Category: Events, Christmas and Easter

COTECHINO AND LENTILS – NEW YEAR’S EVE and CHRISTMAS

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It is hot in Australia at this time of year and I am certainly not going to cook this popular and traditional Italian, New Year’s Eve dish – Cotechino e lenticchie – but some of you who are steeped into tradition may consider cooking this in hot or cold weather. If you do, make sure that as you dig into that sausage, you make a wish for the new year (it must be before midnight).

I cooked it last winter. Perfect for the cold weather. I first published this post on Dec 9th 2015 and it is time to publish it once more.

Cotechino is rather a large sausage which has a proportion of it made with some of the gelatinous meat from the pig trotter.  Lenticchie are lentils- the ordinary green lentils. Cotechino e lenticchie is a dish that is more common in the north of Italy. I do not think that it is very common in Sicily, however as a result of media and recipe books and travel, food habits change, recipes evolve.

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Just as we have adopted Panettone and Panforte at Christmas time in Australia, I gather that it is fairly hip to cook Christmas Pudding in Italy. So what do we think of that?
You will ned to visit an Italian delicatessen or butcher to buy a Cotechino sausage. If you live in Melbourne I go to Fairfield or Carlton. If you live in Adelaide Marino Food and Meat store at the Central Market. I know about and have visited Eataly in New York and they would definitely have it.

Cooking Cotechino and Lentils is very simple, and delicious. The onion, carrot and celery are the Italian usual suspects when making broth or a soffritto (from soffriggere – to lightly fry – the soffritto refers to the sautéed vegetables that are the basis for most braises, pot roasts and soups.)

This is definitely one of those dishes where you can add 1 kilo of lentils if you wish – it depends what proportion of lentils to cotechino that you prefer. Have a look at my photo and decide.

1 cotechino sausage
700 g of lentils
1 onion
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot
¼ cup olive oil
2-3 peeled tomatoes
2-3 bay leaves – I always prefer fresh, but i have a bay tree growing in a pot on my balcony  – you may not be as lucky.

Soak the lentils in water for 30 minutes.
Sauté the chopped celery, carrot, onion in the hot oil till golden. Drain the lentils and add cold water to cover them well.
Add peeled tomatoes and bay leaves, cover and cook them and cook over low heat until cooked.
In a separate pan add the sausage to cold water- sufficient water to cover the cotechino, bring it to the boil and then simmer it until it is cooked but not split – say 50 minutes.
Skim some of the fat off the broth, cut the sausage into thick slices, add them to the lentils with as much of the broth as you wish and serve.

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The flavours will intensify over the next few days so appreciate the leftovers – you could add more of the broth (from the cotechino) and eat it as soup. Great stuff, especially for those who are living in a cold climate!

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I have mentioned Panforte ( sweet). For recipe see:

Other Christmas recipes for sweets:

Fish for Christmas (especially Christmas Eve):

  • A SEAFOOD CHRISTMAS Feast with Fran Kelly – RADIO NATIONAL BREAKFAST PROGRAMME
  • A SEAFOOD CHRISTMAS – BUON NATALE

Meat and other Christmas specialties:

My family always had brodo at some stage on Christmas day:

And there are so many other seafood, meat, vegetables and pasta recipes on my blog.

 

 

SAUCES for meat, fish and vegetables to brighten up your Christmas

Sauces are one of the easiest ways to expand your Christmas repertoire and brighten up your Christmas without changing the core of your menu. Whether your table is seafood-focused, meat-heavy, vegetarian, or a mix of all three, a thoughtfully chosen sauce can bring freshness, complexity and colour.

Because one of the books I’ve written is Sicilian Seafood Cooking—and because my blog is called All Things Sicilian And More—many readers assume that my Christmas table must be strictly Sicilian. It’s a lovely assumption, but like most Italian traditions, the reality is far more regional, varied, and personal.

Buon Natale, and happy cooking!

