A weekend with the fishermen, discovering the secrets of Lake Iseo: a trip to Clusane, Part II

The story

The transition from a fishing village to a tourist destination had begun towards the end of the nineteenth century, with the birth of osterias and restaurants run by the fishermen's families. Our day in Clusane continues precisely at one of these families, the Bosio, who for six generations have been the owners of the Trattoria Al Porto. Located in the romantic little square in front of the landing stage, in the fishermen's port, the Trattoria is the heart of the village's traditions, the essence and memory of the lives of the local people. We leave the car in the convenient car park in front of the historic building of the trattoria, on whose facade the old sign "Trattoria del porto" still stands out.

The interior of the venue, furnished with taste and elegance, evokes the fishermen's tradition in every detail: the eye can range over old tools of the trade steeped in history, and every room, thanks to a coloured plaque, is dedicated to one of the grandmothers who over the past decades lived and worked in here: room Mariana, room Cioncia, room Tintona. On the romantic little terrace we even admire some seventeenth-century columns, similar to those of the castle, proof of the fact that perhaps in the past there could have been a tower here. "The osteria, which at the time was called 'licinsi', was founded by my great-great-grandparents in 1862. They were followed by my great-grandfather Federico, a fisherman like them, who took the fish to Brescia by bicycle to sell it and came back with the fruit bought for the restaurant," Mrs Gabriella recalls the family memories.

In a period photo on the wall you can see her mother, who was a baker and, while the men devoted themselves to fishing, she baked the bread and exquisite sweets. "Today we look to the future with the conviction that traditions must be preserved, and although some dishes we may prepare a little lighter, adapting them to our times, certain cornerstones of traditional cooking are not to be touched. The most important of these, for us, is baked tench with polenta, an ancient typical dish of our lake, by now very hard to find; in fact, many come to us even from far away just to eat this speciality," Mrs Gabriella explains to us. From our table a magnificent view over the little harbour opens up, and as we begin to taste the very rich fish starter, our gaze can range over the lake, catching sight of boats setting sail and ducks coming and going amid a dreamy blue world.

As dreamy are the varieties of fish on our plate: dried sardine in oil, aole in carpione with onions, whitefish terrine, char with herbs, smoked trout pate, pike, and fried perch. We also taste a crunchy and exquisite tempura of fried little prawns, which we follow with first courses prepared with homemade pasta. We taste the exquisite lake prawn spaghetti, but we don't resist the tagliolini with perch either, while a friend of ours, not a great lover of fish, prefers the ravioli with Bagoss. And here we are at the long-awaited moment, that of the baked tench with polenta. The queen of the lake arrives on the trolley, in a terracotta pot, just back from two hours of cooking. Its aroma is something sublime, thanks to the multitude of spices used to prepare it. "Traditionally every restaurant in the village had its own spice mixture.

For the baked tench we use cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper and bay leaves. The fish, before being put in the oven, is filled with breadcrumbs, grana and spices, dressed with olive oil and covered with a large quantity of butter," the owner explains to us. The result is an incredibly soft and fragrant fish, a veritable treat for the senses. Our succulent dinner ends with the sweet temptations of the house desserts, to which we very willingly give in, tasting among others grandmother Giuditta's cake, the chocolate colbacco, little pear pastries and tiramisu. The goodness of the homemade desserts also accompanies us during our first breakfasts at La Casa di Gabri. In the splendid breakfast room where the Provencal atmospheres enchant us in every detail, every morning a large table awaits us, packed with good things.

From the house cakes and sweets to fresh fruit, jams, honey, freshly squeezed juices, cured meats and cheeses from the Val Camonica, up to fresh cereal bread. Breakfast is never the same, though: the availability of seasonal products and the imagination of the moment mean that day after day you can taste always new, exquisite and healthy specialities. After these splendid days we return to the city enriched by an unforgettable experience that made us rediscover the beauty of atmospheres of the past which we will certainly come to appreciate again during our next trips.