Courtesy of The Alden.
Sarra here! This week, I’m sharing with you two recipes from Chef Jared Hucks of Michelin-recommended restaurant The Alden in Chamblee.
During a recent visit to The Alden for lunch, I spied a big tray of ricotta cooling on a counter in the kitchen. Curious about the process, I asked Hucks if making ricotta was easy and if he’d be willing to talk me through it and share the recipe with our readers. Not only did he share his recipe for ricotta, but he also shared a recipe for the restaurant’s Pomodoro sauce. The two recipes don’t necessarily have to go together but collaborate quite well.
At The Alden, Hucks takes a global approach to food, but his foundation in Italian cuisine is undeniable. Hucks started his culinary career in 1996 and found his calling at Marietta’s Trattoria LaStrada. While attending the French Culinary Institute in New York City, Hucks worked as a chef tournant, filling in where he was needed in the kitchen at Restaurant Baldoria. Here, Hucks honed his knowledge of Southern Italian cuisine.
While living in Thailand during the late aughts, Hucks worked as the executive chef at Da Maurizio in Phuket. Later, he studied at Zi Peppe in Monte Flavio in northern Italy, just outside Rome, and traveled the region during his tenure there.
Hucks said these experiences with Italian food during the early part of his career significantly affected his understanding of the country’s culture and his awareness of Italian cuisine’s boundaries.
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“Italian cuisine stands very much on its own when it comes to ingredients,” he told me. “I have found, however, that Italian cooking techniques can be universal, much like French cooking techniques.”
“In my experience, there is no fusion between Italian and other cuisines as Italian food is very much about the purity of ingredients, its own traditions, and with that, nostalgia,” he added.
At The Alden, Hucks and his team incorporate Italian fundamentals through technique. “We tend to innovate our dishes through a process of deconstruction [to alter the appearance] and elaboration of textures,” he explained. For example, Hucks is more likely to top pasta with a Parmesan emulsion than with shavings and commonly adds jellies to his dishes — the food may feel and taste different, but the fundamentals remain intact.
“Few people know how easy it is to make ricotta cheese, but there’s no surprise how delicious homemade ricotta is,” Hucks said. “This fresh ricotta elevates so many everyday dishes, from a simple pasta sauce to pizza, French toast, pancakes and so many others.”
Meanwhile, the Pomodoro sauce is a perfect foundation for pasta. “At The Alden, we use the sauce as the basis for our butternut squash bolognese,” Hucks said.
Mix it with your favorite meat and cheese, or take Huck’s lead and incorporate local, seasonal produce like butternut squash and broccoli rabe.
HOMEMADE RICOTTA
Ingredients:
1 gallon of whole milk
177 mL white wine vinegar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
Tools:
Cheesecloth
Fine mesh strainer
Large, heavy-bottomed saucepan (such as a cast-iron Dutch oven)
Food thermometer
Directions:
Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth. Add to a deep bowl or container.
In the saucepan, bring milk and salt to 200 degrees Fahrenheit over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat and add vinegar. Let the ricotta sit until it curdles.
Transfer ricotta to the cheesecloth-lined strainer setup and let strain for 20 minutes. For a firmer ricotta, you can let it strain for up to 45 minutes.
Using the cheesecloth, transfer strained ricotta into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate in a wrapped bowl or airtight container for up to one week.
Pro tip from Hucks: Homemade ricotta is a great way to use up excess buttermilk. Simply omit the vinegar if starting with buttermilk.
SAUCE NAPOLETANA (Pomodoro sauce)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
800 g (28 oz) tomatoes (peeled), canned or fresh (crushed)
1 tbsp dry oregano
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Directions:
Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until translucent, stirring until soft.
Add tomatoes and oregano. Season to taste. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes.
Stir in fresh basil and adjust seasoning as needed. (For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to puree the sauce to your liking.)