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Ruth Broers
June 5, 2017

Cucina, in Edinburgh’s G&V Royal Mile Hotel, is a super stylish Italian restaurant, popular with many 5pmers. At the helm of this award-winning Italian is its Executive Chef Mattia Camorani.

We had the pleasure of being invited into his kitchen recently, where he showed us exactly why the restaurant is a must-visit.

Watch him in the video below cook Conchiglie with wild boar ragu and we’ve put the full recipe at the bottom of the blog so you can try it at home.

Mattia Camorani, an Italian MasterChef

Originally from Imola in Bologna, Mattia travelled to the UK in 1995 and worked at the exclusive Italian restaurants Zafferano and Locanda Locatelli in London, under the renowned Giorgio Locatelli.

In 2005 Giorgio promoted Mattia to Head Chef of Refettorio at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, London and during this time he appeared on BBC’s MasterChef, mentoring the contestants in the restaurant.

A move to Scotland called in 2009 where he joined Hotel Missoni as Head Chef, now the G&V Royal Mile Hotel. Here Mattia skilfully blends Italian flavours and the freshest, seasonal Scottish produce to create a menu that is light and elegant.

The restaurant grows its own hydroponic herbs from the Hotel’s Evogro and gets its honey from their rooftop bee hives.

Try Cucina now with a 25% a la carte discount available on 5pm Dining.

You can also get their unique and innovative prosecco afternoon tea, which includes passion fruit jelly and mini pavlova, on the Big Deal right now for £39.95 for two here.

Conchiglie with wild boar ragu

Makes 4 portions

400g conchiglie pasta

For the wild boar ragu:

50g diced onion

50g diced celery

50g diced carrots

500g wild boar

3g rosemary

3g sage

1.5L of chicken stock or water

30g tomato paste

100ml red wine

Method:

  1. Cut the wild boar in to small cubes and set them aside until they reach room temperature.

  2. Brown the meat in a large, shallow pan (do not put too much in at once)

  3. Add the carrots, onion and celery and allow to cook.

  4. Chop the rosemary and sage, add to the pan and cook for a few minutes.

  5. Add the wine and simmer until this has evaporated

  6. Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes.

  7. Add just enough stock to cover the meat, bring to the boil, cover with aluminium foil and place in the oven at 200 degrees for 2 ½ hours.

  8. Cook the conchiglie in salted water until al dente.

  9. Drain the pasta and toss in the wild boar ragu.

 

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