It was one of the first crypto desserts on the border between sweet and savory, plant-based, served at the beginning of the meal by Stefano Baiocco. "But don't ask me why for the recipe; sometimes inspiration strikes without reason. Then my improvisation becomes calculated and organized." The story, recipe, and secrets of his ingenious porcini tiramisù!
The story
If there's a chef deserving recognition in Italy, it's undoubtedly Stefano Baiocco. In a restaurant that may well be the most stunning in Italy, a country with no shortage of competition, his cuisine creatively and stylishly leverages an extraordinary professional journey—one of the most comprehensive and multifaceted in the industry. In an exhilarating journey, he has lined up experiences with Enoteca Pinchiorri, Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire, Pino Lavarra, Ferran Adrià, the Roca brothers, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Pascal Barbot, Dani Garcia, Seiji Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Murata, and Kikunoi Honten.
Since 2004, he has been championing his cuisine at Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda, where his style has continued to evolve and blend seamlessly into an idyllic setting, enhanced by green spaces and an herb garden that he values with his incredibly discerning palate. It's safe to say that he can master any cuisine and only cooks what he wants: both creative and solid, aesthetically pleasing and palate-pleasing, avant-garde without being provocative.
The dish
Today, offering a crypto dessert on the border between sweet and savory, plant-based, playing with the semantics of familiar preparations (a practice initiated by nouvelle cuisine) may seem commonplace, but the dish is a historical signature of the restaurant, preceding trends. Its execution is detailed with unwavering precision. "Over the years, we've organized ourselves beautifully, which gives me more comfort," says the chef. "After the COVID time, we decided to offer external customers only a tasting menu, so there's nothing written anymore. But for those staying in the facility, there are breakfast menus, a simple lunch menu, and the gourmet evening menu with the option of the same tasting menu, which must be booked in advance for certain dishes. This gives me great freedom. Many recipes I'm attached to pass by suddenly, and for customers who return often, I try to offer something new. Then, from time to time, I pause to think."
"The tasting menu is all produced on the same day, down to the smallest detail. If there's a borage flower on the plate, I go out and pick the exact number of petals. Some dishes are unrepeatable, a 'unicum,' as Gianni Revello called them, defining them as 'sentimental.' For example, snails in their habitat, gathered in a garden of the villa among certain aromatic herbs, sedum, hare grass, elephant garlic. If they're here, I thought, it means they enjoy it. We've created various preparations with them, grilled, in consommé, without paying too much attention to the taste. We wanted to narrate that rainy afternoon, bent over the lawn. And it's a dish that arrived immediately."
The thrill of improvisation may remind one of Baiocco's mentor, Gagnaire. "But he was unreachable; I'm more methodical. I like improvisation, but I also like organization. His spark is truer but riskier. I need the ending to be studied, thought out, with the taste coming through. With Gagnaire, many times I didn't even understand what I was doing. In the end, I tasted three things that didn't go well together, and by mixing them, I realized he was right."
"Some recipes are complex, others more straight forward. But they both work. Here, the idea is porcini and tiramisù. Don't ask me why; I can't answer. Many times, ideas come to mind without a reason, and we try them; they can work or not. But in general, I like to transition from sweet to savory and vice versa, staying in the classic realm. Michel Troisgros also tasted the dish and told me: I would have served it as a dessert without changing anything. I thought about it; the only thing that didn't fit was the guanciale, the meaty part of the sauce, but the sugar content is already low. Our desserts never feel heavy. However, we've always served it as an entremets, even for its cold temperature, just before the carbohydrates." Matteo Cecchi, the sommelier at Villa Feltrinelli, pairs it with a Ligurian Pigato for its minerality and freshness or a young Fiano with pronounced acidity to cut through the creaminess of the dish, served before the pasta. Alternatively, a Pinot Noir from Alto Adige.
Stefano Baiocco Porcini's Tiramisù
For the savoiardi biscuit
- 400g pasteurized egg yolks
- 100g granulated sugar
- 600g pasteurized egg whites
- 14g egg white powder
- 200g granulated sugar
- 350g flour 180 W
- 200g potato starch
Method
Whisk the egg yolks with 100g of granulated sugar in a planetary mixer. Combine the egg whites with the egg white powder and whisk with the remaining sugar. Mix the egg yolks with the meringue and incorporate the previously sifted powders. Retrieve 910g of dough (enough for a 60x40 tray) and spread it evenly with a spatula. Bake in the oven at 200°C for 14 minutes (the first 3 minutes with the valve closed, then open). Once cool, cut the biscuit with an oval-shaped mold.
For the porcini mushroom broth
- 500g Borgotaro porcini mushrooms
- 2 liters mineral water
- 1 stalk of green celery
- 1 carrot
- ½ golden onion studded with 2 cloves
- 1 ripe tomato
- 5 champignon de Paris mushrooms
- 1 bay leaf
- 20g salt
Method
Cook sous vide for 3 hours at 80°C in steam.
For the porcini's oil
- 250g extra virgin olive oil from Casaliva cultivar
- 60g dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 sprig of lemon thyme
Method
Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in warm water overnight. Blend the oil with the porcini mushrooms in a Thermomix at 50°C for 8 minutes at the highest power;
For the porcini's powder
- 100 g of dried porcini mushroom slices
Method
Blend the dried porcini mushrooms in a Thermomix. Pass them through a sieve.
For the porcini mushroom pudding
- 360g of porcini mushroom broth
- 50g of cooked potatoes
- 220g of softened butter
- 8g of porcini mushroom powder
- 1g of xanthan gum
- 3.5g of agar-agar
- 6g of fine salt
- 14g of porcini oil
Method
Blend the potatoes with the softened butter and xanthan gum in a Thermomix. Separately, in a saucepan, bring the porcini mushroom broth to a boil with the porcini mushroom powder and agar-agar, whisk well, and add it to the previous mixture. Add salt. Blend again for 30 seconds at the highest speed, emulsifying with the porcini oil. Pour into a mold and let it cool. Cut the pudding using the same mold used for the Savoiardi biscuit.
For the porcini mushroom ragout
- 2 Borgotaro porcini mushrooms, finely diced (brunoise)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 50g of veal jus
- 60g of diced pork cheek (guanciale)
- A knob of butter
- Extra virgin olive oil
Method
Quickly sauté the porcini mushrooms in a pan with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary; add the veal jus and thicken with the butter. Remove the aromatic garnish and incorporate the sautéed guanciale separately.
For the mascarpone cream
- 200g of cream (35% fat content)
- 20g of dried porcini mushrooms
- 200g of mascarpone
- 40g of pasteurized egg yolk
- 5g of salt
Method
Vacuum-seal the cream with the dried porcini mushrooms and let them infuse cold overnight. Filter, retrieve the liquid, and combine it with mascarpone in a planetary mixer. Whip. Add the egg yolk, mixing well, and finally the salt. Store in the refrigerator at 4°C.
For the cocoa powder
- 50g of porcini mushroom powder
- 25g of cocoa powder
Method
Mix the porcini mushroom powder with the cocoa powder.
For the herbs
- Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
Plate composition
Soak the Savoiardi biscuit in the porcini mushroom broth for a few moments, then place the porcini mushroom pudding on top. Add a few chervil leaves, a spoonful of porcini mushroom ragout, and the mascarpone cream. Arrange the tiramisù on the plate, dust it with the porcini cocoa powder, and finish with a pinch of fine salt.
Address
Villa Feltrinelli
Via Rimembranza 38-40, 25084 Gargnano BS, Italia
Tel. +39 0365 79 80 00
ristorante@villafeltrinelli.com
