A very pleasant summer salad that we pair with Abruzzo Pecorino Bianchi Grilli per la Testa 2021 Torre dei Beati
Ingredients for 4 persons:
200 g farro, 400 g MSC-certified cod fillet, 300 g zucchini, 40 g sun-dried tomatoes, 50 g pitted Taggiasca olives, 2 spring onions, 1 tablespoon salted capers, 1 garlic clove, 30 g fresh mint leaves, 1 glass dry white wine (preferably the same as the pairing), evo oil, salt and pepper
Procedure:
Wash the pearl spelt under running water, boil it in a pot with plenty of salted boiling water following the cooking time indicated on the package; then drain it, add a little extra virgin olive oil, stir, arrange it on a tray and let it cool well.
Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl with boiling water for 5 minutes; when they are softened, squeeze them out.
Clean the spring onions, removing the root and outer leaves and keeping the more tender green part, chop one finely and reduce the other into large pieces.
Rinse the salted capers in cold water and remove the salt well.
Make a pesto by combining 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, chopped spring onion, desalted capers, softened sun-dried tomatoes, pitted Taggiasca olives, and fresh mint leaves in a blender.
Wash and clean the zucchini, dice them, add them to a pan with the chopped spring onion and 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and stew on a gentle flame for 10-15 minutes.
Season the cold farro with the prepared pesto, leaving a few tablespoons aside to season the fish later.
Peel the garlic clove, chop it finely and fry it in a pan with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Cut the cod fillet into not-too-small pieces and add it to the sautéed garlic, season with salt and pepper and pan-fry quickly for 2 minutes so that the fish is browned on all sides; pour in a glass of dry white wine and let it evaporate. Turn off and season the filet pieces with the pesto kept aside.
Serve the farro cold, complementing it with the stewed zucchini, fish and a few fresh mint leaves.
This recipe is from the MSC cookbook Marine Stewardship Council. MSC-certified seafood products, such as the tuna used in the recipe, respect the oceans because they were caught sustainably according to the MSC Standard, and are recognizable by the MSC blue mark on the packaging.
Wine pairing:
(Edited by Stefania Vinciguerra)
Abruzzo Pecorino Bianchi Grilli per la Testa 2021 Torre dei Beati
Golden straw color. Intense nose with Mediterranean and tropical flowers and fruits. This is followed by cedar, ginger, herbs, and a balsamic spice. Fresh and soft at the same time, savory, fruity and supple-bodied.
Production area: Contrada Poggioragone, in Loreto Aprutino (PE), from a 0.5 ha vineyard located at an altitude of 300 m/slm with eastern exposure and clay-limestone soil on sandy substrate.
Grape variety: 100% Pecorino, counter-espalier training and guyot pruning, density of 5000 vines/Ha and planting layout of 2.50×0.80. The yield per hectare is 40 hl.
Vinification: in barrique with 11 months of maturation on fermentation yeasts and 8 months aging in bottle.
Alcohol content: 13.5-14% vol.
Serving temperature: 13°C.
Recommended pairings: traditional stewed codfish, “cace e ove” lamb, intense cheeses including aged cheeses.
