Le Cinque Terre

Le Cinque Terre of Liguria are some of the most beloved sites in all of Italy. Fantastically beautiful, these 'five worlds' are little cities that appear miraculously suspended from walls of cliffs and terraced hills that cascade into the sea. Vineyards and olive groves with spectacular views of the mare can be reached by hiking up centuries' old mule paths. Orchards and woods spotted with chestnuts and groves of chestnut trees are features of the surrounds of these cities from which you can watch the glowing sun set into the Mediterranean Sea. For the lover of food, one can have a coffee in Corniglia and jump the train for a digestivo in Manarola. Then, an early lunch in Monterosso al Mare can be followed by dessert in Riomaggiore or Vernazza. If it's red wine you wanted, one needn't look past the grocery store to find a bottle of sumptuous local red wine for an afternoon picnic with a sampling of local cheeses. So much is there to eat that you may want to end th day with a sunset hike of the Via dell'Amore. This glorious pathway is etched into a cliff that overlooks numerous vineyards and transports the lucky tourist from Riomaggiore to Manarola.

Bread, wine, pasta, pesto and fish are the specialties of these territories. The most famous wines are the Sciacchetrà, a very particular sweet wine, and the Cinque Terre, a dry white wine well suited to a heavily 'vegetarian' (fish, as well as chicken for some very old Italians, constitutes a poor, "vegetarian" diet!) cuisine rich in shellfish and anchovies. These strong flavors go well with the dry wine and subtle bouquets, whereas many of the pastas do well to have a more full-bodied aroma. Other regional wines and subdenominations of the Cinque Terre that go well with the recipe below are: Albenga and Finale, Rossese and Vermentino. If you have trouble locating these wines in the states, you may contact Montesquieu Vineyards for a personal consultation.

Burrida or Fish Soup (The Ligurian Variety of Paella)

  • 16 to 20 clams (littleneck variety preferred OR a bag of mussels
  • 5 or 6 shrimp or scallops per person plus a pound of squid rings (fresh is always preferred, but frozen will do just fine in this dish)
  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of halibut, Pollock, cod, monkfish or swordfish may substitute for squid. (make sure that they are skinned and cut into smallish (1-2 inch) cubes or strips).
  • A cup of dry white wine
  • 2 -3 cups fish or lobster stock** (We hope that you'll use the leftover broth from our featured article's "Acquacotta" recipe, or mix of 2/3 bottled clam juice with 1/3 water)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped (or one dry Tablespoon)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2-3 cups fresh or canned tomatoes, chopped and drained sliced
  • Pinch saffron (optional)
  • 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • And as always, salt and pepper to taste *

If using clams, soak in salted water for 30 minutes, drain and rinse. Clean all shellfish, removing backs. Heat garlic, olive oil and oregano over medium heat until garlic is soft but not browned. Add the "fish" (whichever mixture you have chosen) and wine, and turn heat up to high. Cook this mixture just until the shells open, removing promptly and leaving the liquid in the pot. Add stock (or "cooked water"), tomatoes and fennel, together with the saffron and a bit of pepper. Let boil for 5-10 minutes in a covered pot, add salt to taste.

Squid, shrimp or scallops should be added separately because they cook very quickly (2-5 minutes according to size). When they are soft enough (but not mushy) remove them with a slotted spoon and add to the shellfish. Any fish chunks should be added, too, and cooked until the broth becomes mildly opaque. Place fish and clams into each bowl and pour broth over to serve. Extra oregano, saffron or pepper can be added to individual bowls for appearance and added flavor.

As with everything else from this region, this dish can be a meal if served with salad and crusty bread for the broth. If the bread is not super-fresh, lightly brush it with olive oil, toast, and serve in the bowls with the soup. Make sure your wine is dry and Italian!!

* Italians use a lot of salt in their cooking, particularly when boiling pasta.