Vive las verduras

Vesuvius and its garden produce

Alfonso Iaccarino / Don Alfonso 1890

Presented by Xavier Agulló and Giorgio Grigliatti, the chef related his beginnings, when he all but decided to totally abandon more standard ingredients (foie gras, large shellfish, etc.) in favour of humbler, but no less outstanding raw materials: local vegetables, impregnated with volcanic salt (from Mount Vesuvius). How did he manage to turn a normal restaurant into a great restaurant using these products? Basing himself on tradition and applying new culinary techniques: the basis provided by the local land made for pure, fat-free cuisine full of proteins. The chef then commented on a video in which his son Ernesto prepared a dish which paid tribute to fennel, a squash and a dessert based on aubergine. After encouragement from Xavier Agulló, the chef revealed the secret of a great tomato sauce, explaining how to prepare a good jarred version for the winter and how to work with fresh tomato.

« Programme day 21