APPETIZERS
At the head of Glass Hostaria in Rome, Christina Bowerman she is a global food juggler. “Mine is a contemporary and contaminated cuisine, but I am in love with Parmigiano Reggiano. I use two types: the Malandrone 60 months and the Montecoppe 24 or 36 months, because I have visited the toll booth and appreciate their respect for history. I’m someone who gets attached to things. There is nothing more Italian than Parmigiano Reggiano, which also has an international flavour, is pure umami, goes well with everything and on everything.”
“I keep the 24 months above all for us; the 60 for my very historic signature, the liquid Parmigiano Reggiano ravioli, which is over 10 years old. Because inside a ravioli a thorough maturation is needed which can withstand the dilution, the sheet of pasta as thin as possible and the seasoning, which changes according to the season, from truffles to mushrooms and asparagus. In this recipe I instead use 36 months, which is quite ripe, but has no changes due to extreme maturation and does not compete with hazelnuts. which in the end have almost identical characteristics”.
“It is a perfect cream as an appetizer or accompaniment to meat and vegetable dishes, for example roasted Jerusalem artichokes. The combination of flavors between hazelnut, Parmigiano Reggiano and bacon makes it irresistible for umami lovers. And it’s the triumph of winter, when you want to enjoy something warm at home. I would uncork a pinot noir, more like a drinker than a sommelier.”
Hazelnut cream, Parmigiano Reggiano fondue and bacon by Cristina Bowerman
Ingredients for 4 people
- 200 g of grated Parmigiano Reggiano aged 36 months
- 150 g of toasted hazelnuts
- 100 g of bacon cut into thin slices
- 100 g of milk
- 15 g of flour
- 30 g of butter
- ground black pepper
Method
Cook the bacon in a non-stick pan until crispy and golden. Drain on absorbent paper to remove excess fat and reserve. Blend an already cold part of it until you obtain powder.
Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat, add the flour and then the milk. Bring to the boil and add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Blend with an immersion blender and pass through a sieve. The cream must be smooth and homogeneous.
Set aside some hazelnut halves. Blend the rest, adding a little water if necessary, until well mixed. Season with ground black pepper to taste.
Transfer the hazelnut cream to the bottom of the plate, add the Parmigiano Reggiano fondue, the bacon, the hazelnuts and sprinkle the surface with the powdered bacon.
Serve with toasted bread croutons or roasted Jerusalem artichokes.
FIRST COURSE
With her two Michelin stars, Valeria Piccini is currently the most awarded female chef in Italy. Indeed “shef” as she says, to create interest around the work of the chefs together with other colleagues.
“Mine is a cuisine of great flavors but modern, with its foundations in tradition and territory. Parmigiano Reggiano is a bit of an exception, given that in Tuscany we have tastier cheeses, which in certain situations, including creaming, are not suitable. My son Andrea chooses it, always over 30 months, sometimes even 36. We buy it in whole wheels, for the consistency of quality and vision of taste, and then we split it ourselves, because we make good use of it.”
“And it’s a spectacular moment. It will last a whole month and a half, so it’s only one type. This recipe is on the menu now: the parsnip has a particular sweetness and I like to use a cheese that breaks it up, plus the bitterness and acidity of Trevisano. To match, my husband Maurizio chooses a sauvignon blanc.”
Ravioli with Parmigiano Reggiano, parsnip, radicchio and walnuts by Valeria Piccini
Ingredients for 6 people
For the stuffing
- 90 g of grated Parmigiano Reggiano aged 24 months
- 150 g of well-dried ricotta
Method
Mix the ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano, place in a pastry bag.
For pasta
- 3 whole eggs
- 50 g of durum wheat semolina
- 150 g of 00 flour
- 30 g of extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Method
Mix all the pasta ingredients, work it well and let it rest for at least half an hour.
For the parsnip cream
- 400 g of parsnips
- ½ blonde onion
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Method
Peel the parsnip and cut it into cubes, finely slice the onion and sauté it in a large saucepan with a drizzle of oil. Add the parsnip, let it simmer for a few minutes, cover with water and cook. Blend and sift. Season with salt.
