From Primo Restaurant in Lecce, Solaika Marrocco reimagines ancient Salento recipes with a contemporary twist. Explore the dishes of Italy's youngest Michelin-starred chef.
THE RESTAURANT
Primo Restaurant, located near Piazza Mazzini in Lecce, has been making headlines since its inception. Established in 2016 by Silvia Antonazzo and Marco Morelli (owners, as well as maître and sommelier), it represents their first entrepreneurial venture, with Solaika Marrocco lending a youthful and determined voice to express Salento's culinary essence.
A small and essential space, featuring a beautiful visible wine cellar, occupies one side of the dining area, reaching up to the ceiling. With only a few tables, it's a small temple of fine dining in the heart of Lecce, where elegance and minimalism frame the atmosphere, in stark contrast to the cuisine itself. It's a place where one takes their time to indulge in flavors rooted in ancient Southern recipes before emerging refreshed by the passage of time. In addition to a small à la carte selection, the menu offers two different tasting menus: Primo (€130) featuring 7 heartwarming courses, and 100% Primo (€160), which fully embodies the culinary philosophy.
CHEF SOLAIKA MARROCCO
Solaika Marrocco was born in Gallipoli in 1995, and her love for cooking began as a child, watching her mother prepare meals for the family. After attending the Alberghiero Institute in Santa Cesarea, in the province of Lecce, she embarked on a remarkable journey that has captured media attention in recent years.
A self-taught chef, she literally grew within the team of Primo Restaurant, becoming the youngest member of the Ambassadors of Taste Association and the youngest Michelin-starred chef in Italy (a record still unbeaten). Let's take it step by step: she clinched the Gold Award at the 2017 Birra Moretti Gran Cru, followed by a well-deserved place in the Gran Dame Veuve Clicquot atelier. In 2020, Gambero Rosso named her the Best Emerging Chef, and the following year, Identità Golose awarded her the title of Best Chef. Simultaneously, the Michelin Guide awarded its first star to the Lecce establishment. Finally, the Red Guide also crowned her as the Best Chef of the year. Her career has been on a continuous ascent, drawing creative inspiration from chefs like Cristina Bowerman for her contemporary approach, and Antonia Klugmann.
She wears a proud yet humble expression, aware of her young age but driven by unstoppable ambition that lights up her gentle face. Her culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in her homeland, Puglia. Emotion and storytelling weave through the tasting experiences, skillfully blending memories with modern techniques. Solaika is curious and exceptionally talented, but above all, she symbolizes a culinary revolution that has swept through Puglia in recent years, breaking away from overly traditional practices.
THE DISHES
The culinary journey begins with sourdough bread, including hand-pulled grissini, carob flour crackers, and olive oil tarallini with white wine-infused dough. The appetizers immediately make a statement: flavors of frisella with tomato gel, celery extraction, and caramelized capers; marinated sea bream fillet with burnt lemon powder. Next comes the refreshing gazpacho, featuring melon spheres that add an intriguing texture. Flavors intensify with the carpaccio of podolic meat, marinated with Arabica coffee and rosemary, complemented by a clear smoky note. Finally, a sweet-and-savory twist on a Puglian classic: "orecchietta" pasta with tomato jam and fresh cacio ricotta cheese powder.
The dinner starts with the Seppia dish, featuring fermented plum and arugula. Plum veils envelop the steamed cuttlefish, sliced thin and folded upon itself, reminiscent of the richness of a fillet. The sweet notes of the fruit meet the bitterness of arugula for a bold finish. Then there's the skewered cod with clam sauce and parsley oil infusion, where the temperature contrasts with the cold sauce create a dynamic flavor interplay. One of Chef Marrocco's signature dishes follows, the Parmigiana.
A delicate layer of red datterino tomato covers the purposely thick slices of eggplant, providing a balanced richness to the taste. Finally, burnt wheat béchamel to evoke roasted wheat and basil-infused oil. A dish representing Mediterranean flavors, to be enjoyed with their homemade warm bread for the inevitable "scarpetta" (sopping up every last bit). Another cornerstone of Primo's menu for the past 6 years is the "Animella di vitello" glazed with orange, served with raw Gallipoli red shrimp and thyme. A clean and non-greasy palate pleaser, with the freshness of the raw shrimp balancing the bitterness of the sweetbreads.
Innovations and ancient practices converge in the "Scapece gallipolina" dish, featuring anchovies, vinegar, and saffron. This idea stems from an ancient preservation method, originating when Gallipoli, a maritime city, faced sieges by Mediterranean powers. To ward off hunger, they needed long-lasting food supplies. Fish was suitable for frying or marinating between layers of bread crumbs soaked in vinegar and saffron, stored in containers called "calette" in Gallipoli dialect. The reinterpretation continues with grilled ravioli, stuffed with anchovies and served with beurre blanc sauce. The creaminess invites the "scarpetta" again, this time with fresh oregano focaccia.
The highlight of the meal, with a fascinating interplay of textures and flavors, is the "Coniglio in due servizi" (Rabbit in Two Services). A box, or perhaps a real treasure chest, conceals the most precious part on the surface: the saddle, marinated and seasoned with sage oil and vincotto mayonnaise, accompanied by a "scagliozzo," a classic Puglian street food made of fried polenta. Lifting the lid reveals confit rabbit thighs baked with roasted bell pepper, fresh oregano, and rabbit jus inside. Everything is balanced, from the crunch of the "scagliozzo" to the tenderness of the thighs, transitioning from the rabbit's marination's bitterness to the enveloping richness of its jus.
Now, a déjà vu, or almost. The frisella returns in a sweet version for an original pre-dessert: tomato sorbet, savory crumble, extra virgin olive oil, and caper powder.
Finally, dessert. The one we all love, from North to South, the Tiramisù with a thin shortcrust base, mascarpone cream, coffee, and a cocoa meringue disk. The petite pastry selection is curious, at times even "interactive," ranging from raw almond paste to a successful reinterpretation of the iconic "Rossana" candy. To wrap up, the Lecce-style coffee with dark chocolate, almonds, and coffee. Primo is undoubtedly the epitome of fine dining and, above all, a youthful project that speaks of an authentic but "refreshed" Puglia. Telling a story, and telling it well, is not a utopia.
Address
Primo Restaurant
Via 47 Reggimento Fanteria, 7, 73100 Lecce LE
