Locatelli was born in the lakeside town of Corgeno, Italy. As a young chef, he honed his craft in the kitchens of Michelin-starred establishments in Paris and London before striking out his own with Locanda Locatelli in 2002. The restaurant quickly became a byword for, yes, glamour: white tablecloths and Hollywood stars, but more importantly, outstanding food.

At a time when London was beginning to assert itself as a world-class culinary capital, Locatelli offered something disarmingly simple — Italian food rooted in tradition yet elevated with a contemporary, and slightly rebellious flourish.

After more two decades at the helm of arguably London’s most celebrated restaurant, Locatelli earned national treasure status, and has cemented this by a new eponymous dining concept at the National Gallery. A recent review claims: "Someone is actually cooking here – it’s not just for tourists"... After the ambitious 2024 revamp, the institution needed a chef whose name was anchored in classic cuisine, a touch of flair and a name that the art crowd, and the rest of the city, would trust.

SCALLOPS WITH SAFFRON VINAIGRETTE AND CELERY

Serves 4

200g celery julienne
4 tablespoons Saffron Vinaigrette (see opposite)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 large fresh scallops or 12 small ones, cleaned but with any corals still attached
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Celeriac purée

1/2 celeriac, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 sprig of rosemary
3 tablespoons double cream
20g butter

Saffron vinaigrette

200ml white wine vinegar
1 level tablespoon saffron threads
100ml extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground sea salt
1tsp caster sugar

To make the celeriac purée, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas  put the celeriac in an ovenproof dish with 1/2 wine glass of water, a pinch of salt and the olive oil, garlic and rosemary, seal completely with foil and then bake for about 30 minutes, until soft.

Transfer to a food processor and blend, adding the cream as you go. Then push through a fine sieve, so you have a smooth purée. Keep the purée to one side.

Have the saffron vinaigrette ready in a large, shallow bowl. Mix the lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.

Put the vinegar and the sugar into a pan with the saffron over a low heat and let it reduce by half. Leave it to cool down. When cold, whisk in the oil and season with salt. This will keep for 6 months in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Heat a large ovenproof frying pan. When the pan is good and hot, pour in the vegetable oil, then add the scallops.

Let the scallops turn nice and golden on their undersides, then turn them over and place the pan in the oven for 1 minute. Season and then transfer them to the bowl of saffron vinaigrette.

Warm up the celeriac purée in a small pan and season if necessary. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter. Spoon the purée on to 4 serving plates and arrange the scallops on top. Drain the celery from the ice, season with the lemon oil and arrange on top of the scallops. Drizzle the remaining saffron vinaigrette around.

Serve with: Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fodatore, 2009

Rich nose with apricot and pineapple, before giving way to honey, freshly baked apple pie, and cinnamon. Nuances of butter and herbs emerge with further oxygenation in the glass. Perfect to compliment the sweet components of the dish yet balancing the acidity of the Vinaigrette.

WHITE TRUFFLE RISOTTO

Serves 6

400g superfino carnaroli rice
2.5 litres good chicken stock
50g butter
30g white truffle
1 onion, chopped very, very finely
125ml dry white wine
75g cold butter, cut into small dice
10 g truffle butter
100g finely grated Parmesan cheese salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring your pot of stock to the boil next to where you are going to make your risotto, then turn down the heat to a bare simmer.

Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan and add the chopped onion. Cook gently until softened, but not coloured (about 5 minutes).

Add the rice and stir it around to coat it in the butter and ‘toast’ the grains. Make sure all the grains are warm, then add the wine. Let the wine evaporate completely until the onions and rice are dry.

Start to add the stock, a ladleful or two at a time, stirring and scraping the rice in the pan as you do so. When each addition of stock has almost all evaporated, add the next ladleful.

Carry on cooking for about 15-17 minutes, adding stock continuously. After about 12-14 minutes, slow down the addition of stock. The risotto is ready when the grains are soft, but still al dente. Turn down the heat and allow the risotto to rest for a minute.

For the mantecatura, with a wooden spoon, vigorously beat in the cold diced butter, truffle butter and finally the Parmesan, making sure you shake the pan energetically at the same time as you beat. Season to taste and serve and finish with slice white truffle.

Serve with: Primo Grande Cuvee Cantine Terlaner, 2018

With its blend of Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc the nose shows aromas of citrus fruits, white pepper, herbs, and a distinct flinty mineral note. The palate is rich, with fine texture and silky finish. The salty minerality binds with the earthy tones of the white truffle.

BRAISED OX CHEEK WITH DARK CHOCOLATE, RED CABBAGE AND WINTER VEGETABLE

Serves 6

20 Ox cheeks
2 Carrots
2 Onions
2 Celery stalks
15g Chocolate Nicaragua 90% (Willie’s Cacao)
5 litres Veal stock
2 Bottles of Brunello or Sangiovese
3 Bay leaves
2 sprigs of Rosemary

Clean the cheeks from the remaining skin, prepare one mirepoix (celery, carrots and onions) in cubes by 1 cm each side.

In a sauce pan add 2 tbsp. of olive oil season with salt and pepper start to gentle seal the cheeks.

After the cheeks are nice and brown, remove them from the sauce pan add the vegetables and sweat them until golden. Glaze the pan with the red wine, reduce until half, add the cheeks  put the veal stock to the pot, add the chocolate (90 percent) And the bouquet garni. (Rosemary, parsley, bayleaf)

Close with the oven paper on the top for than bring to the boil and place into the oven at 160 degree for 2 hours and a half.

Remove the meat form the sauce and cover with cling film, pass the sauce through a fine sieve and reduce by half.

Red cabbage with Sangiovese

2 Red Cabbages
2 Medium onion
15 Crushed juniper berries
2 Bay leaves
1 Green apple
1 Bottle Sangiovese

Chop the onion and the cabbage into 3mm strips. Stew the onion with 1 tbsp. of olive oil until translucent. Add the cabbage and sweat for 5 minutes then add the peeled and chopped apple, wine, juniper berries, bay leaves. Bring to the boil  

Winter Vegetables

1 Carrot
2 Red onions
1 Small Shallot
1 Small pumpkin
2 Parsnips
4 Bay leaves
10 Pepper corns
5 Juniper berries
4 Cloves of garlic
5 Litres of water

In a pot add the water, bay leaf, garlic, peppercorn, and juniper berries. Salt and bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. Peel the carrots and the parsnip. Blanch them for 4 minutes and set aside.

Cut the pumpkin into strips of 1 cm and blanch in the water for 3 minutes. Add 2 tbsp. of white wine vinegar and cut the onion and shallots in 5mm thick rounds, blanch for 2 minutes.

Once all the vegetables are cooked, cut the carrots into 3mm thick slices, cut the parsnip into 4 parts lengthwise -remove the centre and cut in cubes.

Plate a spoon of red cabbage in the middle of the plate, arrange 2 peace of each veg around, place the beef on the top, pour the sauce over and finish with grated chocolate.

Serve with: Brunello di Montalcino Biondi Santi Riserva, 2001

On the nose red cherries, tobacco, leather and dry violets with earthy tones leading to a hint of pencil shavings. On the palate an harmonious marriage between finesse and structure, perfect for the complexity and earthy notes of the dish.