04-03-2017
Davide Oldani of D'O in Cornaredo holds a container with veal blood processed in a lab centrifuge machine. This resulted in an albuminous whey used as the basis for a deconstructed and lighter Cassoeula (translated from Italian by Slawka G. Scarso)
Davide Oldani is a veteran and coeval of Identità Milano: this year the congress reaches its 13th edition, his D’O turns 14. Yet since last June he’s moved 50 metres to the back: «It took us a few years but finally we’ve managed to build the more ambitious vehicle that Paolo Marchi had been invoking for a long time». Not without difficulties: «I thought we’d adapt sooner, but now we’re up to speed». The new location in Cornaredo follows the home concept, explains Oldani on stage with the trusted Alessandro Procopio and Costantino: «There’s the kitchen and the dinette – don’t call it a chef’s table – a lounge and a veranda and even a studio for experiments, for which we invest 5% of revenues». The dishes presented in this morning lesson come from that very test kitchen. «They’re 3 new touches of Lombard cuisine», following Riso e zafferano, the emblematic dish from Expo 2015.
Oldani’s Cassoeula: served on fragments of porcelain: in the middle, the plate guests must lick
The other important component of this cassoeula is the way it’s presented: «I was inspired by my daughter who’s not yet 3. She always enjoys licking the plate at the end. This is why I designed a long and narrow plate, with two potholders so you can lift it». On top of it, he draws a thin layer of civet sauce, cabbage and onion, which you must lick from the top to the bottom. On the side there are two fragments of china, each piece is a dish by itself. On top of one piece, there’s rib and jowl bacon, on top of the other a syphoned verzino and the pork rind. Next to them, a dehydrated and then fried cabbage wafer. «I’ve always hated blood. This way I’ve broken a taboo».
Davide Oldani with Alessandro Procopio in the backstage of Identità
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born in Milan, 1973, freelance journalist, coordinator of Identità Golose World restaurant guidebook since 2007, he is a contributor for several magazines and teaches History of gastronomy and Culinary global trends into universities and institutes. twitter @gabrielezanatt instagram @gabrielezanatt