A native of Salerno, with Campania and Mediterranean flavors in his heart, Chef Alfonso Pepe has been happily established at the Leon d'Oro of Pralboino for over fifteen years, a town of 3000 inhabitants, whose toponym is traced back to the term "Prato di Alboino ”, because the Lombard king settled here. We are in the more traditional province of Brescia, in an often humid and misty Po valley, where time seems to have been photographed from an Ermanno Olmi film. And the Leon d'Oro, managed by the Martini family since the end of the 800th century, is the jealous guardian of these traditions. Franco Martini believed in it so much that he transformed the former family inn into a refined restaurant of gastronomic treasures that earned him the Michelin Star.
The next step was to then leave the baton to the intuitions and desire for innovation of Alfonso Pepe who succeeded perfectly in the equation of knowing how to harmonize the flavors and memories of his Campania with those of the Lombard tradition, in a mix of references so well done as to be able to create perfect balances between the two cuisines without one ever distinctly prevailing over the other with taste and elegance.
So Muscovy duck ravioli with Grana Padano and sage zabaglione, which recall the woods of Lombardy, are accompanied by caroselli with clams and squid or lemon and bottarga zette where you can feel the air of the Gulf. You can still smell the scent of woods and mountains in the porcini risotto, blueberry and almond syrup or in the chestnut tagliatelle with hare sauce, aromas and citrus peel or in the pot salami au gratin in cream of smoked potatoes, capers and chilli pepper to rediscover the Mediterranean in sweet and sour octopus and crunchy vegetables, basil, chilli pepper and cinnamon or in cavatelli stewed with clams, squid and bottarga
For First&Food readers, Alfonso Pepe offers a very spectacular dish that looks like an abstract painting, but which is also a surprise for how it harmonizes its ingredients: Parmigiana of aubergines, cuttlefish, basil and black garlic
“Parmigiana – explains the Chef – is part of my culture, of my childhood of my being.
Thinking of it, of its goodness but also, sometimes, of its greasiness, I wanted to make a version that winks at sea lovers. A light, tasty and aesthetically attractive version. All without losing in taste (its her prerogative).
Here the frying becomes marginal and without oil absorption, the cuttlefish white to give consistency and recall the fresh mozzarella that we find inside the freshly seared cherry tomatoes.
The addition of black garlic combined with tomato to give depth and thickness.
A comma of pesto to close the circle and bring the stamp of Italy, a symbol of culture and taste in the world”.
The recipe: Eggplant Parmigiana, cuttlefish, basil and black garlic
Iingredients for 4 people:
2 large eggplants
4 medium cuttlefish
250 g buffalo mozzarella
1 kg of Collina cherry tomatoes
Basil 1 bunch
4 liter fish broth
Capers number 12
Cream 50 g
Anchovy sauce
Extra virgin olive oil
Sale
Pepe
Chilli
Black garlic
Method
Drop4 the aubergine into boiling oil, turning it for 2 minutes.
Continue cooking in the oven at 180 degrees for another 7 minutes. Remove it from the oven and peel it, crush it with a weight so that the juices come out.
Season with salt, pepper and anchovy sauce.
Put back in the oven for another 10 minutes to let the pulp dry.
Cut rectangles of about 4 cm by 12 in length.
Keep warm.
Clean, wash and blanch the cuttlefish whites for one minute in the fish broth.
Cut the cuttlefish into rectangles of the same size as the aubergines, dress them with anchovy sauce and vinegar. Arrange them on top of the aubergines.
Blanch the cherry tomatoes in boiling water, taking care to score them beforehand. Once cooled, peel them, empty them and fill them with buffalo mozzarella tartare.
Consider three for parmigiana with a small caper each.
Toss the cherry tomatoes with a clove of garlic, salt and pepper, add a teaspoon of squid ink and a little chilli.
Eliminate the garlic, blend and puree.
Keep warm and blend the rest of the mozzarella with the boiling cream.
Keep warm.
Serve decorating with the basil pesto, the black garlic sauce and the liquid mozzarella.
Locanda Leon D'Oro Srl
Address: Via Veronica Gambara, 6, 25020 Pralboino BS
Phone: 030 954156
Mobile: 3356051848
