In Bastia, I Make a Simple, Easygoing Corsican Fiadone
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I rarely cook to impress. At LaBouffe, what I mainly need is a recipe that lets me breathe, go at my own pace and avoid pressure, with simple steps and an honest result. Corsican fiadone suits me well for that. I make it when I feel like something gentle, straightforward, almost comforting—like a pause after an easy walk or an evening when I leave a TV series playing in the background. I think of Corsica then, without turning it into a backdrop, but rather as a way of eating well: between Bastia’s Old Port and the cliffs of Bonifacio, I find that idea of cooking that goes straight to the flavour, without overdoing it. For my fiadone, I use 500 g of Corsican brocciu, 4 eggs, 130 g of sugar, the finely grated zest of an untreated lemon and, if I want to stay very close to tradition, I add nothing else. I start by whisking the eggs with the sugar, then mash the brocciu with a fork before gently folding it in with the zest. I pour the batter into a buttered tin, then bake it at 180°C for 30 to 35 minutes—just long enough for the surface to take on a lovely golden colour while the centre remains tender. I then let it cool completely, because I find that this dessert reveals its aroma best once it has had time to settle. That very simplicity is what I love about it. I do not need to pile on effects or look for a complicated recipe to make something good and true. The brocciu remains at the centre, the lemon brings brightness, and I keep my cooking calm, true to my reserved temperament. At LaBouffe, that is exactly what I am looking for: a typically Corsican recipe, understated yet full of character, one I can make again without pushing myself, with the quiet pleasure of eating something that means something to me.
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Where: Corse