Fratelli Fresh’s culinary ballet lives up to its acclaim of catering to culinary connoisseurs with refined tastes, writes GITA HARI.
Though Italian cuisine draws heavily from the culinary traditions from ancient Greek and Roman cuisines, new age changes involves Mediterranean style involving healthy usage of tomatoes, capsicum and potatoes, all cooked to goodness in olive oil.
The best thing about Fratelli Fresh, the specialty restaurant at Renaissance Mumbai Hotel located in Powai, is that the pizza and pasta dough are prepared on order, which may be the reason for the slight delay in service, but it is worth the wait as what you get on the plate are freshly baked treats with healthy fillings with that extra dollop of cheese if you so wish– given that we Indians like to go for cheesy pizzas.
Situated on the lobby level but segregated from the bustle of the main lobby, it is quiet and peaceful to dine here. The French windows throw open an inviting view of Powai Lake and skyscrapers beyond. Extremely spacious, Fratelli Fresh has two-seaters, four-seaters and family tables set apart to offer privacy. Crimson velvet upholstery and wine racks liven up the place. Not a long-winding menu, the hard-bound plank puts forth limited options for vegetarians. Nevertheless, what is on offer is delicious and well presented, coming straight from the heart devoid of excess elaboration or fuss.
Salad Insalata Caprese of roasted cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, rucola leaves and basil salad was fresh and lively. Zuppa di Zucca – honey roasted pumpkin soup with croutons – a fab partner to crisp garlic breads with olive oil. On Executive Sous Chef Udit Srivastava’s recommendation we ordered Calzone instead of usual pizza and did not regret the choice.
It took a bit long to arrive and in the meanwhile we tucked into Ravioli al Porcini – fresh hand-made pasta parcels filled with ricotta cheese and porcini mushrooms immersed in herbed tomato sauce…delicious!
Calzone is a hearty, steaming folded over pizza with sautéed vegetables and cheese. Non-veg variations include flavoured seafood, chicken or meat with some veggies and cheese. Thankfully the sauce was served separately instead of mixing it with the calzone stuffing as is the norm. Friendly Chef Udit also informed that almost all the ingredients are sourced from their place of origin which explains the authenticity of the dishes at Fratelli Fresh.
Spaghetti in alfredo sauce oozed of cream, butter, garlic, parsley and parmesan cheese. Scampi al Brandy – grilled fresh scampi served with black ink risotto was unique. Being a risotto freak, I couldn’t resist from calling for Risotto asparagi e basilica – Arborio rice, asparagus and basil was served in a creamy base and was perfectly done.
When the dinner was almost done, for dolci (dessert) the classic Tiramisu tempted us with the smoothest adaptation of mascarpone cheese and coffee – a work of art on the plate. We also went ahead to taste handmade hazelnut ice cream which was scrumptious on the palate.
Commended as one of the best Italian restaurants the city has, Fratelli Fresh’s culinary ballet lives up to its acclaim of catering to culinary connoisseurs with refined tastes.
INGREDIENTS:
l A pinch of dried yeast
l ½ tsp sugar
l 1 cup maida
l 2 tbsp oil
l ½ cup warm water
l ½ cup mushrooms (sliced)
l ½ cup bell peppers
l 1 (sliced) onion
l 1 (cut into roundels) zuchchini
l ½ cup (grated) cheddar cheese
Butter for basting
Pepper powder
Salt as per taste
Method:
Stir in yeast, salt, sugar and warm water in a jug and keep aside in a warm place for 5 minutes.
Sift maida in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and oil and knead to make soft dough. Knead dough for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased vessel. Cover and Set aside for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 220°C. Brush a large baking tray with oil.
Knead dough on a floured surface. Divide dough into 2 pieces and knead each piece into a ball.
Roll each ball into a large roti. Arrange half of the mushroom, cheese and other vegetables on one side of the flattened dough, leaving some space around the edge. Brush edge with water. Fold dough over to hem in filling and press edges together to seal. It will resemble karanji.
Place calzone on greased tray. Brush the top of calzone with butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Serve hot with tomato sauce.
RAVIOLI (with cheese filling)
INGREDIENTS
l 3 cups Maida
l 3 Eggs
l 1 tsp Olive oil
For the sauce:
l 2 Tomatoes finely chopped
l ¼ cup tomato puree
l ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
l 2 tbsp sugar
l 1 tsp fresh basil finely chopped
l 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
l 1 tbsp minced fresh oregano
l 1 garlic clove chopped
l ½ tsp Pepper powder
l Salt to taste
Filling: (mix all these together)
l 1 cup mozzarella cheese
l ½ cup Parmesan cheese
l 1 egg, lightly beaten
l 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
l 1 tsp oregano
l ½ tsp garlic powder
A pinch of pepper powder
Salt to taste
METHOD:
With 3 cups maida in a large bowl, make a well in the center. Beat the eggs, water and oil and empty this mixture into well. Stir together, kneading it into a ball until smooth and elastic and add more flour if necessary. Cover and let rest for half an hour. Mix together the sauce ingredients in a pan and boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes, keep swirling intermittently.
In a large bowl, mix the filling ingredients and cool until ready to use. Divide pasta dough and roll two portions of same diameter. Place teaspoonfuls of filling 1 inch apart over one pasta sheet. Brush around filling with water to moisten. Place the other pasta sheet over it and press down to seal. Cut into squares with a pastry wheel. Boil salted water in a vessel. Insert ravioli. Let it simmer for 2 minutes or until ravioli floats up. Remove all the raviolis and drain them of water. Serve around 6 pieces of ravioli topped with sauce.
