Parmigiano Reggiano is the flavour and joy of Italy. Its culture, tradition and history are a celebration of all the families that get up at one in the morning to make it – I’ve seen the hard work with my own eyes. To eat it is to have a piece of history inside your mouth. Everything I cook tastes better with Parmigiano Reggiano. It’s like the little cherries on top of a cake.
Parmigiano Reggiano has been produced for nearly 1,000 years and was first made by monks. In those days, they probably had one cow and the recipe was simple. But it hasn’t changed at all: it’s still milk, salt and rennet. It’s a tradition and a skill that is passed down through generations.
Kings, queens, prime ministers, ambassadors – they all love it. Every household in Italy probably has the cheese. There are mistakes you can make while using Parmigiano Reggiano, but perhaps it’s not right to call them mistakes; after all, everyone has to learn. Truthfully, you can use it any way you want to use it, as long as you enjoy it. But here are some dos and don’ts to help you along the way …
Make sure your Parmigiano Reggiano is the real deal
There are many imitations on the shelves, often called something like “Italian hard cheese”, but Parmigiano Reggiano can only be made in its specific area of origin: the northern-central Italian regions of Parma, Reggio-Emilia, Modena and parts of Bologna and Mantua; and it is the only cheese that can be called Parmesan. So, when buying the cheese, look closely at the packaging for the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) stamp of approval and the dotted rind on the cheese. This guarantees you are purchasing the authentic product, as every production stage, from the feed, to the cows, to the cooking and then packaging, is quality checked – including tapping the wheel with a hammer to listen for inconsistencies inside the cheese.
Take heed of your cheese’s age
Twelve months is the minimum amount of time the cheese is aged. For me, 24 months is best. At 22-24 months, it’s crumbly and grainy – perfect for adding flavour to traditional Italian dishes. The longer the cheese is aged, the richer and more complex the flavour.
Store it wisely
To bring out the best flavour, when enjoyed uncooked always take Parmigiano Reggiano out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before eating so it’s at room temperature. Often, people will wrap the cheese with clingfilm and leave it at the bottom of the fridge and then pick it up after months. This is a big mistake people make. When keeping it in the fridge, make sure it’s not too cold and don’t leave it there for too long. And certainly, don’t freeze it – freezing ruins the cheese. Please! You might be afraid that you will run out or it will spoil if you don’t freeze, but it destroys it. It’ll still be cheese, but freezing changes the content and structure. The cheese will be screaming! You can freeze grated Parmesan, but it’s also best eaten fresh.
Add Parmigiano Reggiano towards the end of your cooking
It depends what kind of recipes you use, but I almost always use it towards the end of cooking. This doesn’t mean that it has to be grated on top of dishes, though. In Italy, we try to use all the bits and pieces of ingredients. Parmigiano Reggiano is the same; when you cook with it, you can use everything, including the rind.
Don’t be afraid of using Parmigiano Reggiano with fish
Some people believe you can’t use cheese with fish; rubbish! You can. My God, I have so many recipes that include fish and Parmigiano Reggiano. As long as you use it with respect, it’s a celebration of whatever you’re doing. Whenever I use Parmigiano Reggiano, I can taste all of Italy and all of the cultures behind it. I recently put out a video of me cooking baked sea bass with potato and Parmigiano Reggiano. It has a little bit of butter and a little bit of sage on top – delicious!
Now you know the rules, try breaking the rules
You can use Parmigiano Reggiano on almost anything, especially when it comes to Italian cuisine. We can be very traditional in Italy; we’ll say this dish is done like this and nothing else goes with it. But that’s rubbish, there are many things that Parmesan works with. If you have pizza in Italy, you will see people use a bit of mozzarella and nothing else. But when I make pizza, I put Parmigiano Reggiano on top. If you want to have a cheesy pizza that uses one particular cheese, sure – you might not add Parmigiano Reggiano in case the flavour is too strong. But many important restaurants and pizzerias use Parmigiano Reggiano all the time.
For more information, please visit parmigianoreggiano.com