What Do Italians Eat at Christmas? It Depends Where You Live

Italy has no single “national” Christmas menu.
Food traditions shift dramatically from region to region, and even from town to town.

When I lived in Trieste (in the north), Christmas Day always began with brodo—a clear, comforting broth that signalled the start of a long, leisurely lunch.

Years later, celebrating Christmas in Sicily, the menu was completely different. First courses would be gnucchiteddi (tiny hand-rolled gnocchi) or delicate ravioli di ricotta scented with cinnamon, sugar, and local cheese.

RAVIOLI DI RICOTTA

GNUCCHITEDDI

My family in Ragusa making gnucchiteddi. It is always a family affair.

QUADRUCCI IN BRODO, Squares of home-made Pasta in Broth

Quadrucci – squares of him made pasta with herbs.

BRODO DI GALLINA (Chicken Broth)

GNOCHETI DE GRIES (as called in Trieste), GNOCCHETTI DI SEMOLINO (Italian), SEMOLINA Small GNOCCHI

Gnochetti di Gris.

Even within Sicily—an island smaller than Tasmania—the diversity is astonishing.
Christmas in Ragusa always meant scacce: layered, folded pastries filled with vegetables, ricotta, sausage, tomato, or combinations of all three. They remain a staple of festival tables.

Scacce.

Would Sicilians in Australia be making scacce for Christmas? Perhaps some from Ragusa will—but most Sicilian-Australian menus are shaped by a mixture of regional traditions, personal favourites, and of course the Australian summer.

SCACCE

What I Cook at Christmas

People often ask what I’ll cook for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The honest answer: I rarely know until the last minute.

On Christmas Eve, I usually follow Italian custom and eat fish.
On Christmas Day, I like to cook something special that I haven’t made for a while—perhaps pasta with sea urchin (ricci), bottarga, squid ink, crayfish, or crab.

There are many posts on this blog that delve into Christmas dishes from Sicily and other regions of Italy—feel free to explore and adapt them for your own festive table.

But this post is not about planning an entire menu. Instead, it’s about something more universal – Sauces.

Whatever you’re serving this year—seafood salad, roast turkey, grilled vegetables, barbecued meat— a fresh, vibrant sauce can instantly transform a familiar dish into something festive.

Essential Sauces and Dressings for Christmas

Below are some of my favourite sauces—Italian, Sicilian, and beyond—that can brighten any Christmas spread.

Highlight sauces include:

  • Salsa d’Agresto – medieval green grape and nut sauce for roasted meats
  • Salsa Verde – Italian parsley, anchovy and caper sauce for vegetables, fish or cold meats
  • Sicilian Sarsa di Chiappareddi – capers, anchovies and olive oil for grilled fish
  • Bagna Cauda – warm garlic and anchovy dip for mixed vegetables
  • Salmoriglio – Sicilian lemon and oregano dressing ideal for BBQ seafood
  • Homemade Mayonnaise – classic, saffron or tuna versions for cold dishes
  • Romesco Sauce – roasted peppers and almonds for fish and vegetables
  • Salsa Saracina – sweet-and-savoury Sicilian sauce with olives, pine nuts and saffron
  • Hot Mint Sauce – mint, cumin and vinegar for lamb or goat

Use these sauces to lift any Christmas meal—seafood salad, roast turkey, summer vegetables or a simple backyard BBQ. A fresh sauce can transform your festive table.

Salsa d’Agresto (Green Grape Sauce)

A medieval sauce that predates the widespread use of lemons. Traditionally, it relies on the tart juice of unripe grapes (agresto).

It dates pre-Renaissance time and went out of fashion because lemons became popular in cooking and superseded the use of green grape juice. The recipes suggested that the juice of the green grapes can be extracted by using a mouli or a juicer.

Walnuts and almonds are blanched to remove as much skin as possible. My sources indicated that there may have been more walnuts used than almonds in these sauces.

