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WE'RE curious folk at Confidential. Sometimes we like to look under the bonnet to see the engine's workings. That's why we visited Don Giovanni's, which opened in Manchester in 1984, to find out exactly what makes this place such an enduring and much loved restaurant.
Here we keep to the old traditions which include love, care and attention
Yes, it has just started working with culinary superstar (and Michelin starred) Jean Christophe Novelli, who will be creating special menus and events. Yes, it's just won a string of awards including Les Routiers Newcomer of the Year 2016 and the UK's Most Romantic Restaurant in the Italian Awards. And yes, it underwent a £400k refurbishment last year, re-opening with a clean new look to include an Italian marble bar and an open fresh pasta and dessert station by the front window...
And that's where we begin to understand. Despite the big names and the glitzy surroundings, it's really always been about the food. Don Giovanni's came from more humble beginnings as a destination restaurant for the many Italian families who moved to Manchester to work in the mills and the factories. Back in those days, even Bolognese was seen as exotic and many British folk believed that Spaghetti grew on trees. Don Giovanni can be credited as one of the main pioneers of modern day Italian food, introducing generations of Mancunians to real Italian food.
A typical day starts in the open pasta section at the front of the restaurant where mounds of fresh pizza dough and fresh egg pasta are prepared every morning. We spoke to Head Chef Rajmond, who was one of the finalists in the Best Chef category at this year's Italian Awards, to see if he would be prepared to reveal a few kitchen secrets. He was.
We asked him to show us how to make one of Don Giovanni's most popular and dramatic dishes 'Ravioli Neri Al Granchio' - home made crab ravioli with cherry tomato and butter sauce. "We add Nero di Seppia (squid ink) to the egg pasta dough to get the black colour," Rajmond revealed, "the filling is fresh Cornish crab with a touch of marscapone for texture, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. Italian food is all about simple, pure flavours. Most of the time, if a dish has more than three ingredients, you start to lose, not gain."
Now on to the tomato butter sauce, "it is quite simple and delicate," said Rajmond, "fresh crushed garlic, basil infused olive oil and ripe plum cherry tomatoes. The flavours bond together until the whole thing becomes amazingly rich in a short time."
Don Giovanni Ravioli from Manchester Confidential on Vimeo.
It's no secret that Italians have a sweet tooth and love puddings and one of the most famous Italian desserts has to be Tiramisu. It's not too complicated a dish for the home cook and there are various versions of the recipe but Rajmond is convinced that the Tiramisu at Don Giovanni's is the best in Manchester.
"I have been taught by some of the best Italian chefs and it's all about getting the perfect texture and using the best ingredients," he says. "We prepare our Tiramisu in two parts; firstly we mix double cream and sugar, by hand, until stiff.The other mixture is made using egg yolks, sugar and the best Amaretto. Then you fold in some marcapone - but not too much, otherwise it becomes too solid."
"We dip special savoiardi biscuits into really good espresso and start to layer it up." Any special tips for the home cook? "The first layer should always be cream as you don't want the coffee to separate and pool at the bottom," says Rajmond, "so it's cream, biscuits, cream, biscuits and adusting of cocoa." Don Giovanni also decorates their Tiramisu with edible flowers for that extra special touch.
Tiramisu at Don Giovanni from Manchester Confidential on Vimeo.
We asked Rajmond just to sum up what it is that makes the food at Don Giovanni's so special. "Here we keep to the old traditions which include love, care and attention," he said. "there's a good atmosphere within our kitchen team and no matter how experienced we are at cooking, we're still learning."
Don Giovanni, Peter House, 1-2 Oxford St, Manchester M1 5AN
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