For the brown base of Treviso radicchio
- 500 g of radicchio
- 1/2 leek
- 1 glass of full-bodied red wine
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Method
Finely slice the leek, coarsely chop the radicchio. Stew the leek and radicchio with the oil in a fairly deep pan until they begin to caramelize, then add the red wine, let it evaporate and add 1 kilo of ice and 1 liter of cold water. Leave to boil over low heat until reduced by 3/4. Filter and season with salt.
For the pickled radicchio
- The heart leaves of a radicchio
- 100 g of white vinegar
- 60 g of water
- 40 g of sugar
Method
Mix vinegar, water and sugar, bring to the boil and leave to cool.
Peel the radicchio and transfer it to a large glass jar. Pour the now cold solution over the top and set aside.
For the toasted nuts
Method
Toast the walnuts in the oven at 160°C for about 10 minutes and chop with a knife.
For the walnut cream
Method
Toast the walnuts in the oven as in the previous preparation. Transfer them to a blender and add water to cover. Blend to obtain a smooth cream. Transfer to a piping bag.
Roll out the dough quite thinly and, using a pastry cutter, cut out circles with a diameter of 5 cm. Place a nice knob of ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano filling in the centre, fold and close into a crescent shape, then rotate on the edge to give it a shape very similar to casoncello. You need 7/8 ravioli per dish.
Boil the stuffed pasta briefly in plenty of salted water and sauté in the pan with the radicchio base and a knob of butter. In the center of the plate, place two tablespoons of hot parsnip cream, place the well-glazed ravioli with the radicchio base on top. Using the pocket, place 5/6 sticks of walnut cream, a pinch of chopped walnuts and some pickled radicchio lozenges between the ravioli.
SECOND DISH
At the Palta by Isa Mazzocchi, in Borgonovo Val Tidone in the Piacenza area, Parmigiano Reggiano is almost a territory. “I choose Parmigiano Reggiano when I need various maturations, with completely different nuances. It is an extraordinary product, the Italian symbol of mastery in milk processing. We now have a tasting of 6 types on the menuincluding a brunette and a red cow, ranging from 13 and a half months up to 90 months, which Troisgros fell in love with at Omnivore Paris. We can also use crusts, for example blown ones, to give meaning to this strange word: ‘umami’.
They come to mind when toasted on a wood stove, which releases aromas. For this recipe I chose a 30 month old, because the porcini has its own character, so an important Parmigiano Reggiano is needed, which does not get lost. While older, it would cover. Cheese, egg, porcini mushroom, which is not lacking in season in these parts: it’s an easy win. But here knowledge comes into play, with the fake stem of shortcrust pastry with mushroom powder, the yolk that is pasteurized with the hot sauce and the whole cap”.
“So a simple taste, which becomes complex in the play of textures and aromas. Because mine is a creative cuisine linked to the territory and local traditions, with techniques that can travel into the contemporary world. The zero kilometer pairing is Gaetano Solenghi’s Barbera L’Attesa, here in Val Tidone”.
Porcini mushrooms, egg, 30 month Parmigiano Reggiano by Isa Mazzocchi
Ingredients for 4 people
For the shortcrust pastry
- 125 g of flour
- 60 g of soft butter
- 1 whole egg
- 50 g of dried porcini mushrooms reduced to powder
- salt
Method
Work all the ingredients in a cutter for a few minutes, until you obtain a soft dough. Leave to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes in a cloth. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of ½ cm, sprinkle with porcini powder and roll into a cone. Bake in the oven at 170°C for a few minutes, cool and store in an airtight container.
For the fondue
- 200 g of grated 30 month Parmigiano Reggiano
- 100 g of milk
Method
Pour the Parmigiano Reggiano into the milk and cook in a bain-marie until you obtain a creamy mixture. Blend with the immersion blender.
For the porcini mushrooms
- 4 porcini mushrooms
- 1 clove of garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Method
Clean the porcini mushrooms, cut the stem into cubes and sauté them in a pan with oil and poached garlic; Season with salt and pepper.
Brown the heads in a hot pan on both sides for a few minutes, season with salt and pepper, keep warm on absorbent paper.
For finishing
- 4 egg yolks
- 8 blueberries
- swirl pepper
Method
Serve on individual soup plates, pouring the fondue into the centre. Form a circle with the diced porcini mushrooms and place the raw egg yolk in the centre, close with the “stem” of shortcrust pastry and finish with the mushroom head, a few blueberries and ground black pepper.