The Michelin Guide describes it as follows: “Euthalia, “blossoming flower” in Greek, is a walk through woods, lichens and fir trees in the Monregalese area which is a borderland, between the Langhe and the French border. And it is precisely in this small and modern restaurant – not without inserts in wood, moss and various elements from huts and mountain pastures – that the skilled chef will be able to win you over with the flavors of his mountains”. More than a review, the Red Guide is an invitation to go for a stroll in the gastronomic prairie of Gian Michele Galliano, chef and patron of the gourmet restaurant in Vicoforte (CN).
In fact, here everything speaks of the Alps and Gian Michele Galliano declares himself in love with them.
“The cuisine I propose is extremely territorial, it has its roots in the mountain environment where I was born and where I still live, drawing from everything that nature can offer me. Therefore, based on the seasons and availability, I prefer the use of river fish, of our wild mountain herbs, from the most common to the less known ones such as terrestrial and variegated ivy, rue, chamomile leaf, 'eucalyptus, wormwood, hyssop; the use of mosses and lichens, mushrooms, wood and the earth itself; of our alpine products such as milk, cheese, mountain potatoes, roots and much more in close collaboration with many local producers.”
What to say? You listen to him talk and you find yourself virtually enchanted among those woods, your imagination flies to torrents of pure water, to pristine meadows, to the scented sensations of the undergrowth, and as the Michelin guide tells you, it almost seems like you are walking there and treading on those wild herbs by releasing scents under your feet which, closed in our oppressive metropolitan life, we have lost our memory.
Let's listen to it again. That dandelion flower that he wanted to graphically include in his restaurant's logo, which is barely glimpsed, elegant, ephemeral, reflects his cuisine and its strong territorial ties, as simple in its complexity as complex in its simplicity. “In addition to a great passion, for me cooking is culture, dedication and respect for what Nature and Man can give us. And all this is what I would like to convey. Euthalia, flower that blossoms, lives, and is elusive, like a breath of wind, the time of a meal, leaving behind a memory, sometimes indelible, of what she was ”.
And in fact, through his dishes, Galliano brings the local products of the lake and valleys to the table, paying the utmost attention to transmitting with his gastronomic proposals those sensations and emotions with which he grew up and which are part of his being. He learned it from great schools,
training at the restaurant "Al Rododendro" in San Giacomo di Boves under the Chef Mary Barale, at the CAST Alimenti in Brescia under the masters Biasetto, Tonti, Magni, coming into contact with chefs with high-sounding names such as Bruno Barbieri, Walter Einard, Valeria Piccini, Luca Montersino, Alfonso Caputo, Gaetano Trovato and Emmanuel Renaut to whom he owes much of what he knows.
And so that his guests can live in total symbiosis with his world, he has personally taken care of and designed the furnishing details of his restaurant (it is no coincidence that he is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts): such as the tables in solid chestnut (present in the woods del Cuneo) treated with wax in its natural color and presented without a tablecloth; linen blend napkins with the restaurant logo embroidered, plates in stone and black Ormea marble worked by skilled local stonemasons, plates, bowls, baskets and service objects obtained from the roots by the hands of local craftsmen, evidence of ancient local traditions handed down from generation to generation.
For the readers of Mondo Food, the chef offers a dish that has all the flavor of the awakening of nature this season, an awakening with a superstitious value after a year of great personal sacrifices but also for the fate of Italian catering
The recipe: Spring Herb Soup, Barbarià Bread Croutons, Seeds
Ingredients:
For the soup:
100 g Mountain Potatoes
n° 1 Small Shallot
n°1 Clove of Garlic Peeled and deprived of the germ
100 g Green beets
150 g Mixed Spring Herbs for soups
20 g EVO oil
10 g Malga Butter
5 g High quality vinegar
n° 1 Bunch of mixed aromatic herbs
to taste Salt and freshly ground pepper
A few edible flowers (optional)
For the Croutons:
100 g Pane Barbarià (or other wholemeal mountain bread)
30 g Malga Butter
10 g EVO Seed Oil:
qb Mixed seeds for soup (sunflower, flax, pumpkin, sesame etc.…)
Procedure:
Start by washing and drying the herbs and chard very well. Peel and finely chop the potato, shallot and garlic, then brown them gently in butter and oil. Add the finely chopped herbs and beets and simmer over medium heat until the water has completely evaporated. Cover flush with water and cook over medium-high heat until the herbs and potato are very soft (about 10 minutes).
Transfer the vegetables and some of the liquid to the blender and blend until you get a medium density mixture, like a vegetable puree. If necessary, add more cooking liquid to dilute.
Finally, add salt, freshly ground pepper and vinegar to add a fresh note to the dish.
Croutons: Cut the bread into small cubes and sauté over medium-low heat in a pan with the butter and EVO oil until the croutons are golden and crunchy. Place on kitchen paper to remove excess fat.
Plating:
Heat the herb soup over a low flame, serve it in small bowls by already adding the flowers (if available) or, for a more convivial effect, serve it at the center of the table in a tureen, together with croutons and seeds.
Euthalia Restaurant state road 28 8/c, Vicoforte, 12080
