A fish (turbot being the best) soup, cooked in oil, vinegar, garlic and water with polenta. A speciality of the isle of Grado in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Among many fish soups of the name, Ancona’s version is the most famous in Italy, maybe because it includes at least 13 types of fish, one of which should be mullet. The broth is made with smaller fish and fish heads, and the larger fish are then cooked in the broth. It also contains onions, tomatoes, herbs, garlic, olive oil and vinegar and is served over a piece of bread rubbed with garlic. The southern version has nine different types of fish and has saffron in addition to the other ingredients. The broth is usually served separately from the fish.
A very large savoury pancake from Modena in Emilia-Romagna, made with a topping of pork fat or pancetta, garlic and rosemary. It is folded into quarters and sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.
Borage. An herbaceous perennial plant with brilliant, star-like, blue flowers used in salads, drinks, soups and stews, chopped into cream cheese, mayonnaise or egg salad, but care must be taken to use only the smallest leaves and chop very finely, or the hairs will irritate. The leaves have a slight flavour of cucumber and can be cooked in the same way as spinach while the flowers can be used in fritters. It is sometimes used to flavour pastry dough.