Today you can substitute: verjuice or dry white wine

Key ingredients:

  • blanched walnuts and almonds
  • onion, garlic, parsley
  • breadcrumbs for body
  • a touch of sugar
  • enough agresto/verjuice to form a soft paste.

Onions, garlic and parsley and a few breadcrumbs are pounded together with the nuts. Add a bit of sugar, some chopped parsley and sufficient grape juice to make the amalgamated ingredients soft – like a paste.

Heat these ingredients and add a little broth as the sauce will thickened because the bread crumbs.

Warm gently and thin with broth as needed.
Perfect for roast meats, especially pork, chicken or turkey.

SALSA D’AGRESTO

Salsa Verde – Italian Green Sauce

Salsa verde can be used to jazz anything up – vegetables, roasts, cold meats, smoked fish, crayfish etc. I sometimes use it to stuff hard boiled eggs (remove the yolk, mix with salsa verde and return it to the egg).

Parsley, anchovies, capers, green olives and good olive oil form the backbone of this lively sauce.

SALSA VERDE – ITALIAN GREEN SAUCE

Sarsa di Chiappareddi (Sicilian Caper and Anchovy Sauce)

There may be times when an accompanying sauce for fish cooked in various ways will bring you greater compliments.

Salted capers need to be soaked and rinsed well before use.

The sauce is called sarsa di chiappareddi in Sicilian. Salsa con capperi in Italian.

A beautiful sauce for grilled, baked or fried fish.
What makes it special: high-quality extra virgin olive oil, capers and anchovies from Sicily a fresh, herbal perfume released the moment cold sauce meets hot fish.

Simple, quick, and always impressive.

SARSA DI CHIAPPAREDDI

Bagna Cauda – The Piedmontese “Hot Bath”

Bagna Cauda, translated as “hot bath,” is a dip for any combination of firm vegetables – cooked or uncooked.

A warm, deeply savoury dip from Piedmont. Traditionally served in a communal pot surrounded by:

  • raw or cooked fennel
  • carrots
  • celery
  • cauliflower
  • peppers

Made from:

  • garlic
  • anchovies
  • butter
  • sometimes a little olive oil

It is a hot sauce and it is most essential to use quality, extra virgin, olive oil. This is especially important for cold sauces, – when the cold sauce hits the hot food, the fragrance of the oil will be strongly evident.

 BAGNA CAUDA

Salmurrigghiu / Salmoriglio – Sicilian Citrus-Herb Dressing

Such a simple Sicilian dressing and a Sicilian staple.

Just: extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and most times a touch of garlic.

It’s sublime on grilled fish, meat, or vegetables—especially anything coming off the BBQ.

SALAMURRIGGHIU – SALMORIGLIO (salmorigano)

Home-Made Mayonnaise – Classic, Saffron, or Tuna

A good mayonnaise can rescue almost any cold dish.

Maionese.

See:
MAYONNAISE  and SAFFRON MAYONNAISE
INSALATA RUSSA
CHICKEN LAYERED WITH TUNA AND EGG MAYONNAISE
VITELLO TONNATO

Salsa Romesco – Spanish Almond and Pepper Sauce

Originally from Tarragona in Catalonia, though many mistakenly think it is Roman because of the name.

Excellent with:

This sauce is usually associated as a condiment for shellfish and fish. It is also good with eggs and grilled and roasted vegetables (especially cold, left over ones that need dressing up the next day).

Recently, I have been to two restaurants and this sauce was presented with cold asparagus.

Made from:

  • roasted red peppers
  • garlic
  • almonds
  • paprika
  • olive oil

Smoky, sweet, and a crowd-pleaser.

 SALSA ROMESCO

Salsa Saracina (Saracen Sauce)

A unique Sicilian cold sauce that blends:

  • green olives
  • pine nuts
  • sultanas
  • saffron

Often used with fish, but versatile enough for grilled vegetables, cold meats, or even room-temperature salads.It is sweet-and-savoury in the most Sicilian way.

