Beer-ravioli

Birra Moretti La Rossa is, in this dish, the main ingredient both by means of quantity and function: the bitter taste and at the same time the floral aroma contrast and influence the other ingredients so that the dish is balanced but not void of peaks. As a pairing, I thought again of offering La Rossa: included as an ingredient with two different preparations and, thus, two different flavour nuances, it is strengthened in a drink that recalls the already known flavours and unveils some notes that were not expressed in the dish itself. You can perceive the unique taste which derives from the beer itself, from its reduction in the ravioli and the reduction used to finish the dish.

Birravioli
Recipe for 4 people

INGREDIENTS
for the beer reduction
33 cl Birra Moretti La Rossa
45 g brown sugar

for the anchovy cream
10 Cetara anchovies
3 g fennel flowers
1,5 g anise
4 g lemon zest

for the dough
125 g “0” flour
125 g “00” flour
300 g re-milled durum wheat flour
3 eggs
2 egg whites
15 g salt
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

for the filling
30 peeled almonds
33 cl Birra Moretti La Rossa
20 g white sugar
for the mozzarella mousse
10 g butter
10 g “0” flour
200 g Campania buffalo milk mozzarella
150 cl milk

METHOD
for the anchovy cream
Grind the fennel flowers and the anise and add the grated lemon zest. Sear a garlic clove in extra virgin olive oil and, once it is golden, remove it and add the anchovies and the previously ground ingredients. Keeping the heat very low and using a ladle of water, make sure all the ingredients are melted and mixed together. Blend this mixture and then strain it. Remove the fat from the resulting mixture and keep the oil on one side.

for the beer reduction
Put the beer and sugar in a small steel saucepan, mix on a low heat until the sugar is melted and reduce until you obtain the desired texture.

for the dough
Sift the flours and mix them all, creating a well with the ingredients. Put the salt in the centre, add the extra virgin olive oil, the vinegar, the eggs and the egg whites. Knead delicately but quickly, so that the temperature of the dough doesn’t rise. You will thus obtain a smooth block: wrap it in cling film and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.

for the filling
Roughly grind the almonds and toast them in a non-stick pan. Put the beer and sugar in a small steel saucepan and, on a low heat, mix until the sugar has melted. Reduce until you obtain the desired texture. Once the reduction has cooled down, add the toasted almonds and mix.

for the ravioli
Roll out the dough as thin as possible, cut it into 2.5 x 2.5cm squares, fill them with one teaspoon of filling and close the dumpling.

for the mozzarella mousse
Put the butter and flour in a Thermomix at 80°C so as to obtain a roux. Add the mozzarella cut into pieces of equal size and the milk. Heat up again to 80°C until the mozzarella has melted. Put the mixture in the syphon and charge with two charges of soda.

for the finishing
Prepare all the elements for the dish: heat the anchovy cream in a Bain-marie, cook the ravioli for 1 minute and transfer them to a pan with the oil obtain after removing the fat from the anchovy cream and adding some cooking water. Dish out, adding the beer reduction and the mozzarella mousse.