Serves 4
For the carbonara sauce
- 25 g pork cheek, seasoned
- 20 g butter
- 1 clove of garlic
- 80 g scallop coral
- 0.3 g saffron
- 30 g white wine
- 12 g basmati rice
- 200 g fish stock
- 6 g Pecorino Roman
- 0.1 g ground pepper
- 5 g yuzu
Brown the garlic clove, the bacon and the coral in the butter, then add the white wine, rice, saffron and fish stock. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the bacon and the garlic and then emulsify with the help of the blender gradually adding the pepper, pecorino and yuzu. Obtain the sauce sift it.
Sea urchin emulsion
- 150 g sunflower oil
- 60 g urchin pulp
- 5 g yuzu
- 3 g salt
- 45 g fish stock
Emulsify all the ingredients by adding the oil.
Serve at 45 ° C.
Black garlic cream
- 40 g black garlic
- 30 g water
- 10 g extra virgin olive oil
- 3 g lemon juice
- Blend and emulsify all the ingredients.
Bitter herbs
- 200 g wild herbs
- 1 l water
- 15 g salt
- 10 g lemon juice
- Maldon sea salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
Clean the herbs and wash them thoroughly. Blanch them in salted and acidulous water for 1.5 minutes and cool them. Serve warm and lightly season with extra virgin olive oil and salt.
For the scallops
- 12 scallops
- 20 g delicate extra virgin olive oil
- Maldon sea salt
Clean the scallops, blanch them in a greased pan to obtain a nice external browning and add salt.
Compose the dish with the carbonara, seared scallops, warm herbs, garlic cream and finish with sea urchin emulsion.
Valentino Cassanelli
Born in 1984, Valentino Cassanelli grew up in Spilamberto, a small town in the countryside outside Modena. Already curious about food and greatly inspired by his grandmother who was an excellent home cook, Valentino developed a strong sense for the quality of local produce and watching and learning the processes of preparing seasonal produce to provide daily meals for the family.
Not surprisingly, these influences lead him from school straight to catering college in Serramazzoni, where at the young age of just 16, he was sent for initial work experience in the kitchens of the famous London restaurant, Floriana in Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge.
He then returned home to complete his course, working to gain professional experience in a more traditional restaurant in Modena.
After graduation, the lure of London’s dynamic restaurant scene saw him back in England, gaining experience in Mosaic in Mayfair, Locando Locatelli in Marylebone and Nobu on Berkeley Street.
In May 2007, Valentino returned to Italy to work under two Michelin starred Carlo Cracco in Milan, where he was to remain for three years. Motivated by the strong team, he built a lasting relationship with Carlo, joining him at events internationally and climbing the culinary ladder ultimately gaining the position of Junior Sous Chef.
In 2010, Valentino was asked to join two chef friends at their popular restaurant Sangal in Venice. The synergy between the three young, talented chefs was immediate and with a shared philosophy in pushing boundaries with techniques and ingredient combinations, Valentino was able to grow, not just in confidence but also creatively
Whilst still at Sangal, he received an invite from Carlo Cracco to to join the team he was putting together for a pop-up at Principe Forte dei Marmi during August 2011. Around this time the hotel team were also looking to change their internal food and beverage offering and a few months later, with Carlo’s recommendation, the position to lead the project was offered to Valentino.
Valentino arrived at Principe Forte dei Marmi in February 2012 and a month later, restaurant Lux Lucis opened to huge critical acclaim. It gained its first star in The Michelin Guide Italy 2017.
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