The kitchen of Mark Scaglione it is a constant search for the Italian and European gastronomic tradition, and refers to local products to bring out the regional typicalities. But with one peculiarity: the young chef, Sicilian by birth but Tuscan by adoption, has been dedicating himself for twenty years, ever since he joined theItalian Celiac Association for the Saharawi project, in the gluten-free area, a sector in which he is a real authority. Gluten-free cooking for him is a continuous challenge, from the elaboration of traditional tastes to the rediscovery of ancient cereals in the name of natural products.
Two-time winner of the AIC gluten-free haute cuisine trophy, author of several publications on cooking and intolerances; collaborator both with sector magazines and as a consultant and teacher at cooking schools, hotel institutes and private individuals, Marco Scaglione focuses his activity as a chef and as a scholar on the continuous deepening of the gastronomic potential of each ingredient. At the basis of this culinary process is the belief that the ingredients must be respected in their identity and transformed in a natural way, without forcing and aggressive cooking techniques, thus avoiding distorting the combinations of taste, with great respect for the peculiarities of each food.
“My dishes – he says – reflect the love for good food, the flavors and the warmth of the places where I lived, from Sicily to Tuscany passing through France. As for the kitchen dedicated to intolerances I prefer the "naturally without" that is not synonymous with tasteless".
Since 2007 he has been carrying out the activity of continuously teaching for gluten-free cooking courses certifiable with certification and conventional cooking courses in collaboration with USL10, USL11, USL2, USL4 and organized by some training institutions, such as CO&SO, Heimat Agency, Pegaso Agency, Confcommercio of Arezzo, Fil di Prato, Cescot of Prato, Confartigianato Prato, Confcommercio Lucca; AIM ECM srl, Savini Tartufi.
It also deals with the theoretical-practical training of students and teachers of hotel and restaurant institutes (kitchen, pastry and dining).
Foodfirstonline asked Marco Scaglione for the recipe of a classic Easter lunch, once Neapolitan, now national, His Majesty the Pastiera so that even those suffering from celiac disease can enjoy a traditional dessert with satisfaction. We offer it to you below. In filling the wheat was replaced with quinoaa, a plant native to South America where it has historically been used by local ethnic groups as a primary source of nutritional sustenance. Gluten-free, recurring in the diet of celiacs is food rich in starch, therefore in calories, dietary fiber and some minerals (magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron) and vitamins and contains more protein than most grains. In particular, it is rich in antioxidants, such as campferol and quercetin, with powerful anti-inflammatory activity, useful for combating diseases related to cellular aging, such as tumors, type 2 diabetes or autoimmune diseases. Thanks to its supply of insoluble fibres, it improves intestinal transit and regularity.
In short, without prejudice to the untouchability and irreplaceability of the Pastiera, the sumptuous delight of the palate, the Quinoa Pastiera proposed by Marco Scaglione is proposed as an alternative dessert due to the quality of its ingredients, as well as for coeliacs and for those who do not have problems with gluten but want to try a different and healthy taste.
The recipe for gluten-free Pastiera with quinoa
Ingredients for the pastry
400 g Molino Dalla Giovanna special mix for cakes and biscuits
200 g of butter
150 g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 yolk
the peel of a grated organic orange
a pinch of baking soda
For the stuffing
300 g of whole milk
200 g of quinoa in gluten-free grains
125 g caster sugar
For the cream
5 egg yolks
135 g caster sugar
60 g gluten-free corn starch
420 g of milk
80 g of fresh cream
For the filling
150 g cow ricotta
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
100 g caster sugar
1 vial of orange blossom
60 g gluten-free candied orange
60 g gluten-free sultanas
Time: 2 hours plus rest
Difficulty: medium
Method
Divide the butter into small pieces and pour into a bowl or planetary mixer using the K hook (also called leaf hook), add the sugar and start mixing
Pour the mix, the baking soda and the grated orange inside and mix everything well, then add the eggs and incorporate until you obtain a homogeneous and compact mixture. Place it on the work surface and create a ball with it, wrap it in kitchen film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 40 minutes.
To prepare the filling, pour the milk into a saucepan, heat it over a moderate flame for a few minutes, then add the quinoa and granulated sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed. Then transfer the quinoa to a fine mesh sieve and leave to drain.
In the meantime, to prepare the cream, pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and heat it all up, without boiling. Energetically work the egg yolks with the granulated sugar in a bowl, until they are light and frothy, then add the sieved corn starch and continue to work. Slowly pour in the milk and cream mixture, continuing to mix with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming (if necessary, pass the cream obtained through a fine-mesh sieve). Transfer everything into the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes over moderate heat, stirring constantly until it appears creamy but thick. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Arrange the ricotta in a large container with the granulated sugar, the shelled eggs, the raisins, soaked in water and squeezed, the candied orange and the flavouring, then mix everything with a spatula. Add the cream and the well-drained quinoa and mix well to obtain a homogeneous mixture, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Take the shortcrust pastry dough again and work quickly on the surface with the palm of your hand, without heating it too much, with a rolling pin then proceed on the lightly floured surface to make two 3 mm thick sheets and cover two molds leaving aside a little of dough. Line a cake tin with each disc and place the prepared mixture inside.
With the dough set aside, make another sheet of pastry to cut out the strips with a scalloped wheel to garnish the surface of the two pastieres. Bake in the hot oven at 170°C for 1 hour. At the end, remove from the oven and leave to rest (the ideal would be to let it dry for a whole day, or after 4-5 hours), at this point cut and serve.
