In the heart of the Amalfi Coast, Maiori embodies the true essence of the coastal tradition, characterized by space, tranquility, and unostentatious beauty. Far from the frenetic pace of Amalfi and Positano, Maiori stands out for its serene and relaxed atmosphere, where time slows and every experience becomes meaningful. The Hotel Due Torri, carved into the cliffside overlooking the sea, is more than just a place to stay, but a privileged vantage point with a breathtaking sea view that encompasses the majesty of the coast, from Ravello to Amalfi, all the way to Conca dei Marini.
On the fifth floor of the hotel, the Oltremare restaurant was born from a well-defined project: to fully express a coherent and contemporary gastronomic vision in keeping with the coast. Oltremare's name itself declares its identity: Mediterranean cuisine, interpreted through seasonal, often locally sourced ingredients, and recipes rooted in local tradition. The result is a taste experience that aims to convey the purity of flavors and rich aromas, while always keeping a contemporary eye. This is the reign of Chef Alfonso Crisci, of whom the Michelin Guide writes: "His cuisine is distinguished by a creative approach that builds on solid foundations, incorporating references and reinterpretations of Campanian tradition, offering balanced and distinctive dishes."
The cuisine offers creative ideas, almost always starting with references and interpretations of Campanian flavors, such as using tomatoes in a thousand ways, including distilling their water with a small still. Crisci's spaghetti with tomato oil tastes of summer and freshness, in an evolved and stimulating interpretation of a great Mediterranean classic: spaghetti with tomato sauce. It's a tribute to home, to the dark earth of the volcano, to the light that illuminates the hills, to the sea glimpsed between the lemon trees. The stars of the dish are four tomatoes, each with its own distinctive flavor: the Piennolo tomato, intense and structured, with a leathery skin and elegant acidity; the Corbarino, grown on the Corbara hills, sweet but with a surprising savory note; the San Marzano, king of sauces, grown at the foot of the Lattari Mountains, a symbol of balance between sweetness and freshness; and the coppery tomato, grown in the hotel's garden, pulpy and generous, a direct expression of its location.
Four souls that blend in a salt-free sauce, because the flavor comes from the minerality of the earth, the sun, and the iodine of the sea.
Spaghetti with tomato oil recipe
Ingredients for people 4
120 g of spaghetti
For the tomato water
200 g of Corbarino tomatoes
200 g of coppery tomatoes
200 g of San Marzano tomatoes
200 g of Piennolo tomatoes
3 spring onions from the Nocera area
3 cloves of garlic
a bunch of basil
For the tomato garum
5 liters of water
100 g of Corbarino tomatoes
100 g of coppery tomatoes
100 g of San Marzano tomatoes
100 g of Piennolo tomatoes
pulp of the previous preparation
3 spring onions from the Nocera area
3 cloves of garlic
a bunch of basil
For the basil buffalo butter
100 ml of buffalo cream
a bunch of basil
For the tomato mayonnaise
100 ml of tomato water
70 ml of Cilento extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
To make the tomato water, quarter the tomatoes, place them in a vacuum bag with the garlic, spring onions, and basil, vacuum seal, and let sit for twenty-four hours. After this time, drain the contents of the bag, reserving the tomato water. Pass the pulp through a food mill, combine the liquid with the tomato water, and sift the remaining pulp through a medium-mesh sieve. Combine the liquid with the previously collected liquid and sieve the pulp again through a chinois. Add the tomato water to the previously collected liquid, setting it aside. With the remaining pulp, make the tomato garum: place it in a large, tall pot with the chopped tomatoes and all the other ingredients, add the five liters of water, bring to a boil, and simmer for twelve hours. You will have about one hundred milliliters of highly concentrated garum left.
To make the buffalo butter, whisk the cream until the fat (butter) separates from the buttermilk. Place the butter in a container and melt it in a bain-marie with the basil leaves, leaving it to infuse for twelve hours. It's important to keep the butter warm so it doesn't solidify. Finally, strain the butter and refrigerate it. Proceed with the tomato mayonnaise. Take 70 milliliters of tomato water and emulsify with an immersion blender, gradually adding the oil as if making a traditional mayonnaise. Refrigerate.
Bring the water to a boil for the pasta. While it cooks, add the remaining tomato water to a pan and reduce it over low heat for two minutes. When the pasta has one minute left to cook, drain it and add it to the pan with the tomato water to finish cooking and absorb all the flavor. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil-infused buffalo butter.
Plate, drizzle with tomato garum and finish with tomato mayonnaise.
Oltremare Restaurant - Hotel Club Due Torri
Maiori (SA)
Via Diego Taiani 3, 84010 Maiori (SA)
089 877699
