Untitled - Masseria il Frantoio

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T H E S I M P L EL I F E
Clockwise from left:
pasta rosso
'sagnapenta'at
II
Cibus; the citrus
garden at Masseria
ll Frantoio and one
of its bedrooms;
Cibus restaurant
and its capocollo
di Martina Franca.
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Alberobello,
a UNESCOworld heritagesiteand unofficial
capitalof the valley,boastsas many as 1400of these
architecturaìoddities.When he stayedthere,earlv
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2Oth-centurywriter GabrieleD'Annunzio said, "l wake up
and seea dreamlike landscape".I could seewhat he meant.
Martina Franca itself is full of <;purlentBaroque palaces,
churchesand butchers' shops.The town is home to the finest
cured meats in Pugiia, especiallycapocolìo,a name used in
southern Italy to refer to the part of the pig betweenthe neck
and the ribs. Taken exclusively from locally bred free-range
animals, the meat is lvashedwith a solution of mulled wine
and Mediterranean herbs and stuffed into pig's intestine,
rvliich is left or-rwooden boards to dry for about 10 days.
It's then srnoked over a smouidering fire of thyme,
m5'rtleand laurel twigs and matured for up
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).:-:"lVhile vou're in Martina," Benedetto
'be
e a t at
a t iJibr-is
Cibr-is
o eat
r î e , " b e sure
s u r e tto
S i c i l i a n iaoviseci
irciriani
a d v i s e drne,
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delicacyof Martina Franca)and braised
horse meat steaks(donkey and horse meat
have always beett popular here and large
farms rearing th,: anima.lsare still
I
ljlFna
reStauranIciowntl1efoaoinCegìicrv1essapicali-'"qidr'il;
It servesthe best food in the area". So there
f
everywhereto be seen).
the
viilage
I r,r,ent.Siciliani also explainedthat
of
my journey took me eastwarCsand seawards
The
finaì
leg
its
of
women,
the
beauty
of Cegliewas once famous for
- vineyards,olive and almond groves
a
landscape
through
families
bourgeois
rvho traditionally went into servicewith
"servizio
with
blue
sky
of gently rolling hills criss-crossed
and
azure
and
Bari,
in r-rearbycoastalcities such as Brindisi
in
England.
native
Cumbria
of
my
reminiscent
dry
stonewalls
wink.
My
father-in-law,
cornpleto,"he added with a malicious
With the Adriatic sparkling on my right and the sun in my eyes,
born and bred in Taranto, used to tell a different story; he
'oìive
'e
press'),
"lu
I eventuallycame to MasseriaIl Frantoio (meaning
paese pezzienti", the village of beggars.
called Ceglie
It was during visits to my father-inlaw that I first became
acquaintedwith the cuisine of southern Puglia.As a young
man he immigrated to Turin, in northern Italy, to work as
a secnritv manager for the Fiat car company,but when it
carrìeto eating he made few concessionsto his adopted
s u r r r o u n d i n g sT. h a t m e a n t a d a i l y d i e t o f p a s t a( m o r e o f t e n
tìran not accompaniedby beans,Ientiìs, chickpeasor
a converted 16th-century masseriastanding among 72 hectares
of olive trees - some of incredibly thick girth - carob and oak
trees and Mediterranean scrub,just off the main coastroad
between Ostuni and Fasano,in the province of Brindisi. The
owner, tall, beardedArmando Balestrazzi,was waiting under
the entrance arch, which bears the claspedhands coat-ofarms
cinre di rapa, tuntip tops),fish every Friday,plenty of boiled
greens and pinzimonio (raw vegetablesdipped in oil) at the
enclof virtr,rallyevery meal before the fruit. His favourite
'ncapriata (broad
bean purée with wiìd chicory,
disheswere
virtr-rallya ineal in itself) and lampascioni,a sort of reddish
of the \ocalTanzarella family, who owned the place for
centuries."Benvenuti nella nostra casa,"were his first words.
Later, over aperitivi in the courtyard, Armando explained
how he and his wife, Rosalba,l-raddiscoveredIl Frantoio
during a Sunday afternoon drive in the early 90s. It was love
at first sight. "The piace was in ruins bur there was something
wild hyacinth bulb dressedwith oil. In P'rglia,they make
'poor'
ingredients go a long way.
fresh
I found all these specialitiesand more at eibus, where
owner Lillino Silibello is committed to sourcing ingredients
locally,boasting that they all come from within a 30km radius
timelessand inagical about it. I watched two falcons gìiding
over the farm and I felt like FrederickII." (A referenceto the
local historicai icon, the man known as Stupor Mundi, or
'Wonder
of the World', who becameHoiy Roman Emperor
and, besidesbuilding imposing castlesthroughout the region,
of the village itself. Preparedby his mother and sister,the
meì1ureads like a Puglia gastronome'sbible. It includeslocal
'ears')
with tomato and
classicssuch as orecchiette(little pasta
also wrote lris ceìebratedmanual on faìconry, De Arte Venandi,
there.)At the time, Armando, a trained chemist and manager
at a dairy company in Bari, was desperateto get away from
cacioricotta,chickpeasollp with baccalà,eggplant sturffedwith
baked pasta,gnumarieddi (chargrillediamb offal, another
factory and city life. For him, Iì Frantoio and a future
as a hotelier-cum-organicfarmer were a means of escape.'r
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T H E F I N EP R I N T
GETTINGTHERE
F
i
BritishAirwaysflies twice dailyfrom Sydney (viaSingaporeor
Bangkok)toLondonHeathrowwith connectionsto 1Oairportsin
ItalyincludingMilan,Rome,Pisa,Venice,Bologna,Naples,Catania,
Bari,Verona and Turin.For further informationor to book visit
vwvwBA.com.The area described ín this story is very small,but
it's highlyadvisableto hirea car to drivefrom one placeto another.
