RECCO FOCACCIA WITH IGP CHEESE

COMMON FACTOR, when the product is synonymous with the territory.

On Friday 16 and Saturday 17 November I was a guest of the Consortium of Focaccia di Recco Igp. I participated in an interesting and in-depth meeting, conducted by Federico Quaranta of Linea Verde Rai 1, between producers, industry experts, politicians and administrators, united by the interest of protecting products and consumers. The IGP obtained by Focaccia di Recco with cheese is a recognition aimed at protecting the product itself, which can only be prepared in the municipalities of Recco, Camogli, Sori and Avegno. A 'stamp' in food wafer placed on the product either before or after cooking will allow it to be recognized (photo 2). The possibility of following the preparation in several laboratories with relative tastings delighted us in every sense.

How do you prepare this thin, crunchy delight with a melting filling?

For a 60 cm diameter pan: 500 g of strong 00 or Manitoba flour, 50 g of extra virgin olive oil, fine salt, natural water and 1 kg of fresh cheese (crescenza or stracchino).

Mix together the flour, water, oil and salt until you get a soft and smooth dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry (less than a millimetre thick) and place it on the greased baking tray (the bottom part must be twice as thick as the top part which will be a veil). Cover the base with cheese and cover with a transparent sheet of pastry. Seal the edges, remove the excess pastry. Pinch the surface in several places to form holes. Sprinkle with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkling of salt. Bake in the oven at maximum temperature until the surface is golden with bubbles and brown streaks.

Where to taste it? From Manuelina and Alfredo restaurant in Recco for example or from Revello in Camogli (in the photo Camogli, worth it not only for the focaccia!).

Many products were tasted: from Genoese pesto to focaccia, to pansotti (divine!! tasted in the restaurant da Manuelina in Recco and purchased with walnut sauce to repeat the experience at home from Fiorella Conca in Camogli) and the Ligurian wines Pigato and Rossese.

During the evening of the press tour at the Ristorante da Manuelina it was possible to taste and appreciate the following products described with passion by the producers:

Puzzone di Moena DOP, Barolo DOCG wine, Lardo di Colonnata IGP, Porcini mushroom of Borgotaro IGP, Bra DOP and Raschera DOP