Liquid Parmigiano Bottoni with...Liquid Parmigiano Bottoni with Wild Mushroom Consommé

An elegant, Michelin-caliber dish featuring delicate button-shaped pasta filled with a warm, liquid Parmigiano-Reggiano center, floating in a crystal-clear, deeply aromatic forest mushroom consommé.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the pasta, mound the Tipo 00 flour on a clean work surface and create a well in the center. Pour the egg yolks into the well and gently incorporate the flour with a fork. Knead by hand for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. 02

   To prepare the filling, combine the milk and cream in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the agar-agar and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and vigorously whisk in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano until completely smooth. Pour into a shallow tray and refrigerate until set into a soft gel, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip.

3. 03

   To make the mushroom stock, combine the dried porcini, fresh mushrooms, shallot, and thyme in a pot with the vegetable stock. Simmer gently over low heat for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and let the liquid cool to room temperature.

4. 04

   Clarify the consommé by whisking the egg whites into the cooled mushroom stock. Place over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until a 'raft' of egg whites begins to form on top. Stop stirring, lower the heat, and let it simmer extremely gently for 15 minutes. Carefully ladle the crystal-clear liquid from beneath the raft through a muslin-lined sieve. Season with sea salt and keep hot.

5. 05

   Roll the pasta dough through a pasta machine to the thinnest setting. Lay out a sheet of pasta and pipe small, button-sized mounds (approx. 1 tsp) of the cheese filling 4cm apart. Lay another sheet of pasta over the top, gently pressing around the filling to expel all air. Cut out the 'bottoni' using a 3cm round fluted stamp.

6. 06

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. Cook the bottoni for 2 minutes until they float and the cheese filling has melted back into a liquid state. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon.

7. 07

   To serve, arrange 5 to 6 bottoni in the center of warm shallow bowls. Pour the piping hot mushroom consommé around the pasta at the table. Garnish with micro basil leaves and a few drops of white truffle oil.