An Italian journalist Luciano Pignataro revealed that the secret behind the flavorsome Cilento cuisine is the absence of a clock. I investigate this secret and wonder why in Malta we still have not embarked on a slow food journey.

At the mention of the word Cilento or Trentinara I always get baffled looks. No one seems to have ever heard of it, not even the Italians themselves. Well, neither had I until sometime ago!

I started discovering Trentinara and the Cilento area when my parents, at the time on holiday in Southern Italy, met this Italian couple by chance – Alfonso and Cristina. The couple run this cosy and tiny tavern called Lo Vottaro situated in the historical centre of the quaint comune di Trentinara. My parents instantly fell in love with their restaurant and the town which hosts it. The food which Alfonso and Cristina so passionately prepare was excellent bait for my epicurean father. Therefore, it was not long before I was convinced to visit Trentinara.

The unspoilt ground of Cilento, in the province of Salerno, forms part of the Campania region in Southern Italy. The area is hushed and undiscovered, as if kept a secret from the rest of Italy and to tourists. Trentinara, a town situated close to Paestum in the Cilento area, is dominated by a placid and passive aura. There is tranquility around as if time stopped a couple of centuries ago. Yet, the feeling is positive especially as you realise that the locals cling bravely to their old traditions and customs and have high esteem of their products and territory, an attitude which we Maltese are still coming to terms with..

Walking through the tight alleys of Trentinara feels like being in the Middle Ages. The cobbled pavements were definitely not made for women wearing high heels, not that you see many of them around! Few inhabitants populate this hilltop town, many of them farmers and producers of local specialties like extra virgin olive oil, buffalo mozzarella, goats’ cheese, and cured meats. Alfonso explained that many locals still live a limited and traditional lifestyle; many women are housewives or work in fields together with their husbands. Men break their daily routine downing Vecchia Romagna (an Italian brandy) in the bars around the town. Alfonso, jokingly but truthfully describes the locals, especially the veterans, as penny-pinchers, who rarely travel away from Trentinara, and are oblivious to fashion, innovation and technology.

Yet, when modern Alfonso landed in Trentinara he wanted to preserve the past traditions. He acquired a couple of old residences in the core of Trentinara and restored them to their original medieval state creating a warm and rustic dining area and also spacious rooms which can be rented as holiday homes. As soon as you enter the tavern you are welcomed by an appetizing display of delicacies prepared as part of the menu of the day. At Lo Vottaro there is no fixed menu or wine list. Everything is put together freshly for the day and according to season. Ingredients used are procured from local farmers and suppliers. Herbs, mushrooms and wild edible kitchen essentials are hand-picked by Alfonso and Cristina during their regular walks in the woods.

The wooden tables, terracotta glasses and plates, and the decorative food items appended to the ceiling create a hospitable atmosphere.  The glowing fireplace is not only a source of heat but also a cooking hob for calamari, wild boar sausages, and fresh eggs cooked on the open fire and served with grated truffle. Cristina is in charge of the kitchen. You will find no weighing scales in her cooking area where she, with her swift and smooth moves, prepares everything from scratch. Her recipes and measurements are stored in her mind. She grows her own vegetables and herbs, rears her own chickens, and a pig. She preserves fruit, makes jams, cures meat and she even bottles her own olive oil!

The menu is usually presented in the form of a mixed antipasto, a soup, the first course, a main dish and then a selection of desserts. Many dishes served contain typical Cilento specialties which are part of the Mediterranean diet, found to be, by the American nutritionist Ancel Keys, a healthier option. .  During our stay we managed to taste a selection of cheeses including buffalo mozzarella  aged goat’s cheese, a variety of cured meats, an artichoke parmiggiana, ricotta soufflé and of course the home-baked bread. As first courses we enjoyed ravioli stuffed with ricotta, fusilli with broccoli and clams, cavatelli with fresh tomato sauce and porcini mushrooms. For main courses we were endowed with, wild boar cooked in tomato sauce, oven-baked rabbit and roasted kid.  To soothe our sweet tooth: rum savarin, pear and ricotta tart, wild berries jam tart, buffalo ricotta with acacia honey.

