The Dish: Missy Robbins
Chef Missy Robbins is one of just 10 American women to lay claim to a coveted Michelin star. A native of New Haven, Connecticut, Robbins got her culinary start in Washington, D.C. She later spent extensive time in Italy, learning that country's exquisite cooking styles, before returning to the U.S.
Her new Brooklyn restaurant, "Lilia," is already drawing critical acclaim, earning three stars from the New York Times. More importantly, it's achieving her primary goal -- making people happy.
Here are some of Robbins's signature dishes.
Rigatoni diavola
Ingredients
1 pound rigatoni
8 whole garlic cloves
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼ cup tomato paste
2 32 ounce cans san marzano tomatoes, drained and hand crushed, juice reserved
1 tbs fennel seed
1 tbs chili flake
2 tbs crushed calabrian chili
1 tbs calabrian chili oil
½ cup olive oil
5 sprigs fresh oregano
Directions
1. Heat a large bottomed pan to low heat. Add olive oil
2. Add the whole garlic cloves and cook slowly on low- medium heat until soft and slightly caramelized to golden brown, about 5-8 minutes.
3. Add the sliced garlic an sweat lightly, just until aromatic, no color
4. Add the tomato paste and cook until a deep rich color and until some of the oil has absorbed into it, about 3-5 minutes
5. Add the tomatoes and ½ the reserved juice
6. Add the chilies, wet and dry, and the fennel seed
7. Cook for 45-60 minutes on a slow simmer while occasionally stirring.
8. Add the oregano in the last 5 minutes of cooking and remove when sauce is done
Mafaldine with pink peppercorns and Parmigiana-Reggiano
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound of mafaldine pasta (spaghetti will work great if you cant find mafaldine)
6 tbs butter
3 teaspoons crushed pink peppercorns (Not too fine -- they should still have some crunchy texture)
3/4 cup parmigiano reggiano
Salt to taste
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water heavily. It should taste salty.
2. Place the pasta in the water and cook until al dente, about 7- 9 minutes. Pasta should still have bite to it and not be soft.
3. While the pasta is cooking place start the sauce in another pan. Place the butter in a large sauce pot on low heat and add about 4 ounces ounces of the cooking water from the pasta.
4. Remove the pasta from the pot and place in the pan with the butter and water. Cook for another minute in the sauce until the sauce is absorbed.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and add in ½ cup parmigiano and toss until well mixed. Add the 2 tsp of the pink peppercorns and mix well.
6. Place in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining cheese and peppercorns.
Garlic bread
Ingredients
1 loaf rustic italian bread
1.5 table spoons butter per piece of bread
12 slices mozzarealla
Bottarga to taste
Chili flake ground to taste
Directions
1. Set an oven to 450 degrees. Spread butter on bread.
2. Toast bread in oven until golden.
3. Once bread is toasted, place room temperature cheese on top.
4. Garnish with grated bottarga and chili flake and sea salt.
Homemade mozzarella
Ingredients
1 pound mozzarella curd
2 tbs salt
180-degree water
Directions
1. Break up mozzarella curd to quarter size pieces. Salt curd.
2. Heat a large pot of water to 180 degrees. Ladel water over the curd until coverd by 1-2 inches, approximately 12 ounces.
3. Let sit for 5-8 minutes without disturbing. Drin water and do again.
4. With a rubber spatula begin to "stretch" the curd until it is forming large sheets.
5. If it starts to get too cold add more water and continue process. Make sure not to overwork the curd. You want to work as least amount as possible in order to create the most tender piece of cheese
6. Begin to form into balls
7. Once balls are formed place into cold water and hold until ready to use
Garlic butter
Ingredients
1 pound butter, tempered until soft
2 heads roasted garlic, cloves squeezed out
10 cloves garlic chopped
¼ cup of olive oil
Zest of 2 lemons
Directions
1. Sweat the raw garlic in the olive oil on very low heat just until aromatic no color.
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Season to taste with salt.
Olive oil cake
Ingredients
2 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 tablespoon salt
½ t baking soda
½ t baking powder
1 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¼ cup milk
3 eggs
¼ cup orange juice
Zest of 2 oranges
Zest of 1 lemon
Directions
1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
2. In another bowl whisk together olive oil, milk, orange juice, eggs, and citrus zest.
3. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry while stirring.
4. Whisk until batter is smooth.
5. Lightly oil the sides of a 9" springform pan.
6. Line the pan with a circle of parchment.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
8. Check center with knife, it should come out clean.
Bianco bianco
Ingredients
2 oz white wine (we use grillo)
1 oz montanaro bianco vermouth
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz honey syrup (recipe below)
Soda
Directions
1. Build over ice in a wine glass, top with soda.
2. Garnish with big orange slice and lemon wheel
Ingredients for honey syrup
2 parts honey
1 part hot water
Directions
1. Stir till well dissolved
Ingredients for Aperol spritz
2 oz aperol
2.5 oz Drusian Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore 'extra dry'
1 oz club soda
Directions
1. Build cocktail in separate vessel.
2. Express lemon twist over ice in wine glass.
3. Pour cocktail into wine glass over ice and twist.