Issue1 TasteBound compressed - Flipbook - Page 55
Lemon
tiramisù
SERVES 8-10
Sinnos Rural Mini Dairy
The enterprising Lai family have
quietly transformed the landscape
of Gergei – a small town in the island’s
interior. Samuel is the eldest son and,
while his parents run Domu Antigu,
he diversified into cheesemaking
and setup a mini dairy in the same
village. It’s a beautiful place to visit
– set in a walled garden where you
can try a selection of delicious smallbatch cheeses made following ancient
methods and with unpasteurised
milk from Samuel’s own flock.
Vico II Eleonora D’Arborea, 09055
Gergei; sinnosformaggi.it
Clockwise from
top left: pastelhued pavement
cafés; aperitivo
hour; Olianas
estate; an
Osteria Sa Bell’e
Crabasa dessert;
cheesemaker
Samuel Sinnos
I may have resisted the
temptation to call this
‘lemonisu’ (partly because it
doesn’t sound right anyway),
but I could not resist writing
a recipe for a pale yellow,
lemony tiramisù. Of course,
a real tiramisù should contain
coffee and cocoa (and, in my
mind, marsala and brandy),
but this is a truly heavenly
(if heathen) version. Quite
apart from being delicious,
there is a strong aesthetic
argument behind it; such
swathes of lemon yellow and
pale cream seem like some
sort of divinely luxurious sofa,
snug in the corner of an idyllic
Amalfi residence.
If you happen to have any
leftover lemon cake to hand,
use that in place of the
savoiardi, as it will taste even
better. Some like to soak the
sponge layer in limoncello,
but I find it both too sweet
and too strong. This version
is unapologetically creamy
– and also child-friendly.
For the lemon curd:
2tsp cornflour
●
120ml lemon juice
●
3 eggs
●
150g sugar
●
40g unsalted butter
●
For the cream:
400g mascarpone
●
300ml whipping cream
●
80g icing sugar
●
For the sponge layer:
●
2 packs savoiardi or
ladyfingers (about 24),
or leftover cake (see
introduction)
●
400ml milk
To finish:
●
Lemon zest
●
Lemon slices
●
A few mint springs
For the lemond curd, whisk the
cornflour with 50ml water until
dissolved and milky-looking, then
place all the ingredients in a
small pan over a low heat. Whisk
constantly, helping the butter to
melt, then gradually increase the
heat to medium and stir until it
thickens to form a curd the
consistency of loose mayonnaise.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
For the cream, whip the
mascarpone with the cream and
icing sugar to form soft peaks.
Decant into a piping bag.
For the sponge, soak the
savoiardi in milk, allowing them
to absorb enough to become just
damp and spongy but not
dripping, and layer at the base of
a 23cm dish. Pipe over a third of
the cream, flatten with a spatula,
then spread over half of the
cooled curd. Repeat, then finish
with little piped peaks of cream.
Arrange the lemon zest and
slices and mint on top to serve.
Olianas
A stone’s throw from Domu Antiga,
this verdant wine estate cultivates
indigenous grapes using biodynamic
practices (and is the only Demetercertified winery in Sardinia). Using
traditional methods (from draught
horses to amphora ageing), it is an
excellent representative of Sardinia’s
rich viticultural heritage. Come for
a wine tasting; stay for a cellar lunch.
Località Porruddu, 09055 Gergei;
olianas.it
For the Love of
Lemons: Italianinspired sweet
& Savoury Recipes
by Letitia Clark.
Photography by
Charlotte Bland
(Hardie Grant, £28)
TA S T E B O U N D
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