A Romagna-born man in Modica

"4x7", four hands per seven dishes. This is how David Tamburini and Pier Giorgio Parini wanted to call their playful event organised at La Gazza Ladra in Modica. This dinner was thoroughly planned and orchestrated, with a harmony and an energy the chefs transferred into the plates and the glasses. They paired each dish with teas or infusions, aiming for the simple and now rare enjoyment of having a good time and donating themselves completely to their guests: through their philosophy, their work, the passion they put into it.

The first idea regarded the aperitif. The Pizzuta Metodo Classico, that is to say fermented almond milk, presented in a traditional sparkling wine bottle, welcomed the guests. Some mother yeast was added to the almond milk and the fermentation gave a light sparkling effect while the acid dough made this the perfect drink to start the dinner, paired with a nibble made with potato mousse wrapped in fried potato skins, placed on some prickly lettuce sautéed with a little vinegar and salt-preserved anchovies.

The Squid tartar followed. It was seasoned with salt and oil and its candour was broken by two “embers” of bread cooked with the head of the squid which created a contrast – texture-wise too – with the tartar. All this was served in tomato vegetal water. Then came the Sour mackerel (all’agro) with smoked cauliflower cream, grated frozen egg yolk, bay leaf juice and red onion vinegar. It was paired with Genmaicha, a Japanese Bancha green tea made with toasted and puffed brown rice, also known as “pop corn tea". The truly special Cappelletti romagnoli filled with almonds simplyserved with some dried oregano, and the Paddunedda, small pasta cooked in aubergine and mint aromatised water, with braised tomatoes and ricotta balls and lemon zest, were paired with a Chinese pu-erh, the perfect vintage tea for some perfect vintage dishes.

The Monkfish with French beans and cucumber juice (which was left to macerate all night long with a great number of jasmine flowers, acquiring incredible aroma and sweetness) had great colours and scents. Of course there was also the Nebrodi black pig with seared chard served with a black olive and Cerasuolo wine reduction and a fantastic "giardiniera" a pickled vegetables salad made in this case with white mulberries (carefully macerated in vinegar, white wine and sugar). The pairing with a hibiscus and cherry infusion (the cherries had been cut into pieces and marinated in sugar and salt) with San Pellegrino water, served in a red-wine chalice, was surprising.

Finally, there were the Medlars in syrup, filled with custard cream aromatised with Furgentini oil, whipped like a mayonnaise, and a Red wine Bavarian cream with cherries on a carob biscuit with cherries marinated in sugar. To finish, there was no drink to pair. "It’s nice to work with such concentration, doing our best but with light spirits and the joy that doing what you love gives you, because the guest can feel it too" says Parini. "We’ve organised this dinner so that everyone could feel what we feel, in a frank way, without too many calculations but with lots of fun" ends Tamburini. So we can only wait for the next occasion.