New season and one of my favourite article series: Seasonal foods!
It is cold in the Maremma at the moment. Not UK cold or Icelandic cold or Canadian cold, but for a pale, skinny Australian girl, it’s cold. There’s even snow on Monte Amiata… see above!
I get so many emails from readers who want travel advice. They always visit in the summer or spring seasons, which is a shame because winter in the Maremma has its own beauty.
For starters, the Saturnia hot springs are so much better when it’s not hot and sticky. Sure it’s cold when you strip down to get in, but the experience of sitting in 37°C (98°F) water with steam curling around is something else.
I always say the hot springs are like taking the most luxurious bath in the most luxurious setting. In winter, you get an added smoke machine effect.
Winter also means some of the Maremma’s best, most authentic and longest running festivals.
And of course, deliciously comforting and unctuous food. Here are my top tastes for a Maremman winter and the best places to try them.
1. Mulled wine with Morellino di Scansano
Mulled wine or vin brulè as we call it over here is not a Maremman invention or even an Italian invention, but it makes it on my list because of the wine I’m recommending.
The Morellino di Scansano is the blue chip of Maremman wine. It is our star. Our biggest winey export with an intense and pleasant aroma with perfumes of blueberry and a dry and warm taste with slight tannins.
There’s a tendency to use any old cheap wine when you’re making vin brulè, but it’s actually the quality that makes the difference. A good bottle of Morellino di Scansano costs around €7, so you really can’t go wrong.
Most bars will serve this winter speciality, but you can make it at home in a flash. Our version is simple and unadorned. Just heat your wine with a cinnamon stick, a few cloves and some juniper berries, which are the taste of a Maremman winter.
How much spice you use is up to you. If you want to remove the alcohol content, just boil the wine for a minute or so. If you want something sweeter, add a few tablespoons of sugar.
2. Anguilla
A weird one, but a goody. Orbetello is famous for its lagoon eel.
In the 16th century, this port city was the capital of a Spanish-ruled state. It’s the Spanish who shared the first recipes for smoked and marinated eel, which they served with a spicy escabeche sauce.
Over the centuries, the Orbetellani have adapted it suit their palette. You can buy smoked eel from most local supermarkets. It has a deep orange colour and is marinated with Mediterranean herbs, chili and lemon juice. Just flash fry it in a pan with some oil and serve with more lemon juice and chopped parsley.
If you want to leave it to the experts, visit I Pescatori (Via Leopardi 9, Orbetello), an old restaurant where the day’s catch is caught and prepared by the local fishermen themselves.
3. Scottiglia di lepre
It might be the Australian in me, but when I’m freezing, I don’t want pasta, I want a big bowl of stew.
At the Tana del Cinghiale in Tirli they prepare a beautiful scottiglia known as lepre dolce e forte or sweet and strong hare.
If you read this blog often, you’ll know I have a thing about game meat. Most people either love it or they hate it. I like game meat, but I don’t like frozen game meat that’s pretending to be fresh and consequently costs a bundle.
The best time order game in the Maremma is now in winter. The hunting season is in full swing and just like wild boar, hare is plentiful. Don’t feel too sorry for the buggers. They are a nuisance with a huge population and a perchance for eating other animals out of house and home.
When you order hare, you want a tender meat that’s really nicely braised and doesn’t taste too gamey. It’s a good idea to ask the chef how he/she prepares the hare before ordering it. It should be soaked in vinegar, white wine, onions and spices for at least 24 hours.
4. Cavolo nero
Cavolo nero or kale is the king of winter vegetables. It’s technically a cabbage, but it looks like lettuce with its dark green, almost purple tinged leaves.
It’s more delicate than cabbage too. It has an earthy and peppery flavour that goes really well in stews and pasta dishes or just pan fried on its own with olive oil.
One of my all time favourite kale recipes is made by L’Oliveto in Montemerano. They take the kale and pan fry it with Italian pork sausage mince. Then add a bit of garlic, olive oil and pepper and serve it on toast as a bruschetta.
5. Brutti Ma Buoni
The last in our weird and wonderful winter tastes is a little biscuit called brutti ma buoni – translation: ugly, but good.
These biscuits are a real Maremman treat. The best are made and sold in Roccalbegna in a family-owned bakery called Conti Libero (Via XXIV Marzo; +39 0564 989025). They’re made with toasted hazelnuts and look a little bit like ugly macarons.
With the perfect nutty, not-too-sweet balance, these biscuits go great with a light dessert wine or coffee.