Enrico Derflingher’s ‘Prince Charles Risotto’ is a paradox.
Except for shavings of Urbani Tarftufi’s precious black truffles, it is almost frugal. It consists of carnaroli rice cooked in vegetable stock, followed by a generous amount of butter and gorgonzola cheese, and a dash of white wine. The ingredient screaming royal in it is saffron. Yet, devoid of any pretence, it is comfort epitomised on a winter evening.
Prince Charles Risotto | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“It might come as a surprise, but the British royal family was not very demanding when it came to food,” says Derflingher, who is Delhi for an exclusive two-day pop-up at Tonino, where his menu will be available till February 12.
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Born in Lecco, which sits pretty on the shores of Italy’s famous Lake Como, Derflingher was merely 26 years old when he became the first Italian Personal Chef in the British royal kitchen. The then Prince and current King Charles III, “is very fond of Italian food. He was quite particular about the ingredients and paid a lot of attention to what was served. It was, in fact, he who decided to break the tradition of mostly serving French cuisine,” he says, adding that while late Princess Diana preferred stuffed pasta, the boys (Prince William and Henry), just like other kids liked their pizzas, burgers, and all things sweet.
Roman Style Artichokes | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
From 1987 to 1990, Derflingher was not only supervising the kitchens at Buckingham Palace, Charles-Diana’s residence — Kensington palace, and elsewhere, but also accompanied the royal family on numerous trips.
His three-ingredient ‘lemon cream’ was also born on one such trip with Charles — to an island in the Shetland archipelago. “As the trip was extended due to weather, we were getting low on supplies, so, I made that dessert. He liked it so much that I prepared it for an official lunch and a dinner soon, and then quite regularly after that,” adds the hexagenerian chef, whose journey with food started with cooking alongside his mother, then peeling potatoes in restaurants. The Michelin stars, Five Star Diamond awards, cooking for the most powerful people and gatherings on the planet, G8s, G20, Olympic ceremonies, the most exclusive weddings, and more followed.
Seabass with thyme, olives, tomatoes | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Still, simplicity continues to be his trademark; Derflingher is not an admirer of excessive demonstration in the name of cooking. Be it Roman style artichokes or seabass with thyme, olives, tomatoes that complete his menu at Tonino, his plates are unembellished and carry “the feeling of home” with them. He, however, admits that his Queen Victoria Risotto (Sicilian red shrimps, parmesan, herbs…), which debuted at one of the state dinners and “became a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II”, was perhaps statelier than Charles’ favourites above.
Chocolate Almond Cake with Coffee and Lemon Cream | Photo Credit: Garima Verma
In 1991, in what an English daily termed ‘poaching’, Derflingher found himself on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, cooking at the White House for President George W. Bush senior for two years. “Now, he was a true Texan, and liked his meats and barbecues,” Derflingher says. “He loved garden parties, where I would make pastas, risottos, but he preferred meat and beef cooked in mix of Texan and Italian style.”
Enrico Derflingher at Kensington Palace | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Derflinger is also the president of Euro Toques, an international association of chefs promoting and protecting culinary heritage. After spending a decade in Japan earlier in his career, opening more than 30 Italian restaurants, and several Armani ones across the globe, he is now looking forward to do something similar in China. “Italian food is not merely pizza and pasta, and I want to introduce that to as many parts of the world as I can,” he says.
A letter from late Princess Diana to the chef | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Despite the rules and protocol, the chef says that cooking in the corridors of power was more forgiving than cooking for the high and mighty of Hollywood. “Women actors especially,” he laughs, sharing that it was a challenge to prepare dishes for Nicole Kidman’s “green only, or poached only, or other specific diets” during one of her trips to Rome. “Tom Cruise, not so much.”
Cherry Tomato Cappuccino | Photo Credit: Garima Verma
“The political leaders are least fussy; we have a list of what they eat and don’t. At a gala dinner, most of them eat almost everything on the menu,” says Derflingher, who cooked the vegetarian truffle risotto as the head chef for the G7 Summit in 2024, also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He adds, “(Emmanuel) Macron (the President of France) knows everything about food. The President of Serbia (Aleksandar Vucic) is a sommelier, he knows all about wines.”
A meal costs ₹5,500 + taxes, per person. Tonino is at 76/27, MG Road, Near Metro Pillar No.38, New Delhi. For reservations, call 8882796678, 9971992076
Published - February 03, 2025 05:22 pm IST
