Let’s say it now: the food at Boffenigo is good. These are not our words of course, but of our many customers who appreciate the goodness the chef brings to the table every day.
Among the many dishes, however, there is one in particular, that won the hearts of everyone, who came to dine with us on the panoramic terrace overlooking Lake Garda. This is our spicy cherry tomato and bay leaf marmalade. In our restaurant, it accompanies grilled beef fillet, but also goes well with other types of grilled meat and fish, or with mature cheeses
Good things come from a good story
There is a beautiful story behind this recipe, which makes it even more precious and we are very happy to tell you.
You should know that from an early age our chef started cooking together with his mother, learning to make jams with fresh seasonal produce and carrying on this important family tradition with her.
It was at that time that he discovered the secrets of jams and over the years became so passionate about them that he started experimenting with new flavours, using other ingredients than fruit and combining his jams with other preparations.
Among his most successful creations is certainly this spicy cherry tomato jam, with which he has managed to achieve a balanced flavour, refining the taste after several experiments.
The customers who have tried it invariably ask him for a small jar to take home and he obviously satisfies them, with great satisfaction.
We asked him if he would be willing to give us his recipe, to share with all the people like you who want to try making it at home, and we are happy to say that he pleased us too.
The recipe: spicy cherry tomato and bay leaf marmalade
This is the best time of year to make it, because the cherry tomatoes are in season and can release all their intense flavour.
First the ingredients. You need:
1 kg small date tomatoes
300 g sugar
2 cornetto chillies. Choose them fresh, whole and large
5 bay leaves
The chef uses bay leaves from our garden, which are incredibly fragrant, so if you can, prefer fresh bay leaves to dried ones.
Now for the procedure: clean the tomatoes, chillies and bay leaf well and cut the tomatoes and chillies into not too small pieces, removing the stalk. Put the three ingredients in a large bowl together with the sugar and mix well.
Then place the bowl in the fridge for at least 48 hours so that the ingredients can macerate and the flavours can begin to blend.
After 48 hours, pour the contents of the bowl into a steel pot and cook over a moderate flame until the water has dried up.
After it has cooled, you can serve the jam, keep it in the fridge for a short time or store it in the pantry in small jars, taking care to sterilise them before use and to create a vacuum after filling.
If you decide to try it, let us know how it turned out, but if you want to taste the original one, come to the Boffenigo to enjoy one of our most popular dishes live. And at the end, ask the chef for a jar, he will happily give it to you!
