Trout in birra pazza

The training of chef Vitantonio Lombardo (class of 1979, from Campania) is filled with important encounters: Paolo Teverini taught him the elegance of a dish, Gianfranco Vissani, to understand and respect raw materials, Fabio Barbaglini, cooking techniques. Ten years of experience have flown into his restaurant, Locanda Severino in Caggiano (Salerno), where he’s the chef since 2009 and has been awarded with a Michelin star since 2011. For the second edition of the Premio Birra Moretti Grand Cru Lombardo presented a mini-menu tied to his territory with a savoury recipe you will find below, and a Marjoram white chocolate soup with almond pralines and birra Rossa jelly dessert.

Trout from river Tanagro in “Birra Pazza”* with baked black Caggiano olives, marjoram potato mousse and crispy Petrosa artichokes
“This dish fully represents my cuisine: territory and tradition. I have chosen trout caught in a river of my area, namely Tanagro. The meat has delicate notes and is free of that earthy sensation that is typical of lake fish. I decided to cook it in a beer infusion adding black olives and pairing it with a potato mousse with extra virgin olive oil, aromatised with marjoram. Using the skin from the trout I prepared some chips in order to increase the intensity of the dish, while the artichokes had the role of adding crispiness and taste. The beer I used – Baffo d’Oro – is perfect to tie all the tastes together ".

*Birra pazza mimics “acqua pazza” which is a way of cooking fish simmered in water flavoured with garlic, olive oil, parsley and a little bit of tomato. [TN]

Recipe for 1 person

Vitantonio Lombardo and Claudio Sadler

for the trout
1 trout weighing 300 g
33 cl of Birra Moretti Baffo d’Oro
3 baked black Caggiano olives
grains of white Muntoc pepper to taste
salt to taste
for the potato mousse
200 g of potatoes
5 g of marjoram
10 g of extra virgin olive oil
white Muntoc pepper to taste
salt to taste
for the artichokes
100 g of Petrosa artichokes
250 g peanut oil
white Muntoc pepper to taste
salt to taste

METHOD
Eviscerate the trout, obtain two fillets, remove the skin paying attention not to damage it. Put it to a side.
In a small saucepan, bring the beer to the boil with the pepper grains and the olives. Cook the trout fillets in it, for 3 minutes, then drain them and reduce the cooking liquid to a half.
In a non-stick pan, scald the trout skin on both sides until it will is dry.
For the potato mousse: cut the potatoes in small cubes and cook them in boiling water. Once drained, add the previously chopped marjoram and the extra virgin olive oil. Whip the potatoes with a whisk and add salt and pepper to taste.
Clean the artichoke, cut in julienne and fry for a few seconds in the peanut oil.
serving
Take a plate and place one trout fillet, add the potato mousse and then the other fillet.
Sprinkle the beer used for cooking and finish with the crispy artichokes, the olives and the trout skin chips. Garnish with a sprig of marjoram.

To pair: Birra Moretti Baffo d’Oro