This is the first recipe from my week in the kitchens of LUCCA – Villa Rosa Kempinski’s very own slice of Italy. Cooking up a storm with Chef Silvio, Chef Fernando and their wonderful team; I was in total heaven. The passion and creativity that goes into their recipes is something to behold – and it left me daydreaming of running off to Italy and opening up my own trattoria one day!
This potato cake is absolutely delicious, and a great veggie option for non-meat eaters.
- 30 g butter, plus extra for greasing
- 30 g bread crumbs
- 100 g mature Taleggio
- 50 g Parmigiano
- Small bunch chives
- 2 eggs
- 1 kg potatoes,
- 6 tbsp milk
- 40 g sundried tomatoes
- 1 big zucchini
- 100 g asparagus
- 40 g spring onion
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 8 tbs cream
- 8 mint leaf
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C . Generously butter 4 ramekin dishes and sprinkle them with the bread crumbs. Place in the fridge to chill.
2. Boil the potatoes whole and unpeeled for 35 minutes or until tender. Peel when cool.
3. Grate the Parmigiano cheese. Snip the chives into small pieces. Then separate the eggs.
4. Place the potato flesh in a bowl and mash well. Then stir in the Parmigiano, chives, and egg yolks.
5. Warm the milk and butter in a pan, then pour this over the potato mixture and stir everything together. Season with pepper (careful as the Parmigiano is already quite salty).
6. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Next gently fold the egg whites into the potato mixture.
7. Fill the prepared ramekins with the potato mixture, leaving a small recess in the middle for stuffing with a generous tablespoon size cube of taleggio and the a plump piece of sundried tomato. Cover the cheese and sundried tomatoe with more of the potato mixture, smoothing elegantly over the top. Place the ramekins in the oven and bake for 15 – 17 minutes until puffed and golden.
8. Now prepare the asparagus sauce: Trim and wash the asparagus and dice it up finely. Warm the olive oil and add 10g (2 stalks ) of spring onion, let it fry gently and then add the diced asparagus. Let this cook gently until tender, a few minutes only and to this, add the cream. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Let this simmer for around 10 minutes. Blend this in your food processor until you get a smooth and silky sauce.
9. Slice the zucchini in batons and season with olive, salt and mint. Flash grill these, along with the remaining spring onions until golden.
10. To assemble the dish, spoon a generous serving of asparagus sauce on a hot plate. On top of this sublime silky sauce, place the Potato cake. Garnish with the flash grilled zucchini and golden spring onion. For the full Italian colours, place a few pieces of lovely sundried tomato as shown and Mama Mia, this is one delicious recipe ready for devouring!!
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