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Chef Al Di Meglio's springtime risotto

By Daisy Carrington | dcarrington@am-ny.com

4:43 PM EDT, April 28, 2008

Chef Al Di Meglio prepares asparagus and morel risotto at Olana. (Dennis W. Ho)

New York's Hudson Valley may be miles away from Italy, but that doesn't stop chef and co-owner Al Di Meglio from combining the traditions of both regions at Olana, the Flatiron restaurant that opened in February. Though in many ways the venue is a tribute to the ingredients and produce of the area (the restaurant's name refers to the estate of Hudson Valley painter Frederic Church), Di Meglio doesn't want to be pegged to the now- ubiquitous "locally grown" tag.

"I'm not trumpeting that all I'm using is Hudson valley stuff. Whenever I can, I'll do it. Little by little, I'll grow into it. But I'm not a Dan Barber, not yet," says Di Meglio, referring to the chef at Blue Hill, a restaurant at the forefront of the seasonal-food movement.

The chef's second major influence comes from the time he spend working for Sirio Maccioni at Osteria del Circo. Maccioni made sure his chef learned Italian cooking from the source, and sent Di Meglio to Tuscany and Rome. However, Di Meglio refuses to be confined to any box.

"The pasta I'm doing is not off-the-boat Italian pasta," he states. "It's what I can get my hands on. For instance, most Italians wouldn't put ramps [wild leeks] in their pasta."

His formula -- part Italian, part Hudson Valley, part Di Meglio -- makes for fresh, inventive cuisine. As he sees it, his restaurant's themes marry well.

"I'm evolving both ideas and letting them compliment each other," he says. "In Italy, the chef knows where he gets his pigs, and he knows who grows his artichokes. I'm getting my ingredients in a similar way, and I'm not masking the flavor."

One of the dishes that best showcases the freshness of the ingredients and the season they are grown in is risotto. Di Meglio likes to add asparagus puree and fresh morels to the dish. "It's two items that really sing spring," he says.

Talking to Al Di Meglio

Before you started cooking at Osteria del Circo, [restaurateur] Sirio Maccioni flew you to his favorite restaurants in Italy. What was the most notable difference in cuisine there? In Italy -- this is probably one of Sirio's quotes, but it's something that stuck with me forever -- everybody starts a new wave of cuisine, and then what happens? Everybody goes back to what was being served 20,000 years ago. Food is at its best when it's simplest. Using local Hudson Valley food, I serve them up simply, and try not to mask the flavor of the ingredients.

How is owning your own restaurant different than working in one? Basically, I have total freedom. I'm able to do what I want when I want, and that, as far as an artist goes, is the best. You have a canvas and nobody is holding your hand saying, 'go that way, and that way.'

Risotto is probably intuitive to you, but how can a home chef tell when it is done? The risotto shouldn't be mounded. If you toss it, you should be able to make it hit the ceiling. It should be runny. There's a term for it in Italian: all'onda. It means waves of the ocean. That's how it should look: Like waves breaking in the ocean.

Recipe: Risotto with morels and asparagus

Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium shallots, sliced thin
1 1/2 bunches asparagus
2 quarts plus 1 pint vegetable stock
¼ bunch basil, leaves only
¼ bunch of parsley, leaves only
2 cups risotto rice, ideally vialone nano