Traditional dishes:

Polenta e funghi: polenta with mushrooms

Ingredients for 4

400 g yellow polenta flour
750 ml milk
500 g wild mushrooms
Butter
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
White wine
Small bunch parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Gently clean the mushrooms and cut into pieces. Heat 50 g butter and a tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the garlic until it turns golden brown. Throw in the mushrooms, toss well for a couple of minutes then douse with the white wine. Season with salt and pepper and cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, adding a little water or broth if necessary. Stir in the chopped parsley. Meanwhile, pour the milk into a large pan and add 750 ml water. Bring to the boil, salt, and slowly pour in the polenta flour in a steady stream, stirring continuously. Cook the polenta over a low-medium heat for about 45 minutes or the time indicated on the packet, stirring continuously. Once ready, pour polenta into 4 deep serving dishes, create a well in the center of each serving and fill with the mushrooms and their juices. Serve immediately.

Canederli allo speck in brodo: speck dumplings in broth

Ingredients for 4 - 6 people

4 small stale bread rolls
150g speck, diced
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
3 eggs
2 cups hot milk
1 small onion, finely diced
50 g butter
75 g flour
1 ¼ liters beef broth, very hot
2 tbsp minced chives

Cut the bread rolls into small pieces and place them in a large terracotta pot. Add the speck and the parsley. Beat the eggs with the milk and pour over the bread mixture. Mix well and leave to ‘rest’ for 30 minutes. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the onion until it is soft and transparent. Add the fried onion to the bread mix along with the flour, and season well with salt and pepper. Mix well and form a series of small balls by rolling the mixture between your palms. Cook dumpling for about 15 minutes in a large pan of salted water, then drain. Divide the hot broth between the serving dishes, add the cooked canederli and garnish with the chopped chives.

Cervo al ginepro: venison in juniper sauce

For 6 people

1 kg cubed venison
1 each carrot, onion, rib of celery, chopped
2 cloves
8 juniper berries
Small sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 ½ glasses dry red wine
50 ml olive oil

Place the venison in a large bowl with the vegetables, cloves, juniper berries, rosemary, bay leaves and wine and leave to marinade overnight in the refrigerator.

Next day, drain the meat from the marinade, heat the olive oil in a large terracotta pot and sear meat until venison has browned on all sides. Now add the marinade and the rest of the ingredients to the pot, season with salt and pepper and cook over a low heat for about 2 – 2 ½ hours or until the venison is tender. Remove the meat from the pot and keep warm, and discard the rosemary and bay leaf. Meanwhile, push the remaining juices and vegetables through a vegetable mill to make the sauce. Serve the venison hot and cover with the sauce.

Fritto di mele: fried apples

For 4 people

4 apples
2 eggs, beaten
Fine breadcrumbs
Olive oil for frying
Icing sugar

Peel and core apples and cut into slices. Dip them in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs. Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan and fry the slices, two at a time until golden brown all over. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot, sprinkled with icing sugar.

Kastanientorte: chestnut cake

1 kg chestnuts
25o g sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla essence
500 ml whipped cream