Tradition and territoriality for Giovanni Bavuso, executive chef of Gennaro's restaurant led by two-star chef Gennaro Esposito inside the luxurious La Palma hotel in Capri, they have always represented the essence of a gastronomic philosophy that aims to enhance the so-called "poor products" that today international haute cuisine is rediscovering after years of experimentation and exasperation.
And with this inspiration the culinary path of Giovanni Bavuso, 38 years old, of Lucanian origin, could not fail to end up intersecting with that of one of the greatest masters of Italian cuisine, Gennaro Esposito, prophet of poor territoriality elevated to starred excellence, two Michelin star chef of the famous Torre del Saracino in Vico Equense, called to manage the new life of the restaurantHotel La Palma, the oldest hotel on Capri, built where the Locanda Pagano once stood whose owner, the notary Giuseppe Pagano at the beginning of the 800th century he loved hosting for the pleasure of long conversations poets, writers, architects, painters and musicians who reciprocated by painting the walls, writing poems, singing and playing in what had previously been nicknamed “the Artists' Hotel”.
Challenging burden for the young Bavuso operate with the trust of a culinary giant like Gennaro Esposito. But his call to Capri is the fruit of a cursus honorum acquired in the field by the young chef he created important experiences in Italy and abroad which have strongly consolidated his professional qualities from the Hotel Augustus-Forte dei Marmi to Parco Hotel Faloria-Cortina d'Ampezzo, from the Hotel Capri Palace-Anacapri to “Il Riccio Beach Club”, from the restaurant, one Michelin star, Capri (a name that is evidently in its destiny ) in Zermatt, at the Hotel Petite Cervin (5*L), and then at the two Michelin star “l'Olivo” restaurant in Capri alongside chef Andrea Migliaccio.
And today it can stand as representative of most promising testimonies of the latest generation of great Italian cuisine.
Faithful to his vocation of exalting the authenticity, territoriality and value of poor products, Chef Gennaro Bavuso offers Mondo Food readers the recipe for Recipe of aubergine cream, aubergines alla scapece, anchovies, crusco pepper crumble "I left - explains – from a memory: the anchovy in a cake tin and this is where the study of the dish was born. I thought of an anchovy marinated in ponzu sauce, giving it an acidic note, accompanied by an aubergine with a double consistency: scapece (typical preparation from Campania) and a smoked cream”. The result is excellent and indicates an interesting direction of re-appropriation of the often forgotten flavors of the past which acquire new dimensions and new taste levels.

Recipe for aubergine cream, scapece aubergines, anchovies, crusco pepper crumble
Ingredients for 4 people:
For the anchovies:
200g of clean anchovies
20g ponzu sauce
Oil
Garlic
Menta
For the aubergine cream:
200g aubergines
10g oil
n1 clove of garlic
For the scapece aubergines:
400g aubergines
3g garlic
30 g extra virgin olive oil
3 mint leaves
10g Sirk vinegar
100g peanut seed oil
2g fresh chilli pepper
10g of salt
For the parmesan crumble:
50g butter
50gr flour 00
50g parmesan aged 36 months
4 dried bran peppers
Procedure:
Gut the anchovies and leave them in water and ice for a few minutes. Marinate with ponzu sauce, extra virgin olive oil, mint and garlic for a few minutes
Spread the bones, parsley stems, lemon and basil peels on a baking tray and leave in the steam oven for 30 minutes.
Cook the aubergines in a charcoal oven and then, having removed the peel and seeds, blend with garlic oil and pepper.
Cut the aubergines into cubes and leave them in salt for about 30 minutes. Squeeze them and fry in seed oil. Season with salt, chilli, sirk vinegar, garlic and mint.
Gratinate the anchovies with the parmesan crumble
Gennaro's Restaurant La Palma
Via Vittorio Emanuele, 39
80073 Capri, Italy
Tel + 390818370133