I use it for many  hot or cold foods.

SALSA SARACINA (Saracen sauce)

Green Olive and Anchovy Sauce for Roast Duck

One of the times I roasted a duck I made this special sauce for it, and it tasted great.

  • green anchovies
  • parsley
  • tender celery heart
  • garlic
  • stock and wine added to the roasting pan and reduced in the pan made an excellent gravy.

A rich, aromatic gravy that lifts any roast beautifully and while you are at it, it includes the recipe for cooking the duc

ANATRA A PAPAREDDA CU L’ULIVI

Hot Mint Sauce (Casa Moro)

This is a recipe from Sam and Sam Clark’s Casa Moro, The Second Cookbook. I first had this sauce at a friend’s house accompanying roast goat. I too had this book.

it is a Middle Eastern-inspired sauce that pairs beautifully with:

  • roast goat
  • lamb
  • grilled meats

Made with:

  • mint
  • cumin
  • garlic
  • red wine vinegar or balsamic

Vibrant, earthy, and excellent for outdoor summer meals.

HOT MINT SAUCE

There are many other posts on this blog that delve into Christmas dishes from Sicily and other regions of Italy.  Whether you live in a cold or hot country  explore the content and adapt them for your own festive table.


	


	
	






	
	

		
	

		
QUADRUCCI IN BRODO, Squares of home-made Pasta in Broth
	


	

		
Quadrucci in Brodo are one of those homemade pasta-in-broth dishes that, for me, tell the story of Christmas better than any elaborate menu.


Time and time again I am asked what I will be cooking for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The truth is that I don’t always know in advance. What I do know is that, in keeping with Italian tradition, Christmas Eve is usually reserved for fish, while Christmas Day gives me the opportunity to cook something a little special — often a dish I don’t prepare very often.


Over the years, this has included pasta with sea urchin (ricci), bottarga, squid cooked in its black ink, or dishes featuring crayfish or crab. (Links to these recipes appear at the bottom of this post.)


What was consistent in my immediate family, however, was brodo. Because Christmas Eve was often a substantial meal, Christmas Day lunch tended to be lighter, and a clear, nourishing broth was the natural way to begin.


DISCOVERING QUADRUCCI IN BRODO


I first discovered Quadrucci in Brodo in 1984, when Giuliano Bugialli’s book The Taste of Italy was published. Bugialli refers to this pasta as quadrucci — small squares. A quadro in Italian simply means “square”.


In his recipe, Bugialli suggests making the broth with turkey meat and bones. On this occasion, however, I had a strong duck stock in the freezer, made from the carcass after removing the breasts and legs for another dish. It worked beautifully — but any good, well-flavoured broth will do.


Bugialli describes Quadrucci in Brodo as a representative dish from Puglia, although he himself was Florentine. As is often the case with Italian cooking, dishes like this cross regional boundaries, especially when they rely on simple ingredients and careful technique.


MAKING QUADRUCCI AT HOME


Because there were only three of us eating, I wanted to make a small quantity of pasta. I used a rolling pin rather than my pasta machine — I was in a hurry and didn’t want the extra washing up.




The pasta dough was rolled very thin and layered with whole parsley leaves, then folded and rolled again so that the parsley became embedded in the dough. The pasta was then cut into small squares.


Once cooked in the broth, the effect is striking: delicate pasta squares with parsley visible inside, resembling fine embroidery. It is simple food, but undeniably elegant.


A LIGHT, AUSTRALIAN CHRISTMAS TOUCH


Because asparagus was in season, I added a small amount to the broth to give the dish a lighter, summery feel — perfect for an Australian Christmas. It lifted the dish without overpowering it, allowing the clarity of the broth and the handmade pasta to remain the focus.


