Discovering the home of taste by Nino di Costanzo, 2 Michelin stars and a symbol of island cuisine
Ischia. Land of farmers and fishermen, an island suspended between sky and sea with its views and hidden bays. A strong and Mediterranean identity also recognizable in the gastronomic tradition of the region, which hides a double soul divided between land and sea.
A few kilometers from the port an enchanted garden introduces us to the Danì Maison, the two Michelin star restaurant of Nino Di Costanzo located right in the heart of the island of Ischia. The chef’s old family home has been transformed into a green oasis surrounded by fruit trees and aromatherapy routes, structured by an explosion of native plants treated with great attention and dedication. Love that chef Di Costanzo also reserves for his cuisine. A journey through the knowledge of the excellent products of the island and Campania region: “Ischia has a strong tradition of land and sea. In our menu the sea is the master with traditional recipes innovated in a contemporary way. We follow the seasonality and respect everything that our sea can give us “says Di Costanzo. A journey interrupted by the Coronavirus but only provisionally, on June 26 in fact Nino Di Costanzo reopened his Ischia residence: “We faced the emergency trying to improve what we have done up to now, with the quality of always and with the aim to give an experience for everyone, “says the chef.
The proposals range from raw and cooked appetizers, using ingredients such as shellfish, blue fish, curls and fish that the chef carefully chooses between Ischia and Procida. The soul of the island, however, divides itself in the triumph of flavors between land and sea: “The land has a fundamental role in the culture of the island, just think that the symbolic dish is the rabbit from Ischia, not to mention the chicken and the guinea fowl, to celebrate the mountain of the island of Ischia “says Nino.
A clear and defined cooking concept that originates from the tradition, culture and territory of Campania. Sixteen covered with the guest at the center, the love for the territory, the culture and the memory that you breathe from the first steps in the Maison: “This year there are dishes that represent the idea of the mountain and the undergrowth of Ischia , inspiration always comes from a dish of my childhood memory which is then revisited. We then also made a tour of the non-Campania islands such as Ponza and Ventotene to combine the culture of Ischia with that of its cousin islands “.