The Story
There’s a whole story behind Marco Sacco’s signature dish, and for once, it has nothing to do with freshwater fish. “This dish was a revelation,” the chef explains, boasting two Michelin stars at Piccolo Lago in Verbania since 2007.
“In the early ’90s, my wife Lella and I personally visited Roger Vergé to introduce ourselves. Back then, there weren’t as many contacts. We entered his kitchen, and he put me to work. I wanted to experience these great brigades with their hats, and he was very curious about young Italian chefs. I remember they had me use an egg separator to separate the egg white from the yolk. That was my task for several days, and I got rather good at it. So, when I left, Vergé gave it to me as a gift. I forgot about it in a drawer at home for a couple of years, and then suddenly, I took it out, held it in my hand, and that’s when I had the flash of ‘Koque-Style’ carbonara.”
The dish
“It was an Italian dish famous worldwide, but it had to become mine, so I wanted the ingredients to be Piedmontese. I used ham instead of guanciale and tagliolini for the dry pasta. I used the egg separator to open the eggs and then put the sauce inside, with a splash of gin to balance out the egg’s cooking with the alcohol. It must have been in 1994, and since then, the recipe has never left the menu; in fact, it has become my icon. These are the beautiful stories of chefs who gain new experiences and create something new from them.”
The result is a heretical carbonara, even with cream, and somewhat deconstructed, but it has never caused a scandal because the departure from tradition is clear. “Carbonara is sacred, but this is mine. Traditional dishes, when they were born, were innovative; then traditions renew and evolve. The wonderful thing is that at certain times, I even put it on a food truck, traveling through the squares, and it was a huge success; it became part of events. In short, it’s not just the iconic and exclusive dish of a two-star restaurant; it’s a recipe that has become popular in its own way.”
If it’s so well-received, it’s also because of the interactive aspect: in fact, guests are called upon to break the milk wafer, pour the sauce over the pasta, and mix it themselves, becoming accomplices of the chef and triggering the playful part of the experience. It pairs perfectly with a glass of Champagne, perhaps Philipponnat Brut with the house label.
Carbonara’s recipe “Au Koque” from Marco Sacco
Ingredients for 10 peopleFor the tagliolini400 g of re-milled semolina100 g of all-purpose flour220 g of whole eggs30 g of egg yolks10 g of white wine vinegarMethod
Combine the ingredients in a stand mixer until a compact dough forms.
Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Roll out the pasta using a Monferrina machine and prepare nests of tagliolini weighing 70 g each.
For the “Au Koque” sauce150 g of egg yolks90 g of Grana Padano cheese25 g of Major Gin300 g of 20% creamMethod
Blend all the ingredients together and store at 60°C (140°F).
For the dehydrated hamProsciutto crudo (as needed)Method
Finely slice the ham. Dehydrate it in an oven at 70°C (158°F) overnight. Set aside 10 slices and finely chop the rest.
For the milk wafers400 g of whole milk4 g of Xanthan gumMethod
Whip the milk for 20 minutes with the Xanthan gum. Spread it on a tray and dehydrate. Cut into desired shapes.
For the finishing touch200 g of dehydrated ham180 g of butterBlack pepperMethod
Cook the tagliolini for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Mix the cooking water and butter in a pot. Combine the sauce with the pasta and add the finely chopped ham. Place the pasta nest in the center of the plate. Sprinkle with black pepper and cover with a slice of dehydrated ham. Serve with the sauce at 60°C (140°F) in the eggshell, accompanied by the milk wafer.
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Ristorante Piccolo Lago
Via Filippo Turati, 87, 28924 Verbania VB
Tel: +39 0323 586792
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