At the restaurant Sustànza, the project opened in March 2023 inside the Galleria Principe di Napoli and recently awarded a Michelin star, Chef Marco Ambrosino offers cuisine that is also “a social gesture and a political act.”
His dishes, prepared with great anthropological awareness, are true tales of reality. An example? Grilled artichoke, black truffle and citrus, olives, cucunci and marjoram.
“Not very satiating and difficult to clean, in the rural civilizations of yesteryear, the artichoke almost never made it to the table,” comments chef Marco Ambrosino. “In Naples, however, it is an identity product and that is why I decided to make it the star of an appetizer.”
In the dish, the artichoke, cooked in water and wine, is grilled and stuffed with a filling made of ragout from its stem and olives. To complete, an acidic broth flavored with citrus and embellished with black truffle juice.
Ingredients for four people
Recipe Grilled Artichoke, Black Truffle and Citrus, Olives, Cucunci and Marjoram
For the artichokes
For the broth
For the finish
Procedure
For the artichokes
Clean the artichokes by removing the outer leaves and stems and set these aside. Cook the artichokes with a little salted water and white wine for 5 minutes. Then, let them cool and keep them aside. Peel the artichoke stems, dice and brown in a pan with a little oil and a clove of garlic. Add the pitted olives and cook until the stems are tender. Meanwhile, take the whole artichokes, season them with salt and oil and grill them on the barbecue for a few minutes.
For the broth
In a pot, place the artichoke leaves, cover with cold water and simmer for an hour. Strain, add the rice vinegar, ponzu sauce, and citrus peels to the liquid and let stand for half an hour. Strain again, add the truffle juice and adjust the salt.
For the finish
Place the ragu prepared with the artichoke stems in the center of a flat plate, lay a grilled artichoke and top with the broth, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few rounds of cucunci and marjoram leaves.