Naples and Cod: an inseparable and historic combination of Neapolitan gastronomy: it is like talking about Naples and Pizza, Naples and Sartù, Naples and Sfogliatella, Naples and Pastiera, Naples and Casatiello. A long tradition that is rooted in the history of Neapolitan taste and flavors, whose importance is demonstrated by its rigorous and indispensable presence during the Christmas holidays and other special occasions. Combined in many ways, although the three cornerstones of cod cuisine remain Neapolitan Cod, cooked in a tomato sauce, with black olives, capers and raisins, in a perfect balance between sweet and salty flavor; Fried cod, a simple but tasty preparation, where the crispiness of the casing becomes a true culinary masterpiece (and in Naples it is a true art practiced by the Crocché alla Pizza fritta), Stewed cod, another classic of Neapolitan tradition, where the cod is slowly cooked with potatoes, tomatoes and herbs, and the Cod Salad, a cold dish in which the cod is boiled and then mixed with boiled potatoes, olives, peppers, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon and fresh parsley, a simple but very tasty recipe, ideal for a light lunch.
A gastronomic tradition that has its historical reason for the poor people of the past centuries before becoming a gourmet dish on which generations of excellent cooks and starred chefs have practiced. Its success is due to the Council of Trent that began in 1545 and lasted almost twenty years. It was necessary to counter the Protestant schism that had contested the church's dissolute customs and diet based on luxurious and fatty meats that led to sin. To respond to the accusations of Luther's tables, the Council arrived at establishing a good 150 days a year according to the precept of "eating lean" inspired by greater sobriety at the table. But if fresh fish was almost exclusively the prerogative of the wealthy and coastal populations, salted fish such as cod was more affordable for everyone and a certain Father Olaus Magnus of Swedish origins suggested to the Council the use of "fish called merlusia, dried in cold winds" among other things rich in high quality proteins, with a very low fat content, which makes it ideal for those trying to reduce the intake of saturated fats, rich in important minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, which are crucial for bone health, nerve function and maintaining electrolyte balance. And a good source of B vitamins, especially vitamin B12, which is important for the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of the nervous system.
A Mathematician at the Stove is not the title of a film but the training path of a great chef, Paolo Gramaglia, who converted from equations to the stove with the precision of a mathematician who, together with his partner Lalla, a lawyer by profession and a sommelier by passion, runs the President, an elegant restaurant just over 500 m from the archaeological excavations of Pompeii, where in 2015 a prestigious Michelin star was awarded, still firmly anchored there for ten years now. His culinary proposal is a moderately creative Campanian and seasonal cuisine with interesting reinterpretations of ancient Pompeian flavors and allusions to exact science. It was precisely this mathematical approach to culinary science where nothing is left to chance but everything falls within a cultural vision that creates great harmony of environment, pleasure and taste, that led him to work all over the world in Asia in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Changsha, in the United Arab Emirates with Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in Africa with Ghana and its capital Accra where he was acclaimed ambassador of a local cuisine, the extraordinary Neapolitan tradition, which knows how to open up and be appreciated all over the world because, as the chef likes to say: "with our work abroad we represent not only our cooking philosophies, but, also and above all, Italy and the great food and wine culture that constitutes one of the greatest symbols of our country".
“From the kitchen – write the inspectors of the Michelin Guide about him, comes a revisitation of the traditions of Campania, in some details (such as the “sigilinium” bread) even of the ancient Roman ones, dishes that are always tasty and beautiful to look at, offered in different tasting menus, but which can also be chosen à la carte, freely jumping from one to another”.
Paolo Gramaglia, as a good protagonist of the excellent Campania gastronomic tradition, has several cod dishes on his menu, but one in particular has been studied by the great chef to be accessible to everyone, to give anyone the satisfaction of being able to replicate a starred dish at home, which knows how to enhance the flavors, colors and taste of the raw material treated with great skill.
“Who cooks at the home of a starred chef? What does a starred chef eat? Is it challenging to have a starred chef at the table? It is an exceptional dish, but how do you cook it? Chef, it would be impossible for me to replicate one of your recipes!”. How many times has Gramaglia been asked these questions…” And here is his my answer: “Cooking is technique and, obviously, there are “difficult” dishes that, to make them, need a lot of technique and to taste them you have to go and sit at the table of someone who does this for a living, because every job must be done by “professionals. Cooking, however,” adds the chef, “is feeling, passion, color, flavor, taste, it is a dive into an unknown sea that lets sailors who respect it navigate. This is the reason why, in my work, I define myself or, better, they define me as “a star for everyone.” My recipes and my dishes are glamorous and at the same time pop, they are chic, but also casual, they are full of technique, but in “your own way you can get there.” In short, they are “starred”, but “at your home” tonight you can make a good impression at the table by serving this starred dish”. And here is his proposal to prepare easily at home, thus bringing a very tasty dish to the table to make a good impression with friends.
Cod Carpaccio Recipe
Ingredients:
4 pieces of well desalted cod, 100g each
extra virgin olive oil to taste
30 g of pink pepper
4 dried sea lettuce leaves (seaweed)
4 yellow edible flowers
2 lemons
1 file
lemon thyme to taste
dill to taste
Method
Remove the skin from the cod, dry it and then fry it. Flake and thinly slice the fresh and well desalted cod. Marinate with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, thyme, dill and crushed pink pepper. Grate the lime peel and dice the remaining lime. Arrange the cod on a shiny white flat plate, season it with a few drops of oil, the grated lime peel, add the lime pieces. Garnish everything with the cod skin, the dried seaweed and the little flower.
President restaurant
Piazzale Schettini, 12, 80045 Pompeii NA
Phone: 081 850 7245
Menu: ristorantepresident.it
Reservations: ristorantepresident.it, thefork.it
