How Gaetano Trovato made plant-based cuisine great before it became a fad: from the relationship with suppliers, to the use of Koppert Cress micro-greens, to the creative processing of the vegetable in individual courses.
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The restaurant
The mirrored steel frame surrounding the façade of Arnolfo The Frame reflects the sky, giving a different image each time to the state-of-the-art crystal polyhedron, almost suspended on a hillock overlooking Colle Val d'Elsa. Opened in 2022, exactly forty years after the first inn opened in the historic center, the new home of Tuscany's longest-running two-Michelin-starred restaurant, designed by the Siena-based Milani studio, conveys all the passion of brothers Giovanni and Gaetano Trovato for architecture.
Inside, huge windows turn into a painting, framing the houses and towers of Colle Alta; on the opposite side, a border of highly valued Giallo Siena marble surrounds the majestic open kitchen, which during service becomes a sort of theatrical act for guests in the dining room to aim for. The style is marked by classicism at its most up-to-date declination, in a morphology that lets the outside environment inside, both visually and through the materials employed, all from the local area.
Marbles, travertines and siennas worked by local craftsmen adorn about a thousand square meters of impeccable refinement, a dining room where, among the white linen of the tablecloths on which stand centerpieces of blue hydrangeas, the maximum capacity of forty covers is counted. On the lower floor is a laboratory equipped with high-tech tools used to study and experiment with new preparations, and the wine cellar, which holds around six thousand bottles, cared for by Giovanni Trovato, from the beginning alongside his brother in the role of maître and sommelier.
A role that today is also filled by Gaetano's daughter, Alice, who, after experiences in Australia and New Zealand, has returned to also take care of the training of the team, going beyond techniques and knowledge of ingredients, expanding it in terms of culture, gastronomic and more. The same culture that Gaetano acquired wholeheartedly in the early years of his career, from Angelo Paracucchi, Roger Vergé, and Gaston Lenôtre, and later as a trainer of so many young people who went on to achieve recognition and success in their personal projects.
From Matteo Lorenzini, to Nino Di Costanzo, Michelino Gioia, Eugenio Boer, Filippo Scapecchi, Alberto Sparacino, just to name a few, who always have words of great praise and affection for the one they call their mentor. And for this very reason, during the last presentation of the Michelin Guide, he was awarded with the Mentor Chef Award, for having succeeded in transmitting competence, passion and inspiration to younger generations, writing an important chapter in the history of Italian dining culture.
Permeated with elegance and sophistication are not only the Trovato brothers' manners, and sense of hospitality, but also their gestures, their interaction with guests and with the team, and the ideas generating their three menus too: seafood, meat and vegetable, which vary seasonally. The chemistry with the young Andrea Godi, Gaetano's Sous Chef for the past two years, is tangible, and takes the form of a cuisine that eschews self-interested extravagance, in favor of an all-encompassing fulfillment achieved by the graceful and refined upgrade of a classicism in deep connection with the local land.
The vegetable search and the dishes
Arnolfo was one of the first to realize that plant-based ingredients can be prominent in haute cuisine, beginning as early as 2007 to offer a vegetarian menu, always fully in line with his identity, now called Cubismo Vegetale (Vegetable Cubism). A straightforward denotation of the blend of art, cuisine and architecture, which permeates Chef Trovato's creative thinking.
“In all these years, a part of the work I have never stopped doing is the selection of ingredients and taking care of relationships with suppliers,” says the chef, "I like to have a firsthand sense of the seasons' changing through products. I go grocery shopping a couple of times a week, meeting with farmers from the surrounding area, but I also rely on suppliers such as Koppert Cress, whose micro-vegetables can be crucial in the composition of flavors, and can contribute to the harmony of taste, textures, and aesthetics, enriching the dish with numerous sensory nuances. This is a card to play to expand the range of botanical elements. Most importantly, they are produced with a pragmatic approach to sustainability."
In 2018, with its Architetture Vegetali (Vegetable Architectures) menu, Arnolfo was ranked Best Vegetable Restaurant by Frank Fol's We're Smart® Green Guide, earning top marks and a motivation emphasizing the fruitful pursuit of combinations of extreme finesse, and aesthetic and color sensibility.
To which is also added the ability to bring out the essence of the ingredient, allowing its distinctive aromatic characteristics to shine through, leaving it as natural as possible. As with Shiso Koppert Cress leaf, which becomes an amuse bouche. With its concentrated umami and mild bitterness, it is fried in tempura, wrapped in a very light batter, as per Asian tradition, with a veil of tomato powder.
