SARONNO, Italy – The other day I discovered a great little restaurant right here in Saronno. It’s called LaPerla. The name has come up in casual conversation more than once and it has been on my 'To Do' list for quite a while, but somehow I’ve never gotten around to it. Then on Sunday some friends called and suggested we have lunch there.
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| La Perla Ristorante, Saronno, Italy |
LaPerla is run by two brothers, Emilio and Massimo Conte, who are from the small southern town of San Martino d’Agri in Lucania (Basilicata). The Conte brothers started working in restaurants in Milan about 30 years ago and are now up to their eyeballs in the restaurant business. In addition to LaPerla they manage two pizza parlors and another restaurant, Roppongi, in Saronno. But from what I hear, LaPerla is the best of the bunch.
The menu had several seasonal offerings that were very tempting, porcini mushrooms for example, and puntarella salad. I ordered baccala with potatoes, something I really love but never make because it's too much work. But if you have the time and the inclination you can try the recipe below, it’s not the exactly the same dish they serve at LaPerla, but close.
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| The LaPerla Family |
My grandmother used to cook stoccafisso, which is the dried version of baccala, although I can’t remember what she did with it. She may have cooked it in a tomato sauce. What's fixed in my brain is the sight of those stiff, gray fish propped up in the kitchen sink softening under cold running water.
When I moved to the Genova Nervi there was a small store on the main street that sold baccala and stoccafisso and they always had those same wood like fish sitting and softening in marble sinks in their front window.
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| Before the Makeover |
When I moved to the Genova Nervi there was a small store on the main street that sold baccala and stoccafisso and they always had those same wood like fish sitting and softening in marble sinks in their front window.
Even though baccala and stoccafisso come from the same fish, cod, the difference is in the way they are preserved. Baccala is cut and salted while stoccafisso is salted and then hung up to dry.
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| After the Makeover |
I was a little surprised when I saw baccala on the LaPerla menu as it isn’t a common ingredient in Northern Italian cooking, but that was before I learned that the Conte brothers are from the south. Actually I thought they were Genovese because of the way the baccala' was served. It seems to me that the fish was poached in milk or broth and then served with slices of boiled potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a little parsley. Less always seems to be more in great Italian dishes.
You can try poaching a piece of baccala’, which is what I’m going to do, or try the recipe below for baccala’ with potatoes and olives. It calls for baccala', not stoccofisso, potatoes, an onion, a little olive oil, olives, a little flour, fish stock (or fish bouillon) and bay leaves.
You can try poaching a piece of baccala’, which is what I’m going to do, or try the recipe below for baccala’ with potatoes and olives. It calls for baccala', not stoccofisso, potatoes, an onion, a little olive oil, olives, a little flour, fish stock (or fish bouillon) and bay leaves.
First you have to rinse the cod well to remove the excess salt and then put the fish to soak in cold water for at least two days, changing the water every 6-8 hours. Drain well and cut into squares. Remove all bones (you may have to use tweezers).
Flour the fish (1). In a low, wide pan fry the chopped onions in a little olive oil; (2) add the floured codfish; (3) and let brown on both sides, about 20 minutes on low heat.
While the fish is cooking, peel and slice the potatoes. In another pan, large enough to hold the fish and the potatoes, heat 3 ladles of broth (4) the slices of potatoes; (5) cover the pan; (6) let simmer.
Put the browned fish in the same pot as the cooked potatoes(7), add the bay leaves (8) the black olives (9) a little salt. Let cook for another 15-20 minutes, adding broth if necessary. This type of cooking is called “in umido” and the fish and potatoes should be served with a little of the cooking juice. Serve immediately.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
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