florentine museum, gallerie degli uffizi, has introduced a new social initiative to virtually connect audiences to some of its most significant artworks. #uffizidamangiare is a new series of short films presented every sunday on the institution’s facebook page, which sees a well-known chef or food personality choose a work from the collections and propose a recipe inspired by the ingredients depicted — such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish. the museum intends for the weekly video series to illustrate the intimate connection that has always linked the art of painting with gastronomy through the genre of still life.

uffizi da mangiare
chef fabio picchi shares a recipe for a simple mayonnaise to pair with ‘boy with a basket of fish’ by giacomo ceruti

 

 

in the first episode of the italian-language #uffizidamangiare series, chef fabio picchi speaks in depth about the 18th century ‘boy with a basket of fish’ by giacomo ceruti. picchi describes the spider crab in the boy’s basket (not a lobster, he says), discussing how to eat the meat, and proposes a simple homemade mayonnaise to pair with the meal — see the recipe below. in future episodes, leading italian butcher dario cecchini will serve up his version of ‘pantry with cask, game, meat and pottery’ by jacopo chimenti from 1624. the series hopes to entice virtual patrons of gallerie degli uffizi with a rich menu of content based on the colors and flavors of great masterpieces.

 

 

 

the spider crab is a brown-red crustacean, a type of crab that lives in the italian seas, including the islands. it is found in a painting in the uffizi galleries: ‘boy with a basket of fish’ by giacomo ceruti, a lombard painter of the ‘700s nicknamed ‘pitocchetto’, from ‘pitocco’ (person without means), due to the humble people who were usually portrayed in his paintings. but how do you eat spider crab? you eat it with your hands: you bite and ‘suck’ out the meat. all fish, as well as the sea bass depicted in the painting, does not want too many condiments and must be accompanied in a simple way. then you just need a good homemade mayonnaise! fabio picchi, illustrious tuscan chef, reveals a recipe for the art of mayonnaise:

 

– 6 organic egg yolks
– 1 pinch of salt
– ½ liter of oil from the florentine hills
– the juice of one lemon
– a glass of cold water from the sanctuary of la verna

 

with a fork, beat the egg yolks with a pinch of salt, alchemizing them in a ‘cold’ fusion with a drizzle of oil in high fall and praying to god that the magic happens. all this should lead you to a smooth and oily compound that gathers around the prongs of the same cutlery. once this indispensable condition has been reached, add, while continuing the operation, the juice taken from the gialloverde citrus fruit and its oriental memories, which you have previously collected in a florentine greenhouse vase. if you want to bring all the mayonnaise to a liquid consistency, you will have to mix the holy water at this point, able to excite brothers and sisters, suns and moons, for constant and certain and miracles, like this mayonnaise suitable for the white and delicate meats of a white fish.

 

 

project info:

 

series name: #uffizidamangiare

by: gallerie degli uffizi

watch on: @uffizigalleries