A SOUPer Winter

“Someone could call themselves a chef for 30 years, and still never really understand flavor.”

So says Darren Lawless, chef-owner of Il Bambino, a paninoteca and tapas bar in Astoria – one of only three restaurants in the area to place in the “extraordinary to perfection” bracket of Zagat’s most recent rankings.

“It’s all about flavor and technique,” he explains passionately, “knowing, for example, how to transform a carrot into a roasted carrot salad.”

The secret? Quality ingredients and superb technique in extracting and layering flavors.

Most of Il Bambino’s dishes include only a few simple ingredients, but one bite of a panini or a spoonful of the daily soup tells you everything you need to know – it doesn’t take a food critic to recognize something special is going on here.

For instance, the split pea and prosciutto soup has only four main ingredients: peas, prosciutto, onions and carrots. Sounds simple, right? Well, take a closer look at the process involved in transforming simplicity into deliciousness: Chef Lawless first sweats the prosciutto, drawing out the savory juices, to which the onions are then fed until rendered sweet and translucent. Next, the peas are cooked into the base, like a risotto.

“So much goes on before we even add water,” smiles Lawless, who never uses stocks. “I always want the featured ingredient to shine through.” Herbs are added at the end, allowing the heat to release the oils just in time to serve.

Speaking of soups, vegetarian varieties are given just a touch of cream for heartiness, or even a pureed potato to add a velvety smoothness to the body. And while soups may hibernate throughout the summer, their resurrection each autumn is highly anticipated. On a typical day, the restaurant can easily sell over 100 16 oz. servings. The price for these gourmet ephemeral gems comes to $7.08 after tax, and each portion is accompanied by a toasted crostini slathered with homemade basil pesto – ideal for dunking.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Nutmeg & Moscato

Il Bambino’s menu of seasonal delights gives patrons something different to look forward to every visit, including: smoked tomato bisque (the best seller, usually featured on Wednesdays and Saturdays); roasted pumpkin with sweet spices and fresh thyme; split pea prosciutto; potato with roasted mushrooms and garlic; potato-cauliflower with toasted almonds; and, for when it’s really cold, a sweet sausage minestrone with ditalini pasta.

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Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Nutmeg & Moscato

Ingredients:

7-8 lb pumpkin
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and roughly chopped
2 oz of unsalted butter
1 pint milk
1 cup moscato or dessert wine
1 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and white pepper

Preparation:

Prepare the pumpkin by cutting it into quarters, and then into eighths. Remove seeds, and separate the meat from the skin (discarded skin). Cut pumpkin meat into smaller chunks and set aside. Melt the butter in a large pot, over medium high heat. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the pumpkin and potato, and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the moscato, and boil to reduce by half. Add the milk and cream and simmer, covered, for 1 hour (or until completely soft and very tender). Puree the soup, and season with salt and pepper, freshly grated nutmeg and chopped fresh thyme.

Yields 6 servings.
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Il Bambino
34-08 31st Ave
Astoria, New York 11106
718-626-0087
www.ilbambinonyc.com
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