Diego Della Schiava - «I take my chance»
Diego Della Schiava became chief overnight in "The View" over Lugano. He thanks it with a super menu.
CHEF DE CUISINE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
Sometimes everything happens very quickly. Mauro Grandi said goodbye to the boutique hotel "The View" in Lugano in the middle of the Corona confusion. General Manager Claudia Melatti was astonished but not at a loss: "Diego Della Schiava has been number 2 for four years now. I always knew that he would one day take over as head chef. He is a huge talent, he can still achieve a lot". Family man Della Schiava, 32 years young, did not hesitate for long: "My chance. Chef for the first time! You can't say no to that."
MARCHESI. ROMITI, BERTON.
Diego has talent. But also a good trainer. The young man from the Italian Abbiatagrosso in Lombardy attended Maestro Gualtiero Marchesi's famous "Alma" cooking school, worked with star chefs Andrea Berton, Niko Romiti and Emanuele Scarello; he got to know Switzerland as Chef de Partie at the "Villa Orselina" above Locarno. In "The View" he has been a part of the team since its opening four years ago. A cool place to work: a lifestyle boutique hotel high above Lake Lugano, with a dream terrace for the restaurant and a decent budget for shopping. Diego and his boss agree: "Only the best products come into the house". A Scampo calibre 3/6 from South Africa, for example, which the boss gently cooks ("Scampo morbido"), on a celery aspic and served with a "Bloody Mary" (cool tomato essence). Looks great and tastes the same.
RISOTTO RISERVA & TORTELLI WITH VEAL TAIL.
What does Diego Della Schiava actually like to cook most? "I am Italian. So risotto and pasta!" That's an announcement! The risotto Carnaroli "Riserva San Massimo" is available with chanterelles and black truffle. And the dark powder on the edge of the deep plate? "Porcini mushrooms, the first of the season. Slide them onto the spoon for risotto. Take care of umami," recommends the chef. For the tortelli, the brigade had to work overtime: A veritable calf's tail first made its way into the kitchen and then, thanks to "surgical" large-scale intervention, into the filling. The dough was beautifully formed, rather thick, the sauce ("Fonduta di Grana Padano") wonderful and more elegant than expected. Something crunchy is not missing, of course: raw ham chips. Finale? Back of Iberico pork, elegantly cut into a precise rectangle, crispy and juicy at the same time. And a "Bellini in piatto" (in the plate), with Amaretto and with Louis Roederer Rosé, frozen to a fine sorbet!
