Ispahan

Pierre Hermé has been called the Dior of patisserie. I am not one normally willing to endorse such hyperbole but on this occasion I think the praise is justified. I say this as someone who has just eaten three of Hermé’s perfect macarons with another three waiting for consumption tomorrow. And of course I had to start with his signature Ispahan macaron (at the top of the photograph). A combination of lychee and rose cream with a raspberry compote heart is not a paring of flavours which excites me on paper - it sounds too aromatic and cloyingly sweet. However in order not to invite comments along the line of “don’t knock it before you try it” I duly purchased one of these much celebrated macarons during my recent trip to Paris. And I must admit that on tasting it I was absolutely astounded by the flavour combinations and sublime textures. The range of tastes reaches from the subtle floral scent of the rose to the concentrated sweetness of the raspberry. Combined the flavour is reminiscent of Turkish delight although probably the most exquisite Turkish delight you would ever had tasted. As with all macarons it was sweet but unlike I had imagined the sweetness was in fact balanced, rather than unduly exaggerated, by the floral undertones of the rose and the aromatic flavour of the lychee. And of course the joy of good macarons is that their crunchy exterior also contributes to this balancing act. For the crisp shell provides an essential contrast to the often very thick filling. Unsurprisingly here again Hermé’s confection surpassed all expectations. The fragile shell gives way to that unique chewy interior that comes from baking powdered almonds with sugar, amongst other things, and then comes the velvety filling to complete the textural picture. As must now be evident I am completely enamoured with these sublime creations. I am willing to admit that for people who do not have a sweet tooth the Ispahan macaron could be overwhelming but I also think that these extraordinary confections are one food everyone should try at least once.

Milano

The food delights of Milan are many and varied. It is impossible to recount all the wonderful things I ate - from the unusual but exciting salad of raw artichoke hearts, raw mushrooms and grana padua cheese to the wild boar salami with Straticialla cheese and the sweetest cherry plum tomatoes I have ever eaten - my taste-buds were given an exhilarating few days in preparation for the onslaught that is Christmas in England (but that is another story). As much as I would like to recount every detail I will restrain myself and tell you about the most glorious visual experience I had during my trip.

I am willing to admit that the scaffolding over the Duomo may have meant that I didn’t get to appreciate its full beauty but even if I had I am not sure it would have been more impressive than the displays found in the windows and presentation cases of Peck. With everything from Parmesan to ice cream, foccacia to “engraved” Peck tablets of pâté, the shop is a temple to the best of Italian food.

Now I must admit that the open doorway to the kitchen through which you can see the bobbing toques of the chefs who create the beautiful canapés and other pre-prepared dishes is of huge allure to me. I love to see the process of creation and this tantilisingly restricted view accompanied by the dramatic emergence of tray-bearing chefs from this magical cavern all adds to the allure of this food heaven. The friend I visited with was seduced by the delicate ice cream cakes she spotted in one of the glass freezers. She was particularly enamoured by the ice cream flowers resting there. The product of careful manipulation, by what I can only imagine is some kind of ice cream master, they looked to beautiful to eat.

And that perhaps sums up Peck. Everything in the shop looked so glorious I was happy just to stand and gaze at all the beautiful items around me (although by third visit is so many days I was getting a few odd looks from the staff). But of course I did not just look. I did, in fact, purchase and I am very glad I did. As you can see, and at this point I must apologise for the rather unattractive photograph, I bought a little container of polpo or poulpe or octopus. I know that even the thought of octopus makes many people uncomfortable and those that have tried it usually complain it is rubbery and tasteless. I can assure you that well cooked octopus is in another league. Just as a good plate of squid will make you put up with the many indifferent plates you are bound to be served in your lifetime the polpo from Peck is a reminder of the gastronomic delights of octopus. Cooked perfectly it is chewy but in an entirely satisfying way. The delicate sweetness of the meat is offset but a simple yet effective dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and parsley which provides a suitable level of richness and piquancy. Peck’s polpo is a reminder of the joys of simple food made with good ingredients. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of extravagant French delicacies with all their fancy sauces, or the spice and heat of Indian food (more on that another time), but after a good few days of excess in one of the world’s most extravagant cities a plate of poulpe, a glass of white wine and good piece of crusty bread just hit the spot.

PECK
Via Spadari n° 9 - 20123 Milano
http://www.peck.it/

If you are visiting Milan Peck also run a wonderful café/bistro just round the corner from their shop (behind the famous Cracco-Peck restaurant):

Peck Italian Bar
Via Cesare Cantù n° 3 - 20123 Milano

Monday to Saturday from 07:30 to 20:30; Closed Sunday