CUCINA LIGURE

O MAGAZ Í N

When I think of Liguria, two very different memories come to mind. The first is from a very hot August day in Monterosso - Cinque Terre. The rocky, steep cliffs pierce the Ligurian sea under a striking sun as I navigate an ocean of people with a heavy (fat) baby strapped to me. The heat is unforgiving, the goal is survival and I pour water over my head while I strip, walk and try to escape what feels like a volcano stroll. The second is from my childhood and feels starkly different. Here, my mind is filled by the sounds of the sea that cradled my afternoon naps. I can hear the remote sounds of children playing on the beach and the sound of people washing their lunch dishes to the smell of espresso in the sleepy coastal town of Riva Trigoso. This memory is exactly what came to mind a while back when I spoke to Simona Mussini from Ristorante Ö Magazín in Portofino. The restaurant was born from her dad’s old fishing shop and bears the name of the original spot. Her whole family worked together to build it; they recycled materials from boats and fishing equipment to make furniture and décor. They devised a menu that speaks magic from its simplicity: tradi-

tional Ligurian fare at its best with Mussini family flair. The daily fish is obtained from a local fisherman and the antipasti are made fresh from the daily catch. The menu sports Trenette (typical Ligurian pasta) in a perfectly traditional pesto but also a version they invented with cream and tomato sauce. Their frittura - the mixed fried fish - is typically fragrant and crispy. The dessert is fresh gelato made daily by Simona’s husband in their gelateria. Everything is served flawlessly and without substitutions, in line with their taste and Ligurian culture.

Liguria is a region driven by tourism but it adheres fiercely to its traditions and this is reflected in its best eateries. There is no toying with its crispy golden chickpea farinata or the deliciously oily focaccia. Salted anchovies, olives and fried fresh fish still make up the favoured antipasti of locals and non. Handmade Trofie (traditional Ligurian pasta) with pesto are on every menu as well as rotating secondi made from the daily catch.

In this edition of T-Mag we have created a menu that will bring you all the flavours of Liguria anywhere you

may be. Our Farinata will be as crispy and delicious as the irresistible original snack. The Gattafin (a fried Raviolo filled with rich bitter greens and cheese) will keep you coming back for more. The Linguine alle Acciughe e Pinoli (Linguine with Anchovies and Pinenuts) will make an excellent and quick primo; perfect for an early fall dinner. The Pesce Spada con Olive Taggiasche e Pinoli (Swordfish with Taggiasche Olives and Pinenuts) with the green beans ‘alla Genovese’ bring together many great Ligurian staples and makes an easy, hearty and luscious meal.

When I said goodbye to Simona Mussini, I asked her for her very own favourite memory from Ö Magazín and of her home of Liguria. She delightfully said

“everything, every day”, resonating with the serenity and peace of someone living their life just as they feel they should. My wish is that these recipes leave you with the same feeling of tranquillity that Liguria instilled in me many years ago.

Sud Forno Executive Chef Giovanna in collaboration with our very own Ligurian, Spaccio Executive Chef Ruben Rapetti, has curated a selection of recipes inspired by Liguria’s cuisine. Try these recipes at home and visit our @terronimagazine Instagram for even more Ligurian dishes to make at home.

Farinata

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

200g chickpea flour

1l of water

salt and pepper to taste

EVOO

rosemary to taste

maldon salt or coarse

salt to finish

Method

In a large bowl vigorously whisk the water and chickpea flour. Skim away any foam that might form. Repeat three times until well mixed. Season with salt and refrigerate if using the next day. Preheat the oven to 280°C. Cover the bottom of a large oven-proof pan (15”-16” in diameter) with about 3 mm of EVOO, then pour in the farinata liquid and fresh rosemary if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and finish with salt.

Note

The farinata mix can be made the day before cooking. If making the mix the same day as cooking, the mix needs to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Linguine alle Acciughe e Pinoli

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tbsp. of oil

2-3 cloves of garlic

12 anchovy fillets

200g of Taggiasche

olives

100g of capers

400g of Linguine

70g of pine nuts, lightly toasted

parsley, freshly chopped

salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

In a pan gently heat 3 tbsp. of oil with the garlic and anchovies until the garlic is golden. Crush the anchovies with a wooden spoon to help them melt, add the olives and capers, toss for a couple of minutes and remove from the heat. Cook the linguine according to label instructions (but very al dente) in 5l of salted boiling water. Strain the pasta and toss in the pan on low heat, add the pine nuts, fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately, Buon Appetito!

Latte Fritto

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1l of milk

150g of flour

150g of sugar

6 eggs

1 lemon

100g of bread crumbs

sunflower oil for frying

Method

For the pastry cream, bring the milk to a boil and sift the flour into the milk while whisking. Add the sugar, lemon zest and 4 of the eggs, lightly beaten continuously whisking to prevent lumps. Spread the cream on a sheet pan, about 1 cm thick, and allow it to cool completely. Cut the cooled pastry cream into parallelograms. Whisk the remaining eggs and dip the cream parallelograms into the eggs and then coat them with the bread crumbs. Fry for 2-4 minutes in the sunflower oil at 170 Cp. until golden.

Pesce Spada alla Ligure

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

4 slices of swordfish (about 3cm thick)

2 cloves of garlic (crushed)

2 tbsp. of pine nuts

1 tbsp. of capers

2 tbsp. of Taggiasche olives

approx. 100ml white wine

1 tbsp. of chopped parsley

EVOO

Method

Marinate the swordfish with EVOO, 1 clove of garlic, parsley, salt and pepper then let it stand for 15 minutes. Heat a large pan, add the swordfish and 1 garlic clove and cook for 5 minutes. Before flipping the swordfish, deglaze with 100ml of white wine and add the capers, olives and pine nuts. Flip the swordfish and cook for five minutes more, adding a bit more wine if necessary. Add parsley, remove from heat, cover with a lid and let sit for 2 minutes before serving.