From the picturesque Dolomites to the culinary capitals of Europe and beyond, Chef Alessio Rasom's journey is a true gourmet odyssey. Growing up in his family's bakery, El Peck, Rasom was destined for a life of flavour and adventure. At 16, he traded his mountain village for MICHELIN Stars, cooking under culinary legends at Trussardi alla Scala and Mirazur.
His taste for travel took him from Kyoto’s Kinobu to Paris, where he honed his skills at Ze Kitchen Galerie. Alongside his wife Binh, he cycled (you read that right) 18,000 kilometres from Paris to Vietnam—a journey that led him to Da Nang. In Da Nang, Rasom reopened El Peck and launched Si Dining in 2022. This Italian hotspot has already wowed MICHELIN Inspectors, earning a spot in the MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2024 edition, with Da Nang as the latest new destination.
His cooking philosophy is straightforward: “I’m guided by the ingredients—their texture, colours, perfumes, and taste. My job is to create harmony and balance among them. My recipe? It’s all about visiting the market and trusting my instincts.”
With this fun mantra, we asked the Italian chef to share an easy recipe that you can whip up right at home.
Beetroot Salad
Ingredients:
- Baby beetroot
- Strawberry
- Goldenberry
- Pomelo
- Peach
- Buddha’s hand confit
- Pecorino cheese
- Passion fruit
- Olive oil
- Salt
How to cook:
- Clean the beetroot and cover it with rock salt. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes (larger beetroots will need to cook longer).
- Check the beetroot with a fork or knife, and remove it from the salt as soon as it’s cooked. Allow the beetroot to cool.
- Make the passion fruit dressing by cutting 2 passion fruits and scooping out the flesh. Blend with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Remove the skin from the beetroot, then cut it into bite-sized pieces and place on a plate.
- Cut the golden berry, peach, pomelo, and strawberry into bite-sized pieces as well, and arrange them randomly on the plate.
- Add some thin slices of Buddha’s hand and raw beetroot on top.
- Place several slices of young Pecorino cheese on the dish.
- Drizzle the passion fruit dressing over everything and garnish with fresh herbs.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Espelette chilli to taste.
Tips from the chef:
- You can swap passion fruit for orange if you prefer.
- Any fresh herb will do—try basil, cilantro, or parsley.
- Use any cheese you love, but goat or sheep’s milk cheese works wonders!
- Feel free to switch up the fruit depending on what’s in season.
- This is a summer version, but you can make a winter one by keeping the beetroot warm, adding toasted seeds like sesame or sunflower, and Dukkha goes great with it too.
- If you prefer, you can boil the beetroot instead of cooking it in rock salt—just add a pinch of salt after cooking.
- Buon appetito!
Illustration image: © Si Dining
