Rome, Porta Esquilina, from here began Via Labicana one of the oldest Roman roads. Today its ancient route no longer exists, after Porta Maggiore it initially overlaps with Via Prenestina and then via Casilina.
The Via Labicana led to Labicum city of which there is no sure news, we like to believe that Labicum is today's Labico, but it is not so and the misunderstanding was born in the nineteenth century. But it is Labico who brings us back to our recipe.
Here for a very long time it was cultivated what today we would call a gastronomic excellence the "roncola labicana" a type of sweet pea and very small but clearly of very low yield.
During fascism they tried to increase their productivity but without success. Cultivation slowly disappeared until it was abandoned. Today in the Zagarolo farmers' market ancient seeds are recovered and exchanged and there can be found the Labicana pruning knife. With these peas we prepare our cream.
For mozzarella di bufala instead I always go to Amaseno, will it be a coincidence? As is known, in the lower Lazio region in the province of Frosinone buffalo rearing has always existed favored by the conformation of the territory, but the use made of milk was purely family.
It was not until the 1980s that an industrial production began and the Amaseno buffalo mozzarella and all the lower Lazio is completely different from the Campana one: it has a buttery or grainy identity. We will be biased but we like it better.
Pea cream recipe with stracciatella and prawns
Lightly fry a little shallot and a small piece of diced potato. When the shallot is gilded, shortly after, add the peeled fresh peas and let it season for a few minutes.
To get to the cooking, we add some vegetable broth and we cook it until we find the right softness for the peas ‘roncola labicana’. Then, when cooked, we whisk it all together to create a velvety cream.
Simultaneously apart we take the prawns and clean them from carapace and possibly from the black gut on the back. At this point, burn the prawns in a very hot pan for a few minutes and go to assemble the dish.
In a deep dish put the cream of peas, then in the center we put the buffalo stracciatella and on top we put the prawns. The dish ends with a grinding of black pepper and a round of Sabina oil.
The dish is ready and will surprise you. I accompanied him with a Donnaluce a Lazio wine produced by Poggio alle Volpi of Monteporzio. A Lazio malvasia with a little Greek and Chardonnay grapes that gives off an unmistakable scent.
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