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Clandestino Susci Bar, South of Ancona, reopens, everything else is Top Secret, says Chef Moreno Cedroni, the inventor of "Susci". It is not a grammatical mistake, but a playful game of phonetics, an excuse to explore possibilities. This is how Italians pronounce sushi and it is how the Chef tranforms sushi with his creativity.
It is not the first of his restaurants, La Madonnina del Pescatore in Senigallia opened in 1984 and became over the course of twenty years a must étape in seafood locals, mentioned as one of the ten best seafood restaurants in Europe by the Wall Street Journal. Two Michelin stars the same year. A success career built above all on passion, open-mindness, and creativity. A life long journey launched by his father's trust in his vision and willingness to risk it all at the age of twenty. A bit of this personal story helps explain how he managed to reopen Clandestino in record time after the place was damaged by a devastating seastorm back in October.
What it was and what it is, a light blue palafitte, a wild beach in the Marche region, a magic setting where you can eat inventive dishes in a relaxed environment , watching the fishermen. A genuine experience, not to be missed. We had to connect with the Chef and find out everything about his new menu "British Susci", influenced by British Classics such as Roast Beef and Fish&Chips, the result of a time spent at the Baglioni in London, as well as Clandestino's reopening and his overall philosophy.
The reopening of Clandestino after nature's unsettling force...
We were astounded, it was very hard for us, especially considering the difficult times we live in, it could have been the end of everything. It actually gave us new verve, we wanted to rebuild, we got a new lease, we decided to discuss everything from scratch. The task at hand was very demanding. We were looking to create the same atmosphere, we had to match at least that to avoid judgement and be happy with the result. We realized we were doing the right thing with the project when we saw Clandestino's new windows, they looked like ready to fly wings. A hidden message, perhaps. The desire to set ourselves free, to join hands with nature, the wilderness. The Light Designer Davide Groppi also gave it his final touch, it really is now a magic place.
The new menu is:
Each year I look for new inspiration, a new kind of susci. Last year it was fairy tales, before that flowers and colors, this year British recipes which I've studied. Fish& Chips and Roast Beef are not as difficult as a laver bread (a Welsh delicacy) and adding seaweed to some dishes wasn't easy since it's so unusual in Italy. If it works out it's very satisfactory.
British Susci is:
I've used nori in a leek sauce and kombu for its sensual and consistent dialogue with amberjack. I've made roast beef with white tuna, (I've actually dropped down by 80% on red tuna), and a sauce that reminded me of how my mother used to make "fettina", a slice of meat which was quite hard but well marinated. Chicken tikka masala with poached eggs became a sword fish marinated with yoghurt, similar consistency of chicken. Moscioli (mussel from Conero) of Portonovo with earl grey, Spinosino, Fish&Chips with codfish, a sauce with peas from the original recipe. I ended the menu with an English Trifle soaked in Port.
Le Marche region and its ingredients.
I try to use the ingredients as much as I can, vegetables, fish, cheese, to be honest though, if something I need comes from far I prefer to use that.
What’s in for the future?
Top secret.
