Carlo Cracco: «Our commitment to create a more humane restaurant industry»

«Luca, Mattia, Giulia and all the others have been working with me for a long time now. It's been a difficult time. Paolo Marchi has already announced that the next congress will be in April. A good sign». Carlo Cracco debuts in the Auditorium with these words, giving the first talk of the second day at #identitamilano21. And there's immediately the 10-minute video summing up, dish by dish, the value of the current tasting menu available in Galleria, conceived with Luca Sacchi, chef in pectore. 

Caramelised Russian Salad: «We tried to put an idea of cuisine inside a treasure chest. An elegant idea with strong roots». Later the chef from Vicenza revealed the tormented genesis of his emblem dish: «At the beginning of my career, I hated making Russian salad: the potatoes and carrots were never the same, and I had to make them again and again. In 2000, when I arrived at Peck, there were mountains of Russian salad. Are people still eating this? I was surprised. The Stoppani brothers challenged me: if you can make a long-lasting dish, it means you have become good. The Caramelised Russian Salad is in the menu to this day». A redemption.

Bombolone with sea weed and sea urchins: «It's a bread with sea weed cooked twice (steamed and fried), a sort of evolution of a maritozzo».

Sea salad world tour: «It's the story of our vision of sea and travel. It collects many ingredients and assembles them».

Crispy purple prawn from S. Margherita ligure with September mushrooms: «This recipe portrays the biodiversity and uniqueness of our sea better than anything else, prolonging their story».

Think Green: «Kiwi is the protagonist here. The dish translates green thinking, sustainability, respect for the environment into a recipe ».

LONGLASTING. Caramelised Russian Salad, in the menu for over 20 years

Carpaccio of aubergine alla norma: «A carpaccio made with aubergines cooked alla norma, its natural end. It's a blend of different elements, associated in a modern way».

Pesto potatoes and French beans: «A triptych that tastes of Liguria. I adore potatoes, which are much more than a texture. It's all enclosed in potatoes, and then again wrapped in a potato».

Lukewarm spaghettoni, reduced jus of chargrilled fish, celery and tomato with ginger: «This represents in a very complex but linear way a journey, the idea for which pasta collects the essence of the fish and presents it through tomato and ginger».

Zuppa Pavese: «A dish from the 16th Century. It's not a recipe but a sum of many ingredients collected at the time and served. We've presented it with a more sophisticated broth. And the egg, is a mountain egg».

Cream of almonds with a smoky nuance, boiled parsley and fondant of veal bone marrow: «The bone marrow is a tribute to this marvellous city which has always made me think».

Pulp of tomato, balsamic herbs and preserved cherries: «A pre-dessert, an intermezzo, with cherries preserved in vinegar and a touch of salt.

Cream of amaretto, peaches with lemon balm, cocoa and Alkermes: «Luca should present it, he's a pastry chef each day, and makes this better than I do».

The Cracco Boys

The finale is the best part yet: «I'd like to dedicate this part to all those who work in the restaurant, who have hanged in there after two very difficult years. Thank you. I promised them that one day we will work better. What we will do with Minister Patuanelli is the future of the restaurants to come. We need to remain united. We must make sure the new generations can believe in it: many have changed job – who can blame them? It's up to us to build a more normal future, and not only made of huge efforts and inadequate policies».

The last thought is a pebble removed from the shoe: «Our cuisine is a cuisine of character that perhaps is not trendy, but who cares, I do what I like».