Brisighella is a little town in the region Emila Romagna.
Driving has been a little adventure. We decided to not take the highway: my car climbed the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano- that separates Tuscany from Emilia Romagna – then rolled down from hairpin bends. We crossed the Mugello, the chestnut tree woods and we were finally capable to sight the sea in the distance at the other side of italy, from the top of the Castle hill of Brisighella.
Emilia Romagna: land of gorgeous, flavorFULL, pasta with extraordinary fillings; land of cured meats and cheeses: all what italy is known for abroad. We were expecting to sit in a Cantina, or in a Piadineria and have a hot flat pie with all these delicacies. We had a top-scale lunch with modern, tasty, light, delighful recipes, but nothing to do with what we were expecting to get in this region.
Let’s start from the beginning.
We arrived in Brisighella around 1 pm.
Once parked the car, we start to walk inside the historical centre. The piazza attracts me with this image: the Rocca on top of the hill and a restaurant with a funny and sweet name: Gigiolè. I like the name so much as I decide to take a photo of it.
We walk up and we arrive here:
We still don’t know what the arch-windows hide.
We enter a narrow arched door and go up the stairs.
Upstairs there is a …..street. It is called the “Borgo degli Asini”, the Donkey village. Practically it is a building of apartments for….the donkeys. …nowadays trnasformed in apartments and studios for humans, Have a look at the drawing below:
At the time the donkeys were living is these rooms, the humans lived here:
The balcony of the castle gives this other view:
The Clock Tower on the opposite rock spur
Surprises are not over.
The most full-filling one was the restaurant Framboise.
I ask for dish from the menus that intrigues me for the description: Ombrina carpaccio with sea mayonnaise.
Sea Mayonnaise? what is it?
We order also Grilled Octopus with Potato cream and “Nuts” of Rabbit with Caponata.
Evertyhing was simply perfect.
The rabbit was cooked at low temperature (sous vide) then roasted. The texture was amazing: cloudy soft in the middle, very crispy outside.
The kind waitress told me something about the single preparations…. not everything…… But I think I would be able to re-make these recipes…..
I have an idea on how the Sea Mayonnaise was made. If you come to GiglioCooking I will make it together with you!
Marcella Ansaldo © 2021