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!# !" THE BRIGHT SIDE OF ROMITO !% !$ Abruzzo, Cinque Miglia Plateau, 41.877997°N 14.009113°E. Arriving here is take over the family business – the pâtisserie that like landing on would be turned into a trattoria, the Reale, in 1996. the moon – not the kind of landscape you associate With quiet determination Romito made his choice: with Italy. No houses, just nine kilometres of empti- home, family, Abruzzo and the restaurant business. The ness crossed by lines of fir trees reminiscent of airport passion for food had always been there, personal, landing strips. This is the heart of one of Italy’s remot- deeply felt, but his kitchen experience was next to zero. est, rockiest and most stunningly beautiful regions. One thing is growing up in a pasticceria, but running Unspoilt nature, glacial winters and green Swiss- a business, a professional kitchen, and plan ning an en- like summers. Metres of snow and below-zero tempera- tire menu from scratch is something else entirely. tures from November to February (it is almost 1,300m He began by experimenting, by trial and error. He above sea level); heather in bloom and herds of sheep was producing simple, rustic dishes, such as his patata grazing on pastureland in the warmer months. brioche, a basic roll of French pastry and mashed pota- Descending towards the Valle del Sangro, 15 kilo- toes. In time he started to travel, tried his hand at new metres past Rivisondoli we reach Castel di Sangro, things and got to know his region better. He attended known to Italian football-lovers for one reason only: conferences, met other chefs and studied his craft. the small local team once managed to climb its way Over the next six years the Reale’s cuisine evolved, up to the “Serie B”, the second-highest division of the as did the front-of-house operation, under the manage- Italian football league system. In the last two years, ment of Niko’s sister and closest work partner Crist iana. however, Castel di Sangro has become famous as the A dedicated, elegant and efficient hostess, a high home of Niko Romito, the chef whose enchanting cui- priestess of floor management, Cristiana supports her sine has brought him a third Michelin star in the space brother’s choices at every step of the way, enabling of just seven years. him to grow. Haute cuisine is not common in this neck of the Romito’s cuisine makes use of Abruzzo’s native in- woods, not until recently. Here, in this land of moun- gredients; lamb and other meats, but also ricotta and tains, shepherds and bears, it was regarded almost as an saffron. It is an original take on local cuisine, however, affront to the quintessentially humble and frugal mate- one that seeks merely to capture the essence, through rial culture which is such a part of Abruzzo’s identity. extraction and concentration of flavour. It is a light cui- The relationship between Romito and his home- sine that uses fats sparingly, and one in which water is land was difficult in the beginning. His cuisine has a key ingredient, with liquids centre stage – broths, always been elegant and accessible at the same time, infusions, cooking water, extractions and reductions. intellectual and sophisticated, but the local people did One of his signature dishes, assoluto di cipolla, is an not take to it readily. Visitors from Rome or Naples, onion reduction served with tiny parmesan-filled, here for weekend breaks and skiing holidays, revealed button-shaped ravioli, and a scattering of saffron strands themselves to be more adventurous, more comfortable sourced from the nearby Altopiano di Navelli. with experimental cuisine. In time these holidaymak- Our familiar notion of the classic onion soup – ers became Romito’s most reliable clientele. gloopy and rich with butter – is here turned on its head. Niko Romito’s route to cheffing is an unusual one. No milk, no fats, no sautéed base; just lightness and His father was the owner of a pastry shop in Rivison- pure flavour with vegetable ingredients only. The sweet- doli, a village of 717 inhabitants that is perched bet ween ness of cooked onion is contrasted with the savoury Roccaraso and the neighbouring Pescocostanzo. When Parmigiano Reggiano inside the ravioli. his father’s health suddenly declined, Romito dropped The small flavoursome ravioli are inspired by out of university, where he was studying finance, to the teachings of the continues on page 93 WORDS ELISIA MENDUNI PHOTOGRAPHY PER-ANDERS JÖRGENSEN !! !