“Terra Bruciata,” a dessert that prompts reflection on the wildfires in Sardinia: Alessio Signorino’s recipe

When creativity stems from a powerful message, a recipe can become both a vehicle for emotion and reflection. That’s what happens when you taste “Terra Bruciata,” Chef Alessio Signorino’s final course at Terra in Palazzo Tirso.

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Photos of dishes by Claudia Concas

By capturing and conveying the island’s intense aromas, the dish evokes the drama of the summer wildfires that scar the natural landscape, transforming smoky notes and crunchy textures into a statement of resilience." “This summer, while working on the ‘From the Earth to the Grill’ menu, I needed to create a dessert that would evoke the smoky aromas of cooking over an open flame,” the chef tells Reporter Gourmet. “That’s where the idea came from to tie in with the theme of wildfires, which, unfortunately, seriously threaten Sardinia’s ecosystem during the hot months. Incidents are on the rise, and it’s also important for us to raise awareness among hotel guests about an environmental issue that deeply affects us. Through this dessert, therefore, I wanted to evoke precisely that sensation of freshly scorched earth. The result is a recipe featuring various toasted, smoked, caramelized, and earthy components.”

But what sensations does the palate experience during the tasting? “First comes the base of caramelized chocolate, then the beetroot for its earthy nuances. The caramelized pine nuts, on the other hand, add resinous notes, and together with the smoked mastic foam, they evoke images of Mediterranean scrubland areas ravaged by wildfires.” The presentation concludes with a black wafer broken “live” during service, “to simulate soil ‘wounded’ by fire,” plus a mock patch of scorched earth. Finally, the addition of a sprout “as a symbol of rebirth. Because, metaphorically speaking, this is our tribute to the strength of a land as wonderful as Sardinia.”

Recipe: Terra Bruciata

1. Gold Chocolate Namelaka

Ingredients:

• 60 g gold chocolate
• 70 g heavy cream (35% fat)
• 100 g heavy cream (35% fat, chilled)
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 10 g gelatin mixture

Instructions:

1. Bring the 70 g of heavy cream and the granulated sugar to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin mixture, mixing well.
3. Pour the hot mixture over the Gold chocolate and emulsify with an immersion blender (Bamix) without incorporating air.
4. Once the mixture is smooth and homogeneous, fold in the 100 g of cold cream.
5. Let set in the refrigerator for at least 10 hours.
6. Before using, whip the mixture in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

2. Caramelized Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

• 50 g pine nuts
• 60 g sugar
• 10 g water

Instructions:

1. Toast the pine nuts in an oven preheated to 170 °C for 7 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil until the temperature reaches 115 °C.
3. Add the pine nuts while they’re still hot to the syrup and stir: the sugar will begin to crystallize around them.
4. Continue stirring over medium heat until the sugar has completely caramelized.
5. Immediately pour the pine nuts onto a silicone mat (Silpat) and let them cool, keeping them well separated.

3. Candied Beets

Ingredients:

• 100 g beets, diced
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 60 g water
• 40 g raspberry vinegar

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar, and raspberry vinegar to a boil.
2. Add the beet cubes and cook over medium heat.
3. Once cooked, turn off the heat, cover with plastic wrap, and let the beets rest in the syrup until completely cooled.
4. Drain the beets and place them in a dehydrator at 50 °C for 7–8 hours, until they are slightly dehydrated and chewy.

4. Burnt Wheat Crumble

Ingredients:

• 85 g cold butter
• 70 g sugar
• 70 g burnt wheat flour
• 30 g 00 flour
• 1 g salt (or to taste)

Instructions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
2. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake at 170 °C until golden brown and crisp.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature.

5. Lentisk Mousse

Ingredients:

• 250 g heavy cream (35% fat)
• 60 g Gioddu (Sardinian fermented milk)
• 50 g sugar
• 2 g lentisk oil (or to taste)
• 1 g salt (or to taste)
• Dried mastic leaves (for smoking)

Instructions:

1. Combine the cream, Gioddu, sugar, mastic oil, and salt in a container.
2. Place the container inside a smoker, burn the dried mastic leaves, and smoke the mixture.
3. Carefully strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer.
4. Pour the mixture into a siphon and charge it with the appropriate gas cartridge.

6. Cocoa and Coffee Waffle

Ingredients:

• 60 g egg white
• 50 g softened butter
• 50 g flour
• 30 g powdered sugar
• 20 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 g instant coffee

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth, fluid, and free of lumps.
2. Spread the mixture in a very thin, even layer on a silicone mat using a spatula.
3. Bake in the oven at 170 °C for about 3 minutes, until the mixture has set and is firm but not yet crispy.
4. Use an 11-cm-diameter pastry cutter to cut out discs.
5. Return the discs to the oven and finish baking until completely crispy.

7. Faux Burnt Earth

Ingredients:

• 50 g powdered sugar
• 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 g maltodextrin
• 3 g mastic oil (or to taste)
• 3 g extra virgin olive oil (or to taste)
• 1 g vegetable black powder (or to taste)

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, emulsify the maltodextrin with the mastic oil and extra virgin olive oil, whisking until the oil turns into a powder.
2. Add the powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and vegetable black color, mixing well to even out the color and achieve the texture of “faux burnt earth.”

Plating

1. In a 15-cm-diameter bowl, pipe an even layer of gold chocolate namelaka onto the bottom using a pastry bag.
2. Arrange a few cubes of candied beet and the caramelized pine nuts on top of the namelaka.
3. Completely cover the ingredients with the burnt wheat crumble.
4. Pipe a portion of lentisk mousse into the center.
5. Place a disc of cocoa and coffee wafer on top of the mousse.
6. Using the tip of a spoon, break the wafer just before serving to create cracks on the surface.
7. Cover the wafer with the faux burnt earth.
8. Finish the dessert by garnishing with a few fresh purslane sprouts as a symbol of rebirth.

Contact and Info:

Terra Restaurant at Palazzo Tirso

Piazza Deffenu, – Cagliari

Tel. 351 315 0260

Website