Born in 1984, native of Trani, in Puglia, Matteo Maenza is from 2013 in charge of the Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda restaurants in Gargnano, the Trattoria La Vigna and La Grande Limonaia (both also open to the public). Here he gives shape to the philosophy of the Lefay Vital Gourmet cuisine based, on seasonal products and exaltation of the primary flavors. Maenza has agreed to share some of his most famous recipes with Garda Expo readers. Here is the first.
Tartare of pike perch niçoise
Ingredients for 4 persons
350g of pike perch fillets, 2 lettuce hearts, 8 Garda black olives 8, 2 thin sliced radishes, 40g of grated bottarga, 1 egg white, 200g of vegetable oil, lemon juice to taste, vinegar, white wine to taste, 4 anchovy fillets in oil, 10 leaves of celery for decoration
For the tartare
Deprive pike fillets of thorns and skin. Cut the fish into tartare (divided into portions of approximately 80g). Season the tartare with olive oil, lemon zest, salt.
For the sauce Nicoise
Browse lettuce, until reaching the heart of lettuce, wash it in water, drain it and set aside. Cut the heart into 4 wedges fill with 1 anchovy fillet (cut into 2 halves), thinly sliced radishes, celery leaves, fresh beans blanched and peeled (in season), dried olives and some point of bottarga mayonnaise.
For the mayonnaise with bottarga
Prepare a mayonnaise starting with pasteurized egg white, a little rice vinegar and mount with sunflower oil, add grated bottarga, blend until smooth to make the emulsion, adding a little water and adjust to taste by adding lemon juice and vinegar.
For the dehydrated olives.
Drain the Riviera olives under water on paper towels, and brown them in the floor pan with a little oil, then arrange the olives on a plate and allow to dry in the oven. Store in a closed container.
Assembly
Place the tartare in a round dish plate, place the lettuce and garnish with a few points of the bottarga mayonnaise and dry olives.
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