Francesco opened L'Anima in June in 2008, and although I haven't been (yet!), my mum tells me it's great, and by what I've tried at various fairs, I think he's my favourite Italian chef. So I was very excited when I heard that he was designing some dishes for Pizza Express, which I already regarded as a good restaurant. Before he became a famous chef, Francesco actually applied for a job at Pizza Express, but they turned him away because they thought that he was too talented!
At the launch it was all a bit of a squash, but really exciting, with everyone trying to grab the tasters before they disappeared! I was really amazed at how many people my mum knew, and embarrassed, when she mentioned that I had started a blog! I said hello to Francesco, who recognised me from the fairs that I'd been to, and got a little picture with the star chef.
The kitchen looked really hectic, and I was quite impressed at how quickly they were churning out the pizzas!
My favourite of the pizzas is Mia Sofia, a 'bianco' Romana base with truffle paste and a mixture of mushrooms, named after Francesco's daughter and her love for truffles. The contrast between the crispy base and the succulent mushrooms was fantastic.
I also loved the Tricolore, a salad of mozzarella, tomato and guacamole (avocado). It was beautifully fresh and the vibrant colours of the Italian flag was a clever touch.
I didn't try the Calabrese pizza, which (unfortunately for me) had a spicy sausage called n'duja, along with the hottest Italian Calabrese sausage, fresh green chillies, roquito peppers, watercress and olive oil, fior di latte mozzarella and oregano. It is square to honour Francesco's grandmother's belief that it is how pizzas should be.
Rustichella was also a meaty one, with a classic Margarita base, plus oregano from Francesco's home region, crisp pancetta, rocket, grana padano and a drizzle of Caesar dressing.
Francesco also designed a pasta dish for Pizza Express, called Tagliolino Funghi, which also I haven't tried it at Pizza Express, I've tried a very similar dish made by his chefs at L'Anima at Taste of Christmas fair 2009, and it is absolutely delicious!
So hurry along and try some Francesco Mazzei inspired food at a Pizza Express branch near you!!!!
Posts
