Grana Padano broth with roasted Romanesco cauliflower
6
Easy
20 minutes
2 hours 15 minutesThis richly layered broth, inspired by the Italian brodo – a clear, slow-simmered stock – is infused with the savoury depth of Grana Padano. The cheese rind enriches the broth with a deep, nutty complexity, while a final grating adds a salty finish. Roasted Romanesco cauliflower brings contrast with its caramelised edges and tender bite, catching the melted cheese in all the right places, while soft gnocchi soak up the broth’s warmth. Simple ingredients come together with care and time to create something quietly luxurious, tied together by the unmistakable character of Grana Padano.
Ingredients
Method
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For the broth:
- 1 T olive oil
- 800 g free-range beef shortrib
- 4 free-range skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs
- 1.5 L water
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- 4 baby leeks
- 2 onions, quartered (leave the skin on for extra colour)
- 1 bouquet garni
- 1-2 Grana Padano rinds
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste For the roasted Romanesco cauliflower:
- 1 Romanesco cauliflower (or regular cauliflower)
- 1 head garlic, halved
- olive oil, for drizzling For the gnocchi:
- 4 T butter
- 400 g Woolworths gnocchi Italian potato dumplings
- 10 g sage leaves
Method
Ingredients
1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat and brown the shortrib. Once well caramelised, remove and set aside.
2. Add the chicken thighs to the same pan, skin-side down, and brown until golden and crisp, then set aside with the beef.
3. Add the water, carrots, celery, baby leeks and onions. Return the shortrib and chicken thighs to the pan, then add the bouquet garni and Grana Padano rinds and season. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered or partially covered, for 1½–2 hours. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
4. Once the broth is aromatic and flavourful, strain it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, discard the solids (you can shred the chicken and shortrib and add them to the stock if you like) and check the seasoning.
5. While the broth cooks, drizzle the cauliflower and garlic with olive oil and sprinkle over the Grana Padano. Roast at 180°C for 20–25 minutes until golden and crisp on the edges.
6. Melt the butter in a large shallow saucepan over a medium to low heat, add the sage leaves and gnocchi and fry until golden and tender.
7. To serve, divide the cauliflower and gnocchi between bowls. Ladle over the hot broth, sprinkle with more Grana Padano and season with black pepper. Serve immediately.
Photography: Shavan Rahim
Videography: Sadiqah Assur-Ismail
Recipes: Marcelle van Rooyen
Food assistant: Bianca Jones
With its crystalline, crumbly texture and mild, delicate flavour, it’s no mystery why Grana Padano is so popular. Its consistently excellent quality is due to each wheel being examined at nine months by an impartial technician.
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