Borlengo: the King of the Mountain

Few foods are so traditional and linked to their own territory as the borlenghi. This simple mixture of water and flour, the "colla" (glue), seasoned with a little of lard and Parmesan cheese, the "cunza" (untranslatable), is typical of only a few towns in the Appenini mountains between Bologna and Modena, despite its origins are lose in the Middle Ages: the first document attesting the existence of this dish dates back to 1266.

Ingredients for approximately 20 servings: 3 and 3/5 cups of all purpose flour, 8 and 1/2 cups of water, 1 egg, half tablespoon of salt, 5 and 3/10 ozs. of lard, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 rosemary sprig, 9 ozs. of gounded Parmesan cheese, one piece of raw pork rind.

Preparation: mince together the lard, garlic and rosemary, warming it up a little in order to mix things up properly. Prepare then the dough for the "colla" by breaking the egg in half the water, slowly adding the flour with a sieve, stirring so to not form lumps. Then add the remaining water and salt while continuing to stir. Take a low, wide pan (the traditional "sole" on which "borlenghi" are cooked are about 40-50 cm wide, choose accordingly), grease its surfece with pork rind and put it over the heat. When it is hot pour a ladle of dough enough to cover it all, but shaking the pan so to make it very thin. Cook both sides until they will detach without efforts from the pan. Then take the "borlengo", season it in the middle with the "cunza" made with lard and sprinkle it generously with Parmesan cheese. Fold it in four as it were a handkerchief and serve hot.