Sphere
The beginning is shaky… The waiter, who is fishing in brine the spheres of burrata (which originates from Apulia), filled with sea anemone soup, his hands tremble due to the slipperiness and fragility of the thin skin, and our tongues tremble as we pierce the thin membrane with it and expect a liquid burn. But the result is as gentle as if we were drinking from a tub in which a stretchy cheese is soaking, which is actually tasteless, but with plenty of texture. As if the sea anemone at the bottom were caressing us.
Bruschetta
Bruschetta, tomatoes, oregano. It doesn’t get more Italian than that. And it doesn’t get more chef-like either. This is a simple bruschetta, which is simply a good classic everywhere in Italy. But at Bros’ it is turned into a masterpiece, instead of bread, the base is a burnt and crispy meringue with a bread flavor, it is topped with concentrated and caramelized tomato paste, and there is a spring of dried oregano on the plate for you to sprinkle over the tomato flavor.
Turnip
Although Apulia is rich in agriculture and seafood, its cuisine is poor – cucina povera. A typical autumn dish is stewed turnips, not the tubers, but the leaves. At Bros’ they cook them for a long time in rich oil, then fry them in a thin batter and place them on dried turnip leaves.
Scapece
The term scapece refers to the marinating of ingredients with vinegar, spices, and garlic, not only zucchini but also other vegetables or fish. The marinating cooked the razor clam, but in a way that left it innocent of the sea – raw.
Fat
Most of the flavor is in the fat. Which we usually cut off or leave… And that’s why the best bites can be made from such leftovers! The thin, fragile and therefore so crispy cake was made from chicken skin, and the cream inside it was made from prosciutto lard. Sprinkled with hot pepper powder, the whole thing exploded in your mouth into an explosion of sweetness.
Mochi
Mochi is a classic Japanese dessert, but not to our taste… It is too sweet and sticky, stretchy, chewy. Vincotto is a dark, sweet, thick paste, which is made by slow cooking for several hours and reducing unfermented grape must. It is also not to our taste… because it lacks balsamic acidity. But this kind of vincotto-mochi, not sweet, but savory, filled with a thick, rich, distinctive chicken liver cream, is something completely different. So, completely to our taste!
Oyster
First, they brought in hot stones. On them, small bao buns, steamed buns intended for seafood stew – oysters in seaweed jelly, topped with dried vegetables, puffed up for a few minutes in a bamboo steamer. So that they could soak up the sea’s depths.
Timbale - timpano
Bros’ chef Floriano Pellegrino, although Campania is Calabria’s neighbor, uses the French version in his signature dish, so he fills the timbales with wild duck meat. But he starts with a pipette, with which the waiter squirts sweet and thick grape juice onto your tongue. The filling is wild feather farce, the rim is made of macaroni glazed with venison glaze, and there is venison espuma around, because the taste is so rich, deep, concentrated and direct, and there is also a warm brioche with caramelized onions on top. A dish with the chef’s signature and a long memory.
Pig
Chef Pellegrino successfully solves the dilemma of what to offer as a main course after such an (appetizer) dish with the help of a pig and the proverb less is more. Just three elements. Roasted pork belly, so that it is crunchy and melts, so that it is fatty and dry, soft and firm, salty and sweet, spicy and tender, all at the same time. Quince, roasted whole and sweet and bitter in a sauce. And pork trotter.
Tangerine
Tangerine ice cream in a frozen tangerine peel.
Banana
The chocolate cake was made from a perfectly ripe banana. Instead of dough, there was crispy baked filo pastry, sprinkled with cocoa powder. A masterpiece! On the side was a black banana cream, so thick, deep and firm that it was actually a paste. That’s why a banana is never too ripe! But not too little either – a cup of green, unripe, banana ice cream was refreshing.
Soufflé
Sheep’s milk, honey, dried fruit. A few seconds ago, a baked sheep’s milk puff pastry had a bottom made of finely chopped dried fruit with honey.
In the laboratory
Opposite Bros’ is his laboratory. You have to cross the most sociable street in Lecce. The show in the laboratory is for each table separately. There are (at least) six sweet surprises to follow. Each one is designed by the pastry chef on the spot and explains the process. But don’t try this yourself and at home.
Rosolio
The rose and oil burst in the mouth into an experience that takes up an entire wall of notes about combining ingredients, flavors, textures, colors, touches, techniques, feelings.
Rose
Flower made of jelly, cream, paste, raspberries and strawberries.
Crescent
Mezze luna is a crescent-shaped stuffed pasta similar to ravioli. Here it’s made of cotton candy and filled with black cherry jelly.
Carruba
Chocolate truffle with coffee and roast flavor.
Kiss
Limoniamo is a limoncello espuma that they squirt into a porcelain model of lips and then take a picture of you licking it.
