In a blaze of publicity Celebrity Italian chef Gino D’Acampo launched his new Spring and Summer menu at Luciano in Alderley Edge.
Many of the dishes are inspired from his Sardinian homeland where the chef will be jetting off to shortly for a series of programmes revealing how the inhabitants of the island live to a grand old age
But the list of new dishes sees a focus on the season’s key ingredients, each hand-picked from some of the best producers in the UK and Italy, including sustainably farmed salmon from Loch Duart in the Scottish Highlands, heirloom tomatoes from Croftbank Nurseries in Hesketh Bank, Palourde clams from Dorset Shellfish Company, and pasta from Pastificio Liguori, one of the oldest pasta producers in Italy
One mouth watering dish (and we have to say it was our favourite) and one which Gino said put his chefs under pressure was courgette flower fritti, infused with the most creamy ricotta fried and drizzled in Sardinian honey and bridging the gap between a starter and a sweet
Speaking on the launch of the new seasonal menu at Luciano, Gino D’Acampo, said: “As a chef, the spring and summer months are often the most exciting as there are so many vibrant ingredients to work with in the kitchen. The simple and beautiful flavours of the season are at the very heart of the new Luciano menu and I’m looking forward to seeing guests enjoying the dishes I have created alongside my team of talented chefs.”
Luciano, Alderley Edge, launched in January of this year, setting a new bar for Italian dining in the region. The restaurant offers an impressive drinks list to complement the food, including an impressive selection of wines, sparkling wines, beers, spirits and cocktails including new creations for spring and summer such as Lamponi e Rosa, a blend of Bombay Sapphire gin, Hayman’s Sloe gin, Aperol, rose and raspberry syrup and grapefruit juice; and Sour Cherry, a vegan twist on a classic sour, which comeswithout the egg white.
The restaurant is the second named after Gino D’Acampo’s first born son, following the opening of the first Luciano at the five-star ME London hotel in the heart of the capital’s West End last year and we hear a third will be coming to Manchester later this year
New Spring Dishes at Luciano:
Cicchetti
Taleggio & pea arancini
Six rock oysters, lemon Tabasco, shallot, vinegar
Luciano antipasto, Italian cured meats, salame, cheeses
Antipasti
Courgette flower fritti, ricotta, wildflower honey
Heirloom tomato bruschetta
Asparagus, poached Burford Brown egg, pecorino cheese
Carpaccio & Tartare
Salmon & avocado tartare, dill, balsamic
Fillet steak tartare, Burford Brown egg yolk
Insalata
Spinach, tomato, avocado, chestnut mushrooms, crispy guanciale
Grilled broccoletti & asparagus, grapes, chickpeas, warm croutons
Loch Duart salmon, broad bean, spinach, fennel & citrus
Pasta & Risotto
Risotto primavera
Spaghetti with clams, cherry tomato, garlic, chilli, parsley
Spaghetti seafood
Bucatini king prawns, spinach, garlic, cherry tomato
Rocket & ricotta tortelloni, sage butter, toasted pine nuts
Bucatini carbonara
Dal Mare, Dalla Terra
Grilled lobster, Catalana sauce
Wild Atlantic cod, cherry tomato, salame, rosemary
Chicken alla Luciano, charlotte potato, lemon, rosemary
Rack of lamb, peas, smoked pancetta
Pizza Napoletana
San Daniele ham, burrata, basil
Finocchiona salame, broccoletti, mozzarella, pecorino
Contorni
Peas, smoked pancetta
Dolci
Crema Catalana, raspberry sorbet
Warm chocolate fondant, pistachio ice cream
Panna cotta, Amaretto, strawberries, honeycomb
Nutella pizza fritta, caramelised banana, toasted hazelnuts
