SOUTHERN ITALIAN GASTRONOMIC DELIGHTS AT CUCINA

This spring, Cucina’s Chef Andrea Delzanno invites guests on a gastronomic exploration of the flavours of Southern Italy with a new four-course signature set menu served during lunch and dinner periods. From now until 5 April 2023, guests at Cucina can sample four regional delicacies as part of this set menu as they enjoy spectacular panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong’s iconic skyline.

The south of Italy boasts a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters. Thanks to this weather, Southern Italian cuisine benefits from a wide array of produce, such as tomatoes, fine olive oil as well as herbs and spices. Being close to the sea, the region also features plenty of delicacies made with fresh seafood.

Chef Andrea infuses the culinary specialties of four Southern Italian regions into this set menu. Guests will kick off the decadent meal with Red Prawn Carpaccio, Mozzarella Cheese Sauce, Herring Caviar, Lemon Oil Dressing – a refreshing starter made with red prawns caught from Bari, a seaside city of the Apulia region. “The best way to taste the juicy and distinctive flavour of red prawn is to eat it raw,” explains Chef Andrea. The soft texture and delicate sweetness of the red prawns are enhanced by the creamy cheese sauce and the buttery richness of the herring caviar on top.

Chef Andrea then transports guests to Sardinia, a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea. The dish of Fregola Pasta in Sardinian Style, Mixed Shellfish, Molluscs, Scallops, Lobster Sauce features the treasures from the ocean alongside fregola, which is the quintessential pasta of Sardinia. This unique and deliciously nutty pasta is made from hard durum wheat flour and water and is hand rolled into little dough pearls that are then toasted into beautiful shades of gold, yellow and brown. Here, the al dente fregola absorbs the rich lobster sauce and is cooked with a tantalising array of seafood to create the perfect pasta dish bursting with flavour.

Gourmands can continue the gastronomic journey to Campania, a southwestern region of Italy that is famed for its tomatoes and cheeses. Chef Andrea’s main course of Traditional Neapolitan Stew Pork Ragout, Ricotta Cheese Foam, Green Pea Purée is a home-style delicacy from this region. The pork is slowly cooked for three hours in a rich and hearty tomato sauce to bring out its tenderness and succulence. Chef Andrea also showcases his creativity by using Italian ricotta cheese foam to enhance the dish’s layers of taste and texture.

As the finale to the elaborate meal, Chef Andrea transports diners’ palates to Sicily, one of the most popular destinations in Italy and also the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is known for its fruits, such as lemons, blood oranges, tangerines and olives. Diners can savour the traditional dessert of Sicilian Cassata with Ricotta, Pistachios, Raisins, Candied Fruits, Rum, Orange Sauce, which features a variety of fruits and a luscious creaminess that is bound to please guests’ eyes and palates.