Piedmontese Memory: Enrico Marmo’s Chickpea Plin at Balzi Rossi

In Piedmont, plin is one of the most common pasta dishes on tables in homes and restaurants, especially winter’s cold months.

At the Michelin-starred restaurant in Ventimiglia (IM), Balzi Rossi, Piedmontese Chef Enrico Marmo presents a dish connected to the memories of his childhood, aiming to evoke the same sentiments for those fortunate enough to taste it.

The idea is to revisit a great classic of Piedmontese tradition, the meat-filled plin, in a vegetarian version that holds its ground against the classic recipe. The dough embraces a filling of chickpeas cooked like a pot roast, with celery, carrot, onion, garlic, rosemary, sage, tomato concentrate, and then deglazed with Rossese wine. The plin is then finished with a glaze: made with blonde onion, sun-dried tomatoes, Champignon mushrooms, sage, thyme, Vessalico garlic, and rice vinegar.

Chickpea Plin Recipe, Chef Enrico Marmo, Balzi Rossi

Ingredients for 4 people – Chickpea Plin Recipe

 

For the pasta

Egg yolk: 100 g
Whole eggs: 60 g
Pasta flour: 200 g

For the filling

Boiled chickpeas: 250 g
Chopped blonde onion: 50 g
Chopped carrot: 50 g
Chopped celery: 50 g
Tomato concentrate: 50 g
Rossese wine: 100 g
Vessalico garlic: 2 cloves
Fresh sage: 10 g
Rosemary: 10 g
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano 24 months: 100 g
Mascarpone: 100 g
Marjoram: 20 g
Fresh thyme: 20 g
Salt: to taste
Fresh pepper: to taste

For the glaze

Cold water: 4 l
Chopped blonde onion: 500 g
Sun-dried tomatoes rehydrated in boiling water: 250 g
Champignon mushrooms rehydrated in boiling water: 100 g
Sage: 30 g
Thyme: 30 g
Vessalico garlic: 10 g
Rice vinegar: 500 g

For the finishing touch

Butter: to taste
White truffle from Alba: to taste

Procedure

For the pasta

Mix all ingredients for 5/6 minutes in a stand mixer. Put the obtained dough in a vacuum-sealed bag and let it rest for at least an hour.

For the filling

Sauté celery, carrot, onion, garlic, rosemary, and sage for 10 minutes over high heat. Add tomato concentrate, chickpeas, and deglaze with wine. When evaporated, cover with water and let it cook for an hour. When the sauce is well-dried, chop it with a cleaver. Adjust salt and pepper. If necessary, add Parmesan, mascarpone, and herbs. Put it in a pastry bag and store in the fridge.

For the glaze

Toast onions with sun-dried tomatoes and Champignon mushrooms in a large pot. After 15 minutes, deglaze with rice vinegar and, once evaporated, cover with ice and cook for about an hour. Strain and reduce to a glaze consistency.

For the finishing touch

Toast onions with sun-dried tomatoes and Champignon mushrooms in a large pot. After 15 minutes, deglaze with rice vinegar and, once evaporated, cover with ice and cook for about an hour. Strain and reduce to a glaze consistency.

Balzi Rossi

Piedmontese Memory: Enrico Marmo’s Chickpea Plin at Balzi Rossi

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