Composing the verses of his Elogio di Amalfi, Salvatore Quasimodo referred to the scented air of orange blossom, looking out from the terraces of the then Hotel dei Cappuccini, in Amalfi Coast. Those verses inspire the Pansa brothers, of the homonymous pastry shop, for the creation of Zagara Divina.
The new mono (but they already anticipate a cake version also available on their online shop) consists of a cake with Avola almonds scented with Villa Paradiso lemons (a family paradise with plants overlooking the sea), served on the plate, in the outdoor area or in the internal room, with a quenelle of Crema di Nonna Adriana gelato, a cream cooked over low heat as it was in the past, scented with Amalfi lemon zest and vanilla, and a brush of Bronte pistachio sauce. The elements of this recipe “write a poem” and take us back to the “garden that we always look for in vain after the perfect places of childhood”, as Quasimodo wrote.
As part of the project “In the shadow of places”, the short film-spot “Eden Ritrovato” was directed by Biancamaria Savo, dedicated to Quasimodo and with the participation of his son Alessandro, shotted among the tables of the historic local in Amalfi, a favorite place of the well-known scholar in his stays in Amalfi.
Zagara Divina
The recipe
Ingredients for about 20 single portions
250 g butter
250 g sugar
5 eggs
400 g flour
360 almonds grated
zest of 2 Villa Paradiso lemons
½ Madagascar vanilla bean
Grind the almonds with half the sugar in the recipe (125 g); divide the yolks from the whites, whip the butter with the remaining part of sugar (125 g), the zest lemon and the vanilla. Add the egg yolks a little at a time, so that they blend perfectly into the dough. Once the whipped mass is obtained, add the almond powder (initially ground) and the flour. Carefully observe that all the ingredients are perfectly blended with the dough. Beat the egg whites until stiff and gradually incorporate them into the dough.
Fill 50 g molds, previously greased, and cook for 22 minutes at 170°C. Once cooled, gently unmold and serve.
Assembly
The Zagara Divina is served with a quenelle of Crema della Nonna Adriana gelato and Bronte pistachio sauce.
Pasticceria Pansa
Amalfi
www.pasticceriapansa.it