The Brescia Spiedo: what it is and where to eat it in Franciacorta

More than a typical dish, it’s a ritual. The long preparation times, the meats used, and the generous amount of butter employed during rotisserie cooking make this traditional second course from the Brescia area a majestic and succulent dish, still prepared according to the canonical procedure in restaurants and trattorias of Franciacorta, where each town has its own recipe. Only those of Serle and Gussago obtained the Denominazione Comunale in 2010.

In dialect, the long skewers are called "schidoni" or "bracoi", where pieces of various meats are skewered: pork loin or rolled coppa (“mombói”), chicken or duck thighs, breast or wings, rabbit (every part including offal), and in domestic versions only (as game is legally banned). Sage leaves are used to add aroma between bites, and as an optional extra, potato slices are placed only at the beginning and end. Each skewer piece weighs no more than 70-80 grams, and before cooking, the meat is left to rest, sometimes overnight, to drain any residual blood.

The long roasting process (4-6 hours), according to tradition, must be done on a rotisserie heated with wood embers (juniper, ash, oak, hazelnut, and beech) at no less than 15-20 centimetres away, basting the meat every 45 minutes with melted butter to ensure tenderness and juiciness. Once prepared, the pieces, which should be browned on the outside and tender at the core, are served on large trays placed in the centre of the table for self-service. The accompanying sauce is simply the residual melted butter.

Where to Eat Brescia Spiedo in Franciacorta

Fumetto Perfetto

A food truck (converted from a 1986 Daimler-Benz vehicle) and also a "stationary" venue. Roberta and Emanuele, the creators, offer sandwiches filled with pork or beef smoked with cherry or apple wood, and completed with various excellent sauces. The Brescia spiedo and vegetarian burgers are also available. They cater for events and move around the Trenzano area (including Berlingo, Castelcovati, Castrezzato, Comezzano-Cizzago, Corzano, Cossirano, Lograto, and Maclodio).

Fumetto Perfetto - Trenzano - via Don Pietta, 3 - 366 5335800 - fumettoperfetto.it

Antica Trattoria Piè del dos

Stefano Pazzaglia, the owner, is a tireless seeker of good things and a skilled dining room director with his wife Resi Martinotti as his right hand in the kitchen. Located in a 17th-century house with thick walls and vaulted ceilings: two rooms and a veranda immersed in the silence of the old village under the hill of the Madonna Sanctuary. Part of the menu is evergreen, such as casoncelli and beef with oil, executed to perfection. Then there's room for seasonality: fish from Lake Iseo and the giant sheep of Lake Endine, the spiedo, and mushrooms. All in the name of Franciacorta and Brescia cuisine, in generous portions made with a sometimes old-fashioned touch that is very popular here. Good selections of cured meats and cheeses, delicious house desserts. The wine cellar pays homage to Franciacorta's sparkling wines.

Antica Trattoria Piè del dos - Gussago - via Forcella, 4 - 030 2185358 - piedeldos.it

Osteria dell'Orologio

Via Butturini is the main street of refined Salò: at number 26, the two windows and the Liberty-style sign indicate the most celebrated osteria of Garda Bresciano. It has a loyal clientele from abroad, especially Bavaria, who sit in the three rooms to enjoy not only the food but also the atmosphere created by the regulars of the aperitif. Above the beautiful counter is a blackboard with many wine labels by the glass from a superb wine cellar managed with skill by the passionate owner. The menu remains faithful over the years with many nods to the territory: pike with polenta, maccheroncini with Bagoss, beef with oil, excellent spiedo, kid goat in season. Always ask if there is lake fish because it is prepared excellently. And save room for dessert. Genuine osteria service is handled by the enthusiastic owners Alberto Giacomini and Sara Marini.

Osteria dell'Orologio - Salò - via Butturini, 26 - 0365 290158 - osteriadellorologiosalo.eatbu.com