An exceptional summer food thanks to their low calorie content and richness in essential nutrients, seafood provides our bodies not only with nutritional benefits but also with tangible advantages for combating the heat and staying fit. From a nutraceutical standpoint, they provide excellent doses of vitamin D, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, and minerals typically lacking in the common diet, such as zinc, magnesium, iron, selenium, iodine (a mineral necessary for proper thyroid function and the production of thyroid hormones), calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Recent studies have shown that they provide concrete support for heart health thanks to omega-3 fatty acids, which protect the cardiovascular system and help reduce inflammation. They have also been shown to have positive effects on cognitive function and memory, play an important role in immune system health, red blood cell formation, and bone health. A significant consideration for those watching their diet is that seafood is low to moderate in calories: just consider that 100 grams of seafood contains 100 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Mussels provide 84 kcal, 100 g of clams provide 72 kcal, and 100 g of oysters 69 kcal. However, they also contain a good amount of cholesterol and sodium, making them unsuitable for those with high cholesterol and hypertension, so they should be consumed in moderation.
Having said this, the intriguing and refined recipe by chef Antonino Ferreri, owner of the Michelin-starred Limu restaurant, perched in an old 1th-century watchtower, one of the seven that served to defend the city in the 500th century, not far from Bagheria, comes at the perfect time to make our mouths water and give us fresh and intense emotional sensations of sea, sun, and summer.
While the name Limu derives from Persian and pays homage to the quintessential fruit of Trinacria, etymologically, it pays homage to the historical legacy of this conquered land, which over the centuries passed from Greek to Arab and Norman rule. These concepts are found in Ferreri's down-to-earth cuisine, which respects local ingredients. His cuisine is simple both in terms of the number of ingredients and the techniques used to prepare the selected products, essential yet rich in content. The raw materials are prepared with the utmost respect for the individual ingredients' ability to express their flavors. As the chef likes to say, "Inspiration comes from fragments of life experiences, from places that move us, and from memories that remain indelible."
A memory brimming with experiences that, in less than forty years, has taken him around the world, accumulating knowledge and practices in cooking and food pairing. A native of Trabia, in the province of Palermo, Ferreri developed his passion for cooking as a teenager thanks to a family devoted to the great Sicilian tradition, a place where the joy of experiencing food as a shared experience is rediscovered every day. Then, the desire to learn innovative techniques, develop his gourmet soul, and experience firsthand the extraordinary variety of raw materials and biodiversity, took him first to the kitchens of I Frati Rossi in Porto Cervo, from there to Belgium, and then to Milano Marittima, to the kitchens of the Palace Hotel, working alongside chefs Mario Beccari and Roberto Scarpelli. There, he met the man he still considers his great mentor, Felix Lo Basso. His journey continued, taking him to Val Gardena, Milan, and then Switzerland. Then to Selva in Val Gardena, where he found himself once again working alongside Felix Lo Basso at the Hotel Alpenroyal. Then, for two years, he worked at the Michelin-starred restaurant La Table d'Adrien in Verbier, French-speaking Switzerland, within the Hotel Chalet d'Adrien. Finally, he returned to Sicily, where further challenging experiences awaited him, and finally, he landed at Limu, where he was awarded a prestigious Michelin star and where his wife Maria Grazia served as hostess to welcome guests in the dining room.
The recipe for "I feel the sea inside a shell", a mollusc salad, seaweed, and a potato foam with green lemon.
Recipe for 4 people
For the shellfish salad
400 g of murex or sea bully
4 fresh scallops
6 sea urchins
200 gr mussels
Prepare the shellfish salad by cooking each individual piece of fish until just cooked through. For the murex: rinse the murex in seawater, then immerse them in cold water with 10% salt. Then, reduce the heat to low and cook the murex over low heat for about three hours, until they're tender but not too tender, without losing their bite.
For the sea urchins:
Open the sea urchins and blend them with a drizzle of olive oil to make a mayonnaise.
For the mussels:
Clean the mussels thoroughly and open them in a pan with oil, garlic, white wine, and parsley. Then, remove the shells, strain the cooking water, and set the shelled mussels aside.
For the marinated scallop:
Shell the scallops and marinate them for about an hour in salt, sugar, and herbs. Then rinse lightly in salted water and cut into tartare-style pieces. (The marinade contains 300 g sugar, 400 g fine salt, various herbs, and lemon zest.)
For the Lemon Potato Foam
300 gr potatoes
3 green lemons
200 gr fresh cream
200 g potato broth
Salt to taste
500 g coarse salt
Rinse the potatoes thoroughly, then arrange them in a baking dish with enough coarse salt to cover them. Cook at 200°C (400°F) for about an hour until the potatoes are tender. After cooking, peel the potatoes and place them in a pot with water to cover and a previously blanched onion. Then, make a broth by simmering for about an hour, then strain. Then, in a thermomix, blend the potatoes with the lemon juice and zest of 3 lemons, the cream, and the onion broth. Season with salt and transfer to a siphon.
For the seaweed powder 300 g nori seaweed
300g sea lettuce
300 g of mauro seaweed or red seaweed
Rinse the seaweed thoroughly, then dry it on a cloth for a few hours. Then, place it in a dehydrator for at least two days (separated by color). Once it's dry enough, blend it into a powder, obtaining three different colored powders.
Plating
In a bowl, arrange the shellfish, starting with the sea urchin mayonnaise at the base. Top with the heated murex and mussels. Arrange the raw scallops on top, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Add some glasswort and cover with the lemon potato mousse. Finish with the powdered seaweed.
Limu Restaurant
Address: Via Ciro Scianna, 177
90011 Bagheria PA
Phone: 091 649 6288
Reservations: thefork.it
