Daz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

While working in a restaurant in Greece, I was in parmesan paradise. Owner and chef Roberto used to buy wheels of the very best Parmigiano Reggiano. He taught me to prise out chunks with a parmesan pick for the appetisers and minestrone; then I would grate kilos of it for his amazing pizzas, while Nico the pasta chef loved using copious amounts on his dishes.

One day, Roberto came to me saying he couldn't afford to keep getting Parmigiano Reggiano and had to get Grano Padano instead. He hoped his customers didn't notice; but it was brought to a head one night when Nico got into a fight with the head waiter over a customer's complaint.

So what's the difference between these two cheeses?

Parmigiano, regarded as the king of cheeses, seems to have more organic certification on its milk. Aged for 9-12 years, it has a rigorous testing and certification process. If the master grader hears a sound indicating a hollow during final testing (he dongs the wheels with a hammer), the wheel is marked and sold as second grade.
Grano Pandano has some milk from cows that eat grain and has a maturation process of 4-7 years.

Opinions are divided – even amongst the passionate Italians, but both cheeses can be bought from Bel Mondo in Tauranga; so try them and judge for yourself. At more than $70 a kilo, however, I still find a place on the shelf for a cheap packet of parmesan powder.
Here is a simple dish using parmesan powder, canned tomatoes, a few veggies and lamb cutlets. I love a pinot noir with lamb usually, but for this dish a peppery syrah works well.

Parmesan Lamb Cutlets with Country Tomato sauce

Ingredients

Lamb cutlets (2-3 per person)

2 egg whites

Packet parmesan powder

Cornflour or fine polenta for dusting

1 can chopped tomatoes

Rosemary sprigs

2 carrots, diced

1 onion, finely chopped

Celery stick, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper

Oil for frying

Method

Trim any excess fat from cutlets, pound slightly between plastic bag to make them just a bit bigger in area. Season well then dust in corn flour or fine polenta – which will give the chops a more yellow look. Quickly whisk up egg whites – you're not making a pavlova, just get them frothy. Dunk each chop in frothed up egg white then into a flat dish with parmesan powder – coat each one well and put aside to set in the fridge.

Meanwhile, saute the onion, celery, carrot, then garlic till soft. Add tomatoes and small amount of rosemary. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring, add seasoning and a little water to keep consistency. Remove cutlets from fridge, fry in a hot pan with a little oil – even if you have a non-stick pan these can be a little tricky – I throw a sprinkle of salt in pan first and wait until I think they are about to burn before turning over (chances are they will be golden brown). Serve with country tomato sauce, rosemary roast potatoes and broccoli to make this a more balanced meal – one I'm sure your family will love.