An important aspect to draw attention to regarding cress - Chef Trovato points out - is the evolution they have undergone over the years, evolving from a simple decoration to a whole ingredient, an integral part, if not the leading characters of the dish as in this case. The mackerel acquires freshness with the cube of green apple, to which the flavor and sour detour is enhanced with Apple Blossom powder.
Stuffed with Laura Peri's duck is the small bao, topped with a wisp of bell pepper mustard. Over it, a leaf of Tahoon Cress, from the northern Himalayas, with its hint of underbrush turning to truffle.
To add depth to the flavor of the potato mousse and Kaffir Lime leaves, the tuber is cooked in an infusion of cream; finally, a sprinkling of grated roe enlivens it with dots of savoriness.
The shrimp is a mouthful of various tones, with its mellifluous sweetness resting on Oyster Leaves, savory and iodized. Topped with an air of Morar Shoots, horseradish root sprouts, that pleasantly prickles the palate evoking mustard. “It's amazing the concentration of flavor in these little sprouts,” says Chef Gaetano, “it's interesting to play around, while building the dish, with the various densities and intensities of flavor.
The tangy freshness of the Sansho leaf butter, with which the risotto was whipped, also envelops the crispy sweetbread that accompanies it. A citrusy reminder, barely spicy, that tends toward “electric,” because of that slightly tingling sensation it delivers in the mouth, similar to that of Sechuan Button.
A parsley, Syrha leaf and dehydrated Citra breading covers the sea bass filet, coating it with a sour allure, which, along with shrimp and crispy zucchini flowers, accompanies the “pyramid” ravioli, filled with the same fish and a pasta dough with additions of Zorri Cress, Daikon Cress, Kyona Mustard Cress leaves to make it a bit pungent.
Arnolfo's signature dish, Laura Peri's Valdarno pigeon is lightly seared and then baked with Shiso leaves, Cardamom, Wheat Grass smoked with sweet and cinnamon nuances. The pairing is with crispy red turnip cooked in salt, roasted peach and its compote, which add aromatic sophistication and earthy, tart nuances.
A dainty character, striking an exciting hybrid of cheese and dessert, is the goat's milk bavarois, with pear ice cream, marinated pear, pear compote, the vegetable sweetness of Honny Cress and black sesame.
In the final petit fours, custard bonbons, strawberry and rhubarb canestrello biscuit, coconut flake and flower bite, pear madeleine.
Arnolfo's recipes
PYRAMIDS ravioli, SEA BASS, LANGOUSTINE, ZUCCHINI FLOWER
Mosaic of sea bass
- 1 clean, skinless sea bass filet
- Syrha leaves
- Citra leaves
- 120 g parsley
- Rind of 1 lime
- 50 gr salt
- 50 gr sugar
Place the parsley leaves, along with Syrha and Citra leaves, to dry at 70°C. After about two hours, blend finely and sieve. Cut the sea bass filet into about 2 cm slices, season with the mixture of salt, sugar and lime zest. Refrigerate to marinate 30 minutes. Rinse the fish filets in a bowl of water and ice, dry them and coat them completely with the Cress powder.
At this point, join all the filets in a food wrap, tighten well, and steam in a 52° oven at 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the filets.
Cool in water and ice.
To make egg pasta
- 135 g of 00 flour
- 135 g of remilled semolina
- 210 g egg yolk
- 40 g egg white
- Leaves of Zorri Cress, Daikon Cress, Kyona Mustard Cress
Mix flours, add egg yolk and knead until silky and smooth. Seal in a vacuum bag and set aside to rest for an hour in the refrigerator. Roll out the dough until it is almost to the correct thickness, then spray the pasta sheet with cold water, and quickly arrange the leaves of the various Cress on top, in order to impart a slight spiciness to the dough sheet. Cover the first sheet of dough with another layer and then run it through the pasta machine to the desired thickness.
Sea bass stuffing
- 250 g white pulp of sea bass
- 40 g of mascarpone cheese
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 20 g finely chopped chives
- 10 g fresh lemon juice
For the white sea bass pulp, steam the heads of the sea bass for 8 minutes, strip them, taking care not to leave any scales behind. Process the resulting pulp with all the ingredients in a food mixer, using the paddle attachment, until the mixture is smooth and consistent. Adjust salt and place in refrigerator to rest.
