Their origins are ancient, traditionally and historically linked to Emilia-Romagna in particular to triangle Cesena-Ferrara-Reggio Emilia, text one written in 1556 by Messisbugo, cook at the Este court with Alfonso I d'Este but it is also a tradition in the Marche region. If the origins are limited to the two regions, in reality over the centuries they have conquered the tables of all of Italy with their goodness.
The cappelletti so called for the characteristic shape that resembles a hat absolute protagonists of the kitchen for end-of-year celebrations, even if they are then consumed for the rest of the year. Not to be confused with tortellini which have larger dimensions, thicker pasta and other types of filling, cappelletti according to the traditional recipe contain in their tiny but tasty filling chicken, pork, veal or beef (as well as bacon and cotechino), Parmesan, eggs and nutmeg and usually they are accompanied to the broth. Leopoldo Staurenghi, the prefect of Forlì, explains to us how much they are a dish that arouses gluttony, dated 1811 in a report on the habits and customs of the peasants of his territory as follows: especially from the priests, bets are made on who eats a greater quantity, and some arrive at the number of 400 or 500».
Un dish that animates so much passion has also created many jealous distinctions over time: Count Giovanni Manzoni, in the Cucinario of an ancient noble family of Lugo mentions seven different recipes. Called caplét in Romagna, they follow slightly different recipes in the filling (compensation) generally based on cheese and ricotta, spiced with nutmeg and grated lemon zest, in some cases with the addition of capon breast, or other meat. In the Faenza area they have a filling (e' pin or e' batù) of soft cheeses, Parmesan, nutmeg and without any type of meat and are eaten exclusively in chicken broth. In the Imola area, however, the filling is meat-based. The pastry is cut into squares of about 5 cm per side; a spoonful of filling is placed in each of them. They are tasted in meat broth. It is good practice not to remove them immediately from the pot: they must be left to soak for a few minutes so that they absorb the broth well.
In the Ferrara area, caplìt are distinguished, filled with meat and cheesei, to be consumed in broth, e the caplàz, larger with a pumpkin-based filling, to be eaten dry with meat sauce or butter and sage.
In anticipation of the holidays once upon a time - but in reality the custom has not disappeared - the women of the family gathered in the kitchens to prepare small cappelletti in abundant quantities for the occasions that would arise and the cappelletti thus also became a pretext for exchanging opinions, confessions and having a little chat between friends and… about friends.
Andrea Incerti Vezzani, chef and patron of the Cà Matilde di Rubbianino restaurant in Quattro Castella, one Michelin star, immersed in the lands on which Matilda of Canossa crowned Imperial Vicar and Vice Queen of Italy, had extended its dominion from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth century, still remembers when "as children we stole the filling of our wonderful cappelletti from our grandmothers while they were making them". Deeply in love with his land, Andrea Vezzani embarked on the cooking path precisely because of the desire to elaborate those flavors of peasant cuisine that were part of his youth to hand them down and revisit them in a modern and passionate guise made up of combinations and balanced contrasts up to achieve levels of excellence. But Vezzani has shown that he knows how to go even further, for some years now the desire to delve into and deepen the nutritional concept of food has been clearly perceived, succeeding in the alchemy of knowing how to combine genuine flavors of the territory and Healthy cuisine, research of raw materials of biological origin and celebration of the history of the territory, exaltation of resources and low environmental impact with the aim of captivating and convincing its guests that a restaurant must not only be about satisfying taste but also caring for individual and collective well-being.
If the hotel school of Salsomaggiore, and experiences at the Ristorante Delle Notarie in Reggio Emilia, the Hotel President in Cattolica and Le Maeson de Soussurre in Cervinia gave him the foundations, Vezzani built his professional growth almost by himself led to being awarded a Michelin star.
In 2001 he opened his first restaurant "La Cantina" in Puianello di Reggio Emilia, offering a revisited local cuisine. The restaurant with just 7 tables is included in the Veronelli guide and in the Michelin guide one year after its opening.
In 2006 it was the turn of Quattro Catella together with his wife at the Ca' Matilde in Rubbianino. Time two years and after the Espresso Guide, the Touring Club, the Gambero Rosso receive the recognition of the Michelin Star on time with an extremely positive judgment on the cuisine of the Emilian Chef: “the unstoppable gastronomic research – write the judges of the Rossa – brings dishes that are both modern and peasant to the table. In fact, Vezzani's chef patron cuisine is based on the Reggio Emilia tradition, the starting point for a respectful interpretation of the local culinary culture. The four surprise tasting itineraries "The timeless" often offered paired with the best Lambrusco wines of the area "Acqua in bocca", "Con i piedi per terra", "Cielo" are an invitation to play, letting you be guided to discover combinations, perfumes and seasonality".
The dish proposed to the readers of Mondo Food Terrine of stuffed cappelletti, traditional balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia, candied pumpkin and Borettane onions is the expression of a cuisine made up of technical knowledge and flair with a well-defined personality that identifies with dishes that draw simple raw materials, strong flavors with great balance and lightness. In the case of his Terrina, the memory of his childhood to which he is particularly attached. “The dish – she says – was born after a short vacation in Paris where the terrine culture is deeply rooted, from there the idea of transforming the pesto of the cappelletti into a real terrine, listen in the pork belly. In this recipe even more even the bond of the territory in combination with the traditional Balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia and the wonderful small onions of Boretto”
The recipe for the cappelletti filling terrine, traditional balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia, candied pumpkin and Borettane onions
Ingredients for 6/8 people
2 small onions
50 g of butter
200 g of beef
70 g of ham
160 g of pork pulp
90 g of veal
1 sausage
50 gr of mortadella
1/2 clove of garlic
nutmeg
Cream 100 g
1 egg
Parmesan cheese 150 g
Lard 300 g
Borettane onions 200 gr
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia100 gr
For the candied pumpkin:
150 grams of pumpkin
70 grams of glucose
Procedure:
Cut the pumpkin into cubes, vacuum-pack it with the glucose and cook at 87° for 35 minutes. In a saucepan, melt the butter with the onion, salt and pepper. Cut the meat into pieces and pour into the butter, cook slowly with a lid. When the pieces are cooked, finely chop everything by combining the ham, mortadella, a whole egg, Parmesan and cream. Spread the film on the table, place the lard then the cappelletti filling, roll up to form a regular cylinder. Vacuum-pack and cook at 85° for 1 hour.
Cook the chopped Borettane onions in balsamic vinegar, vacuum-packed at 87° for 30 minutes
Plating:
Cut a few rounds of the cappelletti filling terrine, arrange them on the plate with the marinated Borettane onions, the candied pumpkin and the traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia
Ca' Matilde restaurant
Loc. Rubbianino 14,
42020 Quattro Castella (Reggio Emilia)
Go to the website
tel: + 390522889560