At Lo Vottaro food is a serious matter. This tavern is the refuge of people in search of traditional recipes, natural food and genuine delicacies.  Alfonso and Cristina work hard to guarantee the use of fresh local products, carefully grown or chosen personally by them to ensure their taste is not marred by added chemicals or preservatives. Eating at Lo Vottaro is like eating at your grandmother’s house when everything was simpler yet with particular characteristics, distinct taste and healthy nutritional values. Once you experience Lo Vottaro few other restaurants will provide you with the same palatable satisfaction.

In Malta, the time has arrived to pause our clock and embark on a journey to discover the edible treasures of the Maltese territory. Local produce needs to be safeguarded and promoted to rekindle the traditions of local cuisine and ensure a slow and healthy food style for the new generations. Maltese citizens should be inspired by the work of Alfonso and Cristina and insist on eating local dishes and products. Would love to see a “Lo Vottaro” on our islands!

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Day 1-2 / 10th & 11th April

This time the events were spread out on 4 days. We kicked off the Riso e Risotti campaign at the Institute of Tourism Studies with a lecture delivered to the final year chef students by Gabriele Ferron.

The crowd of youngsters gathered in the hall, murmuring and circumspectly waiting for the appearance of their special guest. The atmosphere reminded me so much of my student days. The mood was set by the radiant face of Gabriele as he had the floor and was recounting his affiliation with rice. It was easy to sense his passion as he was disseminating knowledge about the process of cultivating, harvesting and milling rice in his territory. His curious questions addressed to students like how many grains there are in 100g of rice immediately captured their attention. By the end of the first session it felt like Gabriele had got them under his rice spell.

It was time for the practical part of the lecture. We moved to the well-equipped kitchen of the Institute of Tourism Studies where Gabriele Ferron divulged the characteristics which distinguish the Vialone Nano rice variety from the Carnaroli species. He continued by demonstrating two distinct methods of cooking risotto.

Gabriele’s lifetime experience helped him develop a particular method for cooking risotto – the no stirring technique. This no stir method involves toasting the rice in some extra virgin olive oil, adding double the amount of rice of boiling broth and leaving the rice to cook for 10 minutes, covered with the lid and without stirring.  You can then add the condiment to your liking. In this instance, the Master Chef combined this Carnaroli risotto with a mixture of finely chopped herbs including basil, mint and wild fennel tops. The aroma emanating from these herbs was overwhelming.

Successively, the traditional rice cooking method was presented by Gabriele Ferron.  The Vialone Nano rice variety was used to prepare the traditional recipe of Isola della Scala, in Verona, the Risotto all’Isolana. This fragrant risotto is combined with lean pork, veal, rosemary and a hint of cinnamon. For this method the rice was added to a pan of boiling broth, stirred once and cooked on a very low heat for 15 minutes. The risotto dish is concluded by adding the meat sauce and delicately beating in butter and grated cheese.

The students, having witnessed this cooking session by a rice master chef and tasted the differently prepared risottos looked satisfied and fascinated. But are they prepared to participate in the Risotto Contest? Who will fascinate the eyes and tastes of Gabriele Ferron with their risotto recipe? The winners of this contest will attend and cook at the most prestigious manifestation of rice in Italy – the Fiera del Riso.

A similar presentation introducing the range of products produced by Riseria Ferron and demonstrating the different cooking techniques was held the following day for restaurant owners and chefs by Gabriele Ferron. The event was also held at the Institute of Tourism Studies.

Day 3 – 4 / 12th & 13th April

Although it was our second Riso e Risotti degustation I was trembling with excitement. The menu was finalised, the ingredients taken care of by the staff at Tartarun Restaurant. In the afternoon, Gabriele Ferron and my brother started preparations in the kitchen together with chef James Schiavone from Tartarun. I was in charge of the bookings. Some bookings were cancelled at the last minute and this kind of dropped my morale. It’s only until I realised that such things happen all the time to restaurant owners that I got back the energy and vibe to make the evening a success.

