On Lake Garda in Northern Italy, freshwater fish are a staple of the cuisine – because fishing is practiced there with considerable profit, but in a way that suggests that we’re making a gastronomic transition from Lombardy to the Veneto region. This can be understood right from the appetizer, when sardines are served – prepared in an onion and vinegar marinade, anticipating the very Veneto tradition of authentic sardines. As for the first course, the traditional choice is between pasta (made fresh here) or the risotto, a historical point of pride for Verona locals – and always paired with fish. Here, you can dine on bigoli con le aole, large vermicelli spaghetti dressed in a sauce of fish prepared as anchovies usually are. Or there’s always the risotto with tench, a dish that features a good-sized fish caught in the lake or the nearby river of the Mincio. Then there are the real fish dishes – with whitefish at the top of the list (because this is an ideal fish for its size and consistency, both grilled and sautéed). The most elaborate recipe? Pike fish in a sauce made of sardines, capers, garlic and spices, a legacy of the court cuisine of the Gonzaga family, the ancient lords of Mantua.
Strictly traditional dishes are actually their most recent offerings on the menu, ranging from fish ravioli to lake soup and other more “generic” recipes from the Garda region. This is the approach that Chef Nadalon has also given to the menu of his restaurant in Torri in Torri del Benaco of Verona, starting from tradition with his Piatto del Buon Ricordo that features Garda perch fillets with butter and thyme, breadcrumbs with cedar peel and Benacense citrus par excellence, mountain pasture butter, and thyme that grows wild on Mount Baldo. Next on the menu is a dish of great pride for the chef, the bigoli alla Maria Callas, dedicated to the opera singer who was one of the guests at Gardesana; this is a dish of pasta garnished with lake sardines, sultanas and pine nuts, recalling Venice and the Teatro della Fenice (where Callas danced for seven years). And the wine pairing? A glass of the famous Chiaretto di Bardolino, the first step in truly knowing the greatest of Veronese wines.
The Recipe: Perch Rolls with Butter and Thyme
Ingredients (for 4 people):
2 lb perch, 4 oz butter, Thyme to taste, Salt to taste, 6 crepes (with 20 cm diameter), 11 oz béchamel, 7 oz Parmigiano cheese, 1 cup heavy cream
Clean and fillet the perch. Cut the flesh into cubes and sauté them in a pan with butter and chopped thyme. Once cooked, transfer to a blender to make a cream. Separately, prepare the béchamel and crepes. Combine the béchamel and perch mixtures in a bowl. Mix until smooth (and not too dense). Spread the mixture over the crepes. Roll them up and let cool.
Cut into slices about 4 cm high. Prepare a buttered ovenproof dish. Place the newly-formed rolls on the bottom of the dish and add a little butter and chopped thyme. Bake in the oven for about 8 min at 350°F. Transfer the cream and parmesan cheese to a bain-marie for a smooth fondue. Place a spoonful of the fondue in the center of the plate and lay four small rolls on top. Spread a little chopped thyme around it. Serve hot.