A good and just sea

"In front of the sea, happiness is a simple idea", wrote the great writer from Marseille Jean-Claude Izzo. Happiness and freedom are indeed concepts that can be perfectly associated with the idea of sea, even in terms of food. Seafood has always been one of the most researched and beloved subjects by gourmands and the programme of the twelfth edition of the Identità Golose Milano Congress will dedicate a whole day to this theme, for the second time.

Identità di Mare will go on stage on Tuesday 8th March, the last day at Identità Milano, in Sala Blu 2 at MiCo, and will feature some of the most inspired interpreters of seafood dishes, who will cover this theme always keeping in mind the importance of sustainability and of enhancing marine biodiversity.
 

Pino Cuttaia, chef at La Madia in Licata (Agrigento), will have the honour of opening the works. In June last year he had already charmed the guests at Identità Expo S.Pellegrino with an impeccable menu. Patrizia Ronca and Gino Pesce of Acqua Pazza in Ponza (Latina) will focus their lesson on the cod that can be caught in the clear waters of their island, giving greater value to a fish that is used and sold everywhere.

Alfonso Caputo, chef at La Taverna del Capitano in Massa Lubrense (Naples), has the sea running in his veins: «I come from a family of fishermen and they passed me my passion for fishing and for the sea in the most natural way», he says. The title of his speech will be The power of the sea: «Even through a video I’ll bring, I want to try and show the infinite richness the sea offers us, knowing that the seafood we use today is just a small percentage. And during the lesson I will also show how you can use uncommon ingredients, such as jellyfish or squid offal with which I’ll make a very special dessert».

Gianfranco Pascucci, Pascucci al Porticciolo in Fiumicino (Rome), will present Ravioli Umami, a recipe he already presented at The CooKing Show, a TV programme hosted by Lisa Casali during Expo2015 (we wrote about it here) and inspired also by the desire to reduce food waste. Nazario Biscotti of Antiche Sere in Lesina (Foggia) will meet on stage with Niimori Nobuya of Sushi B in Milan, comparing the use of eel in the culinary traditions of Italy and Japan.

It will then be the turn of two prestigious ambassadors of the fish from the Adriatic Sea: Mauro Uliassi from the wide gulf of Senigallia, and Lionello Cera (Antica Osteria Cera, Campagna Lupia - Venice) from the lagoon of Venice. The last lesson is assigned to Fabrizio Ferrari, who for years now has only been serving the most delicious seafood in the menu at Porticciolo 84 in Lecco.

And he also shows a strong sensitivity for sustainable fishing: «We’re the first restaurant in Italy that's waiting for the certification from the Marine Stewardship Council NGO – he says – and I wanted to give my speech the title of Sea in an identity crisis because I’m preoccupied that it is exploited in the worst and most ruthless way, by fishing and eating always and only the same species, which are now in great danger. Speaking about the theme of the Congress, that is to say freedom, I’d like to show how in order to keep our freedom of enjoying the delicacies offered by the sea we need to learn to use different kinds of fish that are just as delicious, only less renowned».