Poultry and Game

In Italy game does not have the aristocratic connotations it has in Britain. In season, even the simplest trattoria will have some form of game on the menu, especially in Tuscany and Umbria.

The strong and definite flavours of game birds allow us to handle them in an Italian way. Instead of the standard bacon fat used in Britain, we wrap the birds in pancetta or prosciutto, each of which has its own distinct flavour. The game season coincides with the harvesting of maize for polenta, of chestnuts, and the arrival of the new olive oil – ingredients we love most with game. The bird cavities can be stuffed with the livers, with cotechino sausage, chestnuts, thyme, sage or mostarda di cremona. If we use bread with game, it will not be the classic bread sauce, but rather a slice of bruschetta rubbed with garlic and strong olive oil, or spread with the birds’ livers cooked in red wine with sage and thyme.