It is the September fruit par excellence, it gently closes the summer and passes the baton to the autumnal chestnut.
Originally from Western Asia, the fig tree would have been the first cultivated by man, 11.000 years ago in the area of ancient Mesopotamia.
Its fruits have been appreciated by the peoples of antiquity for their flavor and for their high nutritional and caloric properties. Someone goes so far as to backdate his presence even to the Garden of Eden, questioning the fateful apple of Adam's sin which would have actually been a fig. Deduction based on the fact that Adam and Eve, having lost the state of divine grace, covered their sinful nakedness with fig leaves.
What is certain is that in ancient Greece, the fig tree was considered a plant sacred to the god Dionysus, and was considered a symbol of knowledge, abundance and fertility.
The Romans, mindful of the fact that Romulus and Remus, abandoned in a basket in the Tiber as expiation for the sin of the vestal Rea Silvia, found salvation because the basket got bogged down under a fig tree, they made very extensive use of them spreading them throughout the Mediterranean also because dried figs together with salt represented the pay of soldiers around the world for a long time.
Numerous of them were found in a building in Herculaneum, preserved dried in clay or glass containers. And depictions of figs appear in the Villa of Cicero in Pompeii or in the Villa of Poppea in Oplontis.
We have always been used to considering figs coupled with white pizza, with ham, with salami, with goat cheese, in skilful combinations between salty and sweet with meat, however we needed the irreverent spirit of one of the greatest masters of Italian cuisine, Gennaro Esposito, two Michelin stars, patron of La Torre del Saracino in Seiano, founder of Festa a Vico, the only grand event capable of bringing together the greatest starred chefs in Italy in a spectacular food and wine festival made in Italy, Michelin Chef Mentor Award 2020 for the example given to generations of young chefs, to venture a combination that is certainly out of the ordinary: figs and cod.
There are gambles that then prove successful. This is the case of risotto with dried Cilento figs, basil and cod, a triumph of Mediterranean style signed by Gennaro Esposito, which Mondo Food presents this week. A combination that initially represented for the chef a bold bet and which obviously required long periods of study and meditation. “It's one of the most popular dishes – she declares with satisfaction – even if this combination might seem a bit daring at first. I knew I was running a risk but at the same time I was calm because I was convinced I was finding a balance point".
Gennaro Esposito was very passionate about his creation in line with his gastronomic philosophy which is that of a constant search for new but authentic flavours. For this the his cuisine, can rightly be considered the realm of “harmonious contrasts” forged on the inexhaustible study of tradition that feeds the contemporary creativity of its dishes.
For this Risotto with Cilento dried figs, basil pesto and confit cod, the Chef has aimed at offset the flavor of the cod with the sweetness of the figs and with the typical touch of freshness of basil. Furthermore, the consistency of the figs gives a further dynamism to the dish.
a risotto typically Italian, so, as far as the ingredients are concerned but with traits and peaks of flavor linked to other cultures: Middle Eastern, Turkish or Lebanese cuisine, to the culinary contaminations that have arisen over the course of time between different civilizations facing the same sea and which have left their mark on memory. “We are here but it is as if we were going there“, says Gennaro.
The recipe: Risotto with Cilento dried figs, basil pesto and cod confit
Ingredients for 4 people:
For the cod confit:
– 100 g of desalted cod (divided into 4 slices);
– 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil.
For the risotto:
– 250 g carnaroli rice;
– 20 g of Parmesan cheese;
– 15 g of butter;
– 40 g of desalted cod pulp (in chunks);
– 1,3 l of fish broth;
– 70 g of cod pulp;
– 30 g of basil pesto;
– 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil
– 1 beak of garlic;
- Salt to taste
- pepper as needed
Preparation:
For the Cod Confit:
Put the oil and the cod in a steel container, cover with a transparent film and cook at a temperature of about 68°C for about 15 minutes. The cod will be ready when it releases its albumin.
For the risotto:
Fry the garlic spout in the extra virgin olive oil in a medium-height pan, add the rice and toast over a moderate flame for about 60 seconds, add salt and continue cooking for about 16/18 minutes, adding the broth a little at a time . When it is al dente, add salt, remove from the heat, add the butter, Parmesan, the cod pulp and stir in by adding freshly grated pepper, the figs cut into large pieces, and the basil pesto.
Composition of the dish:
Serve by placing the confitted cod on the risotto and the cod foam, obtained by emulsifying the albumin obtained from cooking with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil.
