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Alex Owens - Orecchiette vongole

Archway

Having originally studied English at University, my original plan wasn't necessarily to become a chef. To be honest, for a long time, I wasn't entirely sure whether I had a love for cooking or really whether I had a love of eating. Now I think the two are synonymous anyway. My path into professional kitchens was pretty standard. I first staged at The Ledbury for a few months, a place that taught me to listen, learn, and never cut corners. Then a friend suggested I try out for a job at The River Cafe. I always say that The River Cafe was the first work environment that felt like home. It taught me to respect my ingredients and to consider them in their own right before using them in whatever way would best allow them to sing. It also taught me the importance of valuing your guests and their experience beyond the food that is being placed on their plates. I hope that these lessons are something I have been able to carry across to our new opening, Archway, in Battersea. We are much smaller and a little off the beaten track, but I hope to provide simple, ingredient-led food that speaks for itself. Having spent the past four years at the River Cafe, Italian cuisine is something I cannot pull away from (nor would I ever want to). So you will always find fresh pasta on the menu, alongside many classic Italian dishes. 

Making the pasta

INGREDIENTS

  • 200g Semolina flour pasta dough

method

  • Step 1: Cut off a 30g log of dough while keeping the rest covered in clingfilm to maintain its moisture. Roll the dough into a long, thin sausage about 1cm thick. Use a sharp knife to cut the sausage into small nuggets, around 1.5-2cm long. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
  • Step 2: Using a table knife, take a nugget of pasta and stand it upright like a tree stump. Press down on the nugget with the knife's tip firmly against the board and drag the knife across the pasta and the board, causing it to curl slightly. Stop just before reaching the pasta's edge to create a small curled shell clinging to the knife's tip. Pick it up and quickly invert it to form an orecchiette, also known as a little ear. Repeat this process.

For the pangrattato 

INGREDIENTS

  • 50g panko breadcrumbs
  • 1tbsp Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive OIl

method

  • Step 1: For toasted breadcrumbs, heat a frying pan and add a generous amount of oil. Toss the breadcrumbs in the pan, constantly moving them around until they turn golden brown. Set them aside for later use.

cooking the pasta

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 100g clams in shell
  • 1 100g mussels in shell
  • splash of wine
  • 1 small handful datterini tomatoes, cut in half and the seeds squeezed out
  • 2 cloves sweet garlic finely chopped
  • 1 small bunch basil
  • 1 knob of butter
  • as much oil as you like

method

  • Step 1: Boil a large pot of heavily salted water, making sure it is as salty as the sea.
  • Step 2: In a hot pan with a snug-fitting lid, add oil, the cloves, the tomatoes, the mussels, the clams, and a splash of wine in quick succession. The mixture should immediately bubble and steam.
  • Step 3: Swiftly cover the pan with the lid and periodically shake it, allowing the shellfish to open up and cook.
  • Step 4: While the shells are opening, cook the pasta separately for approximately 10 minutes until it reaches an al dente texture.
  • Step 5: If everything is planned properly, once the pasta is cooked, the shellfish will be cooked as well (all open, plump, and juicy), allowing you to transfer the pasta into the pan with the shellfish using a slotted spoon.
  • Step 6: Shimmy everything around over the heat, incorporating basil and a knob of butter. Keep shimmying for a bit longer than expected, and consider adding a splash or two of pasta water. This will help the shellfish sauce emulsify with the butter and coat the pasta.
  • Step 7: Serve in a bowl with a generous glug of olive oil and the pangrattato on top.  Enjoy!