09-05-2018
Vincenzo Digifico
«For me, cooking, and pastry making in particular, is the most effective way to express myself. When I see a white, empty plate, I see the opportunity to transform my ideas in something concrete, good, that can surprise and charm the person eating it». These are the words of Vincenzo Digifico, born in 1992 in Vieste, in Puglia, who one year ago became pastry chef at restaurant Miramar in Paco Pérez (two Michelin stars and many bet on the third one), in Llançà, in the most northern part of Catalonia, close to the French border. Exactly one year after his arrival in Spain, we asked him to tell his story.
«I first became passionate about cooking when I was a child – continues Digifico -. Perhaps also because of my southern origins, my family was always together when it was time to cook. So I can say I have learnt by watching my grandmother and mother, and by helping them more and more. I then attended catering school and started my career».
Paco Pérez: on top of two Michelin stars for his Miramar, the Catalan chef received two more for his restaurant Enoteca, inside the Hotel Arts in Barcelona, and one at Cinco by Paco Pérez in Berlin. He also directs Terra in S'Agarò, and themed restaurants Eggs, Royale and Bao Bar in Barcelona (respectively dedicated to eggs, burgers and bao panini)
Did you know Pérez and his cuisine? I did. I’ve always followed the international fine dining scene and was particularly interested in Adrià, the Rocas, and Pérez. This is why I asked Arcieri to help me, because I was very curious to understand this different approach to cuisine. So I went there, on May 3rd 2017.
Mousse of yogurt with black sesame crumble, raspberry sponge cake with red fruit spirit, vanilla custard and red fruit nitrogenised and lyophilised sponge cake: one of Vincenzo Digifico’s cakes at Miramar
Tabla Azteca. Says Digifico: «The base is made with a powder of 70% nitrogenised chocolate with a gelatine of caramelised rum, a chocolate and salt crumble, a nitro-mousse of chocolate and rum, a texturized chocolate flan, a brioche with chocolate custard, vanilla ice cream, quenelle of 85% chocolate, chocolate emulsion and finally a drawing of 70% chocolate printed with a 3D print and lyophilised. We wanted to see chocolate in different textures»
Your homeland is Italy, but you now live and work in Spain. Do you think you will stay a while or do you have different plans? No, I don’t think I’m going to stay in Spain for long. I have ambitious projects for the future. I want to grow a lot and establish myself, even though in pastry making it’s even harder. However, I want to travel, work hard, acquire experience in places such as Japan and Australia, but I must also say that I have a strong desire to return to Italy.
Coco coco. Vincenzo Digifico explains: «It’s a milk tube filled with coconut mousse, a micro-mousse of coconut with nitrogenised coconut scales, coconut toffee with coconut ice cream and a piece of lyophilised coconut mousse»
Arroz meloso de sepia y bogavante by Paco Pérez
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
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Journalist, based in Milan. At 8 years old, he received a Springsteen record as a gift, and nothing was the same since. Music and food are his passions. Author and broadcaster at Radio Popolare since 1997, since 2014 he became part of the staff of Identità Golose Instagram: @NiccoloVecchia