Franciacorta's superb gastronomic tradition is essentially bipolar and based around meat and fish dishes: traditional peasant meat recipes from central Franciacorta and fish from the lakeside area of Iseo.

Visitors will find a mouthwatering assortment of specialities in the local restaurants and delicatessens. Gastro pubs and trattorie serve succulent dishes upholding the tradition of tasty and simple cuisine, focusing on a few local dishes made with local produce.

MANZO ALL’OLIO
(Serves 4)
Ingredients: 1 kg of shoulder of beef, 2.5 litres of water, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 salted anchovies, ½ a small onion, 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil DOP Sebino, 25 gr of cornflour or finely grated breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt, 25 gr of butter.
Lightly fry the anchovies, garlic and finely chopped onion in butter in a deep pan; add the lightly salted water and bring to the boil.
Place the meat in the saucepan and skim off any impurities that rise to the surface in the first 5 minutes; cook over a medium heat for about 2 hours. Add the oil, breadcrumbs (or cornflour diluted in a small amount of water); cook for a further 20 minutes, remembering to move the meat in the pan regularly to prevent it from sticking. Remove the meat from the juice, thicken if necessary. Slice the beef into thick slices and pour over the sauce. Serve with polenta or large croutons. We recommend a Franciacorta Rosé DOCG.

TINCHE AL FORNO CON POLENTA
(Serves 4. Original Recipe of the 800's)
Ingredients: 4 tench, approximately 300 gr each; 300 gr of butter, 300 gr of grana padano, 100 gr breadcrumbs; mixed spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper); salt, extra virgin olive oil DOP Sebino, parsley, 2 or 3 bay leaves. Cut the tench open by slicing along the back, gut and wash. Make the dry filling with cheese, bread, spices, salt and parsely. Take part of the stuffing to stuff the tench, setting some aside to sprinkle over the fish. Place in a lightly oiled terracotta ovenproof dish garnished with a few bay leaves. Add the knobs of butter and sprinkle the remaining stuffing over the fish. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160° for about two hours. Serve with a thick polenta. We recommend a Franciacorta DOCG Extra Brut.