The Vaiani family is a landmark in Forte dei Marmi, with five successful seafood establishments. The chef of the group? Andrea Mattei, executive since 2018, and mind “behind the scenes” of the gastronomic project that lights up the exclusive Versilia town with a concept designed for different occasions. His trump cards are creativity and excellent raw materials, see Coda Nera salmon and Le Grand Blanc, wild cod from La Nef's Mosaic Food Experience line. Here is our interview, plus a special seafood recipe.
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Forte dei Marmi, where family Vaiani interprets the sea with great products and excellent raw material
Among the names that have helped make Forte dei Marmi not only an exclusive maritime location, but also a destination with a strong gastronomic streak, is certainly that of the Vaiani family. Restaurateurs since the 1960s in Versilia, today the Vaiani&Vaiani group has five addresses in town including the Bistrot, Michelin star since 2011.
Instead, it was in 2015 that the family, driven by a desire to open a sign meant to be “lively” from morning until dinner, opened Pesce Baracca, and later Pesce Terrazza, on the charming pier in Forte dei Marmi.
A place where local raw material is interpreted in different concepts: from the venue that offers the most traditional interpretation of seafood cuisine, to the street food ideal for a quick break, to the delicatessen where you can buy ready-made products at the fish counter, the essence of Pesce Baracca, where you can choose your catch (arriving daily from the Viareggio fish market and the dense network of local fishermen), get advice on recipes and cooking times of ingredients, or even have your selected fish prepared and cooked according to your tastes.
“Pesce Baracca is a place studied in every detail, with an open kitchen where fresh pasta and pastry products are made,” says Andrea Mattei, executive chef and supervisor of the Vaiani family's restaurants. Born in 1979, the Pietrasanta chef returned to his homeland in 2018 after working alongside masters such as Alain Ducasse and the late Angelo Paracucchi.
“I started as a commis at the Hotel Byron in Forte dei Marmi, before returning here in 2003 and receiving my first Michelin star, an experience I was lucky enough to repeat at Borgo San Pietro, when I received the recognition from the Guide one year after my arrival," Andrea says.
The restaurants, from Pesce Terrazza to Pesce Baracca: all the taste of the sea in a pop flavor
Andrea Mattei has been working in synergy with the Vaiani for six years now, being able to count on a project that has taken a quantum leap, thanks also to the purchase of a farm in Lucca, the headquarters of Vaiani&Vaiani. “Here we grow vegetables and herbs, we have a hospitality side with ad hoc catering services, and in addition we can count on a processing laboratory, where we prepare the lines for the different restaurants, such as tomato purees or fruit compotes,” reveals the chef, who, in addition to his experience, can also rely on the trustworthiness of the cooks within the team.
“Erjon Leshi is the chef of Pesce Baracca and has been working with the Vaiani family for 25 years now, he is really the backbone of the sign, as well as Stefano Pezzini, chef of Pesce Terrazza for the past 5 years." But what is the difference between the two restaurants? “At Pesce Baracca the proposal is more informal, on the menu you can still find the family's historical dishes, such as "Spaghetto allo scoglio", a recipe invented by Piero Vaiani in 1964 , “ reveals Andrea Mattei.
At Pesce Terrazza, on the other hand, the culinary philosophy focuses on aperitifs and sharing dishes, cocktails and tapas, with excellent quality raw material. These include Coda Nera smoked salmon from Mosaic Food Experience, the line designed for gourmet dining by La Nef, a Marche-based company founded in 1989 by Giordano Palazzo.
“There's fun on the terrace in every way, I'd call it a tapas bar with a creative and fashionable outlet,” says Andrea Mattei, who, speaking of creativity, interprets Blacktail salmon with different preparations: from the Welcome Montaditos with herb cream cheese, marinated onion to the version with sour cream, lemon compote and chives to the Tartare with avocado hummus, malt wafer and poppy seeds.
“These are all ingredients designed to make you feel every nuance of flavor of Coda Nera,” clarifies the chef, who of the Mosaico Food Experience line also extols the qualities of Le Grand Blanc, wild cod that meets modern consumption requirements, so it is already desalted and easy and quick to prepare. “I created a recipe where the cod is cooked in tempura, cut into bite-sized pieces and rested on top of a chutney made with tomatoes from our garden."
The recipe
TEMPURA CODFISH WITH TOMATO CHUTNEY AND AIOLI SAUCE
Ingredients for 4 persons
- 350 g of codfish
- 5 dl sunflower oil
For the chutney
- 500 g san marzano tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 100 g fresh onion
- 100 g pineapple
- 80 g fresh ginger
- 3 g chili pepper
- 1 basil leaf
- 2 cl apple cider vinegar
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 dl of Vaiani farm extra virgin olive oil
- Salt/sugar
For the aioli sauce
- 10 cloves of garlic
- 200 g sunflower oil
- 70 g of soy milk
- 1 cl lemon juice
- Salt
For the tempura
- 100 g 00 flour
- 100 g rice flour
- sparkling water
PROCEDURE
Cut the cod into cubes about 3 cm on each side.
For the tomato chutney: in a saucepan, sauté the julienned onion, crushed garlic cloves, chili pepper and basil in extra virgin oil.
Add the peeled and seeded tomatoes, chopped bell pepper and diced pineapple, season with grated ginger, add salt and sugar, stew for 7 to 8 minutes over a gentle heat, douse with vinegar and cook for about 15 min.
For aioli sauce: blanch garlic cloves 3 times in water, cook with soy milk and salt, whisk together, add sunflower seed oil in a drizzle and whisk like a mayonnaise.
For the tempura: mix the two flours and add the sparkling water, resulting in a thick, smooth batter.
Toss the codfish in the well-chilled tempura and cook in the hot seed oil. Place the chutney on the bottom of the plate, add the cod bites and finish with the aioli sauce.
Contact
Pesce Baracca - Pesce Terrazza
Via Achille Franceschi, 2, 55042 Forte dei Marmi LU
Phone 05841716337
Thesite of Pesce Baracca- The site of Pesce Terrazza
