Attica’s Ben Shewry Dishes up Simplicity

If a pasta-heavy diet is getting you through isolation, Broadsheet recommends levelling up your dinner (or lunchtime toastie) with this perfect, lump-free bolognese from New Zealander Ben Shewry the chef-owner of Attica, one of Australia’s best restaurants.

At Shewry’s Melbourne fine diner, the dishes are artful, surprising and world-class. But, at home, the Waitara-born chef isn’t afraid to keep it simple.

Shewry, 43, grew up with cattle-farming parents, so there was no shortage of beef mince around. His mother taught him how to make bolognese when he was just eight – and he’s still making a version of it. “I love the simplicity of the process,” he says. “It’s always lovely to come back to a classic dish.”

While Shewry is of the opinion that no bolognese is a bad bolognese, he has one rule: “The mince can never be lumpy.”

He also recommends making this recipe in bulk – it freezes well and makes for a great toastie filling. “I like to make [it] with thickly cut slices of Baker Bleu sourdough, lashings of good butter, Parmigiano Reggiano and Pyengana cheddar, plus freshly ground pepper and extra salt.” He also opts for a syrah from New Zealand’s Church Road, or otherwise a shiraz.

Original article by Broadsheet, April 2, 2020.