That of Lella is not a simple piadina. That of Lella is the Romagna piadina par excellence, because she, first of all, believed in its potential (as well as being the first to create the winning combination of raw, squacquerone and rocket). And he did so in years when tradition was more a shame to hide than a pride to show. Instead, Gabriella Magnani, now for everyone in art Lella, in the day when no one ever works, she took courage and on May 1, 1986 she inaugurated those 27 meters of her first piadineria. "I had nothing but the desire to open something of mine. But I was afraid because I didn't feel up to it . And in fact whoever would have thought that from those first tortillas a little crooked and lopsided, Lella would then open other offices, including one even in New York, becoming the symbol of a way of being, the Romagna one, in world. "But without my children working with me, I would never have done it." For this reason, even though nowadays there are piadine in galore, everywhere, of different heights and shapes, if you want to know the original one you can only turn to her, where for other things Bottura also goes when he feels like the real piadina romagnola .
One. Know the story
If today we find piadine on the corner of every street, both in Romagna and elsewhere, before the opening of the Lella it was not like that. Until that time, in fact, the piadina was "only" a home-made food, always present in every self-respecting Romagna family: "The dough with flour, water and lard was the job of women. Instead, the men were responsible for cooking it on the wood stove. Then when it was ready we all sat at table and often ate it with potatoes . In the past it was also done the puff pastry, which was the piada of Sunday: the ingredients were the same, only then it was rolled up, cut and wet in the oil.
Two. It's all about the climate
Before starting to prepare a piadina it is essential to check the climatic conditions: if there is humidity in the air, in fact, it takes less water in the dough; in case of strong wind it takes more. And so on with other small tricks and tricks of the trade, which holds only those who have been doing it for years. "For this reason, piadina is so good in Romagna, because there is a whole microclimate in it".
Three. Local basic ingredients
One of the secrets of the Romagna piadina is the use of local ingredients, starting with the basic ones. First of all, it is important that the flour is fresh, that is, that it has just been ground, preferably with Rimini grain in a local mill, such as the one using Lella. The same goes for sea salt and lard, but above all for water, which must be from Rimini, the only one able to give that special touch to the Romagna piadina.
Four. Iron cooking
In some more inland areas of Romagna, such as the Apennines, other ingredients such as milk, oil, ricotta or honey are added to the base mixture of water, flour and lard. In these cases the piadina is thicker and therefore can also be cooked on cast iron. But in the case of the classic Romagna piadina, that is the thinner one that is prepared on the coast, it can only cook on the iron, since it is the only material able to conduct heat more quickly, allowing a cooking at the right point, for a few minutes , without running the risk of burning it.
Five. Raw, scquaquerone and rocket: a must
Raw, squacquerone and rocket is one of the most widespread piadine, now almost an icon of Romagna. But it was not always like this: it was Lella, in fact, who tried and created this combination first. "I didn't invent it, I simply assembled the ingredients I had eaten on the pizza, which initially were just rocket and scquaquerone; then over time I added the raw. And to think that not even rocket was cultivated here, I sent my brothers to pick it up around . Therefore raw, squacquerone and rucola is the first piadina to be tried in absolute by Lella, in the temple of its birth and invention, prepared directly by the hands that thought it.
Six. Only fresh products
It is important that the ingredients used as seasoning are fresh and of quality. So it is for squacquerone, which for Lella is the cheese par excellence. "The squacquerone lasts a maximum of six days, but already at the fifth you feel a pinch that is not good, so it should be used no later than the third day". For ham, on the other hand, the one of 24 months is better. Over the years, increasing the possibilities of choice, the ingredients have also increased: so there are some classics always present, such as mortadella, salami and onion, tomatoes au gratin or another icon of the Romagna piadina: onion, salad and sardines (marinated or grilled). But in all these cases it is always fresh and first choice ingredients.
Seven. Try different dough and you won't regret it
Over the years Lella has not stopped in its creations and has developed a series of alternative mixtures, so today there is really something for everyone. There are wholegrain tortillas, with local grain flour, oil, rosemary, turmeric, cereals, nettle. The raw materials for spelled and for Senatore Cappelli also come from the Marche, among the most requested. Obviously, with a peperino of woman like that, could not miss the al chili pepper.
Eight. Blessed be the chest
Outside the borders of Romagna, the caisson is less known. But to get to know the world of piadina at 360 ° you can't not even try this other delight, in particular as prepared by Lella. The caisson is nothing but the same mixture of piadina, but closed. In the past it was prepared only from October to March, in the period of the rosole, which are the young green poppy herbs, also present in the Marche watercresses. At one time, in fact, as a caisson there was only "green", while today "red" with tomato and mozzarella is also in great demand, even if there are a dozen other variants.
Nine. Also take-away
But in the end the greatest advice of Lella is: «Eat the piadina with the one you like best, because it is a round disk that, like the sun, conveys joy, joy and warmth. For this reason, his tortillas can be bought for take-out or sent anywhere, so that everyone can have the chance to enjoy them at home, with the condiment they prefer.
Ten. With the Caciara it is better
Many choose beer as an accompaniment, but they don't know what they are missing with a nice glass of Sangiovese. This is what the family thought of Ottaviani with its Caciara, a pure Sangiovese of great quality, which conveys a more pop Romagna in the world. Even more so since the Ottaviani brothers, Nut is Macio, together with that marvel of woman that is the mother Loredana, have inaugurated one new cellar, which in the area has already become a disruptive reference point: all modern, always ready to welcome with piadine, aperitifs and tastings, as only in Romagna can do.
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