A whole assortment of “hunger-breaking” delicacies whose function is not only to appease the appetite, but also to preserve the memory of Ligurian recipes. History, recipe and secrets of the Antipasto di campagna from Brinca di Ne.
The history and the restaurant
A table set since '87, more than a thousand selected labels and a recipe book that continues to bring “flavor hunters” to Ligurian lands: if we had to tell what La Brinca represents today, we could only start with the care with which the Circella family safeguards its “signature dishes,” real arrows in the bow ready to strike even the most imperturbable gourmands. In addition to having transformed a former farmhouse into an award-winning trattoria, the custodians of this haven of hospitality in the municipality of Ne are in fact heirs to a heritage as vast as it is often unknown, made precious by firm generational joints.
Just think of the name of the restaurant itself, an appellation of the former owner that brothers Sergio, Roberto and Andrea have kept fixed on the sign with a respect of other times, gradually passing the baton of hospitality over the years to the new recruits (Simone, son of the former, and Matteo, of the latter, in the dining room and kitchen respectively).
Undying since the opening is the Antipasto di campagna, the summary of a proposal capable of evolving and at the same time satisfying the cravings of regulars. An appetizer now thirty-eight years old, which also remains on the piece by defying passing trends.
Brinca's Antipasto di campagna
“It was a way to introduce people to many small symbols of the peasant cuisine of the Ligurian Riviera di Levante hinterland,” Sergio tells us. “In those days they were practically unknown to the public, although they were prepared daily in the homes of our people. They did not appear in any Ligurian gastronomy books, they were only handed down as household use.” We are talking about a whole assortment of “hunger-breaking” delicacies: the Torta Baciocca di patate, the Prebugiun di Ne, the Quarantina bianca Genovese, the Raviolo alla brace, the Raviolo fritto stuffed with herbs, pine nuts and raisins, the Foglia di borragine fritta, the Panissa, the Panella, the Testaiueu or Frisciulla al Pesto di mortaio (“which we serve on the side”) and others, varying according to season.
Since this is a set of dishes that follow the cycles of nature and availability, “you can sometimes pair it with a salami from trusted artisans; otherwise, it results in a full-blown vegetarian appetizer”. Not only that, it is a complete one-dish meal that fills the eye and appeases the appetite. Given the articulation and complexity of the individual tastings, the Circella family gives us the recipe for Prebugiun “di Ne,” so renamed because it differs from the one common in the rest of Liguria. Its peculiarity? In the hilly area behind Chiavari and Lavagna, it was born as a strategy for the reuse of poor ingredients, thanks to the union of Genovese white Quarantina potatoes and Genovese black cabbage, both boiled, mashed and mixed with plenty of oil and garlic. The whole was served warm and consumed in rural dwellings by adding raw Zerli Red Onion.
It is not surprising, then, that the term Prebugiun derives from the “stirring” operation from which the hearty delicacy comes to life. The wild herbs, on the other hand-herein lies the distinguishing feature from the other version-were used only occasionally in the springtime. The wine recommended by Brinca for a good pairing is a Bianchetta Genovese Golfo del Tigullio-Portofino D.O.C.
Ne della Brinca's Prebugiun recipe
Ingredients for 4 people
- 4 Quarantina Bianca Genovese potatoes
- 1 tuft of Genovese black cabbage
- 1 clove of garlic
- Riviera Ligure di Levante d.o.p. extra virgin olive oil and coarse salt to taste
- Zerli red onion for the garnish
- 2 ounces of wild herbs
- 1 tuft of wild asparagus
1) Wash and steam the Quarantina potatoes with their skins on for 40 minutes.
2) When the potatoes are cooked, separately steam the cabbage and wild herbs previously cut into strips for 15 minutes.
3) In a mortar, pound the garlic with coarse salt.
4) When the potatoes, cabbage and herbs have reached cooking, peel the potatoes and then mash them in a large-hole potato masher.
5) The mashed potatoes placed in a large bowl will be hand-mixed with the cabbage and herbs and together seasoned with a tablespoon of crushed garlic. To obtain a creamy amalgam, add extra virgin oil to the mixture at will and salt.
6) In boiling water, mash the wild asparagus for 2 minutes.
7) Serve hot in serving dish, adding more oil on top and garnishing with raw onion or fresh spring onions and the wild asparagus.
Contact
La Brinca- trattoria and store
Via Campo di Ne, 58 16040 - Ne (Genoa)
t. 0185 337480
labrinca@labrinca.it
Closed Monday. Open for lunch on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