The nearestairports,Bariand Bríndisi,are both served dailyfrom
Romeand Milan.By car from Rome,take the A1 autostrada,
then
the A16to Bari,switchingto the A14 at Canosa.
EAT
Today, after drastic restn cturing, the masseria has become
what he calls "una clinica dell'anima", a clinic of the soul,
a place where guests are more than "mere numbers" - which
Cibus i''leartycountry cooking in a convefted 1Sth-centuryconvent.
Greatwine and cheese cellars.Via Chianchedi Scarano,T,
is why each of the eight rooms, furnished in rustic-chic style
with linen bedding, wrought-iron beds, period furniture and
gavze curtains, is named after a flower.
L'Antica LocandaAll the traditionalfavourites
in a magical
old town just out ofthe ltriaValley.Via SpiritoSanto,49, Noci,
Bari,+39 O8O4972 460.
Other attractions are a restaurant and gardens, replete
with peacocks,a herb garden and orangerie,riding stables
STAY
and an ancient underground pantry and, as befits the
name, oil press.
When the project got under way all tirose years ago,
Rosalba,an expert cook, promised to colìaboratecn cnr
cc,ndit'on:"Teiì nre 'r; ccok orecchietteand tulnip top,rgygrt
day and I'lì be your slave,"she toid Armandc. "Ask-me to
cliangethe men'; every night and I'll become an artist." She
CeglieMessapica,Brindisi,+39 0831388980.
MasseriaColombo Roliínghills,cowbellsand trulli- the perfect
country retreat.Doublesfrom about $ 135.377 Noci-Mottola,
ContradaPandoro,Mrlttola,Taranto,+39 080 5242 431,
w,"A^L
masseriaco Io mbo.it.
didn't mean to disparage local cuisine; on the contrary, she
wanted to prove her husband's theory that the cookery of
Puglia was the most imaginative in the world. Translated,
that means, once again, turning apparently humble ingredients
into unforgettable culinary masterpieces.The fact is that
behind its stylish, Iaid-back exterior, Masseria Il Frantoio is
also a working farm that produces fruit and vegetabies,patés,
pickles,janrs and honeys, herb liqueurs, oils and wine, all of
MasseriaSan Domenico Anothermagnificently
restored
just 5O0mfromthe beach.Doublesfrom
deluxe masseria,
about $SgO.StradaLitoranea,379,Savelletridi Fasano,Brindisi,
+39 080 4827 7 69, www.masseriasandomenico.com.
Masseria Torre Coccaro A five-starresort in a 16th-century
farmhousewith a swimmingpool,beach,golf courseand spa.
which appear in Rosalba'snow legendary multi-course meals.
My candlelit dinner last August consistedof miniature fried
pastries stuffed with ricotta and nutmeg, cauliflower poached
It'salso home to a cookingschoolwhere visitorscan learnhow
to make orecchiette.,
traditionalfish
and meat dishesand cakes
with capers,roiled pepperswith raisins, Gallipoli shrimp
with ginger in white fava bean cream, summer bean soup,
pork meatballs with rosemary and juniper and creamed baked
and biscuits.Doublesfrom about $+ZO.ContradaCoccaro,8,
Savelletridi Fasano,Brindisi,+39 080 4829 31O,www.gesthotels.
glish.html.
com/coccaro_new/en
potatoes,salad of porceilanalettuce (purslane)with regina
tomatoes, fresh fruit salad and chocolate and orange mousse.
MasseriaCasamassimaFlatsand apartmentsdown the road
from Masseriall Frantoio.More atmosphericthan luxurious.
All imaginative interpretations of the f'lrm's protìuce,
al; accompanied by specific home-gro'wn oils and wines.
Doublesfrom about $755. StradaStatale,Osî.uní,Brindisi,
+39 083 1330265. ww\^'.masseriaca
samassíma.it.
The sti'etch of romantic coastline north of Ostuni now
swarms with converted masserieat prices for every pocket
- from the upmarket San Domenico to the swish Torre Coccaro,
which boasts a cookery school, swimming pool, spa, golf course
and beach club, to the more basic Casamassima,a dazzlingly
whitewashed hacienda that looks like a Sergio Leone spaghetti
Western set. Personally,I would have been happy to spend
'civilised'
all my time at MasseriaIl Frantoio, the most
of the
bunch. But all good things come to an end, even fairytales.:t
î50 COURMETTRAVELLER
SHOP & DO
MasiThe best placeto go for a vast assortmentof localcow's,
sheep'sand goat'smilkcheeses.CorsoMazzini,195,
Ostuni,Brindisi.
TommasoRomanelli& C. SamplePuglia'straditionalcured meats
at this institution.Via d'ltria,8, MartinaFranca,Taranto.
Mottola Tourist OfFce For guided tours ofthe surroundingcave
churches.A graspof ltaiianwill be usefulhere.Via Vanvitelli,2,
Mottola,Taranto,+39 099 8866 948, wwwcomune.mottola.ta.it.