The fish and wines of lake Garda: Combinations... And something out of the ordinary. Staying on Lake Garda without enjoying its distinctive fl avours means missing an opportunity to discover everything the area has to offer, and making any length of stay that little bit more special. The pleasure of visiting new places is combined with that of sitting down at a table to enjoy fresh summer dishes, where fish from the lake reins supreme. Restaurateurs are becoming increasingly aware that they are surrounded (for the time being at least) by an abundance of varieties of fish, some unique, such as the unequalled salmon carp, and traditional recipes to reinvent and repropose.
They have reopened a chapter that seemed closed and now offer fish menus so intriguing and inviting as to make your mouth water just to read them. It is also an exciting part of the holiday to rise with the birds and stroll down to the harbour to await the return of the handful of professional fishermen still in existence and grab the best of the freshlycaught fish for dinner with family and friends.
It could trout or whitefish, sardine or pike, perch or eel, tench, carp or chub, burbot or barbel, a rare salmon carp or even rarer alborella (Alburnus alborella). All should be cooked as simply as possible, to enhance the quality and features of the fish and with delicate fl avouring - a sprinkling of parsley, a light sauce, or a little garlic and extravirgin olive oil from the lake garda. A delicious result is guaranteed. Trout and whitefish can be cooked in a variety of ways, but are best grilled; pike prefers to be boiled; perch should be filleted and fried in butte; tench can be stewed or baked or put in a risotto; chub is delicious fried in slices or grilled, and the same goes for sardines.
And aole (a kind of sardine) - if you are lucky enough to find any - are superb as an appetizer, fried, and the elusive salmon carp is exquisite both boiled and grilled. What matters most is that the fish is really fresh. So if you have not yet befriended a fisherman, here are two addresses where you can't go wrong: La Pescheria fishmongers (8, Via Antiche Mura, tel. 045 6270545) in Garda, which belongs to the Fishermen's Cooperative and also sells processed or smoked fish and even tortellini with delicious fish filling, and Pescheria Cavallaro (19, Via Stretta Castello, tel. 030 9142495) in Desenzano del Garda. For those who prefer to sit down in comfort and be served freshlycooked fish, a safe bet is Osteria al Pescatore in Castelletto di Brenzone (31, Via imbarcadero, tel. 045 7430702) where friendly hosts Livio and Rosaria will treat you to one of their specialities taken from their recipe book "Il Garda in Pentola".
Whatever the recipe, however, the accompanying wine is all important. While it is true that fish lives in the water, it likes to be served with a good, if not excellent, locallymade wine. And while white is the usual choice, no less suitable is a fine Chiaretto. Even a tasty young red wine, served at the right temperature, is a good accompaniment for fish stewed in a spicy hot sauce. And anyone gifted with good sense - and a vivid imagination - can come up with something truly out of the ordinary.
Fried fillet of perch Ingredients: one 250g perch per person, extravirgin olive oil, plain fl our, salt (and one egg and breadcrumbs if desired). This easy traditional recipe takes ten minutes to prepare and five to cook. Fillet the fish, coat the fillets lightly in fl our and fry in boiling olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot. (Taken from Il Garda in Pentola by Livio Parisi).
Sardines with oil, parsley and garlic sauce Ingredients: twelve sardines, a little chopped parsley, one clove of garlic, one lemon, one small glass of extravirgin olive oil. This easy recipe takes ten minutes to prepare and ten minutes to cook. Grill the sardines. Meanwhile, mix the chopped parsley and garlic, lemon juice and oil in a bowl. Open up the fish, remove the bones and arrange on a serving dish. Sprinkle with salt and pour over the sauce. Excellent as a starter. (Taken from Il Garda in Pentola by Livio Parisi).
Book your Hotel on Lake Garda