Roland, Andrea

Trettl in Milan

Pasta from the catwalk
In Milan the fashion makers regard themselves as the avant-garde that sets the trend.  It is logical that they should include as one of their own the head chef at the “Trussardi”, Andrea Berton, a pioneer of simple genius

Recorded by Christoph Schulte / essen & trinken
Photos: Red Bull Photo Files/Damiano Levati

Fashion and the culinary arts have something in common.  Both are trendsetters that have no truck with indecisiveness.  They march boldly forwards, however short the distance covered.  If there is one city in Europe that is made for such trendsetters, then it must be the ever-hungry “fashion city” of Milan, where Armani runs “Nobu”, Dolce & Gabbana “Gold” and Trussardi “Trussardi alla Scala” under the management of Andrea Berton.

Naturally one assumes that the interior will be of the highest quality where a company like Trussardi has lent its name to a restaurant.  Even so, the interior is breathtaking.  The tables are incredibly generously arranged, and of course the leather armchairs are designed by Trussardi.  Then there are the restful rust-brown colours provided throughout by the leather and the wood.  Everything is “full of style” rather than merely stylish.  One special feature is the window “triptychon” to the kitchen, which is made out of frosted glass so that one cannot see through – until an electrical impulse, applied on request, makes the glass transparent so that the guests can see exactly what the chefs are up to.  For our guest chef concept in “Hangar-7”, such amusing features are ultimately not what concerns us.  We can only get the chef over to Salzburg; we cannot have the marvellous elegance of the restaurant interior or the winning charm of the service team as well.  The chef and his abilities are at the centre – nothing else matters.

And the chef in question is 37-year-old Andrea Berton.  For those to whom this name means little (the “Trussardi” has only existed in its present form since June 2006), we would refer to the restaurants that have marked the Friuli-born chef’s career so far.  Andrea worked for three years in Alain Ducasse’s “Louis XV” in Monaco and was subsequently head chef in Gualtiero Marchesi’s three star restaurant.  Need one ask more?  Anyone who tastes Berton’s “jus” will recognise the signature of the Italian master.  It is entirely the great Italian’s style to rely on the meat juices and to dispense with any form of alcohol – for any non-Marchesian, an unimaginable idea.

Berton also keeps the Marchesi touch in his risotto, for which he uses “sour butter” (a mixture of butter and a reduction of white wine and vinegar).  At “Hangar-7” he then fine tuned his risotto with pepper paste, Parmesan, Pecorino and a sauce made of Belgian strong beer.  In Salzburg we will cook the rice for two or three minutes longer.  What we in Austria and Germany call “al dente” is regarded in Milan as “per la dentaria” (bad for one’s false teeth!).

If we are trying to avoid the snare of national customs and expectations, mention must be made of Berton’s pigeon breast, stuffed with herb butter and fried like a Wiener schnitzel.  Or should that be “à la Milanese”?  As a native of south Tyrol, I take pleasure in the fact that it was Empress Sisi who discovered the fried schnitzel while on a state visit in Milan, and brought the dish home to Austria.

Of course Andrea is a master of dishes which have no problematic international associations.  His turbot with lardo crust, croûtons, lemon confit and cocoa beans is sensational.  It is served with lentils that look like lentils but aren’t, being made of pure tomato juice.  The playful pleasure Berton takes in his cooking is evident to guests in his Tiramisu dessert: mascarpone cream, almond biscuits, coffee espuma and a sugar waffle with cocoa powder.  All classic ingredients, just arranged slightly differently.

To complete my description of what “Trussardi alla Scala” provides, I have to talk about football.  I don’t say that because I feel I have to use every last opportunity to refer to football, however close to my heart AC Milan may be.  I say it because even the best team needs time to turn fantastic individual players into the perfect team.  The “Trussardi alla Scala” in the centre of Milan cannot be one hundred per cent perfect at the present time, because the restaurant has only been open for a year.  But I can assure you of this: Andrea Berton and his cooking will soon become one of the real highlights of Italy.

Delice of Chocolate

Andrea Berton Menu 1

Inflated mozzarella with tomatoes in aspic,
ricotta of buffalo and soy beans
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Grilled scallop with cream of peanuts and ginger powder
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Cannelloni of potatoes with pecorino, sepia and black oil
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Gratinated turbot with candied lemon, cocoa beans and tomato-lentils
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Roasted and braised baby lamb with avocado and lemon
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Tonka beans – white chocolate cream – 3x Apple
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Tiramisu in a glass

Andrea Berton Menu 2

Steamed langostinos with aubergines and pink ricotta
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Spaghetti „alla ghitarra“ with crumbs of bread and garlic,
sardines and foam of lemons
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Roasted monkfish with powder of raw ham, peach and sauce of coffee
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Fried kidney of calf with spinach, almonds and sauce of garlic
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Tonka beans – white chocolate cream – 3x Apple
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Pipe of caramel with crème brûlée and sauce of apricots

Andrea Berton Menu 3

Sauteed duck liver with corn cream,
sweet and salty popcorn and aspic of vinegar
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Risotto „caccia-pepe“ with two kinds of belgian beer
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Roasted fillet of red mullet with compote of tomatoes and aubergines
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Pigeon in two courses
Cudgel with potato noodles, ragout of liver and peas
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Filled breast with herb butter „Milanese style” and french fries
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Tonka beans – white chocolate cream – 3x Apple
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Delice of chocolate