Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Giro 2023 Stage 17: Pergine Valsugana to Caorle

Where are we? Trentino 

Pergine Valsugana: The regional tourist site tells me that Pergine Valsugana is an active small town, few kilometres away from Trento, close to the blue waters of the lake of Caldonazzo, at the foot of the Castle, located on the hill. This town offers summer holiday opportunities on the beach of San Cristoforo, fully equipped: sandy and green beaches, where sports are a daily bread.
The historical centre features works of arts among the Renaissance houses in via Maier, small Patrician palaces and ancient churches. The powerful and ancient Castle, a gothic palace dating back to the 15th century, dominates the town from above.
Things to see: The Castle of Pergine, the historical centre with Via Maier, the city park Parco ai 3 Castagni, the small church of San Cristoforo, the Museum of School, the Museum of Agricultural Tools, the Museum of the City band, the Museum of the Hydroelectric energy in Serso.

Regional Specialties
Food and wine tourism and sports tourism can now be a winning combination: in Valsugana-Lagorai you can discover typical Trentino products and local dishes with a strong flavor of tradition, authenticity and quality.
Where unspoiled nature and green pastures meet the culture and passion of healthy eating, here come on our tables the best mountain flavors. From polenta with the famous Valsugana flour to the genuineness of the small fruits of Sant’Orsola; from the excellent sausages to the local dairy products, such as the typical alpine cheese from Malga Montagna Granda and “Lagorai”. But also honey, the apples of Trentino, the radicchio of Bieno, the medicinal herbs of Valsugana, the chestnuts of Roncegno and the typical “Treccia Mochena” from Caneza are transformed into truly unique dishes thanks to the magic touch of the people who take part in their processing.
In addition, in Valsugana-Lagorai the “Slow Food conduct” which aims to promote and safeguard the agri-food heritage of the territory: the good and healthy cuisine, here, is a treasure handed down from generation to generation.

Caorle: The local tourist site tells me that Imagine eighteen kilometres of golden sandy beaches, a clean sea suitable for children, clear water, rich in fish and full of underwater treasures, for the delight of fishing, scuba-diving and water sports enthusiasts.  All it takes is a walk in the heart of Caorle to understand why we are known all over the world as little Venice: our historic town centre is a miniature Venice with narrow streets (calli) and small squares (campielli), an outdoor 'living room' starting from the beautiful Piazza Vescovado with its trachyte paving which recalls Venice!
The centre of Caorle was formerly made up of three small islands joined together by four bridges: there were no roads, only navigable canals (called rii, just like in Venice!) which fishermen's houses looked out onto, houses which have been brought back to life with the trademark colours of the Venetian tradition.
From the mid 18th century, these canals started to get landfilled,  the main street of the old town entre testifies to it, as it is called Rio Terrà (which means 'landfilled canal').
What binds us to the Most Serene Republic of Venice is not only our history, but also our fishing heritage (first in the lagoon, then in the sea), which has always been Caorle's primary resource (do not miss out on visiting the Harbour  and the adjacent Fish Market).

Regional SpecialtiesAn indissoluble link exists between cuisine and territory and the food and wine experience is an important key to understanding a place and its identity. The historical seafaring village of Caorle boasts the title of Gourmet Destination of the Upper Adriatic, as its cuisine is its best calling card as well as an interesting travel motivation for foodies and beyond.
Although Caorle cuisine is characterized by a strong maritime identity, among the specialties it offers, there is no shortage of recipes from the land inspired by peasant tradition.  Typical dishes and products become the protagonists of true sensory experiences and an excellent reason to organize a holiday or a trip out of town.
The very fresh catch is the flagship of the local cuisine which can count on three highly appreciated local fish products: the Moscardino, a small octopus that loves sandy seabeds, perfect as a low-calorie appetizer and excellent natural anti-wrinkle thanks to the high percentage of collagen which contains; the white Canestrello, a mollusc with a delicate flavour often prepared on the grill; the organic sea clams  (the only ones to have this certification all over  Italy) bred and collected in a farm opposite the Vallevecchia coastline, a protected naturalistic area and Site of Community Interest.
They are the protagonists of the historical Municipal Fish Market: here, in the area adjacent to the fishing port, the  traditional  ‘ear’ auction takes place (an age-old system of selling fish, which is assigned to those who whispers to the auctioneer the highest bid).
In the fishing port of Caorle it is fascinating to discover the trade of the fishermen who, after having sold their catch, can be seen busy arranging the boats and fishing nets, ready to face a new day’s work from the following night.
And if the sea is synonymous with history and quality, the hinterland also suggests flavours that deserve to be tasted, such as superfine Carnaroli rice, sandbank honey, Montasio DOP cheese, craft beer or local wines. Whoever comes to Caorle can find in the menu a rich basket of products  to be tried in the characteristic restaurants of the village: not to be missed are the classic spaghetti with clams, baby octopus stewed with polenta, risotto with white canestrelli, sardines in Saor, bigoli in sauce or grilled fish.  Such dishes will conquer even the most difficult palates.

The stage: A sprint? Likely. Which meant many kilometers without excitement. Pretty though! Going under 60 kilometers to go, four man break had about 2 minutes.
Also on the road, a family visit. Sure enough, as expected, the gap would gradually come down. On stages like this they want to time things carefully, early enough to not be stressed about the catch, but not too soon or another escape could take place. Twenty five kilometers to go and the gap was just above 20 seconds.
As they were about to be caught, Leysen with a last ditch effort to stay away. He would get a minute gap, much larger than I would have expected. Five kilometers to go and he was caught. 
Alas, no fairy tale for Cavendish. Dainese with the stage win.     

The wine: 
Weingut Carlotto Lagrein
From 2018 
I couldn't resist this one.
From the importer:
Feruccio Carlotto and his daughter Michela farm a tiny estate of several hectares in the Alto-Adige town of Ora, south of Bolzano. The special of this village is Lagrein, a red grape that is native to the region, and these folks have it down. They chose to produce only one Lagrein Riserva that is aged in large oak casks. The vines are planted in a complex mélange of soil types dominated by igneous porphyry rock and complemented by limestone subsoil and a wide range of alluvial sediments and stones deposited here over millennia. You have never tasted Lagrein with this much finesse. It is a powerhouse of a wine with a very light touch—inky black, loaded with fruit, with a distinctive personality, and silky tannins. They also make a small amount of Pinot Nero that is made in a very fine, elegant style, with a feathery touch. It is from one of the best terroirs in the Alto Adige for Pinot Nero, the cru of Mazzon.


The food: Risotto with Scallops

Ingredients (for 4 people)

  • 320 g superfine Carnaroli rice
  • 400 g small scallops
  • dry white wine
  • 1.5 litres of fish or vegetable stock
  • 1 clove garlic
  • parsley
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

Clean the small scallops removing the black part and the long membrane and wash them well in cold water taking care to remove all sandy residues. Shallow fry the garlic without removing its skin in a saucepan with a bit of shallot and coarsely chopped parsley, add the small scallops and brown them for a couple of minutes (at the most!).
Put the mixture aside and toast the rice in a saucepan with some extra virgin olive oil. When the rice is toasted nicely and has turned translucent, wet it with half a glass of white wine. Continue cooking, pouring in the stock a little at a time. 5 minutes before the rice is cooked, add the scallop mixture previously set aside and add a little butter and grana padano cheese. Once served on the plates, sprinkle some black pepper on top to exalt the flavour of the risotto.

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