Amazing Appetizer, Chef Domenico Iavarone, Maxi Restaurant, Vico Equense (Na)

Part one of this story takes place about a week and a half ago.  I stood in front of Michelin starred Chef Domenico Iavarone's table at Festa a Vico to try his appetizer that he brought for the event.  His clear table.  The chef's dish was sold out.  I was too late.

And now? I asked.
Now, the chef said, now you'll have to come and try it at Maxi.
He didn't have to ask me twice.

Part 2.  Monday evening, back in Vico, but this time in the kitchen next to the chef at the pass as he plated and discussed this dish right before my eyes.  His candele spezzate alla genovese...

Il piatto della genovese ormai in carta fissa al Maxi è un po una mia filosofia cioè quello dei due opposti che si attraggono nel senso di cucinare in piatto che non ha nulla a che vedere con il contesto che ti sta intorno .....il mare !!!!!! Li nasce la sfida di renderlo quanto più curioso possibile restando sempre legato ai parametri della tradizione e quindi pensai di renderlo più fresco con la strepitosa ricotta di Vico e queste e poi il croccante delle cipolle fritte rende tutto più armonico e simpatico. Nel caso di Festa a Vico invece confrontandomi con Jack e Leopoldo pensai che visto il tema dell'edizione 2016, ovvero il gioco delle mani amiche, non potevo non portare un qualcosa che ci legasse alla memoria al concetto di festa. Quindi quale cosa più giusta ricordare le tavole della nostra amata Napoli nei giorni delle feste quando tante mani si aiutano in cucina e non solo è poi l'appartenenza al nostro territorio ci porta verso questa moda che a Napoli e sempre esistita il cibo da strada .....e allora riprendemmo in mano il piatto della nostra tradizione cioè le candele spezzate alla genovese e le abbiamo riprodotte in versione cibo da strada, ovvero ripiene del sugo classico fatto con carne di manzo e maiale con le cipolle cotte per lungo tempo a bassa temperatura come si usa dir oggi!!!! A questo punto le impano e le friggo per poi servirle con la ricotta e le cipolle marinate che danno quella freschezza nello sgrassare il tutto .

Pasta all Genovese has been part of the Maxi menu for awhile and represents a bit of my philosophy, that is, that in cooking, opposites that have nothing to do with the environment around you attract on a plate .....this environment is the sea !!!!!! So there came the challenge - to make the dish as interesting as possible while remaining tied to its traditional parameters. I thought of making it fresher by adding an amazing ricotta cheese from Vico Equense and crispy fried onions to make it more harmonious and friendly. In the case of Festa a Vico instead, after discussing ideas with Jack and Leopoldo (members of the chef's brigade) I thought about the theme for 2016,- mani amiche/ helping hands. I thought about bringing something that binds our memories to the concept of celebration ...like the dinner tables of our beloved Naples during the holidays when so many hands help out in the kitchen. Add to that a trend that has always existed in Naples -street food. So, getting back to our traditional dish made with broken candele pasta alla Genovese and we made a street food version filled the classic genovese sauce made with beef, pork with grilled onions which had been cooked for a long time at a low temperature. It was then breaded, fried, and served with ricotta cheese and pickled onions that gave the dish a freshness that cleans the palate.

Amazing

Napoli Street Food...Frittatine di Pasta by Chef Claudio Campanile

Last week, during chef Claudio Campanile’s lesson on Naples street food, Romina Sodano, director of Mise En Place, asked Which recipe are you going to put on the blog this week?...And at the same time we both responded with a smile Fritatina di Pasta!…


Here it is…

Ingredients
Bucatini pasta 500 gr.
Milk 1 ½ liters
Flour 300 gr
Peanut Oil 3 dl
Grated Parmegiano 150 gr.
Chopped Parsley
Salt and Pepper
Prosciutto Cotto 150 gr
Fior di Latte 200 gr
2 Eggs
Yeast 15 gr
Oil for frying 1 lt
Bread crumbs

Procedure

Prepare a roux with peanut oil and flour. Let it cook for a few minutes and then add boiling milk. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, add salt and pepper, then let cool. This will be your besciamella needed for the next step.

Cut the prosciutto and fior di latte into small cubes and mix with a portion of the besciamella and put to the side.

Cook the pasta until it reaches the al dente point and place in a casserole dish. Let it cool down and then chop it up into large pieces. Season the pasta with  parmigiano, salt, pepper, parsley and remaining besciamella. Mix well so that it  is nice and compact. Form into small balls, filling each ball with a little bit of the prosciutto and fior di latte mixture that you prepared earlier.

Prepare a frying batter using 200 ml of water, 2 eggs, yeast , salt, and 300 gr of flour. Dip the balls in the batter, then bread them with the bread crumbs.

Fry in hot oil and drain.