Chips di Lievito Esausto con Caponata

Chips di Lievito Esausto con Caponata is a contemporary Italian dish that repurposes spent brewer’s yeast into crispy, savory chips, served alongside a classic Sicilian caponata. The dish originates from Il Colmetto in Rodengo Saiano, Italy, where chef and creator Alessandro Bertuzzi—featured on *Where The Foodies Go*—champions zero-waste cooking. The spent yeast, a byproduct of beer brewing, is dehydrated and fried to create a nutty, umami-rich chip that is both light and intensely flavorful.

Key ingredients include the spent yeast chips, which are seasoned simply with salt, and a traditional caponata made from eggplant, tomatoes, celery, olives, capers, and a sweet-sour agrodolce of vinegar and sugar. What distinguishes a great version is the balance of textures: the chips must be shatteringly crisp without greasiness, while the caponata should be tender but not mushy, with a harmonious contrast of sweet, sour, and salty notes. Bertuzzi’s execution at Il Colmetto is praised for elevating humble byproducts into a refined starter.

Regional variations of caponata abound across Sicily, with some versions adding pine nuts, raisins, or even chocolate, but the pairing with spent yeast chips is unique to this Lombardian interpretation. The dish exemplifies modern Italian cuisine’s focus on sustainability and creative reuse, as noted by *Where The Foodies Go* in their coverage of Il Colmetto’s innovative menu.