“… I purge fasting
Bolsena lake eels and Vernaccia wine”
Some Dante’s Purgatory verses dedicated to Martino IV, a XIIIth Century pope with an extraordinary appetite and greedy of eels that, according to the legend, would be died for eel indigestion.

Directions for Eel and Rubbit rolls

Prepare the warm marinate diluting juice and skins (without the white part) of orange and lemon with other ingredients. Pour the marinate on the eel and on the rabbit and leave in refrigerator for 3 days.
Open the braids of rabbit, put the eel thinner and wrap forming little rolls to divide in 4 parts. Open eel, introduce the rabbit thinners and proceed in the same manner.
Wrap rolls separately with oven paper and cook for 8 minutes to 180°.  Remove from oven, eliminate the paper and end cooking to the salamander for 3 minutes turning continually. 
Put in dishes covering with crystals of Halen Mon salt.

Directions for cress mayonnaise

Prepare a classic mayonnaise, adding some julienne leaf of watercress and a small potato previously boiled and sifted, salt and pepper.

Directions for hot gelatine

Heat 100 gr of orange juice, 1 gr of agar and plentiful wild fennel making cool.

Directions for olive oil crunchy nougat

Cook 30 gr of isomalto and 8gr of glucose until 160°. Dilute 10 gr of olive oil until 50° and pour it in the caramel turning. Remove from fire and extend on the silpat forming some threads oil and caramel cylinders.

Ingredients for 4 people

1 eel of 800 gr; 2 braids of rabbit; 1 orange; 1 lemon; 4 bay leaves; juniper berries; wild fennel; mint; calamint; extra virgin olive oil; black pepper in grains; Szechuan pepper

Wine
[coupling by Sommelier Maurizio Serva]

Sauvignon Quarz 2004 Cantina Termeno
Alto Adige

“I suggest a coupling with a wine characterized by nettle and flowers of elder, a wine which is able to capture the herbaceous note of eel and rabbit. Sauvignon Quarz freshness well contrast with eel fatness and mayonnaise softness. Its good structure to 13,5 degrees and complexity, create a perfect balance with recipe taste touches.”  Maurizio Serva