Cream Of Parmesan Reggiano With A Veil Of 6 Assorted Wild And Cultivated Basil Varieties And Pine Nuts

We said it in the last edition of this guidebook: Quique Dacosta is conquering the world of the chef’s hats. One year later we must specify: he’s no longer conquering, he’s now officially established as a central figure.
In 2005 he has created a personal, distinctive style that places him among the very best worldwide with his experimental but solid cuisine and already numerous masterpieces : Guggenheim Bilbao; Cold spider crab soup with fennel and aerated aloe vera; Barnacles with hollowed zucchini, little spider crab juice, and licorice leaves; Foie gras with corn, corn sprouts and duck stock; Carneroli rice honeyed with aloe vera… as well as this astonishing triumph that transgresses the universality of the parmesano-reggiano, gastronomic patrimony of world cuisine.
Why transgress, you may ask? Because it embodies the notion of transmogrifying the consistency of such celebrated cheese, while at the same time preserving its flavorful identity. In place of the crystallized cheese, a delicate, evanescent cream of parmesano-reggiano and soymilk is offered that bursts in the mouth with such sublime flavor that it leaves a surprising and wonderful sensation. After the initial visual effect of the green, organic veil of 6 basils that arrive as if they had been planted in an aromatic garden of delicacies, the flavorful impact of the cheese envelops the palate. Ever inspired by the past, magical touches are then added to this superbly elegant revolution of Parmesan and basil: apple brunoise, toasted pine nuts, bread slices… harmony.
Gracious brilliance.