Always Add Lemon by Danielle Alvarez
Danielle Alvarez draws on her passion for farm-to-table cooking, creating dishes that respond to the seasons in her debut cookbook, Always Add Lemon.
Words: Hande Renshaw | Photography: Benito Martin
Pot-roasted mud crab with lemon, garlic, chilli, butter and fine noodles from Always Add Lemon by Danielle Alvarez. Photo - Benito Martin.
Mom’s flan with poached cherries from Always Add Lemon by Danielle Alvarez. Photo - Benito Martin.
Danielle Alvarez always had an interest in cooking but never imagined it would be her job. Her Cuban family background has played a big part in her passion for good food and its connection to tradition and culture.
Growing up, Danielle’s family celebrated food all forms and at most times during the day! “Everything was centred around what meal was being made when, and even before one meal was finished, the next was simmering away,” says the Fred’s head chef.
Danielle’s debut cookbook, Always Add Lemon, draws heavily on her passion for farm-to-table cooking, creating modern food dishes that are delicious and fresh, all of which adhere to her philosophy of uncomplicated food.
“If I ever find myself getting too ‘cheffy’, I remind myself to cook like a grandma, because that’s what everyone loves.”
The recipes in Always Add Lemon are strictly seasonal, ranging from summer vegetable panzanella, to duck pot pie, to roasted pineapple with salted caramel and rum.
“My chefs joke is that ‘did you add the lemon’ should be inscribed on my tombstone. It’s the one question I consistently ask as plates leave the kitchen — sometimes, a few drops is all a dish really needs to sing.
Below we have a salad recipe from Danielle’s new book: castelfranco with warm chestnut, thyme and prosciutto.
Snapper carpaccio with yuzu cosh, orange and fennel from Always Add Lemon by Danielle Alvarez. Photo - Benito Martin.
Castelfranco with warm chestnut, thyme and prosciutto from Always Add Lemon by Danielle Alvarez. Photo - Benito Martin.
CASTELFRANCO WITH WARM CHESTNUT, THYME & PROCIUTTO
A chestnut can feel like a pretty luxurious thing. Number one, they aren’t that cheap and number two, they take a little while to prepare, but when they are fresh and perfect in autumn you really must seize the opportunity to use them. This elegant salad highlights them beautifully. The first chestnuts of the season are usually the easiest to peel and don’t take as long to cook.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
15 chestnuts
250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) extra-virgin olive oil 10 lemon thyme sprigs (use regular thyme if lemon is unavailable)
1 head fresh,firm castelfranco or treviso
radicchio or other beautiful winter chicory 120 g (4½ oz) good-quality ricotta
100 ml (3½ fl oz) chardonnay and honey
vinaigrette
2 teaspoons good-quality aged balsamic
vinegar
8 slices prosciutto
METHOD
Begin by peeling your chestnuts. Using a small paring knife, score a small ‘x’ on the flat side of each chestnut. Add to a saucepan and cover with 3–4 cm (1¼–1½ in) water. Simmer for 10–12 minutes (this loosens the skins). Using a slotted spoon, remove the chestnuts and place in a bowl covered with a tea towel (dish towel). The trick is to keep them warm while you peel them. If they go cold, drop them back into the simmering water for a minute or two to warm up again. Using the knife, peel away the thick outer skin, then gently peel away the thinner, more papery skin from around the chestnut. Set the peeled chestnuts aside.
In a small saucepan, warm the olive oil then add six thyme sprigs. The oil should only just be warm; you should still be able to touch it and the thyme shouldn’t sizzle when you add it. Add the chestnuts to the oil and leave to poach and soften the starches over a low heat. This could take 20 minutes or up to 1 hour depending on the chestnuts. The later the season, the starchier they get and the more cooking they require. Taste them. If they are dry and starchy, they need longer, but if they’re soft and creamy, they’re done.
Cut the base core off the castelfranco, which should allow you to separate the leaves. Wash and set aside, covered with a damp cloth, until you’re ready to serve.
To assemble, divide the ricotta evenly between four plates, or you can serve it on one big platter. Toss your radicchio leaves with some dressing and a good pinch of salt. How much vinaigrette you use depends on how you like your salad. I would add a little at first, then just taste until it is to your liking. You don’t want the leaves to be too acidic; the savouriness of the chestnuts and prosciutto needs to shine through. Drop the leaves onto the ricotta, then place your warm chestnuts in and around the leaves. Drizzle the balsamic over the whole thing and sprinkle over a good pinch of crunchy salt and a few twists of black pepper. Finish with slices of prosciutto and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves.
Strain the olive oil through a fine-mesh sieve and store in an airtight container in the fridge to make this dish again, or to add to dressings.
Always Add Lemon by Danielle Alvarez, published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $45.00 is available where all good books are sold and also online.