THE monthly giro d’Italia (journey through Italy) menu at Cicchetti takes diners on a culinary tour of Campania this August.
These dishes combine simplicity with great taste, allowing the quality of seasonal ingredients to shine through.
Campania, the region south of Rome on the west coast along the Tyrrhenian Sea, should be on every foodie traveller’s list. Its capital Naples is the birthplace of Pizza Margherita and its pizzerias are praised and copied around the world.
The area includes travel hot spots Pompeii and the Amalfi coast and is famous for its fantastic San Marzano tomatoes, pristine seafood, pasta, and mozzarella di bufala made from the milk of buffalo bred in Salerno and Caserto.
Campania is agriculturally rich: tomatoes, chestnuts, figs, beans, onions, artichokes, lemons (Limoncello was invented here), and apples flourish in the rich soils under Mount Vesuvius.
To see how Cicchetti has taken this wealth of ingredients and created another stunning regional menu, have a look in the box below – it reads like a dream.
Cicchetti’s giro d’Italia menu is a monthly-changing, regional menu that brings the true taste of Italy to diners’ tables. Showcasing the variations in authentic, local Italian cuisine, these dishes combine simplicity with great taste, allowing the quality of seasonal ingredients to shine through.
So far Cicchetti’s giro d’Italia has visited Abruzzo (home of San Carlo Group celebrity chef Aldo Zilli) and Sicily (home of San Carlo Group Chairman Carlo Distefano.)
Available during August only, the Campania menu is a must for fans of Italian food. Next up in September: Calabria.
For dinner reservations call San Carlo Cicchetti on 0161 839 2233. www.sancarlocicchetti.co.uk.
Cicchetti’s Campania Menu
Insalata Caprese al profumo di limone
Half Sorrento lemon filled with piennolo tomoato, buffalo mozzarella and anchovies, baked and topped with fresh basil
Scialatielli con parmigiana di pesce spade
Homemade Napolitano style pasta with fresh tomato, swordfish and basil, topped with buffalo mozzarella
Risotto alla Sorrentina
Aborio rice with baby squid, clams, sea weed and lemon zest
Tracchiulelle e braciole di vitello della domenica
Pork ribs and rolled veal stuffed with pine kernels and sultana, cooked in tomato sauce
Provola di bufala affumicata in camicia
Grilled smoked buffalo mozzarella served in a fresh tomato sauce
Trancio di cernia alla partenopea
Stone bass fillet on a potato cake with olive, tomato and lemon
Cuoppo misto
Typical Neapolitan street food - mixed fish and vegetables served in a bag
Dessert
Malanzane di cioccolata
Very old recipe of aubergine baked in a light chocolate sauce
Recommended wines:
Rosato D’Aglianico 2012
Campania's stunning rosé wines exude fresh red fruit. On the palate, they are lively and refreshing, balanced and beautifully delicate. These wines are versatile enough to accompany salami, sausages, pizza and fresh cheeses.
Aglianico 2011
The king of Campania’s reds is the full-bodied Aglianico, introduced to the area by the Greeks and later cultivated by the Romans. The Campania region’s success owes much to the varied climates and location.
