Prosecco – degustare

Paolo Griffa: Subtracting to Express

Read time: 6 min.

Paolo Griffa’s journey is part of the collaboration between Vinibuoni d’Italia and the Consorzio Prosecco DOC. Eight Italian chefs interpret their cuisine through a signature dish, paired with a Prosecco DOC selected by Alessandro Scorsone. A narrative that weaves together territories, experiences, and visions, celebrating the meeting between fine dining and one of the most appreciated Italian wines worldwide.

We move to Aosta, to Caffè Nazionale, where Paolo Griffa leads a project that blends fine dining with contemporary pastry. He won the San Pellegrino Young Chef in 2015. Michelin-starred since 2019, he continues to develop a vision that combines technique, aesthetics, and expressive lightness.

Difficulty:

Hard

Preparation time:

120 minutes

Pairing:

Prosecco DOC Extra Brut

Process:

The dish: Griffa’s raviolo
Caffè Nazionale – Aosta

A raviolo that becomes a narrative. In this version, it takes the shape of a fish, almost life-sized, with a trout filling that reflects both its structure and essence. The preparation draws on the classic reference of sole meunière: cooking, browning, deglazing, and binding, creating a balance between technique and memory. A dish that appears essential, yet where every element is calibrated to express depth and precision.

Ingredients

  • Purple potatoes, wild violet alcoholic extract, extra virgin olive oil, salt.
  • Crème fraîche, dill, lemon juice, white pepper.
  • Caviar.
  • Red onion, apple cider vinegar, salt.
  • Purple cabbage, Port wine, mustard paste, extra virgin olive oil, vegetable broth.

Method

Peel the purple potatoes, cut them to an even height, and trim them to the same size. Cook them in a pan with extra virgin olive oil, deglazing with the wild violet alcoholic extract. Finish cooking with a small amount of water, allowing them to cook on one side only until tender and uniform in texture.

Season the crème fraîche with chopped dill, lemon juice, salt, and white pepper until fresh and delicate.

Cook the red onion sous-vide in steam, then trim it to match the potatoes in size for visual balance and precision.

Stew the purple cabbage with mustard and olive oil, pour in the Port wine, and reduce completely. Add the vegetable broth and continue cooking for about twenty minutes. Blend and strain thoroughly until smooth, glossy, and intense.

Serve the potatoes on a warm plate, place the room-temperature caviar on top, and finish with the crème fraîche. The purple cabbage sauce is poured directly at the table, completing the dish with an additional aromatic and visual layer. Garnish with edible flowers.

Pairing
Subtraction is the real challenge. A dish built on essentials, balancing technique and immediacy, with caviar adding definition and character. Paired with Prosecco DOC Extra Brut: direct, precise, and capable of enhancing without weighing down.

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