When something good happens you cannot keep it to yourself, you have to share it and rejoice in it all together. And the project ‘Parma Accoglie‘ is really something beautiful. It is a simple, yet extraordinary way to say thank you to the people who made themselves available to the community during the Covid emergency.
What does the ‘Parma Accoglie’ initiative consist of? Federalberghi Parma in collaboration with Ascom Parma, Consorzio Albergatori Promo Parma, FIPE – Pubblici Esercizi and Parma Quality Restaurant, with the patronage of the Municipality of Parma, have decided to offer a stay of up to two nights free of charge in a local hotel with the possibility of a typical Parma dinner, at a special price, in one of the participating restaurants to health, medical, nursing, volunteer, Civil Defence, Public Assistance and Italian Red Cross personnel.
Any ideas of what you’ll do while in Parma? In the meantime, here are some shots of the city taken by my photographer friend Francesca Bocchia then I will share some activity proposals with you shortly!
And I hope to contribute to your desire to come to my city through the extraordinary products that have made it world-famous and through a few recipes that you will certainly not find in the city’s restaurants… because you absolutely must try the fresh stuffed pasta and the deli meats and cheese platters!
A land of great products
To tell you about my land, I have decided to propose recipes in which Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma (here is the recipe) are used in an unusual way as I am sure that the ‘usual way’ will be known even to those who are not from Parma!
My ‘obligatory’ starting point is Parmigiano Reggiano, the product I was born and raised with, as my family has been producing it since 1895. It is natural that I adore the product that has accompanied me for as long as I can remember and that has marked the rhythms of my family’s life, but Parmigiano has remained a table companion even after diabetes and celiac disease entered our lives, so it is even more precious to us!
Parmigiano Reggiano contains no carbohydrates and is allergen-free. It is also suitable for those who are intolerant to milk proteins if it is purchased with a maturation of 36 months or more. And to alleviate the guilt in case we are overwhelmed by its goodness and can’t stop ourselves in front of its fragrant slivers accompanied by fresh fruit, bread, nuts or a glass of full-bodied red wine, you should know that Parmigiano is a semi-fat cheese as it is made with half of the milk partially skimmed (find out how)!
My recipe to try to make you forever prisoners of the Parmigiano Reggiano spell and continue to welcome you to Parma? A soft cream enveloping fruit and enclosing it under a crunchy caramelised crust… after all, popular culture has warned us: don’t let the farmer (and us) know how good cheese with pears is!
Crème brûlé ready to be enjoyed
Parma Accoglie and my recipe for Crème brûlé with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
10.93g carbohydrates per 100g
Ingredients for 6 servings
- 250g ripe pear (or white grapes)
- 300g real or vegetable cream
- 100g milk
- 50g grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 40g egg yolk (2 yolks)
- 30g brown sugar
- ½ lemon
- ½ vanilla pod
Preparation
- Bring the cream and milk to the boil with the seeds contained in half a vanilla pod. In a bowl, whip the egg yolks until stiff and pour the hot milk over them in a trickle. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and incorporate well.
- Cut the pear into small pieces, put it in a non-stick pan with the juice of half a lemon and let it soften slightly, allowing all the lemon juice to dry.
- Take 6 mini-mouldsput the pear pieces or cut grapes on the bottom, pour the milk, egg and Parmesan mixture on top and put the moulds on a baking tin containing hot water that should reach halfway up the moulds.
- Bake in a static oven preheated to 120°C for 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool, then transfer the moulds to the refrigerator until serving time.
- At this point, sprinkle the surface with brown sugar and caramelise it with the special torch. Serve the crème brûlé immediately.
The caramelised surface of Créme brûlé
Version with gluten of Crème brûlé with Parmesan cheese
The recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.
