THE third instalment of the Giro dItalia at Cicchetti offers some of the best dishes yet on this monthly changing tour of Italian regional cuisine.
Following the special Abruzzo and Sicily menus in June and July, Augusts features the food of Campania, the south west region centred on Naples. Its the homeland of Giuseppe Lombardi, head chef at the award-winning restaurant inside Manchesters House of Fraser and on the evidence of a recent sampling hes done it proud.
Naples, of course, is the birthplace of the pizza, and Cicchettis are the equal of any in Manchester, but the emphasis here is on other gastronomic riches. If mozzarella di bufala made from the milk of buffalo bred in Salerno and Caserto figures too much I can forgive because its utterly delicious, whether in Insalata Caprese al profumo di limone (£8.50) (half a Sorrento lemon filled with piennolo tomato, mozzarella and anchovies, baked and topped with fresh basil) or Smoked Mozzarella grilled in a fresh San Marzano tomato sauce (£6.95).
The array of vegetables from the rich volcanic soils around Vesuvius is matched by the wealth of seafood from the Tyrrhenian Sea, as usual best served simply. Fish stand-outs on the menu are Trancio di cernia alla partenopea (£9.50), which is stone bass fillet on a wafer-thin potato cake with olive, tomato and lemon and, a real bargain two could share as a starter, Cuoppo misto (£10.95). This is typical Neapolitan street food mixed fish and vegetables served in a bag.
Swordfish, in cubes, features in the pasta course, Scialatielli (£9.95), a thick home made Neapolitan spaghetti, along with fresh tomato, basil and, you guessed it, buffalo mozzarella. More fish in the The Risotto alla Sorrentina (£9.95) is an ethereal take on this classic rice dish with baby squid, clams, sea weed and lemon zest.
A dish of pork ribs and rolled veal paled in comparison with the rest. The real surprise came with a very traditional Campanian dessert for £6.95 featuring aubergine in a chocolate sauce. It works. Give it a go!
A Rosato dAglianico, a refreshing pink from the region at £5.80 the glass, matches most of these dishes rather well.
In September Cicchetti heads further south to Calabria.
www.sancarlocicchetti.co.uk; for dinner reservations call: 0161 839 2233.
