Italian chef Mauro never stops learning

Civiero preparing the Buffalo Mozzarella Emulsion.

It was Chef Mauro Civiero’s keen interest to learn more about the native dishes of his beloved Italy that inspired him to become a chef.

“Italian cuisine is so diverse that one cannot stop discovering and learning more about it,” says Civiero. “Each village or town has its own way of making certain dishes, so I’m still learning new things.”

The friendly 57-year-old Milanese was in Kuala Lumpur recently as EQ KL’s guest chef for a series of special events, including a curated wine pairing dinner and a wine Masterclass. For the media session at the hotel’s Bottega Lounge, he demonstrated five recipes from the Bottega 100 Gold Book of recipes to complement selected Bottega wines.

Since it was his maiden visit to Malaysia, Civiero had the opportunity to try some local food, but admitted his stint was too brief and didn’t allow him much time to familiarise himself with Malaysian food.

In his opinion, regardless whether one is working in a Michelin-starred or ordinary restaurant, it is the chef’s responsibility to cook every dish to the best of his ability.

“I make it point to practise and work on improving the dishes I find difficult or am unfamiliar with, until I get them right.”

He also feels that his cooking style has changed over the years as he continues to study and innovate along the way.

Civiero practises and improves on a dish until he gets it right. — Photos: AZMAN GHANI/The Star

“As a chef, it’s important to never stop learning.”

Civiero embarked on his culinary journey in 1982 after attending catering school. He has worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants, including one in Heidelberg, Germany. Upon his return to Italy, he showcased his mastery at the Michelin-starred Casanova Grill, located at the Palace Hotel. The stint proved significant to his career as it opened doors to other prestigious hotels, including the Florence Grand Hotel and Porto Cervo Pitrizza in the breathtaking Emerald Coast of Sardinia.

In recognition of his culinary expertise, the chef was appointed the representative of Italian cuisine at The Westin Hotel in Tokyo where he had a chance to promote the culinary traditions of his homeland. His career has also taken him to the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Not content with his Italian cuisine know-how, he had further training to master French and Japanese culinary techniques. His participation in several prestigious culinary competitions saw him achieving first place in Cucina Creativa Italiana, second place in the cooking exhibition of Internazionali d’Italia and third place in the Grand Prix International de cuisine Pierre Taittinger.

His dedication to culinary excellence is evident throughout his career in which he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to excel in what he does, constantly pushing boundaries and captivating the palates of diners worldwide with his innovative creations.

A typical traditional Italian dessert — Sbrisolona (almond crumble).

Reminding young chefs that they must continue to learn and glean information, Civiero says: “Chefs cannot stop studying – food is an expression of different cultures and as chefs, they must understand why a certain food is eaten.

“Nowadays, chefs not only need to learn how to prepare food, but must also know about the nutritional and health benefits of the dishes.”

When it comes to his favourite food, Civiero laughingly says it changes according to his mood. When pressed to name one, he chose Milanese-style risotto with saffron – a simple yet delicious dish – as his comfort food of choice.

Italian specialities and Bottega wines

For the recent EQ-Bottega collaboration, Civiero chose five traditional Italian dishes to complement the Bottega wines chosen by Sandro Bottega, president of Bottega SpA.

Today, the Bottega brand is synonymous with high quality liqueurs such as Limoncello, Bacur gin, the Bottega wine range (Bottega Gold especially) and Stardust Prosecco. The brand is also the second-best selling sparkling wine in travel-retail, distributed in about 300 airports around the world, on 60 airlines and some of the best wine shops globally, says Sandro.

According to Civiero, the recipes were chosen for their affinity with the chosen Bottega wines. “The recipes are from the Bottega 100 Gold Book, but I’ve tweaked and adapted them slightly based on my own expertise to suit local context.”

Amberjack Tartare.

His showcase featured Amberjack Tartare to complement Bottega Gold Prosecco DOC Spumante Brut; Buffalo Mozzarella Emulsion paired with Bottega Pinot Grigio Venezia DOC; Venetian Style Crabmeat Salad with Bottega Rose Gold Pinot Nero Spumante Brut Rosé; Rosé Veal with Mascarpone Tuna Mousse to match Bottega Rosso di Montalcino DOC; and Sbrisolona to go with Bottega Manzoni Rosé Spumante and Bottega Limoncino.

Marinated with sun-dried tomatoes, capers and olives, then placed onto zucchini threads, the delicious Amberjack Tartare was a refreshing starter, a sublime match with the bright citrusy notes of Bottega Gold Prosecco DOC Spumante Brut. With its light floral aroma and balanced acidity, the straw-yellow wine offset the natural richness of the fish nicely.

Civiero’s Buffalo Mozzarella Emulsion with wild oregano, tomato jelly and basil left us intrigued with its composition of soft almost creamy texture, similar to that of mashed sweet potato. We relished the dish’s delicate flavours between sips of Bottega Pinot Grigio Venezia DOC. The dry, smooth wine exuded refreshingly fruity aromas of pear and peach, with a subtle hint of almond finishing.

A showcase of simplicity at its best, the subsequent Venetian Style Crabmeat Salad with eggplant and parsley oil tasted even better when complemented by the blush pink Bottega Rose Gold Pinot Nero Spumante Brut Rosé. With its elegant, supple structure, the rosé won us over with its fresh acidity, characterised by faint floral-mixed berries notes.

Buffalo Mozzarella Emulsion.

Delectable bites of Rosé Veal with Mascarpone Tuna Mousse made a dream pairing with the full-bodied Bottega Rosso di Montalcino DOC. The sou vide veal had been marinated hours earlier with myriad herbs and carried the slightest herbaceous nuance, balanced by the savoury tuna mousse.

Aside from hints of cherries and plums, the ruby-red wine boasted well-rounded tannins that provided a pleasing note which went well with the tender meat.

For the finale, Civiero showed how Sbrisolona, a traditional cake from Lombardy, was made. The crumbly almond cake, also dubbed broken tart, was served alongside a glass of Bottega Manzoni Moscato Rosé Spumante and Bottega Limoncino.

A dessert wine exuding a refined rose aroma, Bottega Manzoni Moscato’s ripe citrusy notes with a tinge of sage complemented the Italian shortbread-like treat perfectly. Equally stellar to go with Sbrisolona was the lemon-yellow Bottega Limoncino, known notably for its intense juicy sweetness, brimming with the aroma and flavour of ripe lemons. These two tipples brought the curtains down on a sweet note to our tasting session at EQ Kuala Lumpur.