& Sour smoked broth with thyme and black truffle gel. herbs and almond tortelli. &( &' Bread isn’t usually the highlight of an Italian meal. Niko Romito. Romito’s sourdough breads are an exception. &* &) continued from page 86 great Tuscan chef Valeria space, where the colour white and the use of untreated materials Piccini (Da Caino’s rest aurant in Montemerano, near Grosseto), predominate – a space dedicated to research and innovation. from whom Romito learned the secrets of perfect pasta-making The convent’s grounds contain a vineyard, Abruzzo’s high- and how to give his cooking a feminine, almost motherly est (860m above sea level), which produces the native variety touch. Not that his cuisine could be defined as typically mascu- Pecorino, but also Riesling and Pinot Noir; a herb garden; a line, however. It is wholesome, enveloping, it is simplicity and mature fruit orchard and the bee hives of nomadic beekeeper elegance, delicate and sensuous. Andrea Paternoster, who every spring brings his bees here Created in 2010, assoluto di cipolla reveals the influence of from the northern region of Trentino Alto Adige. another important mentor: Salvatore Tassa (cuciniere, or ‘kitch- As well as the restaurant and rooms, the convent buildings ener’, as he likes to refer to himself, at restaurant Colline house Romito’s professional cookery school, Niko Romito Ciociare in Acuto, in the province of Frosinone). As the cham- Formazione, aimed at offering direct, hands-on experience to pion of an extremely stark approach to avant-garde cuisine, young chefs in training. It is an intensive and demanding learn- Tassa and his minimalist style have made a deep impression on ing experience but the initiative was a successful one: despite Romito. It is an experimental approach that is also strongly the cold weather and isolated location, all available places were connected to the cultural landscape, one that finds its roots in immediately booked up. an ancestral, almost primitive, food culture. In August 2013, the most promising graduates were given the Romito has forged his own style, weaving in elements of his opportunity to set up their own restaurant, in the Reale’s for- father’s recipes and the pure, bitter, primitive flavours of his na- mer premises. These now house Spazio, a place where these tive region. The result is elegant and personal. Not only has he graduates can experiment under Romito’s supervision, and virtually eliminated fat from the cooking process, he has intro- share in the restaurant’s profits. Spazio is also a temporary, duced fish, which is all but unknown for the mountain people pop-up restaurant that is currently touring various cities, ex- of Abruzzo. He plays around with baccalà (salt cod) and ancho- ploring and making contact with different locations, contexts vies, and then prawns might make an appearance (within a and types of clientele. fried sandwich), or an oyster served in a Martini glass. The Casadonna/Reale spaceship is truly skyrocketing: the Goat, tarragon and raspberry infusion (2007); roast lamb ideas come from the mind of a young chef who has a positive torcinello (a traditional dish of lamb intestine casing stuffed and brave vision for the future of the restaurant industry. The with slices of lamb liver, lung and spleen) served with mild frig- project is in a constant state of development, thanks to the gitelli peppers and must (2007); sour spaghetti with baccalà skills and know-how of Cristiana and her team, and new ideas milk and baccalà (2008) – these dishes mark an important turn include Niko’s recent video cookery course, Unforkettable. En- in Romito’s research. The flavours belong to this rugged land ergy, ideas and initiatives are multiplying, this is what fuels enclosed by mountains, but they are enlivened by invention Niko Romito’s voyage into space. and unexpected combinations. Then came the truly avant-garde creations, such as his veal, Ground Control to Major Tom porcini, truffle and almond gel: a hyper-concentrated meat gelatine reduction, a liquorice wafer, raw almond cream, mi- Take your protein pills and put your helmet on (ten) croscopic droplets of pine essence and a rich cascade of truffle Ground control (nine) to major Tom (eight, seven) shavings. A complex and baffling ensemble, a coming together of different textures and flavours; balsamic, earthy and sweet. (six) Commencing countdown (five), By this point, however, Romito was feeling the need to ex- engines on (four) pand, and to find a new, more befitting setting for the Reale. He found Casadonna, an abandoned convent, in Castel di Sangro, (Three, two) Check ignition (one) and may God’s and after a long hunt to find the owners of the estate, and a (lift off) love be with you tiring process of negotiation, the Romitos managed to buy it and start the renovation process. The convent was transformed E l I SIA MENDUNI Onion reduction with parmesan to house a large restaurant and hotel, and in the summer of 2011 the Reale was moved to its new premises. It is a magical .

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