by Francesco Selicato
The last stage was held on 23 April in Bari, in the heart of Puglia of Asiago DOP Tour at the La Bul restaurant, among the winners of the special prize “Restaurant with the best cheese tasting” promoted by Asiago Cheese Protection Consortium in the Gambero Rosso 2024 Italian Restaurant Guide.
We are in Puglia, a land where you eat well and it is summer all year round. Perhaps the decision to make this region the last stop on the tour was made to arrive well prepared in front of the Apulian gourmets.
He is in charge of the dinner chef Antonio Scalera, whose great versatility in the use of cheese and the ability to enhance the product are considered two sides of the same coin. When choosing a DOP product like Asiago, the chef of La Bul di Bari has no doubts: “Cheese is an essential ingredient and I use it in every context: on its own, in the preparations and in the selection offered in the cheese menu, because, with its various facets, it allows me to enhance my creativity. Each recipe is created respecting seasonality, with great attention to the raw materials and the territory, and it is essential for me to be able to count on suppliers who share my same attention to detail.”
To accompany the entire menu of the evening, where Asiago DOP played a central role with different consistencies, there was the Menhir cellar. The honor of having Gaetano Marangelli, founder and CEO of Menhir Salento, directly in the room further enriched the event.
Before exploring the menu, let’s get to know the Asiago Cheese Protection Consortium better. Founded in 1979, this body is made up of 34 cheese producers and 6 seasoners. Its main mission is to ensure that only cheese that scrupulously follows the production specification can be recognized and sold as Asiago, thus preserving the tradition and strengthening the identity of the product. The institutional tasks of the Consortium include promoting knowledge of the product, protecting it from any improper use and ensuring that the consumer can always count on the originality of Asiago PDO when purchasing it. Each form of Asiago DOP cheese is produced in full compliance with the Production Regulations, with a traceable production process guaranteed by the Consortium itself. The supply chain is made up of 37 production companies, 6 maturing companies, 1016 breeding companies, data updated to 2022, and employs 8500 workers.
Returning to the evening’s menu, what does it include?
The diners were guided through a journey of 5 courses who have explored the different textures and flavors with increasing sophistication. Asiago DOP was the undisputed protagonist of the evening, presented and served in all its varieties as the underlying theme of the menu, in the following order: Asiago with vegetable rennet, Asiago mezzano, Asiago stravecchio, Asiago reserve.
The trip began with a surprising entrée: a fresh Asiago PDO cannoli with vegetable rennet, enriched with wild herbs, lemon and sheep’s ricotta. This dish, particularly fresh and well balanced, was enhanced by the pairing with wine Pietra Verdega IGT.
The real starter was a Podolica cow mince with fresh Asiago DOP reserve and Asiago DOP middle. This dish, delicately seasoned to preserve the balance between the two cheeses, created a unique harmony on the palate, further enriched by the wine Nina Rosato Terra d’Otranto DOC.
There is a lot to say about the first course; how do you say, the mastery of a chef can be seen in the risotto. Antonio Scalera did not disappoint, presenting a risotto with vin cotto of figs, crunchy lampascione and Asiago DOP Stravecchio, produced in the mountains. An interesting detail is the use of lampascione in two consistencies, in oil and crunchy, which made the dish extremely pleasant and left everyone breathless. A risotto that deserves all the attention required; the paired wine was l’Ora Fiano Terra d’Otranto DOC 2022.
The second course brought a breath of audacity, exceeding the already high expectations raised by the first. She was served a veal sweetbread, accompanied by a 12 month old Asiago DOP fondue and a Trani Moscato sauce, with a touch of turnip greens. The sweetbread literally melted in your mouth; according to the chef, the secret lies in the use of the chest part, which is cleaner and more tender than other commonly used parts. As a wine pairing, the Vega Terra d’Otranto DOC red reserve 2022.
In conclusion, the dessert was a coffee foam with notes of chocolate and cinnamon, served on a base of dark chocolate ganache.
The evening was a special occasion in which the flavors of the territory came together harmoniously with the Asiago DOP cheese in all its maturations. Chef Scalera has excelled, using all the ingredients available to him to enhance his strong sense of belonging and passion for local cuisine. On the other hand, being the last stop on the Asiago DOP tour, it was essential to close with a memorable event that best celebrated the excellence of the territory.
The Bul
Via Pasquale Villari, 52 Bari
Tel.080. 5230576
Always open, closed on Mondays
