Florence-born Ariel Hagen is the Executive Chef of both Saporium Chiusdino, located within the fantastic Borgo Santo Pietro estate, and Saporium Firenze. In its debut year, Saporium Firenze has earned a Michelin Star as well as the prestigious Green Star, an accolade that highlights the restaurant’s leadership in sustainable gastronomy. Equally significant is the Green Star awarded to Saporium Chiusdino, further cementing Borgo Santo Pietro’s commitment to a culinary philosophy rooted in environmental respect, and the rich bounty of the land.We asked Chef Ariel to share a recipe you could try at home—and he’s gifted us his take on the ultimate scrambled eggs (yes, they really are that good), complete with a few secret ingredients. But when we pressed him for the real secret behind the perfect scramble, his answer was simple: it all comes down to the freshness of the eggs. So, if you’re serious about upping your breakfast game… it might be time to consider adopting a few hens of your own.

The Recipe (for one serving)

DOUBLE Cream (Base)

Ingredients

1L heavy cream
10 shallots
200ml white wine
150g butter
1 bunch of thyme

Method

Slice the shallots into julienne strips and gently stew them in a pot with butter and thyme for about 20 minutes. Deglaze with part of the white wine, then add the cream. Continue cooking, gradually adding the rest of the white wine. Reduce the mixture to one-third of its volume. Strain through a fine-mesh chinois.

Shallot INFUSED DOUBLE Cream

Ingredients

100ml double cream (prepared above)
50g shallot
20g butter

Method

Clean and finely dice the shallot (brunoise), then gently cook it in butter until completely soft. Add the prepared double cream and combine.

Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients

2 medium eggs
20g double cream with shallot
15g truffle paste
10g butter
Salt

Method

In a hot pan, melt the butter. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly with a pinch of salt.
Begin cooking the eggs, stirring constantly and gently to avoid overheating the pan. Towards the end of cooking, add the double cream with shallot and truffle paste. Return briefly to the heat to finish cooking.

Baby Spinach

Ingredients

2 small baby spinach plants
Olive oil
Hazelnut oil
Smoked garlic oil
Salt

Method

Lightly trim and clean the spinach thoroughly to remove soil from stems and leaves. Grill with a drizzle of olive oil, gently pressing down the root area to cook evenly. Finish with hazelnut oil, smoked garlic oil, and a pinch of salt.

Puff Pastry Spiral

Ingredients

1 sheet of puff pastry

Method

Cut the pastry into 8 cm long strips, each 1.5 cm wide. Roll this into spirals and place them in well-buttered aluminum molds. Allow them to rise until they reach the top edge of the mold. Bake in a Rational combi oven with fan at 3 and 50% steam for about 8 minutes.

Voilà, buon appetito. (we’ve heard they’re best served for breakfast in bed).