More than half of all Argentinians have some Italian heritage thanks to a long wave of migration around the turn of the 19th century. In fact, the Italian diaspora has shaped every part of Argentine culture, from the architecture to the local dialect and, of course, the cuisine.
Given the relatively small Latin American presence in Australia, it’s not often that Australians get to indulge in Argentinian fare. But for one night only, Melbourne-based chefs Alejandro Saravia (Morena, Farmer’s Daughters) and Andreas Papadakis (Tipo 00) are teaming up for a special menu that explores Argentina’s diverse heritage. It’ll be served as part of an exclusive event at Morena Sydney on August 13 during Broadsheet’s inaugural Dine Out festival.
“Our whole mission with Morena is to raise awareness of Latin American cultures, from Mexico to Chile,” says Saravia, who is Peruvian with Italian heritage. “The biggest influence in Argentinian cuisine is Italian. I’ve always thought that’s a really good angle for celebrating Argentinian culture.”
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Saravia says Papadakis was a natural choice for the collaboration given his focus on high quality ingredients treated simply, as well as his celebration of Italian food – including, but not limited to, pasta.
“What we want to show in this collaboration is the merging between the two cultures, but we also want to present Andreas and what Tipo represents to the [Sydney] market,” he says.
The menu begins with eggplant escabeche, a Spanish dish with a vinegar marinade that’s popular in both Italy and parts of Latin America. There’s also peperonata, a simple but special dish made from slow-stewed capsicums, perfect for eating with house-made focaccia.
“When I saw that Andreas was putting peperonata on the menu, it really triggered memories of eating at my [Italian] grandmother’s house.” Saravia recalls “a lot of small grilled veggie side dishes that you have on the table before everything starts”.
Pasta, of course, will feature prominently – expect Tipo’s signature handmade spaghetti with Moreton Bay bug, tomato butter and lovage. It will be paired with milanesa, a breaded veal cutlet that originated in Italy before becoming an Argentine classic in its own right. Here, it’s served with a “chimichurri gremolata”, combining herb-driven condiments from both cultures.
“The Argentine diet revolves around beef and barbeque,” says Saravia. “Celebrations of big ingredients like that work really well with Italian traditions of pasta.”
Tipo’s signature Tipomisu will also make an appearance, alongside a unique take on chocolate alfajores, an Argentine shortbread biscuit (versions of which are also found in Spain and throughout South America) paired with dulce de leche semifreddo and fermented berries.
Papadakis will also be hands-on during the event. “When I do events like this as a guest chef, I like to interact with the guests quite a bit,” he says. “I will be cooking and taking food out.”
To complete the experience, there will be a selection of European and Latin American wines along with a range of cocktails highlighting Italian Argentine ingredients to complement the meal.
Morena x Tipo 00: From Italy to Argentina takes place from 6pm on Wednesday August 13 as part of Dine Out Sydney. Tickets for this Priceless Experience are available exclusively to Mastercard cardholders via Priceless.com.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Mastercard. Broadsheet’s Dine Out festival runs from August 4–10 in Melbourne and August 11–17 in Sydney, with 80 events across the two cities.