Lunch in Varenna on Lake Como before Adriana leaves for Milan and home. A very interesting dish I had. Missoltino and Polenta Nera ( Buckwheat Polenta). A traditional salted and sun dried cured fish of amazing flavour. Delicious. I have pasted a description of this product below for those who are interested. In the cool, deep waters in the northernmost part of the lake, missoltino (agone) are caught using pelagic trawl nets, up to 200 meters long and lowered to depths of dozens of meters. The nets are cast in the afternoon and pulled in at first light the next morning. The fish then undergo a lengthy processing. After scaling and gutting, they are salted for two to three days. Once the salt has been absorbed, they are carefully washed and hung up to dry in the sun for around ten days, until the fisherman sees that the flesh is no longer reddish, a sign that the fat has reached the right stage for the fish to be able to be stored for a long time. The fish (most importantly the heads) are then flattened and arranged in layers with bay leaves in special metal containers called tolle. In the past, wooden barrels called missolte were used instead, the origin of the name missoltino. Once the tolla is full, a press is used to gently compact the fish. This causes the fat from the fish to rise to the surface and ensures they are covered with a layer of oil, perfect for insulating them from the air and making sure they a properly preserved. The missoltini are ready to eat after a few weeks, but can also be stored this way for several months.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 17:44:28 +0000
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