Guests started coming in at 8pm. They were welcomed with a Prosecco cocktail and enticed by a selection of rice crackers topped with sun-dried tomato pate, local bigilla paste (cream of beans with garlic, parsley and olive oil) and chicken pate with onions, celery and carrots.

At around half eight Gabriele Ferron appeared to make his introduction. His short but glamorous speech pointed out the importance of rice in the world and its symbol of prosperity and fertility. He spoke highly of Malta and was adamant that the combination of rice with local ingredients such as fish, vegetables and herbs will produce delicious and genuine results in the kitchen.

Then off he was to start serving the series of degustation dishes. An arancina with squid ink placed on a tomato and chilli relish was served as an amuse-bouche. The first course consisted of mixed vegetables and red mullet fillets battered with a rice flour mixture and deep-fried. This warm salad was served on a selection of leaves and dressed with home-made citrus mayonnaise.  The salad was followed by a rice flour creamy polenta topped with fresh clams and a tomato concasse. Next in line was a train of 3 diverse risotto dishes: a carnaroli risotto with fresh basil, mint and wild fennel; a carnaroli risotto with cauliflower puree and baked scallop; and a vialone nano risotto with artichoke hearts and fresh anchovy fillets. The degustation was concluded with a classic tiramisu however prepared with cream of rice.

On Friday, we were lucky not to get any cancellations and the restaurant was jam-packed. Everyone seemed geared up for the weekend and the atmosphere was somewhat livelier. Or, was I actually more relaxed?

All in all the two degustation evenings were a complete success. The comments we received were auspicious. I feel that these days spent in the name of rice were rewarding and look forward to have similar events coming up.

I would like to thank all the sponsors and contributors who helped us in setting up these events especially Riseria Ferron, Tartarun Restaurant, Hotel Santana and M. Demajo Wines & Spirits.

But most of all our big thank you goes to Gabriele Ferron who accepted our invitation to come to Malta for the second time and share with us the passion and knowledge he nourishes for his amour-propre – rice!

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One particular ingredient which immediately conjures Summer impressions is the aubergine, also known as eggplant. It’s not that this vegetable is found only in Summer, since it is usually available all year round, but if you say the word aubergine the first thing that crosses my mind is caponata. And caponata kicks off a trail of memories of my younger days. As I write the word I can taste the sweet and sour balance of my mother’s caponata served with some tuna in extra virgin olive oil and boiled potatoes with mint. Cannot forget to mention the crusty Maltese bread which always helped us to scrape clean the plate.

Going back to the aubergine, I must say that I find this commonly deep-purple berry to be a resourceful ingredient. And since yesterday I felt like a vegetarian dinner, and the only vegetables available in my refrigerator were 2 aubergines and a couple of tomatoes, I created this recipe:

Aubergines stuffed with couscous, fresh and sun-dried tomatoes

Ingredients for 2 persons:

• 2 aubergines
• 50g wholewheat couscous
• a handful of cherry tomatoes
• 4 halves sun-dried tomatoes
• mint
• wild fennel tops
• chili pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Wash the aubergines, cut them into 2 lengthwise and make criss-cross cuts with a knife in the flesh, without tearing the skin. Place on an oven-proof dish, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and put in the hot oven for approximately 20 minutes until the flesh has softened.

In the meantime, prepare the couscous by pouring 50ml of boiling salted water in a bowl. Add the couscous and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the grains with a fork adding a small knob of butter to avoid it sticking. Chop the cherry tomatoes into small quarters and cut the sun-dried tomatoes into tiny strips. Finely chop the mint and wild fennel tops.

Make sure the aubergines have cooled down and scoop out gently the soft flesh with a teaspoon. Chop the flesh roughly and add to the couscous together with the tomatoes and herbs. Season with some chili pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Fill in the aubergine halves with the couscous mixture and serve with a green salad or some spinach.

