The Sorrentine Coast cuisine is inspired by the classic Neapolitan one with the incursion of scents and the unique flavour of the local citrus fruits.
The new interpretation of Neapolitan deserts is exemplary, like babà with orange cream. Even if the “delizia al limone” conquered an important place! It is a sponge cake with cream and Chantilly cream with lemon flavour. There are also the “fullarielli”, which are rolls of raisins dried in lemon leaves. Lemons are the protagonists of the limoncello, of which the Coast claims the paternity as well as the lemon cream. Flavoured desserts are similar to the “pasticcini” (fine pastries). Herbs and laurel for the liqueurs come from the gardens. From the hulls of the nut grown in the area you can obtain an excellent “nocillo” (liqueur). Without forgetting to mention the figs stuffed with nuts and covered with dark chocolate.
There is a well-known typical dish of the Coast, which is gnocchi alla sorrentina, prepared with fiordilatte mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. Milk does not give only fiordilatte cheese but also a large variety of processes from the “braids” of Massalubrense to the “bocconcini” (baby mozzarella), to the “scamorze” (stretched-curd cheese) with chili pepper and olives. It is impossible to forget the extra virgin olive oil from the Sorrentine Peninsula which boasts the title of PDO, including a cow’s cheese from the Lattari Mountains of great quality (from the milk of different cattle breeds, including the Agerolese), the Provolone del Monaco, legendary for its name and superb for its flavour, even when it is aged over 18 months
THE RECIPE
Gnocchi alla sorrentina - Sorrento style gnocchi
The tradition of simplicity. You only need half kilo of gnocchi, a fresh tomato purée, some basil, fiordilatte mozzarella cheese and grated Parmigiano. Obviously, you first need to cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water and drain them once they float to the top. Transfer them to an ovenproof dish and add the tomato sauce and abundant Parmigiano. Then, cover them with a layer of fiordilatte slices, some more sauce, more cheese and basil. Put the pan in the oven (240 degrees) for few minutes until the cheese has melted. Serve very hot.
Ovale di Sorrento lemon
A big lemon, the “Ovale di Sorrento” of elliptical and asymmetric shape. After all, the lemons of Sorrento are protected since 1999 by a PGI seal. They are cultivated in the terracing of the coast, which have been characterising the landscape for ages: the plants are sheltered from weather with structures of wooden poles of at least three meters high and covered by the so-called “pagliarelle” (a kind of reed blinds). The harvest happens between February and October, exclusively by hand. Its skin is characteristic, of medium thickness, rich in essential oils. The colour is lemon yellow, whereas the pulp is with a lighter pale yellow colour. The juice is abundant and with a high acidity. The fact that the lemon intended to be marketed needs to weigh less than eighty-five grams is important; whereas fruits weighing less can be used for the transformation.
