Cuochi duepuntozero (Chefs 2.0), day 3, the flavours of the world. The first two lessons have a very strong South American accent. We start with Uruguayan Matias Perdomo and Argentinian Simon Press, respectively chef and sous chef at Pont de Ferr in Milan («truth be said, I am his collaborator», says Matias turning the hierarchy with Simon upside down). The lesson is indeed on technique and technology, but only because they are «at the service of ideas and taste», they point out right from the start. Another important premise: «Today’s use of tools doesn’t give new ideas but the time and precision to create alchemies that already exist». Such as osmosis or low temperature cooking, two big words with an ancient origin and use, which were perpetuated yesterday with their two dishes.
The first dish is an Almond mousse, almost a pre-dessert inspired by a journey to Sicily. In the vacuum pack, the volume of the mousse triples and then welcomes capers, liquorish and fish eggs. The osmosis appears in the second dish, a Risotto (which is not made with grains but with Carnaroli rice germs, an expensive rarity) with Mantuan pumpkin (which is vacuum cooked and made into a purée) with a fake truffle. The white underground mushroom is grated over the chestnuts which are closed into a vacuum pack with some olive oil, and put into a fridge for 12 hours. The “truffled” chestnuts and the pumpkin colour the palates at stand B32. There’s technique, play, fun and respect.
Roy Caceres, from Colombia, chef of Metamorfosi in Rome
, it’s
Roy Caceres’ turn. The Colombian from
Metamorfosi, in Rome’s neighbourhood Parioli, is the third Latin-American chef («but I feel very Italian»). Even according to this big bearded guy, «there’s no technique or technology that isn’t at the service of raw materials».
Fake fig with a burnt wheat brioche, peated whisky and pepper. It may sound as a joke but the chef uses all the hour he has to explain all the rivulets of this dish.
The recipe was initially created as a garnish for the main dishes in the menu but it is so good and successful that it was promoted to a dish in its own right, among the starters. The brioche is the fruit of a great work on softness, obtained by making a gel out of the amides at 65°C, which allows to include more water in the mixture. The result is a sort of béchamel which is then cooked in a wood mould and wrapped with a fig leaf with burnt wheat and peated whisky (Laphroaig). The fig on the side, instead, is fake because it is in fact filled with foie gras and cooked in a vacuum pack with salt, pepper and star anise. Cooked must, agar agar and gellan gum are added. The tasting made the audience rejoice.
Luca De Santi, Beniamino Nespor and Eugenio Roncoroni, the Al Mercato and Noodle Bar trio, both in Milan
The last lesson of the day saw three Italian colleagues – namely
Beniamino Nespor,
Eugenio Roncoroni and pastry-chef
Luca De Santi – on the stage. In their veins some all-over-the-world-adventures are running and are evident in the global menu of
Al Mercato. After the lobster club sandwich on the first day of
Host,
Funghi, an edible landscape that portrays the flavours of autumn, arrives in Rho: pioppini, finferli and porcini mushrooms are cooked in a vacuum pack, each kind by itself, with oil and herbs at 85°C for 15 minutes. The earth is made with a crumble of toasted and chopped almonds, the
chevre fondue replicates an icy lake, the snow is given by an almond granita and the musk is made with a sponge biscuit made with parsley, using a dough made with flour, almond flour and blended parsley, siphoned and cooked in the microwave oven in a plastic cup, until it inflates.
This is a brilliant osmosis between the sweet and savoury universe, a beautiful metaphor of the alchemies with which De Santi has started to sweeten the savoury (and spicy) world of the two guys, who are very happy to be contaminated in the narrow spaces of their kitchen in Via Santa Eufemia.
HOST
Day 1: Ferrari, Mainardi, Negrini and Facen
Day 2: Roncoroni, Costardi, Milone e Sara Preceruti
Today
10-11 am Daniel Facen
noon-1 pm Sara Preceruti
2.30-3.30 pm Christian Milone
4.30-5.30 pm Christian and Manuel Costardi
Tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd October
10-11 am Fabio Pisani
noon-1 pm Fabrizio Ferrari
