Saturday 17 August 2013

Michelin starred innovation in South Tyrol

WhereRestaurant Sissi by Andrea Fenoglio, Via G, Galilei 44 - I-39012 Merano  http://www.sissi.andreafenoglio.com



I don't know why South Tyrol, in the far north of Italy, has disproportionately high number of Michelin stars - both for its geographic area and for its population. There must be something about the place that incites such dedication to creating and serving superlative food. I like to think this is because South Tyrol engenders the perfect combination - a passion and commitment to food that is truly Italian, blended with a more Germanic desire for precision and perfectionism. Whatever the reason, it is a great region made notable for its superb restaurants and its excellent produce. 




Merano is small city in South Tyrol (or Alto Adige, as it is known to the Italian speaking inhabitants and Sud Tirol to its German speakers) traversed by the Adige river and made famous in the 19th century as a thermal resort. Empress Sissi of Austria led the fashionable elite to Merano to take the waters and indulge in some fine wining and dining. Nowadays, one of the best spots for the latter is the Michelin starred Restaurant Sissi, owned by chef proprietor Andrea Fenoglio. Chef Andrea has been practising his craft in Merano for over twenty years and is something of a celebrity in the area.

On the evening of our visit on a balmy July evening, the sky was beginning to close in and we could hear distant rumblings of a storm. Inside the restaurant, the windows were thrown open and the tables were generously spaced, allowing for convivial conversation, rather than the hushed constraint and thinly veiled eavesdropping common in many starry establishments (a recent meal at the Villa Cipriani in Asolo would have been just that had it not been for the loud American who was in a mood to share and whose voice carried all the way across the valley to nearby Monte Grappa)

Anyway, to the food. We had a tasting menu of five courses, the price of which I do not know because, rather prosaically, the 'ladies' menu' did not contain any prices. Slightly worrying when it comes time to hand over the credit card at the end of the meal. But, before then, there was much to savour and enjoy. The parade of amuses bouche began with a very clever Liquid Pizza, which was a truly memorable tomato reduction with an olive oil and basil float. Perched on the edge of the glass sat a cube of mozzarella dusted with oregano.


Next was an egg yolk, delivered on a Chinese soup spoon. It turned out to be a spherified Bagna Cauda, an intense blend of sweet peppers, anchovies and capers. The perfect appetite awakener.


For my starter I went for the quartet of Antipasti, which turned out to be a sizeable tray loaded with four large starter portions. There was the Tonno di Gallina, which is the most brilliant invention in ages. For years I have been trying to justify my undying passion for tuna tinned in olive oil, in spite of everything I know about the sea's rapidly dwindling tuna stocks. And here was the answer, guilt-free. Chef Andrea had taken the choicest chunks of chicken and marinated them for three days in olive oil before canning the meat. The result was as near as dammit to the real thing. Sandwich shops around the world should do this immediately and the tuna crisis could be over in a flash.

This quartet of starters was very difficult to photograph so I hope my written descriptions will do them proper justice.


 The Tris di Bacala was salt cod done three ways with a brandade, cartillage of cod in a parsley pesto and the swim bladder (commonly referred to as tripe) which was cooked beautifully and resembled thick, chewy noodles - rich, salty and nutty.Tataki of Wild Boar came with wild mushrooms and a zippy vinaigrette and the final dish was a generous serving of slices of raw salmon wrapped around salad leaves and topped with salmon roe and bottarga.


My partner in gluttony had Chanterelles with Egg, Zucchini and Black Truffle which was a remarkable dish of earthy mushrooms topped with an 'egg yolk' which turned out to be an egg yolk, covered with a layer of hollandaise and cooked sous vide which burst open and cascaded over the mushrooms in the most satisfying manner.

The primi again used the finest ingredients to created bold flavours. A Cauliflower Cream Soup was grounded with saffron and made luxurious with thick slices of succulent scallop and a squid ink croquant.


Spaghetti with Sicilian Prawns was surprisingly served chilled, the pasta clinging to an intense tomato sauce. Sicilian prawns are always a delight, both for their crimson veining and their crisp, fresh burst of flavour. Personally, I would have preferred this dish warm as the flavours would have been more marked and less claggy. The deep fried prawn shell cut through the richness and provided texture.


Main courses included local game from the surrounding hillsides, chock full of wild boar and deer from nearby forests and free ranging cattle. South Tyrol is renowned for the quality of its dairy products and a glance around the lush pastures, interlaced with vineyards, explains why. Veal Sweetbreads were perfectly cooked so they were yielding but still retained a bite, anointed with a rich Marsala sauce and topped with local white asparagus.


Shoulder of Salt Marsh Lamb with Pistachio Crumb (possibly the only dish not locally sourced) was slow-cooked at low temperature to retain the earthy, herby flavours of the meat and was a joy to eat. The pistachio coating gave an interesting crunch while the timbale of vegetables was unremarkable.


South Tyrol is a slightly disorienting but overall successful fusion of Italian and Germanic cultures. Gnocchi is comfortably served alongside Spaetzle and Gelato with Apple Strudel. For a Michelin-starred pre-dessert in this region, chefs need look no further than the ubiquitous Apple Strudel as it is crying out to be deconstructed, re-imagined and reincarnated. At Restaurant Sissi, Chef Andrea took the essence of the flavours and captured them in a sphere, serving a stick of sugar-coated pastry alongside with a dusting of cinnamon. This was possibly the best strudel I have ever had as it got around the issue of soggy warm pastry which has lost its bite through close mingling with the cooked apple.


We closed with a bright and zesty dessert which was the perfect end to a rich meal - Lemon, Vanilla and Ricotta Ice cream with Kumquat and Preserved Lemons. The sharp flavours of the kumquat and lemons worked magic with the fresh, delicate and slightly salty ricotta ice cream. A drizzle of grassy olive oil brought the dish together. I loved it.


What we drank: After a chilled glass of Prosecco with our amuses bouche, we settled for the 2009 Campill from Pranzegg, made by a young artisan winemaker from nearby Bolzano. The blend was 95% Santa Maddelena (also known as Schiava or Vernatsch) with another local variety called Lagrein and Barbera making up the remainder. Santa Maddalena is a delicate grape, not unlike Pinot Noir, and there are increasing numbers of winemakers in the region creating extremely good wines with it. Another development in the highly regarded wine regions of South Tyrol is how winemakers are trying to breathe new life into the much maligned Lagrein, a robust but fruity red that was traditionally used as a blending wine.

The Campill was a fine wine with balance and great finesse and its slight spiciness came through very well served lightly chilled, as Santa Maddalenas often are. So, of course, we had two of them.


Over coffee and petits fours we watched as the heavens opened and blinding flashes of lightening criss-crossed the sky. As we waited out the storm, Chef Andrea proudly presented us with a dram of Italy's first single malt. Made by Puni in the foothills of the nearby Alps, this whisky has only just been released. It has not been aged in casks and so remains in its clear, unaltered form. I am no whisky aficionado but it seemed to go down well. A matured whisky, aged in Sicilian Marsala casks will be released in 2015.


Restaurant Sissi by Andrea Fenoglio takes the finest ingredients of the region and creates dishes that satisfy and excite, blending the two indigenous cuisines artfully with some clever and well-judged borrowing from around the world. The service was efficient and friendly and the atmosphere relaxed. 

Merano and the surrounding region of South Tyrol are simply stunning and surprisingly lacking in British tourists. This was my second visit in a year and it won't be long before I am back in the area again.

For more information on South Tyrol check out the tourism website 

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