In Vicenza I meet chef Luca Chemello, the expert on sacred Baccalà alla Vicentina. The Locanda Veneta is a restaurant located on the outskirts of Vicenza, where you can try traditional local dishes. Luca is passionate about Venetian gastronomic culture and a member of the local confraternity del Bacalà alla Vicentina.
In his restaurant, he prepares the typical recipes recorded by this association. Besides classic recipes, Luca also makes his own creations developed from a personal passion.
Looking at the menu in his restaurant, I am immediately intrigued by the family recipe for stracciatelli alla stracotta. So we set to the cooking pots together and immerse ourselves in the ingredients and preparation of this, surely, strange dish.
Stracciatelli alla stracotta
“The recipe for stracciatelli was invented by my great-grandmother Luigia,” Luca confides. “The name we gave the dish is purely a fantasy.” He explains that the dish resembles a pancake in terms of dough, but contains no sugar. “The paste we make is based on flour, eggs, milk and sultanas. With a spoon, we scoop out balls that we put in boiling water. The sauce with the dish is a strachotto, or milk that has cooked for two days on a low heat.”
It all looks very special. I taste immediately so the stracciatelli are still very hot. I experience a unique flavour that goes from sweet to salty with continued sugary pulses from the sultanas that, combined with the dough and milk, create a delicious range of flavours.
Address: Locanda Veneta, Via Battagione Valtellina 138, Vicenza