With almost 23 years of culinary experience, Chef Matteo Arvonio brings with him deep-rooted love for Italian flavours and authentic cooking styles. Currently appointed the Speciality Chef at Mezzo Mezzo at JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, he is responsible for developing new concepts at the restaurant.

Chef Matteo specializes in regional Italian cuisine however he loves refining original recipes with creative modern cooking techniques. We got Chef Matteo to share one of his very own recipes of Black cod cooked “al cartoccio”, with Tuscan style stewed tomato caviar and Swiss chard with us this month. “Using one of the most valuable fish in the market, I combine the ‘cartoccio’, a traditional delicate cooking technique that enhances the flavor of the fish using different aromas, and I serve with Pappa al Pomodoro, a very traditional recipe of Tuscany”, says Chef Matteo

Merluzzo Nero al Cartoccio Con Pappa al Pomodoro

Black cod cooked “al cartoccio”, Tuscan style stewed tomato caviar, swiss chard

• Black cod fillet 4 pcs of 150-180 gr each
• For cartoccio : shallot, lemon zest, spring onion, thyme, celery, white wine, extra virgin olive oil
• Swiss chard
• Salt
• White pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

 For Pappa al Pomodoro:

• Ripe tomato 1 kg (without skin and chopped)
• Shallot 100 gr
• Basil 1 bunch
• Garlic 1 cup
• Vegetable stock (made with onion, celery, carrot)
• White bread diced and toasted 200 gr
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

 Method: Prepare the pappa al pomodoro: add the garlic and the basil to the vegetable stock bring it to boil and let it rest for about 1 hour to get flavor of these two ingredients. Drain

In a pot stew the shallot chopped with some oil, add the tomato and stew for about 10 minutes. Add some stock and continue to cook for about 30 minutes adding more stock when is necessary.

Keep the preparation quite humid, take off from the fire, add the bread, and cover the pot and keep to rest for about 10-15 minutes. Then with a whisk stir energetically and add oil, salt and pepper to taste.

 Prepare the fish: we need to prepare the cartoccio; the easier way is take a sheet of aluminum foil, putt all the ingredients/flavor in the middle and on the top lay the fish already seasoned with salt, pepper and oil; close the cartoccio as a bag carefully and make sure that is nicely sealed. You can as well use a second layer of aluminum foil sheet to be sure.

 Put the cartoccio in a tray and cook in an oven (pre-heated at 180 °C) for about 8-10 and put to rest for a couple of minutes before to open it. Take in consideration that the timing is for a fillet of 4-5 cm high. If the fish is thinner 6-8 minutes will be enough.

 In a pan sauté the Swiss chard cleaned and sliced with oil, salt and pepper.

 Plating: in a plate put a big spoon of warmed pappa al pomodora and a nice spoon of sautéed Swiss chard on its side. Open the cartoccio and put carefully the fish on top (if you think is a little raw jut put open in the oven for a couple of minutes more, but be careful to not overcook otherwise it will be dry)

Finish with some sea salt and extra virgin oil on top.