Squid, Funghi & Mash

Had this at Eden Too in Santa Margherita. This is just a guess, pending chef Roberto's reply to my email.

baby squid

maris piper potato

best quality forest mushroom

parsley

chives

maldon sea salt

red wine vinegar

lemon

EVOO

ground black pepper

1. make Robuchon-type mash replacing butter with nutty olive oil, keep warm
2. slice squid very thinly
3. slice mushrooms very thinly
4. saute squid very quickly in EVOO, salt & pepper, keep warm
5. while squid is cooking, flash fry mushrooms with the minimum of oil so that they brown slightly in the pan, season with salt and pepper, chives and parsley
6. to serve, put a tablespoon of potato on a small plate
7. season mushrooms with a tiny bit of vinegar and put a few on the plate
8. add a squeeze of lemon to the squid, scatter a few slices of squid on top and serve

Melon & Elderflower Sorbet

I think I had this at Nopi before leaving London. I love that place. This isn't really a recipe, just a brilliant combo that works.

cantaloupe

elderflower juice

1. mix cantaloup in blender and pass through a sieve
2. add this juice to an ice cream maker with elderflower juice to taste
3. make sorbet according to manufacturer's instructions

Green Dip & Ricotta

Something to have on the table before a casual meal. It's a combo that comes up a lot, but I think the method of combining and presentation make all the difference. Looks nice a black Colombian terra cotta dish.

broad bean

petit pois

EVOO

parmesan

piment d'espelette

maldon sea salt

lemon

basil

ricotta

1. boil broad beans and remove skins
2. boil petit pois, then put in ice water so they retain their vivacious green color
3. season ricotta with some lemon rind, salt, pepper and EVOO
4. reserving a bit of each aside, put in a blender with EVOO, a couple leaves of basil, lemon juice to taste and a few tablespoon of parmesan
5. pulse just until there is a rough--not smooth--blend of the two
6. haphazardly spoon this onto a platter, sprinkling reserved beans and petit pois around
7. spoon the ricotta very roughly into a big mound in the middle of the bean/petit pois mixture
8. drizzle generous amounts of EVOO over the whole lot, with another sprinkling of maldon sea salt and piment to taste