Issue1 TasteBound compressed - Flipbook - Page 51
THE ISLAND WITHIN
modern amenities. The house has
been beautifully restored, with only
the very basics necessary for comfort.
The artist’s sketches and old paints are
everywhere (you’ll even find his trusty
boots and spectacles in the corner).
Sleeping here in the whitewashed
bedroom under antique Sardinian linen
sheets is to truly take a step back in
time. To top it all, breakfast is served
outside on an old wooden table under
an ancient fig tree, looking out over
the sun-scorched plain.
Nothing stays secret for ever, though.
This interior region of the island has
long been traversed by the famous
trenino verde, a small green train that
has been running since the days of
DH Lawrence’s famous tour of Sardinia,
and is now a tourist attraction. It travels
through the wild hinterland of central
southern Sardinian, crossing viaducts
over giant lakes and cutting through
swathes of Mediterranean macchia. It’s
not an area to pass through at speed but
one in which to linger. Stay a while. Pull
up a chair at a kitchen table. Listen to
its unchanging stories.
Glossary
Bosana The island’s
dominant olive variety.
Over 50% of Sardinian olives
are bosana, which produce
a green, bittersweet oil with
notes of local artichoke.
Bottarga Cured grey mullet
roe, known as Sardinian
caviar. Sweet, salty and rich.
Slice it thin with pane
carasau (see right), sprinkle
it liberally over spaghetti
alle vongole, or shave it over
celery or artichoke salad.
Malloreddus alla
Campidanese Campidano
classic: ridged pasta
nuggets (made from
a simple semola and water
dough) in a rich sausage and
saffron ragù. Comfort food,
Sardinian-style.
Pane carasau Crispy, paperthin, wood-fired flatbread,
aka carta di musica (‘music
paper’), served with every
meal. When drizzled with oil
and salt, it becomes pane
guttiau (‘dripped bread’).
More moreish than crisps.
Pecorino Most pecorino
comes from Sardinia, home
to a rich shepherding
tradition. Try fiore sardo
(smoky, dark-rinded), sardo
(golden and creamy) and
Romano (salty and crumbly).
Homemade cheese sold out
of a white van? Normal here.
In a world chasing the next big thing,
there’s something quietly radical about
these places – places where the food
is still made by hand, the welcome is
heartfelt and time moves to the rhythm
of the land. Sardinia’s interior doesn’t
Ricotta A by-product of
cheese-making, found
island-wide. The fresh, local
stuff – worlds apart from
supermarket tubs – is well
worth seeking out. Made
from cow’s or sheep’s milk,
it’s perfect in both sweet
and savoury dishes.
Sa carapigna An ancient,
refreshing sorbet found at
island festivals. Flavoured
with lemon or mandarin,
it’s as fun to watch being
made as it is to eat.
Vernaccia A fortified wine
from Oristano, made like
sherry and sipped as an
aperitivo or digestivo, often
with a homemade amaretti.
It’s great in cooking too.
shout to be heard. But when you’re
seated beneath the stars, with a plate
of warm ravioli and a glass of homemade
wine, you’ll realise that it was here
all along, waiting patiently, for those
who care to seek it. T
Lemon possets in lemon boats
SERVES 8
When you are lucky enough to have
beautiful, leafy lemons, there is no nicer
thing than halving them, scooping out
the flesh (to squeeze for juice) and filling
them with lemon posset. The flavour of
the rind perfumes the posset and provides
a perfect, picturesque vessel. You will
need to scoop out the flesh of four whole
lemons, to create the ‘boats’ the dessert
is served in, but you only use the juice
of two, so the pulp from the others can
be used in another recipe.
●
●
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PHOTOS: CHARLOTTE BLAND
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400ml double cream
90g sugar
90ml lemon juice (2 large lemons)
8 hollowed-out lemon halves, to serve
Combine the double cream and sugar in
a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Stir gently
(the cream will expand a lot) and continue
to cook for a minute or two, making sure
the sugar has dissolved.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for
around 5 minutes.
Add the lemon juice to the cream mixture,
then decant into your lemon boats (working
on a flat surface, so the liquid doesn’t spill.)
Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. It
will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
TA S T E B O U N D
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