Chef Paolo Lopriore – Serving Non-Regional And Innovative Experimental Cuisine

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Although you might be inclined to think that Il Canto is offering traditional Italian cuisine, it will actually come as a surprise to you that this restaurant actually is not. This bold and daring move to serve non-regional and innovative experimental cuisine in a very traditionalistic place is the brainchild of its head chef, Chef Paolo Lopriore. His idea and culinary skills have, of course, more than paid off as his restaurant earned a spot in the San Pellegrino’s top 50 World’s Best Restaurants, landing on the 40th spot.

Chef Lopriore was born on the 28th of March 1973. At a very young age, he has already discovered that he has a passion for food and cooking, so he approached Italian Chef Luciano Tona who taught him the basics in cooking. However, it was in 1990 that his real culinary training happened. He went on to work at the Sole di Ranco under Chef Gualtiero Marchesi, and he stayed there for two years, learning the techniques and perfecting his own style, before leaving the restaurant to complete his military obligations.

Once his duty to his country was fulfilled, he went to work in Florence’s Enoteca Pinchiorri first before going back to Sole di Ranco. There, he completed his training under Chef Marchesi then went off once more to search for work in some of the finest restaurants in Italy. He found work at the Ledoyen and La Maison Troisgros.

In 1998, Chef Lopriore met Chef Eyvind Hellström, and he went to work with him at the Bagatelle in Oslo for three years. However, something seems to be calling him back home, and whether it was a challenge or a sense of nostalgia, he really cannot tell, but he found himself going back to his first teacher, Chef Marchesi. The relationship they had blossomed into more than just your typical master-and-apprentice relationship. What was developed was a very beautiful friendship that has ample space for dialogues and debates, which inspires and promotes personal growth. Today, the two remain good friends. Chef Marchesi considers Chef Lopriore his brightest pupil, and Chef Lopriore considers Chef Marchesi as a great influence in his culinary career.

In 2002, Chef Lopriore came to Certosa di Maggiano and became the executive chef of Il Canto where he finally had the freedom to show his culinary style and ingenious way of presenting his dishes. Although he experimented with new ingredients, he always makes it a point to only use the freshest and finest ingredients and produce in his land’s very fertile countryside. He became as inventive and as experimental as he can be and began offering non-traditional and non-regional cuisine in an otherwise very traditionalistic place. Only in Il Canto can you enjoy exemplary non-native dishes made with wasabi or curry.

Pretty soon, gourmands from all over the country began appreciating his unique dishes and the food critics began giving him their praises. Not long after he became the head chef, he began receiving awards and titles for his culinary accomplishments.

Chef Paolo Lopriore’s Elicoidale (Tube Pasta) with Black Pepper and Pecorino Romano

Ingredients:

40 elicoidali (tube pasta)
40 g pecorino romano
300 g water
30 g fresh pepper, on the branch
5 g agar
25 g oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, combine the water with half the pepper, bring to a boil; remove from heat and leave to infuse for approximately 30 minutes. Adjust the salt and strain.
Remove the infusion from heat, cool slightly, then bring it back to a boil; thicken with the agar and, after bringing it to a third and final boil over very high heat, cool it while stirring constantly with a whisk.
Once cool, add the oil and whisk the mixture as if it were a mayonnaise. Remove the peppercorns from the 25 g that remain, incorporate them into the preparation and blend at the highest speed possible for 5 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.
Separately, cook the elicoidali in an abundant amount of salted water; drain, lightly dress with remaining oil and, using a pastry bag, fill 24 pieces with the black pepper “mayonnaise”.
Heat the elicoidali in the microwave a few minutes and distribute onto 4 plates. Top with grated pecorino romano.

Servings: Serves 4.

Image Credit: identitagolose.it

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