Alessandro Borghese
Sound of the Seaby Heston Blumenthal
In cantina Vigne Cappato: lunga vita al Vermentino
Giorgio Scarselli, born in 1969, restaurant manager at Bikini, the beach resort founded by his grandfather Franco 60 years ago in Vico Equense, in Sorrento’s Peninsula (Naples). Third generation of fishermen, he works hard to elevate seafood culture, stressing seasonality and promoting scarcely used species
The first week of summer is already behind us but our preoccupation remains unchanged: what seafood should we avoid when eating by the sea? What dishes should we prefer, beyond trends? How can we steer clear of the bland taste of frozen fish or the stone bass arriving from the straight of Hormuz in Oman? It’s a very complex issue and it changes not only when moving from one village to the other, or from the Tyrrhenian to Adriatic Sea, but when moving from one gulf to the other too. Indeed every sea has its ecosystem and its population of fish. So there are no universal laws we can apply. Our focus today is on Sorrento’s Peninsula. We meet Giorgio Scarselli, manager at Bikini in Vico Equense. Spreading the seafood eating culture is a mission for him. It’s been so since taking the reins of the restaurant overlooking the family beach resort with Vesuvius in the backdrop, back in 2010. It was founded by his grandfather Franco, a lawyer-fisherman, 60 years ago: «At the time, the name was the most exotic one you could choose», says Giorgio. A curious look and an intelligent eloquence, he took back the establishment that his father Riccardo, also a fisherman, made famous already in the Eighties: «He was a pioneer. In those days he kept a small boat moored below. And he’d remind the fishermen to come back with baskets full of green weeds to make pancakes. During the reproductive season, they returned with plenty of sea urchins. And we would make beautiful risottos with these. He would also make a gourmet pizza ante-litteram: his Bikini pizza, with rocket salad and provola from the Monti Lattari, was famous». Three generations with sea running in their veins. What rules should we follow to better appreciate our catch? The first and most important one is seasonality. Today every professional, or almost, knows when it’s the right time to buy and cook courgettes or tomatoes. Yet very little is still being said of seafood seasonality. Still, beyond biological recovery periods, there’s always a most suitable time to fish a particular variety. For instance, we should eat mullet when the water is colder because its meat is firmer and tastier. When it’s hot, “rock” mullet or “mud” mullet is preferable.
Spaghetti with sea lemon and fennel leaves at restaurant Bikini, chef Domenico De Simone
A view from the restaurant’s veranda. With Vesuvius at the back
born in Milan, 1973, freelance journalist, coordinator of Identità Golose World restaurant guidebook since 2007, he is a contributor for several magazines and teaches History of gastronomy and Culinary global trends into universities and institutes. twitter @gabrielezanatt instagram @gabrielezanatt
Gabriele Zanatta’s opinion: on establishments, chefs and trends in Italy and the world