Porcini mushrooms, mountain potatoes, leeks and nepitella

A dish born from the deep dialogue between territory, seasonality and culinary memory, where the enveloping softness of the potato and leek velouté meets the intense fragrance of porcini mushrooms from the Tuscan woods.
Rounding out the composition is the golden crunch of the parsley bread and the toasty, enveloping note of the cashew and peanut granola, which lend rhythm and contrast to the creaminess of the dish.
Finally, a caress of fresh nepitella, a wild aromatic herb from the Fiesole hills, which releases an unexpected balsamic and refreshing note.

Ingredients for 4 persons:

For the potato and leek velouté:

• 350 g julienned leeks
• 600 g of potatoes cut into small cubes
• 250 g of fresh cream
• 1\2 lt fresh milk
• 150 ml of water

Procedure:

Stew leeks, add potatoes and brown gently; add milk, cream and water, adjust salt and simmer until potatoes are soft. Blend and sieve until smooth and creamy.

For the trifoliated porcini mushrooms:

• 1\2 kg porcini mushrooms
• One clove of garlic
• Half a glass of white wine
• Unsalted water
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste.

Procedure:

Brown garlic in oil, add porcini mushrooms, salt lightly and deglaze with white wine. Finish cooking with a little water until mushrooms are tender but firm.

For parsley crispbread:

• Stale bread cut into cubes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Finely chopped parsley

Procedure:

Heat oil in a frying pan. Saute the bread until golden brown and fragrant. Add the parsley and stir.

For the toasted granola:

• 50 g of cashews
• 50 g peanuts

Procedure:

Toast in the oven at 180°C for 7 minutes, then pound in the mortar until a rustic, fragrant granola is obtained.

At the base of the dish, 2-3 tablespoons of trifoliated porcini mushrooms; on top, drop the potato and leek velouté (2 tablespoons).
Top with parsley bread cubes and a sprinkling of toasted granola.
To garnish, a few leaves of fresh nepitella closes the dish with its aromatic freshness.

In the glass, chosen by Stefania Vinciguerra:

Chianti Classico Terre di Prenzano 2022 Vignamaggio

Intense ruby red with cherry-colored highlights. Essentially fruity aromas, with cherry, red currant and wild berries accompanied by light vanilla notes. The currant returns juicy on the palate and the fruit component stands out thanks to the typical freshness of Chianti Classico. Medium body, soft tannins and good fruity finish.

Production area: in the commune of Greve in Chianti, Prenzano is the highest part of the historic core of the estate, with soils that refer to the Lamole area therefore with an important sandy fraction. The average age of the vineyards is about 20 years.

Grape varieties: 100% Sangiovese.

Harvesting: Grapes are harvested manually in the vineyards of Prenzano and Petriolo, with the grape harvester at Orto and Poggio Asciutto.

Production processes: de-stemmed grapes are placed in steel tanks, where fermentation and maceration of the skins take place for 10 days, during which délestage and pumping over are carried out. After racking, the wine is decanted and sent to malolactic fermentation. The wine ages for 10-12 months in 20-40 hl oak barrels.

Alcohol content: 13.5% vol.

Serving temperature:
18°C

Recommended pairings: Grilled vegetables or meats, accompanied by crusty bread and extra virgin olive oil, pecorino or parmesan cream.