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09/27/2004 Archived Entry: "More Italy, and Risotto alla Salernitana"

I left you in Naples. Bob Harned and I then took the train to Paestum, where, on Cecilia Baratta’s farms, I conduct my cooking classes. We had a quick lunch with Cecilia in her gazebo -- spaghetti with tomato sauce and zucchini parmigiana in bianco. That is, in other words, flour and egg-dipped fried zucchini layered with bits of mozzarella and grated Parmigiana-Reggiano, then bound into a delicious casserole by pouring beaten egg over the whole thing and baking it. No tomato sauce: hence, in bianco. With it we had a green salad; for dessert, the sweetest imaginable watermelon.

The three of us then headed southeast in Cecilia’s car for a two-day scouting mission in Basilicata and Puglia. The goal to this outing was to find new things to do and to eat and places to stay when we change our Cook At Seliano itinerary starting in March 2005 (there is still room for a few more people). Instead of taking our culinary vacation groups to Avellino for a winery visit, and to Naples for what we are now thinking is too short a visit to really appreciate this amazing city, we are going to go to Venosa, in Basilicata, for some cultural touring and lunch, then to a tiny town in Basilicata, Barile, in the heart of Aglianico del Vulture production, where there is, incongruously, a fabulously chic, modern (new), small hotel with a restaurant that cooks and presents local dishes in a contemporary manner. The next morning we’ll go to nearby Altamura, which is famous for its semolina bread and focaccia, and where we can also taste Puglia’s newest gastronomic rage – burrata, a bag of thinly rolled mozzarella filled with cream and strings of unformed mozzarella called stracciatella. We found a very accommodating baker who works an oven built in 1423. By March, he will have finished building a tasting room over the bakery where we can sample his wares, along with the local cheeses from sheep, goats, and cows.

After Altamura, we’ll be off to Matera (where, by the way, Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ” was filmed), to explore its sassi, the white stone caves where people still live (although not primitively) and for a late lunch at an excellent restaurant we’ve discovered. It’s in a former carriage house/stable and serves strictly the local food of Matera. Ceclia, Bob and I ate things the three of us had never eaten before.

So we’re excited about showing off our new discoveries in March.

Back at the ranch, or I should say farm – Tenuta Seliano – Cecilia’s place, we greeted our group and had a grand week of eating, drinking, touring, and, naturally, cooking. One of the highlights was the new restaurant opened by my friend chef Antonio Pisaniello in the province of Avellino. It’s called La Locanda di Bu -- locanda being a word for a country inn or restaurant, Bu being the nickname of his young son, Umberto. The restaurant is in the town of Nusco, which is most unfortunately associated as the birthplace of a particularly hated politician. It is amazingly charming and surrounded by the spectacular hills of Avellino. My friend Carla Capalbo is living there now. She is the author of “The Food and Wine Lover’s Companion to Tuscany” and she’s now working on a similar book for Campania. She needed a base in the region to get her work done – writing about the artisan food producers. My group got a little tour of Nusco with Carla, then a peak at her apartment. I was jealous for a minute. The apartment was huge and cheap and had incredible views. But then, when you wake up in the morning, you’re in Nusco, not Naples, Rome or Brooklyn.

Antonio’s food was superb as usual. I had eaten a few times at his other restaurant, Il Gastronomo (in Ponteromito), now being run by his brother. He refines local specialties, using the best local ingredients, so they taste and look contemporary, arranging striking presentations on fine white bone china – its food you expect in a high-style restaurant in New York, London or Paris. But here you are in Nusco.

We had, of course, too many courses to enumerate here. The two big highlights for me were the fried salt cod cake with a puree of chick peas, and the tempura-fried ricotta with purees of both red and yellow peppers. It’s a tiny restaurant, seating about 35, and Antonio (known as Tonino) cooks behind a glass window with young cooks from all over the world. Right now, he has a young American and a young Japanese cook. He welcomes young chefs for “stages” (a French word meaning short apprenticeships). Write to the following snail mail or email address for more information, or if you’d like to reserve a table. Avellino is a wonderful province to visit. You can get to many towns in less than an hour from either Salerno or Naples, a little longer from Sorrento or the Amalfi Coast. Besides the beautiful landscape, it is important wine country these days. Prior to having lunch at La Locanda di Bu, my group had visited Feudi di San Gregorio, a huge winery in Sorbo Serpico. The winery has an elegant restaurant, too – culinarily along the same lines as Locanda di Bu, but much larger. It’s called Marenná.

La Locanda di Bu
Vicolo dello Spagnuolo, 1
83051 Nusco (AV)
info@lalocandadibu.com

I haven’t forgotten those of you who like to cook. Even though risotto is not a traditional southern Italian dish, here’s a recipe that we have made in class at Seliano. Cecilia created it, using the risotto technique, but starting out with a more typical rice recipe of the area – boiled rice enriched with sauce or other ingredients. In this case, the rice is enriched with mozzarella, prosciutto and a final fillip of beaten eggs, which if you were making plain boiled rice would have made it a little creamy, and in this case adds to the creaminess.

Risotto alla Salernitana
(Risotto with Prosciutto and Mozzarella)

Serves at least 4

5 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely minced
2 cups Italian rice – Arborio, Vialone Nano, or Carnaroli
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 ounces prosciutto, cut into 1/8-inch cubes
8 ounces mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 eggs, beaten with salt and pepper
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano, or pecorino, or a mixture

Keep the broth in a small saucepan over low heat.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes, until the grains become white and opaque.

Add the white wine. Stir and cook until the wine is nearly evaporated.

Add enough broth to cover the rice. Stir and cook until the top of the rice is dry. Stir again, then add enough more broth to again cover the rice.

Continue cooking the rice at a brisk simmer, stirring in broth as needed, until the rice is still the tiniest bit firm.

Stir in the prosciutto and mozzarella.

Remove from the heat and stir in the beaten eggs, stirring well to incorporate.

Serve immediately, with grated cheese. (If desired, stir in some grated cheese before serving.)