Born in 1987, Luca Miuccio Executive chef of the five-star luxury Grand Hotel San Pietro "Preferred Hotel" in Taormina, one of the 10 Ambassadors of Sicily's taste, also deals with the flavors of his land from a human and professional point of view: "The My cuisine – he says proudly – reflects my personality, both are true, clean, sincere”.
Having started at a very young age from the professional hotel institute in Giarre to work in important kitchens, starred restaurants and Relais & Château structures, he perfected his training in various experiences abroad, in England and Switzerland, to give his cuisine an international flavor, but the passion that guided him, and guides him, has always remained firmly anchored to the colours, scents and flavors of the products of the land where he was born and raised, to the flavors of his Sicilian childhood to the precious island gastronomic heritage and its agri-food treasures.
Flavours, colors and scents that Luca Miuccio, carefully mixing the extraordinary raw materials that this territory offers, brings to the table of the spectacular restaurant of the Grand Hotel San Pietro in Taormina, creating innovative taste experiences, a real journey into tradition reinterpreted with creativity and creativity that combines with the enchantment of a wonderful view of the magical bay of Taormina among the citrus notes of cedars, kumquats, mandarins and clementines and the greenery of the hotel's large Mediterranean garden.
The protagonist of the dish proposed this week by the Sicilian chef for the readers of Mondo Food are the Scampi of light and soft meats which in the depths of the Sicilian waters acquire an extraordinary flavor and taste and this is why they are recurring in the island's cuisine. But they also have properties that are very rich in proteins and mineral salts such as sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and selenium, they are also sources of noble proteins and poor in fat. The ideal period to bring them to the table is from April to September because they have a greater quantity of pulp and are also tastier. In this period, chef Luca Miuccio's interesting recipe for seared scampo on brioche bread, apricot and foie gras comes to the fore, finding a convincing synthesis in the skilful comparison of sea and land flavors filtered by an innovative and elegant philosophy. which is the figure of his cuisine.
The recipe for seared scampi on brioche bread, apricot and foie gras
Ingredients for 4 people:
Jumbo Norway Lobster 4 pieces
Dehydrated apricots 150g
Foie gras 60 g
Salted butter 90 g
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Salt to taste
Ingredients for the brioche:
800 g of 7 cereal flour
200 g of manitoba flour
80 g butter
15 g of yeast
350 grams of water
25 gr of salt
20 grams of sugar
3 egg yolks
Procedure:
First you need to proceed with the preparation of the brioche bread about 14 hours in advance. In a planetary mixer, combine the 2 flours with water at room temperature and 3 egg yolks and mix to combine. Add the crumbled brewer's yeast, the sugar and the softened butter. Dissolve 25 g of salt in a little water and incorporate into the mixture.
The dough will have to rest for about 10 hours. After this time you must knead again, give the dough the desired shape, let it rest for a further 3 hours and then bake in a static oven at 180°. In a saucepan, cook the apricots in boiling water, blend them until a smooth and homogeneous mixture is obtained, using the cooking water if necessary. Clean the scampi and sear it in a pan with extra virgin olive oil and herbs.
Cup the brioche bread forming a rectangle the same size as the scampi. Sear the brioche bread in a pan with salted butter. Make the foie gras escalope. Dedicate a few minutes to the composition of the dish, proceeding as follows: arrange the apricot compote at the base of the dish, placing the rectangle of brioche bread on top, followed by the seared scampi and on top the chunk of foie gras which will be flambéed with the torch.
Buon appetito!