Sardinian Food, Country Flavor
Authentic Peasant Cuisine From Italy’s Sunny Mediterranean Island
Oct 29, 2008
As in many of the cultures, bread is a basic part of Sardinia's cuisine, with three main types, made of wheat from the island's Campidano Plain. Mobbizzosu is a hearty free form loaf, often made of whole-wheat, while coccoi is a local favorite, made of fine white wheat flour and formed into fanciful shapes. The predominant bread seen on every table is the humble carasau, a flat bread developed for shepherds away from home tending their flocks.
Simple Ingredients For A Versatile Bread
A simple combination of durum wheat, semolina, water and salt, it is kneaded quickly, divided into several balls of dough and then rolled out. Quickly baked in a hot oven, the disks are turned over when slight browned and removed from the oven when lightly browned on both sides and looking somewhat like a puffed-up pita. At this stage they are called pane carasau.
The rounds are then split to produce two round sheets of dough. Excess pieces of dough are removed from the center and the rounds are again put into the oven until they are flat and crisp. Called pane frattau, these can be found for sale throughout the island and are a staple of the diet. Another option is to take rounds of pane frattau, coat them lightly with olive oil (and possibly finely diced herbs), then lightly salt them and again put them into an oven for a few minutes to crisp and become pane gittiau, an irresitable crisp paper-thin cracker.
This simple peasant bread has still more uses. At the second stage, pane frattau, the bread is broken into several large pieces and quickly dipped into hot water and placed on a plate. A simple sauce of tomato and garlic is spread lightly over and a poached egg is placed on top, to make a simple but delicious dish. Pane frattau, quickly dampened, is also used instead of noodles in lasagne and when friends gather together in the evening they often share pane frattau spread with delicious local bitter honey or enjoy it as pane guttiau with a glass of homemade wine or grappa.
Peasant Inspired Meals
The meats on the table also reflect the island's agricultural heritage. Especially popular is fire-roasted suckling pig, served on a bed of fresh cut myrtle branches (porchetto mirto). Often this is accompanied by chunks of roasted pork sausage cooked over the same fires. The coarsely diced savory meat is stuffed in a spiral shape like a coiled watch spring. A particularly good place to experience the full flavor of this feast is at Sa Festa di Atzer in the small town of Maracalagonis outside of Cagliari.(35 euros, reservations required). The authentic festival feast includes a meal of many courses, wines and outstanding traditional musicians and dancers.
Delectable Pastas and Cheeses
Like the breads, Sardinian pastas are unlike those on Italy's mainland. Most often they take the form of ravioli but the fillings are more succulent and individual. At Sa Festa they make the filling from mozzarella and ricotta, flavored with lemon and saffron. Light and lemony they are perfect accompaniment to the roast pork. In mid-island Sandra Murru does hers with a mixture of fresh and aged pecorino cheese, finely diced mint and a bit of olive oil. Some cooks prefer to use diced basil instead of the mint.
The island is famed for its pecorino, the favored cheese of the south of Italy. Called Fiore Sardo or Pecorino Sardo, the cheese is firm, somewhat piquant, but not sharp. It is used grated in cooking, and also as a tasty table cheese.
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