Welcome to Yes, Chef! A monthly newsletter in which food writer Sophie Hansen shines a light on our regional chefs. This week she talks with Orange's Francesco Zarrella.
Lucetta Dining has a bar that runs across the front window, and on one side of the front door is a perfect little nook for one. I walk past it often when I’m in town and think, how wonderful to just sit there with your own candle, a book and a plate of vitello tonnato and a glass of local Arneis. It looks like solo dining perfection.
Chef Francesco Zarella’s restaurant in the central-west NSW town of Orange has been open for just over a year and already has a devoted following of locals and visitors who come for the cosy vibe, the contemporary Italian dishes and the wine list of Orange’s region's best and brightest. Francesco runs the kitchen and his wife, Lisa, is a big part of the business, too. Their two daughters are a bit young to be on the floor yet, but with the love of food that runs through this family it feels like that’s just a matter of time.
"I come from a big Italian family and all of us are obsessed with cooking and eating good food," Francesco tells me. "There's a long history of baking from Mum's Pugliese side, and the focaccia on our menu pays homage to this." His aunt and uncle run a couple of food businesses out of Sydney, supplying the restaurant industry with the best produce from across Italy and Australia. So perhaps it's not surprising that Francesco says, "Becoming a chef was an easy decision for me; it still to this day remains something I enjoy tremendously."
Before opening Lucetta, Francesco worked in the kitchen of another local favourite, the Union Bank, and before that, he took a break from restaurants and did a couple of vintages as a chef with Phillip Shaw Wines near Orange. Here he met and clicked with winemaker Nadja Wallington. They’ve become great friends and have gone on to run their own shows. For Francesco, it's Lucetta, and for Nadja, it's ChaLou Wines, a bud-to-bottle winery she runs with husband Steve near Orange.
Lucetta Dining in Orange, photos by Steve Brown.
The friends stay in touch with regular Monday lunches at the winery. These are part of ChaLou’s commitment to hosting monthly “team lunches”. Sometimes it will be a small group of friends in hospitality, such as Francesco and Lisa, sometimes just the small ChaLou team, and sometimes visitors from out of town. It’s always a moment to pause, take stock and break bread together.
This month Francesco brought out the meal, blasted it in the ChaLou oven, and the team sat on a cold, sunny June day looking over the vineyard, sharing roast lamb, twice-cooked potatoes tossed in garlicky herb butter and a radicchio salad tossed with grapes roasted in shiraz.
My grandmother's eggplant parmigiana was one of those dishes that always made me feel at home. She used to add spaghetti in each layer to give it her own special touch. Still to this day nobody can make it like Nonna did. Truly magical.
Every Christmas my wife, two beautiful daughters and I enjoy lots and lots of scampi that we simply butterfly and cook on a barbecue with salt and finish with lemon. A big platter on the table is the perfect way to indulge and spend time with the ones you love.
Nothing beats a big bowl of spaghetti aglio e olio. Lots of garlic, chilli and good extra virgin olive oil. This is one of those dishes that comforts the soul.
We moved to Orange six years ago and love the diverse range of farms that grow amazing produce here. The wines are another reason. We decided to open Lucetta to celebrate our past, our travels, our experiences, and also celebrate what Orange has to offer. The town is filled with such a wonderful community.
One of the benefits of running a restaurant in a regional town is the support you receive from other businesses and your locals. It really feels like everyone wants everyone to succeed, and that's a beautiful thing. The challenge is the shortage of hospitality workers.
Friarielli is something I love at the moment. This bitter Italian leafy green has a mustardy flavour that’s so moreish. It's so versatile it can be used as part of a main, in a pasta dish or even as a side dish.
Definitely old-school R’n’B is my go-to.
Coffee all day.
I don't really like cakes. But a lemon lime tart I could eat every day.
Negroni.
Pancakes with Nutella and coffee.
I’d be hanging out with my beautiful girls. Going for a swim in summer at Lake Canobolas if it's a hot day, or a movie if not. Followed by sushi and then perhaps dinner at home with friends and a glass of wine or two.
Season the lamb generously with salt, lemon zest, crushed garlic and chilli oil if using. Place in a roasting tray with just enough water to cover the base and cover tightly with foil. Cook in a preheated 165°C oven for 5 hours.
After 5 hours, remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 230°C. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from the oven and rest for 30 minutes before carving.
To make the garlic herb butter, wrap one head of garlic in foil and roast at 200°C for 30 minutes, or until soft. Once cooled, squeeze the roasted garlic into softened butter, roughly chop the parsley and fold through. Season with salt to taste and mix well.
Parboil the potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes, until just tender. Then, drain them well. Toss the potatoes with the garlic herb butter in a roasting tray and roast at 220°C for 10-15 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve the potatoes with any remaining butter from the tray.
For the dressing, place the sugar in a saucepan with a splash of water and cook until a golden caramel forms. Carefully add the vinegar (it will splutter) and reduce until the mixture measures 225 ml. Cool completely, then whisk in 225 mL of extra-virgin olive oil and season to taste. Shake well before using.
Roast the pistachios at 150°C for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, then cool completely. Place the grapes and red wine in a roasting tray and roast at 200°C for 20-25 minutes until the grapes are softened slightly. Leave the grapes in their cooking liquid to cool completely.
Wash and thoroughly drain the radicchio leaves. Dress the radicchio with the caramel dressing and season to taste. Arrange on a large platter and scatter with the roasted grapes and pistachios.
Serve the sliced lamb with the crisp garlic herb potatoes and dressed radicchio salad.
Tasting notes Elegant and perfumed and pretty with rose petal, subtle spice and a hint of violet. Palate is fine with ripe mulberry, clove, cinnamon and supple tannins.
Our friends at ChaLou Wines have kindly offered free shipping for Galah readers on orders of six bottles of wine. Browse the range here and use code FS6 to claim.
See you all next month for the July instalment of Yes, Chef! And as always, if you know of a regional chef we should profile here, please let us know.
Sophie x
