Michele Lazzarini: “It's nature that's in charge in mountain cuisine, not the chef"

Mountains were taken over by man. He lived in them, and off them, for centuries. Then he abandoned them. Progress lies in the city, they said, and that was where the people from small rural nuclei went, leaving behind them empty villages and traditions which gradually fell into oblivion.

That was the experience of Contrada Bricconi, a rural village going back to the year 1400, at the heart of Val Seriana, in the Bergamasque Alps. Stone by stone, this farmhouse was losing its identity until four young people decided it was time to breathe new life into it. Availing themselves of their training in agricultural and architectural recovery, they took up the reins of this enclave again to create an agricultural operation that would usher in rural tourism: animals were brought in, plantations were set up, production of cheese and cured meats began etc., until their dream of reviving the mountain began to be acknowledged. At this point in the story, a talented young chef who shares the philosophy of sustainability with Contrada Bricconi, was introduced to the project, and it fired his enthusiasm. But this chef was destined for a promising future, because he was none other than the right-hand man of Norbert Niederkofler at St. Hubertus*** (San Cassiano, Bolzano), a chef well known for his respect for product and the local environment, the maximum exponent of Alpine cuisine. 

Michele Lazzarini - because it is he - went on with his life, but a few years later he decided to pay a visit: “the first time I came was mid-December, during the winter, amid a lot of snow. From the moment I arrived the place impressed me, and even more so when I saw all they had done there. That was when we became friends and began to discuss the idea of setting up a restaurant right in the estate", says Lazzarini, who in fact hails from Gandellino, a village which is only a ten-minute drive from Contrada Bricconi. “It was time to go back home, and make my dream of creating something there come true", confesses the young chef. 
No sooner said than done. Michele Lazzarini left the St. Hubertus (three Michelin stars and a Green Star too), and joined the Contrada Bricconi project. “It was a leap in the dark because the project was in a valley with very few tourists and not very much catering, but I have no regrets. The decision was well thought out, we worked to build up the level we wanted, and to tell the truth it's been worth it to date", admits Lazzarini. There can be no doubt that this was a huge challenge, because the location is in a valley frequented only by a few hikers and wild mushroom gatherers, but it is true that values are changing - "now people are seeking projects that showcase the territory" - and that helps to push large projects forward, as they have done in Contrada Bricconi, where they are still dreaming, and now their dreams are to "offer accommodation in a few rooms, to enable visitors to drink in the atmosphere and listen to some detailed explanations of our whole philosophy", enthuses Michele.

Plantation, woods, memories and ancestral tradition

The scenery around Contrada Bricconi is amazing, but the experience does not end there. Quite the contrary, in fact, because Michele Lazzarini's cuisine is an extension of the surroundings, from the woods to the fare at the farmhouse itself. In fact, they are almost self-sufficient in this village: “we produce milk, butter, cheese, cream ... we also have some farm animals (such as hens, lambs, rabbits and quail), and we've made a plantation to supply us with vegetables". Also, in coherence with the philosophy of retrieving the mountain surroundings, they work with local breeds such as the grigio alpina cow, and in the near future they will be starting work on "the recovery of a mountain pig breed by rearing the suino nero degli alpi”. 

They are not 100% self-sufficient - "and I don't know if we ever will be", the chef admits, but this is something that does not bother them because the main objective is to "show off the territory we're in", something which is also achieved through interaction with local producers. “Relations with local producers are important too, because that's how we act as the voice for these small-scale operators who could be rediscovered in our valley", says Lazzarini as he demonstrates the interaction by working side by side with them, visiting their facilities and inviting them to Contrada Bricconi. “More than a commercial relationship, it's growth, and friendship", Michele remarks. 

Lazzarini loves mountain produce, and we see this in his grilled trout, his pumpkin risotto with saffron and whey, or Scarpinòcc (ravioli from Parre, another Bergamasque village); but, of all these products, those that fascinate him most are "the ones from the mountain, its wildest part, the part that hasn't been interfered with by man: wild mushrooms, wild herbs and fruit ...". The memories of his grandparents going off to gather wild mushrooms might have something to do with it. “I'm from a deeply-rooted culture of mountain cooking, passed down to me by my grandparents and also by my mother, who was the chef in a small traditional village trattoria", explains Lazzarini to help us understand where his cuisine comes from: the offspring of tradition, of the valley and the mountains, but which he has enriched "with my own experiences, with the vision of Norbert (Niederkofler), what I learned at Boragó …”. 

And with all this Michele Lazzarini has brought about a style of cooking that is faithful to the philosophy of Contrada Bricconi, cooking with élan, cookery that is alive and throws up a daily challenge. “Here we have problems every day. Our cookery is in contact with nature, it's based on seasonal ingredients, and that means you have to adapt all the time. A slight change in cows' pastures changes the fat content and sweetness of their milk, and that has a huge effect on a recipe", and so Lazzarini and his crew pay close attention to any changes to raw materials, and how to adapt them to the recipe. “It's nature that's in charge here, nature that maps out our path. We don't decide this. That’s the course of nature and we have the challenge of showcasing this produce", concludes the young Italian chef. 

And in addition to all these challenges is sustainability, but not only in relation to cookery. For the young people running Contrada Bricconi, sustainability is understood in a very broad sense - "it means staff, energy management, the project in itself as an agricultural experience, the fight against food wastage", recounts Michele, adding that "we're on that path, in a global sense, although this means working on a daily basis, understanding it and gradually improving". A path down which, for the moment, they are moving along with a firm, determined tread. Probably because these are people who believe in what they do, they love what they do, and know how to convey it. Contrada Bricconi: a little paradise up there in the mountains.