Q U A R T Z
I S S U E
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n°
23
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2 0 2 0
QU AR TZ ISS UE - n° 23 - 202 0 - € 10
QUART ERLY - P.I. 31/07 /2020 Intern ationa l € 10, Chf 10,50 , UK £ 7,50 Poste Italiane S.p.a.
Spedizione in Abbon
amento Postale
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The Art of Sailing
SO.DI.P SPA
Societa' di Diffu sione Periodici "Angelo Patuz zi"
PLATINUM ME
DIA LAB SRL
THE ONE
Attila 64Steel Sanlorenzo Yac hts
Numero Coper tina : 0023 Sottotitolo : YACHT & DE SIGN Periodicità : TRIMESTRAL E
[ GOURMAND ] DAVIDE CARANCHINI
A combination of experimentation and provocation – his mission is a research into taste. A portrait of a Michelin-starred chef with deep roots in his region but an unsentimental approach and a highly personal vision by Marta Bernasconi
A
young prodigy of Italian cuisine, Davide Caranchini won
the world of patisserie at Heinz Beck in London, then I went
his first Michelin star before turning thirty. Born in Como,
to work at Noma in Copenhagen. This was a decisive move, as
his cooking takes account of his origins and local traditions,
it challenged my preconceptions and opened up a clear vision
combining them with experimentation and provocation to create
of what I wanted to do. What we do here on the lake is closely
new alchemies of taste. His stints in other restaurants with some
related to the region itself, and the roots we draw inspiration
of the world’s most famous chefs have helped shape his vision. “I
from and the ingredients and methods that were familiar to our
attended the Hotel Institute in Como, and when I left I worked
grandparents are similar to those used in the Nordic cuisine,
in a series of restaurants. They were all different, and I learnt
and working at Noma made me realise they could be handled
something new from all the great chefs I worked under. My
in a new way”. The world of vegetables and its potential lie at
first experience in a famous restaurant was at Le Gavroche in
the basis of Caranchini’s cooking at his Materia restaurant in
London, which was a school for order and discipline. It also
Cernobbio. Every dish begins with the selection of the finest
taught me the basics of classic cookery. I was introduced to
ingredients, which are then transformed by the chef’s innovative
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Davide Caranchini, born 1990, now a one Michelin-star chef. Left, his red cabbage salad with smoked bone marrow, bitter almond milk and caviar, a daring combination of select and down-to-earth materials
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[ GOURMAND ]
Essential and with a Nordic feel, his Materia restaurant in Cernobbio. The chef has worked at Le Gavroche and Heinz Beck in London and at the Noma in Copenaghen. Left, the pigeon in two stages with juniper and elderberries
The name Materia doesn’t refer to the raw materials but the idea of substance, the concrete nature of things. Everything in the dish must have a meaning creativity. “As is true for all creative work, the inspiration that drives me to innovate comes from everyday life, but it’s all underpinned by a search for the finest ingredients, the knowledge possessed by local producers and a respect for the rhythm of the seasons. These all form the basis for my search for the new”. The chef loves daring combinations, initiating dialogues between sharp and bitter and combining select and down-to-earth materials. His ideas are reflected, for example, in his red cabbage salad with smoked bone marrow, bitter almond milk and caviar, the only dish that Caranchini has kept on his menu throughout all his various sojourns. He also has very clear ideas about table settings and presentation. “My staff and I are very minimalist from that point of view. We leave little room for frills that we regard as superfluous. The name Materia doesn’t refer to the raw materials but the idea of substance, the concrete nature of things. Everything in the dish must have a meaning”. Less is more, in fact. And our palates thank him for it!
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