Across the road from Australia’s most famous beach, Bondi Trattoria has been serving local and international visitors for more than 30 years. Known fondly as the “Tratt”, this Bondi institution has a family-friendly, relaxed vibe and great views down the hill towards the beach.
Owners Joe Pavlovich and Alasdair France, otherwise known as the Two Fat Guys, have worked together and been friends for more than two decades. When the previous owners were giving up the Tratt, they jumped at the chance to make it their own.
With Joe as executive chef and Alasdair as general manager, they serve a modern Italian menu with an emphasis on the best Australian ingredients. In the introduction to their cookbook, Bondi Trattoria: Modern Italian With A View, they describe the restaurant as “a local, a part of the community that welcomes you back, or welcomes you for the first time.”
Inside the Bondi Trattoria kitchen
The book takes you into their world and inside the kitchen, where the secrets behind many of their delicious pasta, pizza, vegetarian, mains and antipasti dishes are revealed, not to mention their wonderful desserts and tempting cocktails and frappés.
There are some menu staples, some new dishes and even a chapter of recipes from their team, some of which have appeared on the Bondi Trattoria menu. We think you’ll love their recipe for Oysters natural, raw scallop & Avruga roe.
If you’ve dined at Bondi Trattoria and loved the food you’ll love this book, but even if you haven’t, this lovely book will bring a touch of the sea air into your kitchen. It would also make a great gift, as it has landscape views as well as stunning food photography.
Recipe for Oysters natural, raw scallop & Avruga roe
Serves 4
12 oysters natural, in the shell (either Rocks or Pacifics)
2 scallops, roe off
20 g (¾ oz) Avruga roe
rock salt
lemon extra virgin olive oil
Place a little rock salt onto a plate and arrange the oysters on top.
With a very sharp knife, cut each scallop into six thin slices. Place a slice of scallop onto each oyster.
Divide the Avruga roe between the oysters and finish each oyster with a drizzle of the lemon extra virgin olive oil.
Recipe and image from: Bondi Trattoria: Modern Italian With A View, New Holland Publishers. Available from retailers or www.newhollandpublishers.com