When you think of Tuscany the first thought that typically comes to mind is wine; and wine has no better partner than cheese, particularly when that cheese is Pecorino Toscano PDO (Protected Designation of Origin).
This cheese falls into the category of Italian sheep’s milk cheeses and has a unique and delicate flavor. Pecorino Toscano is made in two versions, fresh or soft and semi-hard or aged. Fresh Pecorino is aged for a minimum period of 20 days and has a taste that is sweet and clean with an aroma of butter and hay. The aged Pecorino on the other hand has a minimum aging period of 120 days and is more intense in flavor with aromas of dried fruit and hay. Each are distinct in appearance and flavor yet equally enjoyable.
I recently had the opportunity to sample this extraordinary cheese in several preparations as part of a special Pecorino Toscano Dinner hosted by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO) and Giro D’Italia Ristorante. The dinner featured six courses, each paired with Fattoria di Magliano wines (a young wine-making company in the heart of the Maremma territory of Tuscany).
The evening began with a tagliere (board) of both fresh and aged pecorino elegantly served with fruit, nuts, olives and honey and was paired with Illario Maremma Toscano Rosato, a rose wine made with Sangiovese grapes whose flavours of intense red fruits and floral notes perfectly complimented the cheese.
Next, Trionfo di patate in croquet e Pecorino Toscano (potato croquettes with fresh Pecorino cheese). The crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside croquettes were accompanied by Pagliatura Maremma Toscana Vermantino, a floral white with notes of white peach and pear.
The first course, a beautiful burgundy risotto con riduzione di Morellino di Scanzano e Pecorino (risotto with a wine reduction topped with a Pecorino crisp). The same red used for the risotto (Morellino di Scanzano) was served alongside, a Sangiovese and Syrah blend with the fragrance of red berries.
Following the risotto, the perfect pizza parcel, a calzone di Pecorino Toscano e Ricotto (Pecorino, ricotta and salami filled calzone) which was served up with the Perenzo Syrah, an intense fruity wine with notes of pepper, liquorice and sweet spices. This light and elegant wine also came with a beautiful story, it was named and dedicated to the late patriarch of the family who passed when the production of the Syrah began, hence the name Per Enzo “for Enzo”.
Our main course broke all the rules incredibly well, filetto di orate con patate duchessa al Pecorino (sea bream with creamy potatoes and Pecorino). A pairing of cheese and fish that was married with red wine, the Poggio Bestiale, an intense full-bodied blend.
The sweet finish to this cheese-infused dinner, Seada al Pecorino e miele paired with a crisp Prosecco. The seada is a Sardinian dessert of deep-fried semolina dumplings filled with Pecorino and lemon peel and covered in honey. This was a dessert first for me, but most certainly won’t be the last.
As American food writer M.F.K. Fisher once said, “Wine and cheese are ageless companions” and this Pecorino Toscano dinner proved that saying to be incredibly true. Buon Appetito!