Sea bass and langoustine sauce
- 500 g white fish bones
- 150 g langoustine heads (without eyes)
- 1 fennel
- 1 white onion
- 2 celery ribs
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 50 g parsley
- Rind of 1 lemon
- 1 lemongrass stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 300 ml dry white wine
- 200 g fresh butter
- 50 g citra leaves
Toast the fish bones and langoustine heads in a 180°C oven until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a saucepan brown the celery, fennel, onion and garlic cloves. Add the bones and roasted carapaces, deglaze with white wine, once the alcohol has evaporated, cover with ice and cold water. Add the herbs and aromatic parts. Boil the sauce 50 minutes, then strain the liquid with a sieve, and set to reduce to the right density. At this point, remove the sauce from the heat - it should reach a temperature of 70°C - add the Citra Cress leaves, leave to infuse for another 30 minutes. After the time has elapsed, strain the sauce and whip it with fresh butter to desired consistency.
Wheatgrass oil
- 6 batches of Wheatgrass
- 250 g of seed oil
Blend wheatgrass leaves with oil for 12 minutes, until oil reaches 65°C . Strain and separate from the vegetation water.
Langoustine oil
- 300 g langoustine shells
- 500 g seed oil
- 3 shallots
- 50 g datterini tomatoes
- 1 clove of garlic
- 20 g parsley leaves
In a saucepan, toast shrimp carapaces with seed oil, then add shallots, garlic, and cherry tomatoes, sauté and cover with remaining seed oil. Add parsley and cook for 45 minutes. Strain and cool.
Cream of zucchini
- 400 g of zucchini (outer green part)
- 150 g inner white part of zucchini
- 3 chopped shallots
- 5 basil leaves
Blanch the green part of the zucchini in salted water and cool in water and ice.
In a saucepan, sauté the shallot with the white part of the zucchini; once softened, add the blanched green part. Add a little vegetable broth, the basil leaves and cook with the lid on for 5 minutes. Blend by emulsifying with olive oil.
Crispy zucchini flowers
Clean the flowers from the earth and central pistil, open and place them between two sheets of baking paper lightly greased with oil. Place the closed sheets of baking paper between two baking sheets and bake at 150°C for 15 to 20 minutes. As soon as they are ready, add salt.
LAURA PERI PIGEON, RED TURNIP, PEACH
Pigeon breast
- 150 g dried mixture of Cress leaves (including Shiso Leaves, Cardamon Leaves and Wheat Grass)
- 50 g of hay
- 30 g of honey
- 10 g white wine vinegar
- 10 g pigeon demi glass
- 10 g soy sauce
- 3 juniper berries
Let's start with the pigeon glaze; in a saucepan put the honey, white vinegar, demi-glace, and juniper berries, reduce to a syrupy consistency and let cool. Heat an iron skillet well to brown the pigeon skin evenly. When the pigeon is well browned, place it in a pan in which the hay and dried Cress leaves will have been arranged. At this point, with a blowtorch lightly burn the hay and Cress, then place the pan in a 52°C oven for about 20 minutes. Every 5 minutes lacquer the pigeon skin with the glaze we prepared. After the cooking time has passed, let the pigeon rest a few minutes and then remove the breast from the carcass.
Pigeon ragu
- 400 g pigeon legs
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 2 shallots chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 juniper berries chopped
- 120 ml white wine
- 200 ml chicken stock
In an iron skillet, brown the pigeon legs, then drain them well from the fat. In a saucepan, brown the vegetables; when they are browned, add the pigeon legs and deglaze with white wine. When the wine has evaporated add the pigeon broth, herbs, and juniper and cook 50 minutes. Separate the meat from the bones and cut the flesh into even pieces. Season with salt and the reduced leg stock.
Peach Veil
- 200 g cold-extracted peach juice
- 2.10 g agar agar
- 3 g lemon juice
- Atsina Cress leaves
Boil one-third of the peach juice with the agar, then add the remaining juice and spread on a baking sheet. Before the liquid cools, place Atsina Cress leaves on top and place in the refrigerator. When completely cooled, cut to size.
Peach compote
- 1 kg peach
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 60 g lemon juice
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- A few leaves of lemon cress
The day before, peel, cut and marinate the peaches with the spices and sugar.
In the morning, place the mixture in a saucepan and cook about 50 minutes until the right consistency. Sift, cool and top with a leaf of Lemon Cress.
Red turnip glaze
- 500 g filtered juice of red turnip
- 40 g glucose
- 1 star anise
- 1 clove
Place ingredients in a saucepan and set to reduce over very low heat until smooth, glossy and thick. Let cool.
Salt-crusted turnip
- 750 g 00 flour
- 190 g fine salt
- 375 g cold water
- Sechuan Buttons
- Fresh thyme
Mix flour, water and salt and roll out the mixture. Inside the salt mixture, put washed red turnip, some thyme and Sechuan Buttons. Close the dough around the turnip and bake at 180 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Let rest at least 10 minutes. When cold, split the dough, peel the turnip and then cut it into 3x3cm cubes.
