Forget Autem*, think of a trattoria in Florence, with Tuscan crostini in the center of the table. Crispy on the outside and moist and enveloping on the inside. How to eat it? Wait a few moments and then take a bite in one go.
Photo of chef Itamar Ginsburg
“The beauty of cooking—which still fascinates me—is that you start with one idea and then arrive at another,” says Luca Natalini, chef at Autem*, a fine dining restaurant in the heart of Porta Romana in Milan. In fact, his cuisine is constantly evolving, and to understand this, one need only look at the menus, which are strictly handwritten and jealously guarded. However, within this constant flow, certain signature recipes have emerged that reveal everything (or almost everything) about their creator. Il bottone alla toscana is one of them.
Starting with one idea and arriving at another is the true meaning of cooking
But how did this dish come about? It may seem strange to say, but it originated from lobster ravioli. After all, Milan is the nerve center of a thriving and lively fish market. It goes without saying that having the opportunity to work with excellent products is never an obstacle, quite the contrary. So it happened that Chef Natalini found himself with some excellent lobsters, which he decided to use to make ravioli. From there, he began a series of trials and attempts to find the perfect recipe, but at the same time, he had his doubts. Why limit himself to a pure and simple execution of technicalities? "One of my guys was busy preparing Tuscan crostini with chicken liver pâté for the welcome. That's where the idea came from. What if I put that flavor, that intensity, all concentrated in the ravioli? Why use a product like lobster, which is excellent, yes, but comes from far away? I want something excellent but my own," says the chef, who brings with him the full, rounded flavor of Tuscan tradition from his village in the province of Pistoia (Buggiano). He wants to tell something about himself, about his former self and his present self. This is followed by meticulous work on textures, on the explosion of flavor enclosed in a single bite in concentration. A dish that arrived in the very first months of Autem's* life, now three years ago, but which has changed form several times, like a new calligraphy on its handwritten menus.
Tuscan crostini in a ravioli
“To be honest, I was a little skeptical at first. Offal is never easy to serve to customers. You never know how to handle it, but people liked it so much that today it is one of the dishes that best represents me and is always on the menu at my restaurant,” he says. A dish that recalls the warmth of Florence's trattorias but immediately reveals Natalini's unmistakable and elegant technique. Refining a dish, a symbol of conviviality and Tuscan tradition, was a way to express himself but also a way to allow guests to forget where they are and transport themselves, with the memory of taste, far from the center of Milan. It seems easy to say, yet to achieve this, Natalini first listened to his customers and their detailed observations. After all, an evolving menu is one that does not shy away from the critical eye of the attentive observer. Hence the meticulous, precise changes that saw the first ravioli—a beautiful 3 cm round shape—gradually reduced in size. “We had to make it smaller, concentrate it even more,” he explains. The result? A pasta that is even thinner, just what is needed to contain a richer filling. A single bite for all the flavor. Here is the recipe for Tuscan crostini in a ravioli.
Tuscan bottone
INGREDIENTS (1 serving, approximate yield: 10–12 buttons per serving)
FRESH PASTA
- 80 g all-purpose flour
- 20 g semolina flour
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ whole egg
- a few drops of extra virgin olive oil
- a pinch of salt
CHICKEN LIVER PÂTÉ
- 80 g cleaned chicken livers
- 20 g butter
- 20 g white onion
- 5 g desalted capers
- ½ anchovy fillet
- 20 ml Vin Santo
- light chicken broth, as needed
- 1 bay leaf
- black pepper, as needed
- salt, as needed
VIN SANTO JELLY
- 80 ml Vin Santo
- 5 g sugar
- 0.8 g agar agar
CRUNCHY QUINOA
- 20 g white quinoa
- seed oil to taste
- a pinch of salt
WILD FENNEL SALAD
- a small handful of fresh wild fennel
- delicate extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- a pinch of salt
- (optional) 2–3 drops of lemon juice
DRESSING
- 40 ml Italian-style roast gravy, well reduced
- 15 g clarified butter
- cooking water to taste
COMPLETE PROCEDURE
PASTA
Knead all the ingredients until the dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough very thinly (about 0.8 mm).
CHICKEN LIVER PÂTÉ
Chop the onion, capers, and anchovy, then melt the butter, add the chopped mixture, and sweat gently; add the chicken livers and bay leaf, brown briefly, keeping them pink.
Deglaze with Vin Santo, allow to evaporate, add a little broth, and cook for 2–3 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf, blend until very smooth to obtain a silky cream; cool completely (essential for shaping).
VIN SANTO JELLY
Bring the Vin Santo and sugar to a boil; add the agar agar, boil for 1 minute, pour into a thin layer and then leave to cool.
Cut into regular 2 cm discs.
CRUNCHY QUINOA
Rinse the quinoa, cook it in salted water, drain and dry thoroughly; fry in hot oil until crispy. Drain and salt lightly.
FENNEL SALAD
Wash, dry and keep whole or roughly chopped; season just before serving with oil, a little salt and (if necessary) a drop of lemon juice.
MAKING THE BOTTONI (Ø 2 cm)
Place small balls of pâté (about 4–5 g) on the pastry; cover with a second sheet of pastry.
Remove all the air and cut out 2 cm diameter bottoni; seal the edges firmly.
COOKING AND SEASONING
Cook the buttons in salted water for 1 minute / 1 minute and 30 seconds; heat the roast sauce and clarified butter in a pan, then add a little cooking water to obtain a shiny emulsion and gently sauté the buttons.
FINAL PLATING
Bottom of the plate: thin layer of roast sauce.
Arrange the buttons in an orderly composition (linear or circular); lightly coat with butter-roast emulsion, complete with scattered crispy quinoa and add fresh fennel to give zest and freshness. Add the Vin Santo Disc.
CONTACTS
Via Serviliano Lattuada 2, 20135 Milano;
Phone. +39 351 278 0368/+39 02 83520526;
