Photography and cooking, this was undoubtedly the best union I could have made in my life. The project Recipe of Chef in Studio wants to bring this perfect marriage, in which you can eternalize the first intention of a cook which is to eat with your eyes, and it is with great satisfaction that I present to you today's recipe, sent by the talented starred chef Giovanni Croce, Sicilian who now runs the Michelin restaurant in Campione d'Italia together with the brilliant Bernard Fournier, chef patron of Ristorante Da Candida, restaurant that received the its Michelin star in 1995.

I had the pleasure of living next to this enchanting place for a while, photographed and tasted some of these award-winning dishes. Chef Giovanni is one of those charming people, of rare charisma and kindness, extremely passionate and proud of his profession and his culinary history. Graduated from ALMA - International School of Italian Cuisine - and influenced by his mother and grandmother who were cooks, and by his father who was a farmer, the chef grew up with a love for the preparation and cultivation of healthy ingredients. At our first meeting he showed me the small vegetable garden that he cultivates on the balcony of the restaurant and from where every day he collects fresh ingredients to compose his dishes - the photos of this meeting can be found here on our blog.

But today we are here to talk about the recipe that the chef sent us to be reproduced and photographed in the studio, an aromatic Gnocchi al Caffè with Fave and Crema di Baccalà, or Coffee Gnocchi with Beans and Cod Cream, inspired by the story of the main ingredient of gnocchi, which relates to the city of Como, known for the production of white potatoes.

The chef balances the aromatic ingredients of the recipe, bringing the intense flavors of the cod cream, flavored with lemon, rosemary and sweet almonds, creating a perfect harmony with the coffee bitterness.

Reproducing a dish from a Michelin chef is not an easy task, it is a great responsibility, but the kind chef sent me all the instructions for a faithful execution and I can say that the result of aromas, flavor and beauty was excellent.

I wish you all a nice gastronomic experience.

Here are the links for Ristorante Da Candida and an article on the chef.

Coffee Gnocchi with Beans and Cod Cream
For 4 people

Beans:

Ingredients
- 100 g of fresh fava beans

Preparation
Cook the peeled fava beans, after cooking cool and drain, and completely remove the second peel. Those larger beans can be divided in two while small ones can be left whole.

Coffee Gnocchi:

Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes
- 250 g of flour
- Yolk of 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons of grinded coffee

Preparation
Cook the potatoes in salted water until they become very soft. When they are ready, remove the excess salt from the potatoes by washing with cold water and peeling, trying to remove only the skin, without leaving too much potato pulp attached to the skin. Once the potatoes have been peeled, mash them completely and very well with the help of a fork or a potato masher, without leaving too large grains. To make the gnocchi, pour the flour over the work surface in a circular format with a blank space in the middle. In the middle, add the mashed potatoes, the egg yolk and the coffee. Begin to mix everything, from the center to the surroundings, so that everything is perfectly assembled.
To shape the gnocchi, dust the work surface with flour. Cut a piece of dough and make 1-inch thick loaves. Slice each loaf every 2 cm, so as to obtain small cylinders and scratch each cylinder with the help of a fork to create the stripes.
Cook in salted boiling water until they rise completely to the surface. Meanwhile, on a frying pan, add the beans and a knob of butter. When the gnocchi are ready, drain and add to the pan with the beans and butter. Toss the gnocchi with the beans with a little water from the gnocchi cooking.

Cod Cream:

Ingredients
- 60 g of desalted cod
- 100 g of milk
- 100 g of double cream
- 20 g of peeled almonds
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- Zest of 1 untreated lemon (organic, without preservatives or additives)

Preparation
Desalt and soak the cod in cold water for 12 hours before preparation, changing the water 3 or 4 times to completely eliminate the excess salt. Bring the milk, cream, garlic, rosemary and lemon zest to the boil. Also add the blended and filtered almonds. Once it has boiled, remove the garlic clove and add the cod, allowing it to cook completely, for 2 or 3 minutes, no more.

Assembly:

Put a knob of butter in the cod cream, mix well with a spoon or a whisk, to incorporate well. Pour 1 portion of cod cream on a plate, add 1 portion of gnocchi and finally a pinch of coffee in each gnocco.