Q&A - Vincenzo Candiano, of Ragusa's Locanda Don Serafino

Where do you get the inspiration for your type of cooking?

The landscape in which I live is the first source of inspiration. In fact, thanks to its colours and perfumes it gives me the fundamental elements which I then try to transmit in the dishes I create.

How do you create your dishes?

All  recipes which I create come from a draft black-on-white, where I study the combinations of colours, ingredients and then step to the implementation in the kitchen; in collaboration with my team we assess each dish as a prototype, we taste it, and if needed start from scratch until we get the result imagined. I rely on my team heavily as I am of the belief that my dishes aren’t to be appreciated only by me, but must be appreciated by the different tastes of our clients.

Which dish on your menu do you recommend?

I could recommend the “Quail stuffed flavors plateau”, a dish full of wild vegetables, the white meat of the quail and its egg, as well as a fondue of Ragusan cheese.

Which ingredient do you feel is most underestimated and underused?

In my opinion carob is underestimated, as well as the poorer cuts of meat. Fortunately many of my colleagues are from high catering, and so for some time we’ve focused our interest on such ingredients.

What is your favourite season for ingredients?

The season of the culinary calendar that I like least is the summer. I prefer the spring because it is the season of colour and freshness.

And your favourite regional food?

Rustic, baked goods, traditionally in a wood oven, which give unique flavours to focaccie, impanate, bread wheat seasoned with extra Virgin olive oil, dry oregano and cacciocavallo cheese.

If your food were music, which would it be?

I would not know how to find the musical synonym to my kitchen with the name of a song! But I could compare it to the music made by the Sicilian singer Mario Biondi.

What is the most precious tool in your kitchen?

The most precious tool in the kitchen is the binomial oven and my vacuum. They are really useful but used together they are essential.

Where is your favourite place to eat?

If I had the chance, I would go to eat in all the best restaurants and in the small gastronomies that are typical of each country in the whole world!

Tell us about your favourite Maltese dishes…

I’ve been twice and I have also visited Gozo and I was charmed by the beauty of the landscapes. I only had one Maltese typical dish: it was very good – lampuki pie – which reminds me of a salty cake of excellent fish and vegetables. As soon as I find myself back again, I’ll make a point to try more typical food.