Olivetani and spring savoury cake
It's almost spring, the days are finally getting longer, the air is less cold and brings with it the scent of the first violets and almond blossoms.
And to welcome it, what could be better than a glass of Olivetani, so fragrant, savoury and mineral?
I'd say a glass of Olivetani from the 2017 vintage paired with a slice of salted spring cake.
Our Olivetani Bianco IGT Veneto 2017 is a blend of Garganega, Pinot Bianco, Tai Bianco, Sauvignon, Moscato and Manzoni grapes that we leave to mature for almost two years in oak barrels and cement and that offers surprises as time goes by. It softens, the sip lengthens and the sensations on the palate multiply.
Our Olivetani Bianco IGT Veneto
Elena, our sommelier, whom you know by now, describes it as follows: ""The deep straw yellow colour with splendid golden reflections testifies to the concentration of this wine. Brilliant, clear, sinuous and consistent in the glass, it presents warm notes of ripe yellow-fleshed fruit such as apricot in syrup and mango, an enveloping floral bouquet of magnolia petals and albizia plumes, an intense scent of marjoram that is inextricably linked to the mineral of white stone warmed by the sun and then wet. It explodes on the palate thanks to the softness provided by the polyalcohols that carry flavour and combine with the persistent and teasing acidity at the end of the mouth.""
To accompany the freshness and aromas of this wine, I chose simple, green vegetables, rich in chlorophyll, which I then enclosed in a casket of brisée pastry. I prepare it in an unusual way, with two egg yolks to enrich it, which swell it, colour it and make it crumblier.
The sauce royale, a mixture of cream, eggs and Parmesan cheese, completes the whole, giving homogeneity and balance to the filling.
Here is the recipe for a savoury spring pie to go with our Olivetani
- for a cake tin of 24 cm in diameter-
For the brisée pastry
280 grams of 00 flour
120 grams of butter
2 yolks
80 grams of water
2 grams of salt
Take the butter out of the fridge about 10 minutes before using it. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt and butter into small crumbs, add the egg yolks and finally the cold water.
Shape into a ball, flatten it and leave it to rest, wrapped in cling film, at the bottom of the fridge for 2 hours.
For the filling
5 or 6 green asparagus
1 small courgette
a small piece of leek, thinly sliced
a few pumpkin flowers
Ca' Lustra aromatic salt
a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium-sized whole egg
100 grams of fresh cooking cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Clean and prepare the green asparagus with the help of a potato peeler, breaking up the stalks where they are tough. Cut into small pieces, leaving the tips whole. Wash the courgette and cut it into pieces as big as the asparagus, clean the courgette flowers, remove the insides and cut them into strips. Combine everything in a pan, greased with a little oil and season with Ca' Lustra aromatic salt. Cook over a low heat for about ten minutes. The vegetables should remain crunchy.
Roll out the short crust pastry to a thickness of about 5 mm and line a buttered and floured cake tin with it. Prick the bottom of the cake tin with a fork, cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and pour in some dried beans or rice (cooking without the brisée). Bake in a hot oven at 170 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove the baking paper and the beans, cover the bottom with the previously prepared vegetables and finish with the royale sauce, obtained by beating together the cream, the egg, the Parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt. Cook until coloured (about another 20 minutes).
Serve warm, accompanied by a glass of Olivetani.
Extra idea: the asparagus and courgette filling can be replaced with bruscandoli and sautéed carletti, which go very well with the chosen wine.
The article and the recipe "Olivetani and spring savoury cake" are a contribution by Silvia Zanon, Polpo di Pollo, for the Magazine Ca' Lustra.