In this episode, Theo is joined by the legendary *Gennaro Contaldo,* one of the great champions of authentic Italian cooking and a true ambassador for the flavours of the Amalfi Coast. From his humble beginnings fishing for squid in the Mediterranean and foraging wild mushrooms on the mountains above his village to shaping how Britain fell in love with real Italian food, Gennaro’s journey is a testament to the power of passion, heritage, and cooking with heart. As Jamie Oliver’s mentor and the man who taught a generation of chefs what Italian food truly means, Gennaro has spent decades proving that simple ingredients cooked with love are all you need to create something extraordinary.
Gennaro prepares his beloved *Totani e Patate,* squid with potatoes, a traditional celebratory dish from the Amalfi Coast that beautifully captures the essence of mare e monte, sea and mountain. Using fresh squid sealed in olive oil alongside golden waxy potatoes fried until crisp, sweet cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh red chilli, and generous handfuls of flat leaf parsley, finished with a splash of white wine and a drizzle of quality olive oil, this humble one pan wonder is comfort food at its finest. Simple, accessible, and bursting with flavour, this recipe perfectly encapsulates Gennaro’s cooking philosophy of celebrating the incredible ingredients from land and sea whilst staying true to the traditions of his coastal village.
Throughout the episode, Gennaro shares his remarkable journey from being born just 30 metres above the sea in the Amalfi Coast to arriving in London in 1969 as a young Italian alien armed with nothing but a love for real food and a deep frustration at the state of Italian cooking in Britain. He discusses the shock of discovering spaghetti carbonara made with cream and pre-boiled pasta, working in fish and chip shops frying in whale oil, the importance of foraging wild herbs and mushrooms on the mountains of his childhood, and why catching squid at night with a hand line taught him patience and respect for ingredients. Gennaro also opens up about meeting Antonio Carluccio and transforming the Neal Street Restaurant into a beacon of authentic Italian cuisine, discovering a young Jamie Oliver who would turn up at three in the morning desperate to learn how to make proper pasta, and why teaching the next generation to cook with soul and simplicity remains his greatest passion. From his mission to preserve regional Italian recipes in his new book *Gennaro’s Hidden Italy* to relaunching Jamie’s Italian restaurants this April, Gennaro’s love for Italian food and his absolute refusal to compromise on authenticity shines through every word.
You can find Gennaro’s full Totani e Patate recipe on the Filippo Berio website at *www.filippoberio.co.uk/theo,* and be sure to check out his new book *Gennaro’s Hidden Italy* for more authentic regional Italian recipes that celebrate the stories and traditions behind every dish.
The Recipe podcast is hosted by Theo Randall, Chef Patron at the Theo Randall Cucina Italiana. In each episode we meet a special guest who loves food, and they’ll tell us all about their favourite recipe as we celebrate the stories behind the dishes that define us.
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The Recipe with Theo Randall is a *Listen To This Production* for Filippo Berio.
6 Comments
16:20 almost forgot that this was a recipe video. Great story from Gennaro
Absolutely brilliant. My favourite episode yet! Loved hearing about Gennaroโs childhood where he grew up, his journey after arriving in London in the 60โs and his fantastic relationship with Jamie Oliver. Theo is the perfect host for this. P.S the recipe looked amazing, Iโll definitely be trying that.
I love this guy amazing Italian chef ๐ great vlog ๐
Gennaro! Wow! This is gonna be brilliant โค๐๐
Love ya Gennaro. Thank you for your contagious passion for food and life that you have shared over the years. All the best to you and your family.
I worked in papa john's pizza for a bit back in 2018, I really wish they understood Pizzaiolo -> Forne. By the end of my time there, we'd lost so much staff that I would often be doing both stations for hours at a time during the quieter periods. Hard to keep the attention to detail on topping the pies when you're also getting them through the oven, and the attention to detail on the bake basically goes out the window, especially since it was a conveyor, and you ran the risk of floor pizza.
I hated sending pizzas with big bubbles, or with uneven bake, but I didn't have the capacity to prevent it when I was also prepping the place for that evening and doing delivery logistics. Really awful experience that makes a mockery of pizza.