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Cartellata of pike, potato, capers and olives: chef Maurizio Bufi's recipe to give a touch of originality to the festive table

The chef of the Michelin-starred Il Fagiano restaurant offers a refined appetizer in which he condenses the Apulian gastronomic tradition with that of Lake Garda to give a touch of class to the feast table

Cartellata of pike, potato, capers and olives: chef Maurizio Bufi's recipe to give a touch of originality to the festive table

Cartelated of pike, smoked potato, capers and olives, a refined recipe to give a touch of originality to the table at the end of the year and to warm diners during the coldest days of winter by combining distant gastronomic traditions, as in a warm big hug that extends from North to South This is the proposal of chef Maurizio Bufi of the 1 Michelin Star Ristorante Il Fagiano of the 5* L Grand Hotel Fasano & Villa Principe di Gardone Riviera (BS) that we propose to the readers of Mondo Food.  

Originally from Molfetta in the province of Bari, Maurizio Bufi moved to Lake Garda about ten years ago and achieved various goals here. First experience at Lefay Resorts, the best Spa in the world, then executive chef at Villa Giulia where with his dishes inspired by Mediterranean cuisine, enlivened with creativity, flair and imagination, he won a Michelin star in 2017, then the transfer to another hotel in luxury, the Grand Hotel Fasano & Villa Principe in Gardone Riviera (BS), where it quickly won a Michelin star again. In his guide, his cuisine is defined as seasonal, territorial and above all tasty! The judges of the prestigious guide therefore underline the possibility in the extensive menu "to select four tasting menus: Frammenti, with its most iconic dishes, Sensazioni a little more creative, Autumnal Equinox, ça va sans dire, the most seasonal one, and finally Dalla terra, vegetarian and intriguing. A very classy atmosphere both on the beautiful terrace and in the internal room, warm and with a suggestive coffered ceiling that creates an atmosphere for the cold season".  

The Cartellata recipe of pike, smoked potato, capers and olives offers a typical Christmas dessert of the Apulian and Lucanian gastronomic tradition which in the Christian tradition would represent the halo or the bands that wrapped the Baby Jesus in the cradle, but also the crown of thorns at moment of the crucifixion, revisited in a savory version, in the form of fresh pasta. A southern tradition that the Apulian chef combines with the gastronomic tradition of Garda, candied lemon and capers from the Brescia side of the lake. Introduced from Liguria by the friars of the convent of San Francesco di Gargnano at the end of the 1200s, lemon production developed massively on the shores of Lake Garda between 1600 and 1800, becoming an important economic item for local growers. But it wasn't just an economic question, their cultivation was achieved thanks to a unique architecture in the world, long stone-wood towers and large windows to protect the plants from the winds in winter. which fascinated artists such as Gustav Klimt and writers such as David Herbert Richards Lawrence and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The basic protagonist, the Pike, a predatory fish with fine meat that lives in the waters of the lake, is healthy and tasty. . Its meat is a good source of minerals: potassium (helps keep heart rate and blood pressure under control), phosphorus (ally of bones and teeth, kidneys, heart, muscles and metabolism and transmission of nervous impulses) and proteins of high quality.

The dish is completed with dehydrated Taggiasca olives and pickled caper leaves.

The recipe for Cartellata with pike, smoked potato, capers and olives

Ingredients for people 4

Creamed pike

•          200 g pike pulp

•          30 g white onion

•          20 g shallots

•          1 clove of garlic

•          200 ml vegetable cream

•          50 g extra virgin olive oil

•          1 bay leaf

•          Grated zest of half a lemon

•          2 sprigs of thyme

•          2 sprigs of rosemary

•          Q.b. salt and white pepper

Method

Place the pike fillet inside a vacuum bag with bay leaves, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Cook it sous vide at 58°C for 4 hours. Remove the pike from the bag, keeping aside the cooking liquid which will be useful later. Clean the pike, removing all the bones to keep aside. In a steel pan, place the oil, onion and chopped shallot. Brown on the heat. Add the pike pulp. Stew for a few minutes, then add the cooking liquid and the vegetable cream. Cook until it is well broken down and has absorbed some of the liquids. Allow to cool. Transfer the pike to a planetary mixer, whisk by slowly adding the extra virgin olive oil. Finish with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Keep aside.

Smoked potato mousse

•          200 g potatoes

•          200 g vegetable rice drink

•          Q.b. salt, white pepper and olive shavings

Boil the potatoes in water and salt. Cut into pieces and transfer to a bowl. Smoke the olive shavings with a gun for 20 minutes. Transfer the smoked potatoes to a food processor. Add the hot vegetable milk. Blend for 3 minutes at maximum power. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture into a siphon by inserting the first charge. Leave the foam to rest. 3 hours later or just before service, insert the second charge. Store the siphon during bain-marie service.

Cartellate

•          150 g 00 flour

•          50 g re-milled semolina

•          2 egg yolks

•          1 egg

In a mixer, insert the flours, the egg and the egg yolks. Mix everything until you obtain a homogeneous and not too wet mixture. Roll out the dough on the machine. Using a serrated wheel, cut out strips 2 cm high and 25 cm long. Pinch the ends. Shape them to form a perfect circle. Reserve in the refrigerator.

Leek green oil

•          50 g seed oil

•          15 g parsley leaves

•          15 g leek, green part

Wash and peel the parsley. Cut the green part of the leek. Wash. Dry the leek and parsley well. In a blender, blend all the ingredients for 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture into a saucepan. Heat on the stove to 100°C. Filter everything with etamine. Store the oil in the refrigerator to preserve its shine.

Finishing

•          12 pickled caper leaves

•          12 dehydrated Taggiasca olives

•          Q.b. candied lemon, caper powder and fresh oregano leaves 

Cook the cartate in water and salt. Place the potato foam on the bottom of the plate. Place the slices on top. Fill the internal spaces with the creamed pike, alternating with caper leaves, dehydrated olives, caper powder and candied lemon. Finish with leek green oil and fresh oregano leaves.

Il Fagiano restaurant

Corso Giuseppe Zanardelli, 190,

25083 Gardone Riviera B

Phone: 0365 290220

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