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Only your culinary creativity can limit your ideas on how to cook and serve squid or calamari. I feel that this mollusc can be combined with a variety of ingredients especially vegetables. Artichokes, courgettes, spinach and even broad beans marry well with squid. So have a look at your vegetable storage, see what’s in season and create your favourite squid dish. My preferred option is stuffed squid. This time I am proposing a delicate stuffing with ricotta.  I got thumbs up for this one.

Serves 4

• 4 whole squid, cleaned (600g)
• 40g sliced white bread (crust removed)
• 1 garlic clove
• 6 black olives
• 1 tsp capers in salt
• 300g cherry tomatoes
• 2 tblsp dry white wine
• 80g ricotta
• 1 egg
• Oregano
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Finely chop the tentacles of the squid, peel the garlic clove and put the salted capers in some warm water to soak. In the meantime, take a large frying pan, put some olive oil, add the garlic clove and the tentacles and leave on high heat for few minutes, stirring continuously. Pour in the wine and leave to evaporate. Remove the garlic clove.

Blend the bread pieces in the mixer to get rough crumbs. Remove the tentacles from the pan, keeping the frying pan to the side without clearing away the remaining juices. Mix the tentacles with the bread mixture, chopped olives, ricotta, egg, oregano, drained capers and season with pepper. Stuff the squid and close with toothpicks.

Take the frying pan, previously used for the tentacles, add some olive oil and cook the squid for 3 minutes from each side until browned. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

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Ingredients for 4 people:

• 320g Carnaroli rice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 shallots
• Approx. 800ml prawn stock
• 150g portobello mushrooms
• 8 slices speck
• 160g peeled prawns
• 120g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 60g buttter
• Truffle oil
• Red chard leaves, to decorate (optional)

Prawn stock

• 800g prawn shells
• 100g Carrots, finely chopped
• 100g Onions, finely chopped
• 80g Celery, finely chopped
• 80g Fennel, finely chopped
• 20g Garlic, crushed
• 40g Tomato paste
• 200ml White wine
• 2 ltr Water
• 500ml Tomato juice
• Bouquet garni
• Pepper corns

To prepare the prawn stock:

1. Sweat the prawn shells in olive oil until golden. Remove shells and drain the fat.
2. In the same pan sweat the celery, onion, fennel and carrots in some olive oil and butter. Add the garlic and sweat for about 5 mins, add the tomato paste. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, add the white wine and reduce by half.
3. Add the shells, bouquet garni, water, and tomato juice, bring to boil and skim any fat from surface.
4. Simmer for 45 minutes. When ready pass well through a fine sieve.
5. Place the stock back on the stove on low heat, and skim the remaining impurities, taste and season with salt, sugar and fresh lemon juice. Keep boiling for the risotto.

Risotto Mare e Monti

To prepare the risotto:

1. In a thick bottom pan, pour a few tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the rice, lightly toast. After a minute add 700 ml of boiling stock at once. Mix gently and simmer on low heat for approximately 13 minutes.
2. In a separate pan pour some oil, when the pan is hot add the garlic and shallots, toss occasionally, add the Portobello mushrooms, until lightly brown. Add the prawns and sauté.
3. When the rice is ready. Add the butter and Parmesan. Add ½ a ladle of stock to make it as runny as you like. Stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. This stage is very important when making a good risotto. Taste and season. The risotto should be creamy.
4. Fold in the prawns and mushrooms mixture and plate.
5. Garnish with the speck a drizzle of truffle oil and leaves of red chard.

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Our first contribution comes from Chef James Schiavone from Tartarun Restaurant in Marsaxlokk, a vegetarian risotto recipe hailing the sweetness of carrots and the earthy flavour of mushrooms using the Vialone Nano rice type.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 320g  Vialone nano rice
• 300g carrot puree
• 60g butter
• 150g Parmesan shavings
• Approx. 800ml of vegetable stock
• 4 baby carrots peeled, cut in four
• 160g oyster mushrooms, cleaned
• Thyme flowers

Carrot puree

• 1 white onion
• ½ a leek
• 8 carrots
• Knob of butter
• Extra virgin olive oil

To prepare the carrot puree:

1. Chop up the onion, leek and carrots.
2. Pour the oil in a pan and sweat the vegetables without browning them.
3. Add enough water just to cover the vegetables.
4. Bring to boil and keep simmering until carrots are cooked.
5. Add the butter.
6. Blend and pass through a fine strainer to form a puree.

