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Was your love for cooking born inside the walls of your childhood home?
Yes: I’ve always loved to eat, so much so that when I was little I used to steal food from the pot! I was hungry – I was the eighth of nine children in a family in Apulia – but above all, I wanted to be the first to taste the dishes. It wasn’t long before my father made me the official taster, a role that was normally reserved for the head of the family. He always recognized and encouraged that side of me.
You seem to have discovered the secret of eternal youth...
Ah, my secret!
Do what you love most and you’ll never get old.
I’ve been working since I was twelve, yet every day I wake up with the same enthusiasm as the first day. Giorgio Armani is my idol: at his age, he still oversees every aspect of his businesses. His real talent lies in the essential quality of his designs. That’s what really gets me: my cuisine speaks to simplicity, and essentiality is the most difficult thing to achieve, whether in fashion or in the kitchen.
RED PRAWN TARTARE WITH MARINATED PORCINI MUSHROOMS AND MIMOLETTE
Fresh, simple ingredients that need only minimal preparation are the hallmark of our cuisine, and they are also the key to this unusual summer appetizer.
Starting with the fish, raw and ultra-fresh: red shrimp that melts in your mouth, caught right here, in the waters off Santa Margherita Ligure. Accompanied by two strong flavors: Tuscan porcini mushrooms, picked in the summer and marinated to eliminate any trace of woodsy scent, and sharp French Mimolette cheese, which reminds me of when I worked in Lille. The taste of each ingredient remains distinct, but together on the palate they orchestrate a symphony of flavor.
Poggio alle Gazze from Ornellaia is the right wine with this dish, because it is well structured and blends perfectly with the flavors. Sipping a fine wine is an intimate experience, pure contemplation... and the right accompaniment is fundamental for any good meal.
“IF WE TAKE CARE OF THE SEA, IT WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE US MARVELOUS THINGS”
Mimmo Soranno
CREDITS
Text: Alexandra Korey / Flod
Photos: Michaël Boudot
Illustrations: Rovai Weber Design
