FOUR-IN-ONE

In Italy, summer is the time of cedro lemons and tomatoes, enthuses Mirko Febbrile, the head chef of Braci. Scampi and artichoke are also aplenty, so he combined them in an enticing starter. “The cedro is the key component in the dish,” explains Febbrile, who uses the hollowed lemon rind as a makeshift pot, before filling it with a creamy bisque made of tomatoes and scampi heads, and placing it on embers. The cedro is used to poach the artichoke first, followed by the scampi, to infuse them with a balance of bisque and citrus flavours. The scampi is finished off on the grill to give it a delicate smoky taste and is plated on a dish alongside artichoke, artichoke puree, tomatoes, saffron and fennel flowers. It is served together with the bisque.