Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Flavours of Pollino national park

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Photo-recipe
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Ingredients


(FoR 4 PERSONS)


Grilled Porcini


2 porcini


20 g of oil extra virgin


1 g of garlic


2 g of rosemary


salt and pepper q.b


Cut the porcini mushrooms in half, season with all the ingredients and cook them on the grill.


The porcini croquette


100 g of porcini mushrooms


2 g of parsley


15 g of pecorino cheese


1 g of thyme


10 g of white bread


1 egg yolk


10 g of fresh cream


30 g of oil extra virgin


In a saucepan, heat the oil and pour the porcini cut into small pieces. Brown well, remove them and add them to the other ingredients in a bowl. Mix everything together to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Form balls and pass them first in the flour, then in the albumen and then in the sesame. Fry in plenty of oil.


The truffle foam


100 g of porcini mushrooms


10 g of truffle


1 g of garlic


1 g of thyme


30 g of fresh cream


20 g oil extravirgin


2 g of parsley


20 g of boiled potato


salt and pepper


Brown the porcini mushrooms with oil, allow to cool and blend with all the ingredients until a smooth cream is obtained. Pour into the siphon and leave to rest in the refrigerator for about an hour. Fill the bread cannoli with the mousse.


Porcini with thyme


100 g of porcini mushrooms


30 g of oil extravirgin


2 g of thyme


1 g of garlic


10 g of white wine


40 g of brown background


Brown the porcini mushrooms cut into cubes in oil and garlic; blend with the wine and let it evaporate. Add the chopped thyme and brown bottom


The porcini and truffle crumble


50 g of 00 flour


50 g of almond flour


50 g of butter


50 g of porcini mushrooms


5 g of truffle


2 g of salt


black pepper


1 g of thyme


Blend the softened butter with the porcini mushrooms and the thyme until creamy, then add the cream to the other ingredients and knead. Leave to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and then cook at 170 ° C.


The porcini sponge


100 g of porcini mushrooms


4 eggs


1 g of garlic oil


2 g of parsley


750 g of overcooked rice


20 g of manitoba flour


salt and pepper q.b


Blend all the ingredients, filter and pour the mixture into the siphon. Fill a mold with the froth and cook in the microwave for a minute.


Composition of the dish


At the base of the dish distribute the crumble, the chopped walnuts and the crumbled toast, on top of the grilled porcino, the croquette, the bread roll with the porcino foam and the porcini mushrooms with the thyme. Complete with a thread of oil extravirgin, truffle and some sprouts.


THE PRODUCT


I must say that agricultural production in this Eden called National Park of Pollino is quite unusual. It seems, from their taste, that even fruits of the forest breathe the air of the sea.


Here, in Pollino, I have not only found excellent woodland products but also other varieties such as: peppers, aubergines, bread, typical pasta, brawn and cured meats, honey and jams, but also spirits made with spontaneous fruits including the very tasty Saracena moscato. However, porcino mushrooms are still the most valued products, served either fresh or dried. Their unique and unmistakable flavour is much loved in the kitchen. They can be enjoyed in any dish: with pasta, vegetables, meat or fish; they are the true king of the woods but even the table.


Set up in 1988, the National Park of Pollino, the largest protected area in Italy is consists of the Pollino Massif, mount Orsomarso and mount Alpi. The Park’s territory includes 56 municipalities: 32 in Calabria, in the province of Cosenza; 22 in Basilicata, in the province of Potenza and 2 in that of Matera; nine (9) between mountain communities and four (4) in reserves, Rubbio in Basilicata, Raganello, Lao and Argentino in Calabria.


Originally from Calabria in Southern Italy, Chef Luigi has lived and worked in different cities including Muscat, Sharm-el-Sheikh, Stuttgart, Bangkok, London, Paris, St Petersburg, New York, New Delhi and George Town, gaining experiences in two and three Michelin star restaurants.


A master of his craft, Chef Luigi has won several accolades including the ‘Best Chef in India’ the Best Modern European Cuisine category at the Top Chef 2016 Awards and two gold medals at the International Kremlin Culinary Cup 2013 in Moscow. He has previously represented Calabria at international shows including World Travel Market in London in November 2007, the International Wine and Food Society in the Cayman Islands in March 2009 among others.


Chef Luigi has taught at the Italian Institute for Advanced Culinary and Pastry Arts as the creative cuisine professor for one year in 2014, and in 2015 he published his first book Calabria in Tutti i Sensi — Un Viaggio con Luigi Ferraro (Calabria in every way — A journey with Luigi Ferraro) in co-operation with photographer Riccardo Marcialis and published by Rubbettino Editore.


Chef Luigi is currently the Executive Chef of InterContinental Regency Bahrain and was in Oman to showcase his outstanding signature Italian cuisines at Intercontinental Muscat’s Tomato Restaurant from March 1 to 14.


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