste comes through clearer. If you don't want the bother of brewing your own coffee, buy a takeaway cup from your favourite coffee outlet!

I hope you will enjoy this fabulously indulgently smooth, rich and heavenly treat!