Thursday 14 November 2013

Humble ingredients given the 2 Michelin star treatment



For chef Norbert Niederkofler it is all about the ingredients. And terroirs, the land and environment where they are nurtured. So, simple ingredients like potatoes become stars, rolled in vegetable ash for an extra flavour punch and sourdugh bread that is past its best is sauteed in beer to give it a new lease of life as a malty, crunchy topping.



Norbert Nierderkofler runs the Restaurant St Hubertus at the remote but magical Hotel Rosa Alpina high up in the Dolomites in the northern most region of Italy. It is the perfect getaway, winter or summer, for food and wine lovers - the region of South Tyrol has 26 Michelin stars and makes some of the highest awarded wines in Italy. Recently Chef Niederkofler was in London offering a taste of his clean and refined cooking accompanied by wines from the region.

The canapes set the scene for things to come and brought the forests of the Dolomite hills to a corner of Covent Garden. A tiny veal tartare sandwich was served with a shot of pine resin and a sweet/savoury hazelnut puree. Whichever order one ate it in, it gave a rounded performance of soft and crisp, umami and bitter.



And then followed a truly stunning starter. Evoking the frozen beauty of clean glacial riverbanks, the plate sparkled with snow made from dehydrated olive oil and curls of the freshest fish from the lakes of the Alto Adige region. It all tasted so pure I felt cleansed of my reckless burger/cocktail binges, which had gone from being occasional treats to diet staples of late.


The Sylvaner Kuenhof which accompanied was light and fresh and allowed the delicate flavours of the dish to shine through. Sylvaner is probably Germany's most ubiquitous white grape and some of the wines produced from it are truly heinous. But, here on the slopes of northernmost Italy, the wine gets enough warm sunshine to ripen and really show its bright, floral notes. This wine is made with as little human intervention as possible - a delicate pressing and maturation on the lees.

Sylvaner_Kuenhof_Pliger

Char from the clean waters of this pristine area is a key ingredient for the many Michelin starred chefs plying their noble trade in these parts. For our next dish, it was delicately cooked at low temperature to preserve the delicate flavour and texture of the fish. Bacon and mushroom provided crunch while the bright green celery sauce was lively and fresh. 


Beetroot gnocchi which followed was sauteed in butter and served up straight from an enormous copper pan by Chef Niederkofler. Jewel-coloured gnocchi was stuffed with creamed red and white radishes and infused with a good hit of horseradish. The 'beer soil' I mentioned earlier gave the dish crunch.


And to go with it, possibly one of the finest Pinot Neros I have ever tasted - Trattman DOC 2010 from the small but highly regarded Girlan winery located between Caldaro and Bolzano, Alto Adige's most important wine towns. Ripe cherries, an incredible bouquet of berry fruits and well balanced tannins make this a real quaffer of a wine. It's not cheap though, so may be best savoured over dinner.


The food and wine of the Alto Adige region of Italy are a real revelation to the uninitiated - a blend of two cultures and ways of cooking. Part German precision and part Italian passion; it means fresh, high quality ingredients lavished with care, generosity and a sprinkling of charm. 

And a perfect time to experience this charm is during the ski season when 'Slope Food' events will be taking place for the first time - think street food but eaten on the go while enjoying the slopes. But this is no raclette or hotdog pitstop. There will be Michelin starred chefs creating their perfect finger food to accompany snowy pursuits. There is also the Wine Safari and the Gourmet Safari, where ski huts throughout the area will be featuring Michelin starred delights; basically a ski-in-ski-out gourmet fest, accompanied by local wines and cheeses,. 

For more information on the gourmet and wine events this winter in Italy's Aldo Adige region visit http://www.altabadia.org 

Wines from this part of Italy are available in many restaurants with good wine lists throughout the UK but have yet to make much impact on high street wine retailers' shelves. Bibendum has a good selection http://www.bibendum-wine.co.uk/ 



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