Torboli and Riva del Garda, Veneto/Trentino border
A preparation specific to the Lake Garda shores of both Lombardia and Veneto: lavarello (whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus) filleted and cooked risotto-style with Carnaroli rice in a fumet made from the lavarello bones, finished with butter and Parmigiano. The lake fish has a delicate, slightly earthy freshwater character that requires a lighter-bodied fumet than sea fish would demand. The Torboli (a town on the lake's northern tip) version uses wild bay leaves from the lake shores in the fumet.
Delicate lake whitefish barely warmed through in a Carnaroli risotto enriched with its own fumet — Italy's northernmost lake cooking tradition in its most refined form
{"Fumet: lavarello bones and heads, onion, celery, white wine, bay — simmer 20 min only (longer makes it bitter)","Soffritto in butter; toasted Carnaroli 2 min; deglaze with Lugana or Bardolino bianco","Fumet added in ladlefuls; the fish's delicate flavour requires restraint — do not use a strongly flavoured stock","Lavarello fillets added in the last 3 minutes — they cook through from the risotto's heat alone","Mantecatura with cold butter and a small amount of Grana Padano (not too much — the fish is delicate)"}
{"Wild bay leaves from the lake shores are more aromatic than cultivated — their essential oil content is higher","Lugana DOC (white wine from the Garda shores) in the cooking adds a mineralic quality that unifies the dish","A few drops of Gardone olive oil (Lake Garda is the northernmost olive oil production zone in Italy) at the finish"}
{"Sea fish fumet — the stronger marine character overwhelms the gentle lavarello","Adding filleted fish too early — overcooked freshwater fish becomes mushy and loses its delicate texture","Too much Parmigiano — the aged cheese character overwhelms the lake fish"}
La Cucina del Lago di Garda — Carlo Facchi