“Olive oil and the other ingredients of our life” article series

My first visit to Portonovo, in the beautiful natural park of Conero (Marche), was many years ago. I walked from the main square to the small fort, then towards the “big” lake, the tower and the small church of Santa Maria. From there I walked back through the so-called “deep” lake.

I invite you to do the same, each time you will discover new sights and emotions, Portonovo is a magical place. White pebbles, crystal clear waters tinged with blue, azure, turquoise; the sky at dusk turns pink on the horizon.

Local specialties include wild mussels au gratin, grilled, with lemon or on spaghetti with tomato sauce. Another treat is sea fennel (or "paccasassi " in dialect) with chicory, tuna and anchovies, or in a panino with mortadella - “a bomb”, Guga would say.

For dinner, we go to Ristorante Marcello, where I conclude an already very rich meal with a Ciambellone di Gina (a type of cake), with hand-beaten zabaione. It made me literally shiver of pleasure. It is home made by Veruska, Guga's wife, with extra virgin olive oil, to make it as light and fluffy as possible, and to make it rise. “He wants a Ciambellone that resembles him: tall, generous and sincere”, she explains. That's one point of view.

Recipe

Ingredients: 400 grams flour, 2 eggs, 200 ml milk, 70 ml extra virgin olive oil and sugar to taste, a whole packet of yeast, the zest of an untreated lemon, a pinch of salt.

Using quality olive oil, you can create with the eggs and sugar a kind of mayonnaise that you will then gently mix with the flour, milk, lemon and finally the yeast.

When the mixture has a creamy consistency, place it in small buttered moulds.

Leave in the oven for 45 minutes at 180 degrees, then sprinkle with icing sugar. “I never waited for it to cool down, Guga tells me, but I think it's just as good...”

Ristorante Marcello
Località Portonovo
60129 Ancona
info@illaghetto.com
+39 071 801 183
illaghetto.com

Excerpt from L'olio e gli altri ingredienti della nostra vita by Maurizio Pescari (Rubbettino, 2021). Translation and adaptation Camille Frachon.