Here’s the Dish with Chef Scott Oliver of Basilicos Ristorante
27 43rd Street, Sea Isle City 609-263-1010
basilicosristorante.com
Offering takeout and delivery
Here’s The Dish is a regular feature in the Sea Isle Times when we take you into the kitchens of some of the best restaurants in Sea Isle City and Strathmere.
1. Where did you receive your training? I’ve been in the kitchen since I was 15 years old, so I’ve never formally been “trained,” but I’ve worked in every aspect of the restaurant and worked my way up.
2. Where do you get your inspiration when creating a new dish? I’m mostly inspired by what is in season at the time, but I also get a spark from the chefs I admire when I’m looking at their social media feeds.
3. What do you believe is the most important quality of a restaurant, and why? I believe the most important quality of a restaurant is being able to tell that the food was made with love and by people who care about the product they are putting out there. They aren’t just slinging to make a dollar. It takes a lot of time and energy to make it in this industry.
4. What is your go-to meal on your days off? A 14-ounce boneless ribeye topped with three fried eggs and a Yukon Gold potato. I eat this every day.
5. What advice would you give to a new chef? If you do not love it, get out now.
6. What is your favorite summer dish? We make homemade garlic knots daily, so in the summer I really enjoy a sliced-up Jersey tomato on the garlic knot with lettuce, bacon and mayonnaise. The perfect summer sandwich.
7. What do you enjoy most about cooking? Everything in my life – my business, my business partner, family, friends, relationships – all of that is related or has come to fruition because of food.
8. What is the hardest cooking technique you have mastered? I’m not sure I’ve “mastered” anything – there is always something to learn. I’ve become proficient in making our homemade pasta, bread, sausage, dessert, but nothing is ever mastered. I continue to learn every day.
9. Where do you find yourself most when you are not in the kitchen? On the beach.
10. What is the most needed cooking utensil for a kitchen, and why? A knife. I do not need a fork or a spoon – I have hands for that – but I can’t live without a knife when preparing meals.
A Recipe From Basilicos Ristorante Vongole Tomasello
Ingredients
16 little neck clams
4 ounces linguini (or pasta of your choice)
6-8 ounces tomato sauce
2 ounces white wine
2 pieces rendered bacon, chopped
6 black olives, chopped
½ tablespoon capers
1 peeled and seeded plum tomato
2-3 blanched broccoli rabe
1 clove garlic
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch thyme
Pinch scallions
Pinch fresh basil
Directions:
Add little neck clams, white wine, thyme and red pepper flakes to pan over medium heat, cover and steam clams open. Add rendered bacon, black olives, capers, plum tomato and blanched broccoli rabe to pan. Add tomato sauce and simmer. Serve over linguini, adding salt and pepper to taste, and finishing with scallions and fresh basil. Enjoy!
