16-12-2013

The body of La Rossa

Beer bestows superb energy to the dessert created by young Massimo Larosa from Genoa

Extra virgin olive oil biscuit, roasted chestnuts, saffron and Birra Moretti La Rossa, the dessert chef Massimo Larosa, from Genoa, now working at Relais al Cambio in Mombaruzzo (Asti) prepared for the finals of Premio Birra Moretti Grand Cru

The starting point for my dessert was Birra Moretti La Rossa, which is full bodied and has persistent aromatic notes. The roasted chestnut mousse is the main element in this dish, and the saffron cream leaves a bitter note that recalls the Birra Moretti La Rossa. All this is balanced by the olive oil biscuit.

Extra virgin olive oil biscuit, roasted chestnuts, saffron Birra Moretti La Rossa

Recipe for 4 people

INGREDIENTS
For the olive oil biscuit
125 g whole eggs
250 g sugar
250 g “00” flour
18 g baking powder
250 g milk
175 g extra virgin olive oil
3 g salt

Ingredient and match: Birra Moretti La Rossa

For the roasted chestnuts and saffron mousse
450 g milk
200 g egg yolks
400 g milk chocolate
120 g sugar
20 g gelatine sheets
500 g cream
400 g chestnuts
8 g San Gimignano saffron pistils

For the beer cream
300 g milk chocolate
350 g cream
400 g Birra Moretti La Rossa
8 g gelatine sheet

METHOD
For the olive oil biscuit
Whisk the eggs and sugar, then add the salt, flour and yeast; mix the ingredients and add the milk and olive oil (both need to be warm). Roll out the dough on to a baking tin (the dough needs to be 2 cm thick) and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes.

Massimo Larosa, chef of Relais al Cambio in Mombaruzzo (Asti) (photo Francesca Moscheni)

For the roasted chestnuts and saffron mousse
Roast the chestnuts into a pan, mash half of them and cut the rest into small pieces. Boil the milk and saffron, pour it over the chocolate and add the gelatine sheet previously soaked in water and then drained, and the chestnut purée. Bring the sugar to 110°C and pour it over the egg yolks, whip finely and then mix the two mixtures. Finally add the semi-whipped cream.

For the beer cream
Reduce the cream to a half, pour it over the chocolate and add the gelatine sheet previously soaked in water and then drained. To a side, reduce the beer to a third of its volume and add to the mixture.
Put the oil biscuit on the base of a baking tin, roll out the mousse (5 cm thick). Chill for about 1 hour, then cut it into rectangular shapes and place the beer cream on top, together with a few pieces of pop rocks. Decorate the dish using some chestnut pieces and a few saffron pistils.