Massimo Bottura draws on his classical French training skills to create high-end regional Italian cuisine.
As well as Osteria Francescana, he owns Franceschetta 58, an informal dining brasserie serving tapas, which is also in Modena, Italy.
Why did you become a chef?
As a kid, I was always under the kitchen table. It was my refuge from three older brothers’ torments. I found peace at my grandmother’s feet as she rolled out dough for tortellini. When my brother told me about a trattoria on the outskirts of Modena for sale in 1986, I bought it. With help from my mother and a neighbourhood cook I began my career.
What inspires you?
I always suggest young chefs read, travel and dig deep into their culture to understand who they are and where they come from. Then they discover their true motivations, passions and inspirations. This is what I have done over my 26-year career. The world around me is a juxtaposition of who I am and where I have come from. I cook in the present but never forget all that came before me.
You’re passionate about contemporary art and like to incorporate art and design into your cuisine. How do you do this?
Artists, critics and collectors from the Emilio Mazzoli gallery near Osteria Francescana came to us. Our exchange of ideas and dialogue extended beyond collecting artworks for the restaurant and into the kitchen. The artwork informs the guests about the food as much as any menu or explanation could.
What’s your favourite Italian dish?
Tortellini. I have an emotional and gastronomic attachment to it. They are small packages of Emilian flavour perfectly balanced and complete. Traditionally they are served in capon broth. At Osteria Francescana we serve them in a Parmigiano reggiano sauce made with water instead of heavy cream. We boil the tortellini in capon broth so it acquires the flavour, then dress it with Parmigiano cream.
Do you find designing or tweaking recipes a fun challenge or tiresome chore?
The most difficult recipes to modernise or modify are the ones you are closest to. For instance, in our tortellini dish at Osteria Francescana, only the sauce in the recipe has been modified, not the filling. I wouldn’t dare change my grandmother’s tortellini filling.
Who does the cooking in your house on a Saturday morning?
On Saturday morning my wife and I buy groceries at Albinelli Mercato, a market in Modena that dates from 1919. I catch up with vendors, grab a baccalà fritter from Massimo Manzini or stop by Bar Schiaoni where the Fantoni sisters make a great charcuterie and salsa verde sandwich. The stalls sell meat, fish, local cheeses, vegetables and even homemade lasagna, polenta and ragu for when I don’t have time to cook! Buying the best products means you are three quarters of the way to a great meal.
Tell us about the cookery class, culinary creation stage one, that you’re taking part in during Gourmet Abu Dhabi.
I will talk about identity and how important that is to any kitchen, but especially to mine. Our Emilian roots are what guide us. Traditions must be in continual evolution or else they stagnate. That means knowing everything, from culinary history to technique, but it also means forgetting everything, and letting yourself dream. Our kitchen is one that tells stories and invites guests to join us on a culinary adventure. This is the heart of my demonstration and class, but I don’t want to give too much away…
What have you got planned for the opera dinner?
My menu for the opera dinner in Abu Dhabi is designed to welcome diners into an Italian kitchen with new eyes and an open mind. We will embark upon an imaginary journey around the peninsula of Italy, creating familiar flavours in surprising combinations.
What’s your next culinary ambition? Is there a particular ingredient, chef or restaurant that you would like to work with?
My ambition is my next plate. I am always projecting myself into the future, I never remain stagnant.
What trends in Italian cuisine do you anticipate for 2014 and beyond?
I look at long-term trends so I am not thinking 2014 but about this decade, which I think will be dedicated to artisan cheesemakers, butchers and farmers. The relationships we develop with our agrarian brothers are everything to our future. Italy’s greatest resource is its artisans. We must support them to guarantee the next generation of artisans will be there for our children. The more we focus on our ancestors’ resources, the more we can create recipes with lasting value. This is the trend for the next decade, and maybe forever. Someday instead of chef superstars, there will be farmer superstars. That will be a great day.