Vegetable stock

• 1 fennel bulb
• 2 white onions
• 1 leek
• 6 carrots
• ½ head of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• Thyme
• Flat parsley
• Peppercorns

To prepare the vegetable stock:

1. Roughly chop the vegetables and put them in a large pot.
2. Pour cold water just enough to cover the vegetables.
3. Bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes
4. Pass through a fine strainer and keep the stock aside.
5. Any leftover stock can be frozen.

Carrot and parmesan risotto with roasted baby carrots and oyster mushrooms

To prepare the risotto:

1. In a thick bottom pan, pour a few tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the rice, toast lightly, and after a minute it will look slightly translucent. Then pour a ladle of the boiling stock. Lower heat and simmer for a minute.
2. Add the carrot puree, stir well, and then add another ladle of stock. Keep adding a ladle of stock at a time, stirring and letting the creamy starch ooze out of the rice. Allow each ladle of stock to be absorbed before adding the next.
3. Place the baby carrots in a dish, season with olive oil, salt and pepper and put in a hot oven until nicely roasted.
4. In a separate pan pour some oil, when the pan is hot add the roughly chopped oyster mushrooms. Toss the mushrooms and season with salt and fresh thyme.
5. Taste the rice. It should be soft but with a slight bite. When ready remove from the heat. I like my risotto slightly runny so when the rice is ready I add an extra ½ ladle of stock. Add the butter and Parmesan. Stir well and taste for seasoning. Risotto should be nice and creamy.
6. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. This stage is very important to make a good risotto.
7. Plate the risotto and garnish with the roasted baby carrots, oyster mushrooms, some parmesan shavings and radish leaves.

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It’s easy to get it wrong and end up with a messy, mushy mass on your plate. But if you learn about the three decisive elements of how to make the perfect risotto then you can enjoy the versatility of this Italian dish.

Risotto was not frequently on my menu. The necessity for 20 minutes of continuous stirring, adding a ladle of stock at a time until all the liquid has absorbed, came as a deterrent. It was only when my brother headed to the Po Valley, in Italy, after falling in love with a risotteria in New York, that I got dominated by the risotto vibe.

My determination to learn how to cook a perfect risotto made me wander after the Italian rice master chef Gabriele Ferron. His close acquaintance with rice and risotto introduced me to the unknown and heightened my curiosity. I also ended up visiting the annual Fiera del Riso in Isola della Scala, Verona. After extensive reading and testing I have now accomplished what in my unpretentious opinion makes a proper risotto.

The rice variety

Move on from Arborio, the most popular variety. I choose the Vialone Nano and the Superfino Carnaroli varieties for my risotto. The Vialone Nano variety with its rounded, shorter kernels creates a soft, creamy risotto with a firm texture. The Carnaroli excellently retains its shape and produces a looser risotto. I pick the Vialone Nano for a hearty risotto with meat or vegetables and combine the Carnaroli with seafood or prestigious ingredients like scallops or saffron.

The broth

Forget the stock cube. The rice will absorb broth whilst cooking, so it stands to reason that a genuinely prepared broth will give the rice a superior taste. My preference is for vegetable broth since I find that its delicate taste does not override the flavours of the other ingredients. It’s easy to prepare – you need 1 onion, 2 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 1 bay leaf and salt. Add all the ingredients in 2 litres of cold water, bring to boil and leave to simmer for 30 minutes. Alternatively you can prepare chicken or fish broth depending on the accompanying ingredients of your risotto. Any remaining broth can be frozen.

