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Puglia cuisine

Puglia is Italy's sun-baked south: durum-wheat orecchiette, wild greens and pulses, burrata and stracciatella, lamb and sea. Its wines are generous and warm - Primitivo and Negroamaro reds, coral Salento rosati, and crisp Verdeca whites from the trulli country.

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Antipasto

Fave e CicoriaFava purée with wild chicory

A silky purée of dried broad beans served with sautéed bitter wild chicory and a thread of olive oil - cucina povera at its purest.

dried fava beanswild chicoryolive oil
Wines to drink with it
  • Verdeca Verdeca's freshness lifts the earthy beans and bitter greens.
  • Locorotondo DOC The Valle d'Itria white is the everyday match for this peasant plate.
Burrata di AndriaCream-filled fresh cheese

A pouch of mozzarella filled with soft stracciatella and cream, torn open to spill its centre - the pride of Andria.

mozzarellacreamstracciatella
Wines to drink with it
  • Locorotondo DOC A fresh, low-oak white matches the milky richness without overwhelming it.
  • Bombino Nero The delicate Castel del Monte rosato from Bombino Nero flatters the creamy cheese.

Primo

Orecchiette con Cime di RapaEar-shaped pasta with turnip tops

Hand-shaped durum orecchiette tossed with bitter turnip tops, garlic, chilli, anchovy and olive oil - the emblem of Bari cooking.

orecchietteturnip tops (cime di rapa)garlicanchovy
Wines to drink with it
  • Locorotondo DOC The crisp Verdeca-Bianco d'Alessano white balances the bitter greens and garlic.
  • Negroamaro A pale Salento rosato from Negroamaro is the local pink answer to the dish.
Tiella di Riso, Patate e CozzeBaked rice, potato and mussels

A Bari 'tiella' of layered rice, thin-sliced potato and mussels baked with tomato, onion and pecorino until crusted on top.

ricepotatomusselstomato
Wines to drink with it
  • Verdeca Verdeca's saline freshness suits the mussels and the baked, savoury layers.
  • Locorotondo DOC The Puglian white is the natural partner for this seafood bake.
Ciceri e TriaChickpeas with fried pasta

A Salento dish of chickpeas and fresh pasta, part of the pasta boiled and part fried crisp and scattered on top for contrast.

chickpeasfresh pastabay
Wines to drink with it
  • Salice Salentino DOC A Salice Salentino rosato or light red suits the humble chickpea-and-pasta dish.
  • Negroamaro Negroamaro's savour and gentle bitterness echo the fried pasta.

Secondo

Braciole al RagùBeef rolls in tomato ragù

Thin beef (or horse) rolls stuffed with garlic, parsley, pecorino and lardo, braised slowly in tomato - the Sunday ragù of Bari, its sauce dressing the pasta first.

beef rollspecorinotomato
Wines to drink with it
Bombette PugliesiGrilled stuffed pork rolls

Little rolls of pork wrapped around caciocavallo cheese and grilled over wood at the butcher's fornello - the street barbecue of the Murgia.

porkcaciocavallopancetta
Wines to drink with it
  • Gioia del Colle DOC The Murgia's own Primitivo, grown around the grill country, matches the smoky pork and cheese.
  • Primitivo Primitivo's ripe, peppery fruit stands up to the charred, fatty rolls.

Dolce

Pasticciotto LecceseLecce custard tart

A small oval shortcrust pastry filled with baked pastry cream, eaten warm for breakfast across the Salento.

shortcrust pastrypastry creamegg
Wines to drink with it