Panoli (Traditional Aniseed and Olive Oil Pastry)
Chef Pep Moreno of Deliranto restaurant has taken on three recipes, two of which are traditional sweets deeply rooted in festive celebrations. More than simple dishes, these recipes evoke a shared gastronomic memory, recalling the sweets associated with local festivals and the Christmas season. Alongside the challenge of preserving this collective heritage comes the complexity of updating recipes whose original preparations are marked by their simplicity.
The result is a series of creations that evoke different sensory experiences: in the case of borraines, it is the visual memory of the traditional sweet that is brought to the fore, while panoli and empedrat seek to capture a flavour, a moment in time, despite being presented in a markedly different form.
VIDEO RECIPE
METHOD
The dish is conceived as a lighter interpretation of the traditional recipe, while carefully preserving the characteristic flavours that define the original preparation.
To replace the bread traditionally used in the dish, kataifi pastry—a dough made from wheat flour and water, formed into very fine, thread-like strands—is used, although filo pastry could also be employed. The aim is to achieve a much lighter and crispier texture. The pastry is brushed with clarified butter and baked until it forms a thin, golden and exceptionally crisp wafer.
At the same time, a cream is prepared by heating milk with aniseed, lime peel and orange peel, allowing the mixture to infuse and develop an intense, aromatic flavour. Separately, the egg yolks are whisked together with sugar and a small amount of cornflour, before the strained infused milk is gradually incorporated. The mixture is then returned to the heat and cooked until it thickens, producing a rich, smooth cream. Once the cream is ready, a touch of fresh mint and a small additional amount of aniseed are added to further enhance its aromatic profile.
As a complementary element, a special caramel made with olive oil is prepared. The sugar is cooked until it forms a liquid caramel and, using a technique similar to that employed for creating sugar bubbles, small spheres are produced that encapsulate the olive oil within. An olive oil butter is also prepared, providing the dish with a creamy texture while further emphasising the role of this key ingredient.
For the final assembly, the crisp wafer is placed as the base. A portion of the infused cream is then spooned on top and covered with additional crisp fragments to provide texture. The caramel spheres filled with olive oil are added next, bringing sweetness and intensity to the dish. Finally, the composition is finished with small dots of extra virgin olive oil butter, completing a modern reinterpretation of panoli that is lighter in style while remaining faithful to its traditional flavours.
