Inside Mario Batali Bootcamp with Jimmy Fallon

By Food & Wine
Updated June 15, 2016
Superchef Mario Batali gives late-night host Jimmy Fallon a complete Italian cooking lesson, from braising meat to stuffing calzones.—Kate Krader
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Jimmy Fallon's Cooking Lesson

Credit: Photo © Michael Turek

Here, Mario’s cooking tips and a behind-the-scenes look at the two stars hamming it up in the kitchen. “When Jimmy Fallon saw that there was a bathtub in the studio, he insisted we all climb in—with strawberries!” recalls F&W editor in chief Dana Cowin from the shoot.

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Batali Tip: Making Calzones

Credit: Photo © Michael Turek

“Once you’ve made pizza dough six times, you own it,” says Batali about the base for his calzone recipe. “You’re the master of yeast.”

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Batali Tip: Calzone Fillings

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Batali warns not to overstuff these Mini Pesto-and-Pepperoni Calzones. “You’d think abbondanza would be better, but more is not better. More is actually worse.”

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Batali Tip: Seasoning Pasta Water

Credit: Photo © Michael Turek

“Be aggressive with the salt, and from higher,” says Batali. “You need the scatter pattern right there.”

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Batali Tip: Cooking Pasta

Credit: Photo © Michael Turek
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Always cook pasta in plenty of water when you’re making a dish like Fettuccine with Spicy Sausage and Cabbage, says Batali. “When pasta gets crowded, it doesn’t release its starch. All wrong.”

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Between Takes: Slurping Noodles

Credit: Photo © Michael Turek

Batali selects a noodle and gives Fallon the opposite end, and they slurp toward each other, re-creating the famous scene from Lady and the Tramp.

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Batali Tip: Making Osso Buco

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When he hosts dinners, Mario Batali often makes braised dishes like this one. “I can leave the kitchen and talk to my guests,” says the chef. “And the most remarkable fragrance fills my house.”

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Batali Tip: Searing Meat for Osso Buco

Credit: Photo © Michael Turek
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Before the veal shank goes in the oven, sear it well on the stove, says Batali. “Let the meat go; you want a deep, dark caramelization before you even think of taking it off the heat.”

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Batali Tip: Identifying Cuts of Meat

Credit: Photo © Michael Turek

“The shank is the calf,” Batali tells his friend, pointing down at his own large legs. “Mine would be excellent.”

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Batali Tip: Preparing Artichokes

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Serve baby artichokes raw for a dish like Artichokes Two Ways with Bresaola. “Slice them very thin—a mandoline is best,” says Batali.

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Batali Tip: Salad Shortcut

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Batali says to use canned beans instead of dried as a shortcut for this crab salad topped with mint oil. “If you have the time, let them marinate in the vinaigrette for a few hours to add flavor.”

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