"The pearà is practically an ethnic dish: it is eaten, celebrated and recognized in Verona, and only in Verona, in a circumference of let's say about 40 km, which has Piazza Erbe as its center,” explains Filippo Gioco, fourth-generation member of the family that runs 12 Apostoli – one of the oldest and most evocative restaurants in Italy. This is a 30-year-old man who, together with brilliant chef Mauro Buffo, "turned the restaurant upside down" and immediately won the venue a Michelin Star. And on the menu, the beloved and timeless pearà has taken its rightful place in the spotlight with a name that says it all: Her Majesty.
The Legend of Rosmunda
If pandoro has made Verona famous in the Italian world of desserts and sweets, then this savory specialty sauce from the same city – made up of old bread, broth, cheese, and pepper – should be just as famous considering its unbeatable flavor that’s sure to please just about any palate. But for some reason, only in Verona is pearà considered a “cult” dish –always in high demand and basically indispensable to local cravings. In fact, this dish is so popular with locals that only a true Veronese is ready to eat it – even in the hottest months of summer – without the typical lesso, the local recipe for boiled meats traditionally eaten during winter with pearà.
We considered the possibility that pearà didn’t grow in fame over the years because the “legend” behind the recipe wasn’t exciting enough, perhaps. But that’s definitely not the case, either. In fact, the invention of pearà is credited to the chef at court for the King of the Lombards, Alboino. At the time, Queen Rosmunda, who was married to Alboino against her will, was starving herself to death after the King forced her to drink from the skull of her deceased father, Cunimondo. In order to persuade the queen to eat again and gain her strength back, the chef invented pearà (meaning peppery in local Verona dialect) – a simple dish with a little kick to it. And it worked – soon after, Queen Rosmunda and her lover, Elmichi, murdered King Alboino.
The only certainty: the shard
Despite its royal origins, pearà has always been considered “a dish of the people” and the most popular recipe of a local tradition for recovery and restoring one’s health – so much so that some people still do not add any cheese to the recipe to maintain the integrity of the traditional way of eating pearà (something truly abnormal for any Italian recipe). Some locals are just as satisfied with a recipe that uses only crumbled or grated old bread as it is while some prefer it baked in the oven to dry it out a little bit and give it that mildly “burnt” taste. And some even like the flavor to be a little more on the savory side – adding meat like half a capon or beef cheeks for a truly royal touch. And as far as the terracotta pot used to cook it since the recipe’s inception? Indisputable (you have to try it like this!)
Chef's Recipe: Mauro Buffo's Pearà
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 oz stale bread
4 oz of very fresh ox marrow
Liter of beef broth
Freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Grana Padano cheese
Method:
Remove the marrow from the bone with the help of a knife.
Melt it over low heat and pour it into a strainer to remove impurities.
Add the finely grated breadcrumbs to the hot marrow in the pot and mix well by stirring with a wooden spoon and adding a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
The broth should be added consistently, cooking for at least two hours and stirring frequently.
To finish, add plenty of freshly ground pepper and, if desired, a couple of tablespoons of grated Grana cheese.
And the special chef’s touch? "Some people love a very thick pearà, some love it softer; everything is about the proportion between the bread and the broth,” explains the Veronese chef, “so my advice is to not use all the broth – but instead, reserve a portion of it to add at the end once you finish cooking.”