Created by the Hotel Tritone Chef, this appetizer has all the scents of Italy, together with the three colours of the Italian flag.  Parmigiano Reggiano, for which  we are the envy of the world, is the star of this dish, just as white is at the centre of the Italian flag. Alongside this exquisite cheese is the marvellous basil of Liguria, the aromatic green that permeates a variety of summer dishes in the hotel restaurants and beyond. Completing the Italian banner and this appetizer are  Pachino cherry tomatoes, succulent fruits of Sicily and precious ingredients in the much loved Mediterranean cuisine.

The vegetarian appetizer for guests on a special diet

Blancmange with Parmesan cheese lends itself to being an entrée for those who want   to cut out meat.  The Chef’s choice of ingredients was made to also satisfy those who follow a vegetarian diet by choice or by necessity.

A sparkling wine with which to begin a refined meal

Our hotel sommelier recommends pairing this delicious appetizer with a local wine from the Euganean Hills. Having travelled from the north to the south of Italy through the ingredients of this blancmange, we complete our journey with a wine from this small production area: our region offers a wide range of vineyards and methods of winemaking and produces excellent results.

 The selected   Prosecco Rosé DOC Extra Dry 2020   is produced by the   Cantina dei Colli di Vo’ Euganeo,  an agricultural cooperative of great tradition. 

 The Prosecco colours the glass with a soft, transparent   pink  and is animated by fairly fine and persistent bubbles. The scent of wild strawberries and white currants includes a good savoury note, despite the residual sugar. The taste is quite dry: the typical pear and apple aromas of Prosecco emerge but with well-balanced freshness from the pinot noir, and with the presence of the typical flavour of the areas. This wine is the perfect choice because its long  aromatic persistence   goes well with the appetizer’s main ingredient: Parmigiano Reggiano.

Here is the Chef’s recipe; it can be replicated at home to revive lovely memories of enjoying the dish at our hotel, perhaps at the poolside restaurant.

BLANCMANGE RECIPE

Ingredients

500 gr of cream

150 gr of Parmigiano Reggiano DOC

7 gr of isinglass

500 gr of fresh tomato

20 gr of powdered sugar

Fresh Oregano

Fresh Basil

Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Bring the fresh cream to a boil, turn off the heat and add the grated Parmesan. Stir until it dissolves completely. Rehydrate the isinglass in cold water and squeeze it well to remove excess liquid and then add it to the cream with the Parmesan. Pour everything into aluminium moulds and leave to set in the refrigerator for a few hours. Take care to cover the moulds with cling film to avoid crusting.

Wash the cherry tomatoes and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with icing sugar, salt them and flavour them with fresh basil and oregano. Bake them in the oven at 85 degrees for a couple of hours. Afterwards, remove them from the oven, blend them with an immersion blender and pass them through a fine mesh sieve to remove all residual skins.

Blend the basil with extra virgin olive oil and an ice cube (the ice helps keep the basil from turning black). 

Turn out the panna cotta by immersing the moulds in hot water for a few seconds. Serve the blancmange on a bed of tomatoes and garnish with drops of basil, a sprig of oregano, and an edible flower.

To try the gourmet delights at our restaurant and book your next stay at Hotel Tritone, you can write here or call (+39) 049 8668099