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A masterclass in flour at Sasso

June 2016

A masterclass in flour at Sasso
Matthias McGregor

Matthias McGregor

5 minute read

Part of Queenstown’s charm lies in the interplay between old and new, and nowhere is this more apparent than at McNeill’s quintessential stone cottage. Built by stonemason James McNeill in 1883 as a private residence, it was later home to a brewery and now enjoys new life as Sasso, a fine Italian restaurant where tradition extends from the walls to the plate.

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At First Table we love finding chefs who get excited about every little detail of their work. For Sasso Head Chef Rob Essenburg, it’s a masterclass in fine Italian flour.

Ancient grains

“We wanted to kind of be both modern and ancient at the same time,” Rob tells us, “so we play around with a lot different flours as well as whole grains such as spelt. We’re interested in what flour would have been like 200 years ago.”

Making fresh pasta can be taken far beyond egg and white flour.

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“At Sasso we love pasta and eat it practically everyday.” says Rob. “The best part about it is the diversity. Take our Wholemeal Pappardelle. We sidestep tradition slightly by using a different flour which adds a new dimension to both the flavour and the texture of the pasta.”

Fresh hand-made pasta

Ever wonder what goes on in an Italian Kitchen?

“For our pasta we start with half wholemeal and half “zero-zero” ultra-refined Italian flour. The result is a bit sturdier as it’s harder developed gluten so we knead it for longer, it absorbs more water, and it takes longer cooking to get to the al dente we want.”

“We add only whole eggs to it to get more density than egg whites alone, knead for about 10 to 12 minutes, rest for 40 minutes to rehydrate, roll it into wide noodles and hand cut. Then we paired with a Southland Rabbit Ragu with hints of rosemary to bring you both respect for tradition and a slight foray into the modern.”

Trust the kitchen

Based on Rob’s extensive knowlege of Mediterranean cuisine, Sasso’s “Trust The Kitchen” menu takes the guesswork out of ordering.

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“We offer either a 3 or 5 course menu based on what’s in season and what we’re trying in the kitchen.” says Rob. “The first course in Italy is called Preme, and is often pasta or risotto. We build it around the way Italians would eat if they had just moved here to New Zealand. Things like our house-made futtucini or lamb shank ragu."

Local seasonal produce is a focal point of many Sasso dishes. Along with the Southland rabbit, swede, and celeriac, there’s beef from Jacks Point and olive oil from Bannockburn.

Whether you’re celebrating with a five-course luxury Sapore di Sasso menu or just popping in for pizza and a beer, you can be sure Sasso’s fresh ingredients (and Rob’s flour) will be on point!

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