Nelson cheeses star in top chefs’ culinary tour of Italy
Nelson diners have been treated to a culinary journey through Italy by two chefs with Michelin star experience.
Italian chefs Alessandro Cannata and Francesca Fucci brought their fine dining to Hopgood’s on Thursday for a special event to celebrate Italian cuisine, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The pair have worked in Michelinstarred restaurants throughout Europe, and created dishes for the event using Nelson’s ViaVio cheese.
The seven-course dinner was a journey through different regions of Italy, starting with a Caprese salad and ending with a Torta Caprese – a flourless chocolate cake, both dishes originating from the island of Capri.
‘‘We start and finish with the Caprese, because not too many people know the Caprese is also a dessert,’’ Cannata said.
‘‘This menu was our little trip in Italy,’’ Fucci said.
ViaVio mozzarella was used in the aubergine parmigiana. Burrata – mozzarella skin filled with stracciatella cheese – was paired with scampi, prawn and an orange sauce.
Stracchino, a soft, creamy cheese universally loved by Italians but difficult to find in New Zealand, was paired with apple compote on a crostini.
Cannata said ViaVio produced classic Italian cheese with New Zealand milk. ‘‘This combination is very interesting – it gives all the Italian people in Nelson and New Zealand the taste and the same flavour as Italian cheese.’’
Flavia Spena set up ViaVio Cheese with husband Flavio Donati after moving to New Zealand from Italy in 2016, and choosing to make their cheese from A2 milk produced by Nelson farm Oaklands. The cheeses are manufactured in a small Washington Valley factory, using authentic Italian recipes.
Many Italian cheeses are made to be eaten freshly made, and not stored in the refrigerator for days on end.
Donati, a former professional rugby player who played in Marlborough during the 1990s, also played rugby with John Kirwan in Italy. The courses for Thursday’s dinner were matched with Italian wines imported by Kirwan.