How to eat your way across the Italian Riviera without leaving home

In the culinary canon, Italy is admired for many wonderful things – Emilia-Romagna has the world’s greatest vinegar and large wheels of Parmesan, travelling diners rush to Rome for a taste of cacio e pepe, Florence grills large steaks, and Naples is accepted by many as the spiritual home of pizza. In a new cookbook by luxury-travel operator Belmond and cult interiors magazine Apartamento, the spotlight is shone on Liguria, the crescent-shaped region home to Cinque Terre, Genoa and Portofino and is perhaps most famous for its catch of the day, fragrant cliffside herbs, great wines and equally spectacular olives.

Image: Anna Jay

Within the pages of this release – titled Liguria: Recipes & Wanderings Along the Italian Riviera – there is sun-rich, romantic photography courtesy of Laura Jane Coulson, an introduction by The River Cafe’s Ruth Rogers, and essays by chef and writer Andy Baraghani and editor Gilda Bruno, all of which is anchored by more than 20 recipes (including fig jam, a rose-petal-infused Portofino spritz, and a sardenaira, which could be interpreted as a local take on pizza) from Corrado Corti, the chef who has been in charge of the kitchen at the Splendido hotel since 1999. Integral produce – Santa Margherita prawns; Genovese basil – is discussed, key people and family-run purveyors profiled, and a colourful, rich background provided, all in order to offer a vivid explanation as to why this area – one that’s become so synonymous with the notion of La Dolce Vita – is irresistible to jet-setters, and why its singular cuisine is one worth incorporating into your own kitchen. To give you a small taste of this bright coastal life during this grey, subdued summer, we’ve provided three recipes from the book for you to replicate at home…

‘A Ligurian staple, focaccia was once so precious to the Romans that it was often offered to the gods. Focaccia Genovese is vastly different from other regions’: it’s thinner, crisper, and has deep dimples in the dough where generous amounts of good Ligurian olive oil pool on the surface. The salamoia (brine) made from olive oil, water, and salt is what gives focaccia Genovese its unique texture where the inside is soft and tender yet crunchy and golden on the outside. You’ll find this focaccia all over Liguria in bakeries, made simply with olive oil and salt or topped with sweet young onion slices, dotted with herbs, or drizzled with pesto. It’s a perfect appetiser to pair with white wine or to be enjoyed like a real Genovese: dipped into a morning cappuccino.’

• 15g active dry yeast
• 2 tsp of sugar
• 350ml warm water
• 2 1⁄2 tsp of fine salt
• 500g strong white bread flour
• 50ml cold water
• 50ml extra virgin olive oil

Finish with

• Flaky sea salt
• Extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir together with 100ml of the warm water, letting the mixture sit for roughly 5 minutes until it begins to foam on the surface.

2. Sift in the flour and salt before adding the final 250ml of warm water.

3. Stir mixture together with a spoon until everything is loosely combined, then pour out onto a clean worktop.

4. Using your hands, knead the mixture until it slowly comes together into a soft dough.

5. Knead the mixture for 20 minutes until the dough is smooth and glossy.

6. Make a ball with the dough and place it in a large bowl that has been brushed with a small amount of olive oil and cover tightly.

7. Place the bowl of dough in a warm place or an unheated oven and leave it to rise for 2 hours.

8. Mix the cold water with the 50ml of olive oil and a generous pinch of fine sea salt in a small bowl to make an emulsion.

9. Oil a baking tray and stretch out the dough.

10. Dimple the dough lightly with your fingers, being careful to avoid making holes that go all the way through.

11. Pour the emulsion of water and olive oil over the dough and spread it evenly. Leave the dough to rise for 1 hour uncovered in a warm place.

12. Preheat oven to 220°C.

13. Sprinkle the dough with sea salt.

14. Bake for 10–15 minutes until golden brown.

15. Cool slightly and drizzle with a little more olive oil and finish with sea salt before serving.

‘Sailors first made this classic Ligurian marinade as a way to preserve fresh fish when they were away at sea. Today, it’s widely used for all sorts of seafood, from shellfish to anchovies. The acid in the lemon juice, wine, and vinegar gently cooks the prawns as they marinate and subtly infuses them with garlic and herbs. These red prawns, known as “the gold of Santa Margherita Ligure”, have a signature scarlet shell and sweet taste that makes them highly sought after. This dish requires very little effort and is best served simply as a starter on a hot summer’s day with good bread and ice-cold Ligurian white wine.’

• 12 whole raw Santa Margherita red prawns (or any large fresh red prawns)
• 1 clove of garlic, unpeeled
• 125ml lemon juice
• 125ml dry white wine
• 125ml white wine vinegar
• 125ml cold water
• 2 tsp of fine salt
• 1 bunch of basil
• 1 bunch of thyme

Finish with

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt

1. Peel and devein the fresh prawns, leaving the heads on.

2. Using the flat edge of a heavy knife, smash the garlic clove.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, white wine, vinegar, water, and salt.

4. Add in the smashed garlic clove.

5. Rub the bunches of basil and thyme between your palms to release some of the fragrance and add those whole bunches to the bowl.

6. Add the whole prawns to the marinade, ensuring they’re covered by the liquid.

7. Cover the bowl tightly and leave it in the fridge for 24 hours to marinate.

8. Remove the prawns from the marinade and arrange them on a plate.

9. Serve chilled and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and salt.

‘Of all the famous love affairs in the actress Elizabeth Taylor’s life, her infatuation with Portofino was one of the most enduring. It’s the town where she celebrated four of her honeymoons and where Richard Burton first proposed to her on the wisteria-covered balcony of Suite 471 at Splendido in 1964 during a break from filming Cleopatra. While her taste in jewellery was famously opulent, when it came to food, she liked to keep things simple. Rumour has it that she loved spaghetti with tomato sauce, and so Splendido’s executive chef, Corrado Corti, created the hotel’s most famous dish in her honour. Made with three different types of tomato combined with a few special techniques and touches, this twist on the classic spaghetti pomodoro is ultimately an unfussy plate of pasta that somehow feels as special as the exceptional star it was named after.’

• 250g fresh datterini tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 3–4 sprigs of fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 tsp of soft brown sugar
• 1⁄4 tsp of lemon zest
• 1⁄2 tsp sea salt
• 400g tin of peeled San Marzano tomatoes
• 500g dried spaghetti
• 200g fresh cherry tomatoes
• 50ml Ligurian olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
• A few leaves of fresh basil, roughly torn
• 1 pinch of dried oregano

1. Preheat oven to 80°C.

2. Place the datterini tomatoes cut side up in a large baking tray and cover with the chopped thyme, brown sugar, lemon zest, and sea salt.

3. Roast in the oven for 3 hours until soft and caramelised on the outside.

4. Drain the San Marzano tomatoes and keep the liquid in a separate bowl. Slice into strips.

5. Cook the spaghetti in salted water as per packet instructions until al-dente.

6. As the pasta is boiling, sauté the cherry tomatoes with olive oil and garlic in a large pan and cook until tender.

7. Add the sliced San Marzano tomatoes along with their juice to the pan and simmer on medium-high heat for 5 minutes until reduced. Add salt, pepper, or a pinch of sugar as needed.

8. Once the spaghetti is al-dente, add to the pan with the sauce, along with a little pasta water and ensure every strand of spaghetti is coated.

9. Add in the caramelised datterini tomatoes, basil, and oregano.

10. Toss together and serve piled high on a plate.

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