Eggplant tartlet

With datterino tomato mousse, crispy leeks and ricotta salata 

CHEF MATTEO GIUDICI

Ingredients for 4 people: 

500g streaked eggplant, 180g egg whites, 80g caprino goat cheese, 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh basil leaves, 1 garlic clove, 1 knob of butter, a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, bread crumbs as needed, ½ leek, rife flour as needed, peanut oil as needed, ricotta salata as needed and salt as needed.
For the tomato mousse: 700g datterino tomatoes, 1 fresh Tropea spring onion, 1 garlic clove, 8 basil leaves, 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 4 leaves of unflavored gelatin and salt as needed

Directions: 

Wash the eggplants well, cut into cubes with the skin, parboil in salted water, drain and then fry in a pan with a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, a garlic clove and a few basil leaves.

Once cold put the eggplant into a bowl, remove the garlic and blend with a hand mixer along with the egg whites, caprino goat cheese and Parmigiano. Salt to taste before transferring the purée into single-portion molds that have been buttered and lined with breadcrumbs. Bake the molds bain-marie (already in hot water) in an oven pre-heated to 160°C for 50-60 minutes.

Sauté the chopped onion in a pan with a garlic clove and some basil. Add the tomatoes that have been cut in half and cook for around 10 minutes, salting to taste. Blend and filter the sauce before adding the gelatin (that has been soaked in cold water and pressed dry) when it is still warm and stir until it dissolves. Fill a siphon canister with the sauce, load with a gas cartridge and keep warm.

Thinly cut the leek julienne-style, dust with rice flour shaking off any excess flour and then fry in abundant peanut oil until crispy. Remove the leeks with a skimmer and place on a paper towel to eliminate any excess oil. Salt to taste.

Spray some tomato mousse on the bottom of each soup bowl, put a tartlet on top and sprinkle over some crispy leeks along with flakes of ricotta salata.

Wine to pair: 

Grand Cru Chardonnay Terre Siciliane Igt Tenuta Rapitalà 

This wine is a synthesis of Rapitalà’s philosophy expressing with its strong personality the uniqueness of the area. The selection of the grapes from the most celebrated vine parcels, the vinification techniques which enhance its typicality and the prestigious bottle with the relief of the ancient noble coat-of-arms of the family of Hugues Bernard Comte de la Gatinais make “Grand Cru” the symbolic wine of the winery.

Pale gold color. The typical full, fruity, soft character of the Chardonnay and the aromatic notes of the wood are evident on the nose. A round wine, with well defined Mediterranean scents, full-bodied and satisfying with a long and lingering finish.

Production area: Camporeale (Palermo area), selected parcels of vineyards, situated on the middle slopes, at about 450 meters above sea level are trained by the Guyot system on clayey-sandy soil with yields lower than 90 quintals per hectare.

Grape varieties: 100% Chardonnay.

Production system: the grapes are picked when fully ripe, with their richness at its maximum, and are vinified by the white wine method with a gentle pressing and cold settling of the young must.

The alcoholic fermentation is in stainless steel containers. When two thirds of the fermentation has been completed, the must-wine is transferred into French oak barriques where is remains for ten months in contact with its own yeasts. The refinement in bottle lasts for at least three months.

Alcoholic content: 14,5%.

Serving temperature: 10-12°C.

Food pairing: hot and cold white meats, shellfish, smoked fish, foie gras, mature and blue cheeses.

THIS RECIPE IS OFFERED BY TENUTA RAPITALA'