Molise, naturally gluten-free

There are clichés that have nothing truthful about them. Among these, the fact that Molise does not exist is easily refutable, starting from the great agricultural tradition of this central region of the fascinating Italian boot. Among the great products of nature that belong to the food and wine tradition of this small and dynamic region, many are used for the preparation of naturally gluten-free dishes. Let's see some of them and discover their characteristics.

Pampanella

This is a peasant dish and features pork as the protagonist. Typical of the municipality of San Martino in Pensilis, it owes its name to the cooking technique with which it was once prepared. In fact, when the peasants were away from home, they used to prepare this pork by wrapping it in vine leaves, so as to be able to contain the ingredients with which the dish was cooked and at the same time they had a support with which to eat it, a sort of natural dish. The ingredients are very few. In addition to garlic, used in abundance, there is chili powder, both sweet and spicy, and wine vinegar. This dish has a strong and intense taste, suitable to be combined with full-bodied and structured drinks.

Randin Pizza

This ancient Molise dish is nothing more than a corn pizza. It is a very poor and simple bread, which in ancient times was cooked "under the cup", i.e. under an iron lid covered with hot coals. In the modern preparation, cornmeal, water and salt are mixed together until all the ingredients are blended. The dough is placed in a pan sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil and then covered with more extra virgin olive oil. Cooking takes place in the oven and once cooked it can accompany many dishes, such as boiled vegetables or legumes. It can also be eaten with cured meats and cheeses or enriched with spices and chili peppers.

U Bredette

A typical dish of Termoli is this fish broth, a sort of fish soup. This is the typical dish of coastal Molise cuisine and was usually eaten by fishermen. There are many varieties of fish used for this soup, such as sea cicadas, clams, mullet, tub gurnards, scorpion fish, squid, cod and cuttlefish. The tomato and a pinch of chilli are added to the fish. The dish is highly aromatic and complex, capable of replacing an entire meal, especially if accompanied by corn pizza.

Pezzata Of Capracotta

This dish was eaten by shepherds during the transhumance. It is a stew of sheep, lamb or goat. The type of meat depended on the animal that was injured during the transhumance and therefore, unable to continue the journey, it was slaughtered on the spot and then boiled to make a stew. Today sheep meat is mainly used, which is cut into large pieces and cooked with tomato, aromatic herbs and chilli pepper.

Agnonese Tripe Knots

This dish is very ancient, linked to the world of sheep farming. These are pieces of lamb tripe, garlic, parsley, tomato, pepper, lard and salt. It is a very interesting and easy to prepare dish, with a strong taste that stimulates the appetite. The peculiarity lies in the tripe strips which are stuffed with a mixture of lard, parsley, garlic and pepper, knotted and then lowered into the tomato sauce to complete the cooking.

Pizza E Pasta Italiana

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