The technique

Do not stir continuously. Kitchen gourmets may find this a fat heresy, but I learnt to prepare my risotto using Gabriele Ferron’s technique, and that means no stirring. The rice is stirred only as soon as the broth is added and in the final stage for the mantecatura.  I find this method a guarantee for no-gluey risotto dishes: (quantities are for 4 servings)

1. Heat some extra virgin olive oil,
   add a finely chopped onion and cook until the onion is transparent making sure that it does not burn
2. Add 400g of rice and toast it on a moderate heat for a couple of minutes to seal the starch
3. Pour 900ml boiling broth at one go and stir delicately with a flat wooden spoon
4. Cover the pan and put on a very low heat for 10 minutes
5. Prepare the condiment separately and add to the rice cooking for another 2 minutes without stirring
6. Turn off the heat and amalgamate a knob of butter and 40g grated parmesan cheese
7. You can add more boiling broth if the rice is not as creamy as you desire
8. Season with salt & pepper
9. Leave to rest for a couple of minutes covered with a damp cloth and serve immediately

The recipes

• Risotto with broad beans and pancetta
• Risotto with prawns and rocket leaves

For more recipes click here.

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The delicate prawn taste combined with the tangy flavor of the fresh rocket leaves produce a well-balanced risotto.

Ingredients for 4 persons:

• 320g Carnaroli rice
• 700ml vegetable stock
• 300g frozen prawns (Can be gladly substituted with fresh prawns)
• a bunch of fresh rocket leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• extra virgin olive oil
• ½ glass dry white wine
• chili pepper
• knob of butter
• 40g grated parmesan
• salt

Prepare the rice

1. Heat some extra virgin olive oil, add a finely chopped onion and cook until the onion is transparent making sure that it does not burn
2. Add 320g of rice and toast it on a moderate heat for a couple of minutes to seal the starch
3. Pour 700ml boiling broth at one go and stir delicately with a flat wooden spoon
4. Cover the pan and put on a very low heat for 10 minutes

In the meantime, cook the prawns in a saucepan with some extra virgin olive oil and a crushed garlic clove. When the prawns are done, remove the garlic and add some chili pepper. Pour the wine and leave to evaporate.

Add the mixture to the rice and cook for further 2 minutes. Blend in the grated parmesan and butter and leave risotto to rest for a couple of minutes covered with a damp cloth. Add the finely chopped rocket leaves and serve.

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Ingredients for 4 persons:

• 400g Vialone Nano rice
• 900ml vegetable broth
• 200g fresh broad beans, peeled and blanched
• 150g pancetta, cubed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• extra virgin olive oil
• knob of butter
• 40g grated parmesan cheese
• ½ glass dry white wine
• mint
• salt & pepper

Prepare the rice:

1. Heat some extra virgin olive oil
2. Add 400g of rice and toast it on a moderate heat for a couple of minutes to seal the starch
3. Pour 900ml boiling broth at one go and stir delicately with a flat wooden spoon
4. Cover the pan and put on a very low heat for 10 minutes

Stir in delicately the pancetta and broad bean mixture and cook the rice for another 2 minutes. Incorporate well the grated parmesan and butter, cover the pan and leave risotto to rest for a couple of minutes, covered with a damp cloth. Serve with mint leaves and seasoned with freshly ground black pepper.

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Now that the sun is poking us with its warm rays I suggest you try this refreshing and creamy recipe. The cassata gelato is a refurbished version of  the typical cassata Siciliana.  The sponge and marzipan are missing however the lack of these two ingredients transform this dessert into a lighter cassata tasting ice-cream.

Serves 6

• 300g ricotta
• 200g sugar
• 30g candied peel
• 30g dark chocolate
• 50g roasted hazelnuts
• 100ml whipped cream

Whisk together the ricotta and sugar until you obtain a soft creamy mixture.

Chop the candied peel, chocolate and hazelnuts and add to the ricotta. Finally blend in the whipped cream.

Line a loaf tin with cling film and transfer the mixture into the tin, covering with cling film.

Freeze for 2 to 3 hours and serve with pomegrantes, strawberries or any other seasonal fresh fruit.

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