Michelin-starred Roberto Petza teaches Decanter's Claudia Cianfarani how to prepare a beautiful salad of Jerusalem artichoke with Kafa coffee dressing.

Scroll down to see the full recipe.

Great Italian Chefs and Lavazza coffee teamed up with Michelin-starred chef Roberto Petza from Cagliari, Sardinia, to deliver an inspirational masterclass held at Le Cordon Bleu School in London. Decanter joined them to learn how coffee can be used in cooking as a slightly unexpected ingredient. The original recipe we were shown is one of Petza’s signature dishes: Jerusalem artichoke with coffee dressing.

After a demonstration, we were challenged to roll up our sleeves, put on our aprons and get to work attempting to reproduce the salad recipe under, of course, Petza’s guidance. The whole evening was extraordinarily fun. The coffee worked surprisingly well, with the subtle floral and tangy notes from the coffee balancing well with the vegetables and spices from the salad.

The meal was perfectly paired with an orange wine from Georgia: Nikoloz Antadze Rkatsiteli Kakheti 2014. This wine was a very pleasant surprise, the orange colour was accompanied by peach and orange aromas that complimented the dish extremely well.

Last but not the least, for dessert, the Master Pastry Chef, Nicolas Houchet from Le Cordon Bleu treated us with culinary show when he prepared an Iced coffee soufflé, a beautiful dessert with coffee as the main ingredient.

By Claudia Cianfarani

Jerusalem artichoke with coffee dressing

Chef: Roberto Petza

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Course: Starter

Skill level: Easy

Ingredients:

• 300g Jerusalem artichokes, washed
• 50g shallots, sliced
• 100g breakfast radishes, washed
• 0.5tsp coriander seeds
• 1.5tbsp rosemary
• 1tbsp thyme
• 10g mustard seeds
• 2.5tbsp marjoram
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 20ml Lavazza Kafa espresso
• 1tbsp flaked almonds
• 1 celery stick
• 1 fennel
• 200g Pancetta lardons
• 6tbsp extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat with 3tbsp of oil.
2. Add the Jerusalem artichokes with the shallots, garlic, herbs and spices. Season and cook over a low heat for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.
3. Fry the chopped pancetta in a separate pan until crispy and then add the cooked Jerusalem artichokes, coat in the bacon fat and keep them warm until ready to serve.
4. Dice the fennel, celery and radishes into 0.5cm cubes. Roughly chop the almonds and mix everything together in a bowl with a salt and pepper.
5. Whisk together the coffee, 3 remaining tbsp of oil and salt.
6. Cut the Jerusalem artichokes in half and arrange on a plate. Dress the raw vegetables with the dressing and spoon around. Add the bacon lardons and garnish with edible flowers.

Recipe courtesy of Roberto Petza. Great Italian Chefs showcases the best culinary talent that Italy has to offer. Visit Great Italian Chefs for more recipes and features for Italy’s most exciting chefs.