In the first of our new Garden Café Supper Clubs, we're taking a trip to the Adriatic Coast with a five course communal feast celebrating the specialities of Le Marche, Italy.
At every Garden Café Supper Club, our Head Chefs Harry Kaufman and George Ryle dive deep into the food of a region. Taking one centrepiece dish as the inspiration for the meal, we’ll eat communally, sharing platters and dishes signature to the region. A bespoke wine list will be specially chosen to complement each meal.
We’re starting this October with a feast from Le Marche, on the east coast of Italy. The meal will begin with some antipasti, charcuterie and cheese from the Ham and Cheese Company, served with piadina (an unleavened bread) and Olive Ascolane – meat-stuffed, deep-fried olives.
Next we’ll be serving large platters of brodetto alla marchigiana. Bordering the Adriatic, fish plays a big role in the cuisine of Le Marche, and this seafood-packed broth is the sort of dish that people are very particular about, and is said it must have an exact number of different varieties of fish.
For the main event we couldn’t not serve the region’s famous lasagne vincisgrassi, named after an Austrian general stationed in the region in 1799. The ragu is heartier and more rustic than most. Not only is it hand-chopped, but traditionally includes chicken livers and gizzards, wild mushrooms and prosciutto.
For dessert we’ll be reactivating the deep fryer as we’ve got fried custard and calcioni, a classic Le Marche dessert of fried sweetened ricotta-filled ravioli.