In this captivating interview with The Knife, culinary maestro Tommaso Arrigoni discusses the delicate balance of merging Ligurian and Piedmontese culinary traditions while embracing modern techniques at La Raia. Explore how the chef's commitment to biodynamic ingredients shapes the ever-evolving menu, how simplicity and boldness intertwine in the dishes, and the role sustainability plays in preserving Italy's rich gastronomic heritage. Discover insights into reinterpreting timeless classics and the surprising pairings of La Raia's renowned biodynamic wines. Dive deep into the future of Italian cuisine, where tradition and sustainability meet to create an unforgettable dining experience.
Your menus reflect a unique blend of Ligurian and Piedmontese culinary influences. How do you balance these two rich traditions in your dishes, and what’s the most surprising ingredient or technique you’ve incorporated from either region?
Working at the crossroads of two regions like Liguria and Piedmont is a blessing. The raw ingredients these areas offer are extraordinary and abundant, and the culinary traditions we’ve inherited are a real treasure. During the autumn, mushrooms and truffles are particularly exceptional for evoking traditional recipes.
La Raia places great importance on using biodynamic products. Could you tell us how this philosophy influences your approach to menu creation, and what challenges you face working with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients?
Working with these ingredients is a blessing, as they still retain their authentic flavours. The challenge, however, is that the seasons are becoming increasingly unstable, which makes it difficult to plan a menu or dish in advance. Climate change is one of our greatest adversaries.
Many of your dishes, like the amberjack tartare with cucumber soup and marinated tomatoes, highlight simple yet bold flavours. How do you approach balancing simplicity and complexity in your cooking?
I try to never include more than three ingredients in a dish. A main ingredient always needs a flavour enhancer to harmonise it. The challenge is to find the right pairing and to balance everything perfectly.
Sustainability is central to La Raia’s philosophy. How do you keep your haute cuisine menus innovative while staying true to sustainable and eco-friendly practices?
The rule is that everything that comes into the kitchen is edible — so nothing goes to waste. In fact, leftovers become valuable ingredients. A fish fin or a vegetable trimming can be used to create so much.
La Raia boasts rich biodiversity, with orchards, vegetable gardens, and livestock contributing to the cuisine. How do you ensure this biodiversity is fully reflected in your menus, and do you have any favourite ingredients from the estate?
The kitchen is always in direct communication with the estate’s farmers. Together, we decide what and how much to plant in the garden. We also have free-range hens providing us with incredible eggs daily, and the Fassone cattle for our meat. Everything from the estate is exceptional.
You’re known for reinterpreting traditional dishes like "Ravioli del Plin" and "Lacquered Pork Fillet." What is your creative process for transforming these classic recipes while staying true to their origins?
Modern technology, such as sous-vide cooking at low temperatures, allows us to enhance the ingredients while preserving traditional flavours. We also work on lightening and making the
dishes as digestible as possible — using extra virgin olive oil instead of lard or butter, and making sauces without heavy bases that make them harder to digest.
La Raia's biodynamic wines play a key role in your menus. How do you pair wines like Gavi D.O.C.G. or Piemonte D.O.C. Barbera with your dishes? Can you share an example of a pairing that surprised you?
In this case as well, collaboration with the estate’s winemaker is crucial to achieving the perfect result. One pairing I particularly enjoy is Gavi Riserva with salted anchovies in green foam, bread crumble, and lemon zest.
Although you focus on local ingredients and traditions, how much do global culinary trends influence your work? Is there a particular trend or international cuisine that has recently caught your attention?
I enjoy exploring new trends, but for La Raia’s menu, I try not to be influenced by them. This is a place where we want tradition, albeit reinterpreted, to be the focus for our guests. We want them to experience the essence of the region as much as possible.
Where do you see the future of Italian cuisine, especially in terms of sustainability and the use of local, organic ingredients? How do you think restaurants like Locanda La Raia can lead this change?
Keeping our roots in tradition while valuing the land and the people who maintain it daily is the only way to make our guests fall in love with this ecosystem. Working consistently every day, always striving for the highest quality, is the only way to preserve and pass on this heritage.
