The Best of Italy
The latest edition of Restaurant magazine focuses on the Best of Italy, featuring some of the UK’s longest running Italian restaurants, a culinary map of the regions and an exclusive interview with L’Anima Chef-patron Francesco Mazzei.
Here Giorgio Alessio, Chef-owner of Lanterna Ristorante in Scarborough shares three Piedmontese recipes
Testa in Cassetta di Gavi
Bagna C?uda
Bollito misto di Moncalvo
About Piedmonte:
Piedmont attracts waves of culinary tourists with its tartufi (truffles) wild mushrooms and game. They come mainly in truffle season to hunt wild white truffles on the hills of Alba, Monferrato and Asti.
Cooking in the region is the most varied in all of Italy but testa in cassetta di Gavi (sausage made from cooked pig’s head and aromatics), bollito misto “mixed boil” (a stew of mixed meats, sausage (cotchino) and vegetables), and bagna c?uda “hot bath” (a warm sauce of garlic, olive oil and anchovies), stand out.
The city of Turin is the birth place of grissini and is credited with being the place where chocolate was first introduced to Europe.
About Lanterna Ristorante:
Giorgio Alessio, Chef-owner of this seaside restaurant in Yorkshire, has spent the past 11 years combining Yorkshire ingredients with Italian cookery predominantly from Piedmont.
At times it’s been a thankless task. “The restaurant opened in 1973 serving Italian food for English people. There was Spaghetti Bolognese and Scampi in a Basket. When we took over in 1997 and changed the menu, lots of people panicked and cancelled their bookings. We thought about going back to what English people wanted, but fortunately we continued to follow our hearts”.
Tastes have changed, says Alessio, as people travel more and explore the different regions of Italy. While Tuscany used to be considered the only region for good food, Piedmontese ingredients, particularly truffles, have recently seen an upsurge in popularity.
Although he does still get requests for Spaghetti Carbonara, business is now good with his method of using fish and seafood straight from Scarborough harbour to create dishes such as Velvet Crab with Pasta and Home-Smoked Scarborough Woof.
He advises other Italian restaurateurs to “stop the theme park of Italian food” and move Italian restaurants into the present.
33 Queen Street, Scarborough YO11 1HQ
01723 363616 www.lanterna-ristorante.co.uk
To see the full culinary map of Italy and read about the other five restaurants featured pick up the latest edition of Restaurant magazine today, available in all good newsagents.
