It’s no secret that Melbourne has a love affair with pizza. So much so that our restaurants are regularly rated as some of the best worldwide.
So when 400 Gradi hosted a truly special, one-off pizza degustation with matched drinks last night with three of Australia’s best chefs, I knew I had to be there.
This wasn’t going to be just any dinner, it was a collaboration of three of Australia’s finest Italian chefs.
400 Gradi, a Melbourne icon since 2008, provided the perfect backdrop. Founder Johnny Di Francesco, who famously won World Pizza Champion in 2014, is renowned for his authentic Neapolitan pizzas but tonight was about trying something a little bit different.
Joining Di Francesco were two other masters of their craft. Daniel Semrani, the talent behind Sydney’s Gigi’s Balmain, is celebrated for his distinctive pizzas that fuse Roman and Neapolitan techniques, resulting from a decade of refining his dough for the perfect balance of softness and crunch.
Paolo Gatto of Sydcily, also from Sydney, brought his acclaimed pastry chef expertise to the table, offering a unique perspective on dough and a commitment to authentic Sicilian flavours.
The night was an exploration of diverse pizza dough styles, with the chefs pushing creative boundaries with three innovative pizza methods, including twice-cooked and even triple-cooked dough.
Over six courses we tried lobster and zucchini flower pizza paired with Etna Bianco, pumpkin and smoked scallops with a delicious Verdecca and beef tartare and truffled mushroom pizza paired with Chianti Classico. There was even a tasty pistachio filled dessert.
It’s always fascinating that what is essentially a simple dish could have so much variety in both toppings and crust.
From Di Francesco’s classic, perfectly blistered Neapolitan bases, to Semrani’s crunchy creations, and Gatto’s delicious doughs, it was a true foodies dream. Each course was thoughtfully paired with wines and a cocktail.
Australia’s vibrant culinary landscape is full of passionate and hard-working chefs like these and it’s great too see what happens when masters come together to redefine a classic.
While this was a very special once-off event, you might be able to try some of these dishes by booking yourself into each chef’s venue. And you never know, maybe there will be more collaborations like this in the future.
– The Plus Ones
