FOOD + DRINK
MEET THE CHEF :
MASSIMO DEIDDA
Head Chef , Amici , Ashford
What led you to becoming a chef ?
Since an early age I have always had a passion and love for cooking thanks to my nonna ( grandmother ) who owned a trattoria in my village in Sardinia . Being an Italian , the food we ate was very traditional – simple recipes based on fresh and healthy fruit , vegetables , fish , and meat .
Where did you train ?
I trained as a student in the early 90 ’ s at the Trusthouse Forte in Sardinia and London .
Where have you worked before Amici ?
I started working at Dino ’ s restaurant in London which is a small chain of traditional Italian restaurants . In 2002 I came to Ashford and at the age of 33 I opened my first independent café in Waterstones bookstores . In 2014 we decided to convert our lovely family café into a nice Italian family restaurant , and Amici was born .
Tell us about the dishes and menu you have created ?
My grandmother always said that a good recipe doesn ’ t need lots and lots of ingredients , because if the ingredients are top quality and full of flavour why would you want to change the taste . We believe in simplicity , our menu is inspired by classic Italian cuisine with a touch of traditional Sardinian flavours . We pride ourselves on not only providing great service and quality food but also to take you on a journey through Italy . That ’ s why in our menu we bring something from each part to Italy from south to north , our pasta De-Cecco comes from the Abruzzo region of central Italy ; cicchetti – small sharing dishes – from Venice ; arancini from Sicily ; and our special black pasta tagliolini nero comes direct from Sardinia .
What is your signature / favourite dish ?
‘ Cassola di Pesce ’, a Sardinian seafood casserole with fregola ( Sardinian couscous ). It ' s a delicious combination of tiger prawns , mussels , clams , calamari , a touch of garlic and chilli , white wine , and tomato base sauce . If you are a fish lover you MUST try it !
What is your guilty pleasure ?
Chocolate and limoncello ... if my wife doesn ’ t stop me I can easily drink the whole bottle !
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