Sometimes the most memorable Christmas dishes are not the most elaborate, but those that reflect tradition, restraint, and care.


WHAT I DID


    

  • good meat broth, fat skimmed off, solids passed through a fine mesh strainer,
    • 

  • sprigs of Italian parsley (I also tried some with basil leaves),
    • 

  • home-made pasta = *1 large egg per 100 grams of hard flour (like unbleached, bread making flour, high in protein) is sufficient for 3 persons. Double or triple accordingly.
    • 



Sift the flour and place it in a large bowl or on a bench (depending how you like to mix flour to make into a dough).


Make a well in the centre and add the egg and a little salt.


Begin to knead with your fingers; I begin by adding flour from the edges into the centre. Mix everything well. At this stage you may need to add a little bit more of flour if the mixture is too wet or a tiny bit of water if it is too dry. This is because of the differences in the size of the eggs and the absorbency of the flour. Work the dough till the pasta feels elastic.


Shape the dough into a ball, cover it (cloth or plastic wrap) and leave it for about one hour.


Using a rolling pin (or a pasta machine especially if making greater quantities) roll/ stretch the pasta quite thin.


Place whole parsley leaves on top of half the length of the layer of pasta. Fold the other half of the layer of pasta over the parsley, and press the layers together.




Roll it again until it is very thin and you will see the parsley through the top layer of the pasta – sandwiched in the centre and looking like embroidery. I also used basil leaves for some quadri (squares).




Cut the pasta into squares ( like ravioli). These do not need to be of regular size and shape. trim off irregular bits of pasta.




Bring the broth to a boil and add the pasta squares. Cook for 1-3 minutes- they will rise to the surface when cooked.




Once I added the pasta to the broth I added the asparagus. The ingredients were cooked in a very short time.




This is what my version looked like:




BUGIALLI’S RECIPE OF QUADRUCCI IN BRODO


FOR THE BROTH:


900g/2lbs dark turkey meat, with bones

1 medium-sized red onion, peeled

1 stick celery

1 medium-sized carrot, scraped

1 medium-sized clove garlic, peeled but left whole

1 cherry tomato

4 sprigs Italian parsley

3 extra large egg whites

coarse-grained salt


FOR THE PASTA:


40g (1 1/2 oz) (1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmesan

5 eggs

pinch of salt

6 twists black pepper

450g (1 lb) (3 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

30 sprigs Italian flat-leaf parsley, leaves only


Prepare the broth: put the turkey, coarse-grained salt to taste, the whole onion, celery, carrot, garlic, tomato, and parsley sprigs in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water and put the pot over medium heat, uncovered. Simmer for 2 hours, skimming off foam from the top.


Remove the meat from the pot and reserve it for another dish. Pass the rest of the contents of the pot through a fine strainer into a large bowl, to remove the vegetables and impurities. Let the broth cool, then place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight to allow the fat to rise to the top and solidify.


Use a metal spatula to remove the solidified fat then clarify the broth. Pour 4 tablespoons of the broth into a small bowl and mix it with the egg whites. Pour the broth and egg white mixture into the rest of the cold broth and whisk very well. Transfer the broth to a pot and place it on the edge of a burner. Bring to the simmering stage, half covered, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the egg whites rise to the top with the impurities, and the broth becomes transparent.


Meanwhile, place a clean, wet cotton tea towel in the freezer for 5 minutes. Then stretch the tea towel over a colander and strain the broth through it to clarify it completely. The broth should be absolutely clear.


Prepare the pasta with the ingredients listed, placing the grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, and eggs in the well in the flour. With much care and patience, gradually work the eggs into the flour until you have a slab of dough. Shape this into a ball and leave under a towel or in cling film (plastic wrap) to rest.


Stretch the pasta as thinly as possible by hand or with the pasta machine. Place the whole parsley leaves on top of half the length of the layer of pasta. Fold the other half of the layer of pasta over the parsley, and press the layers together. Continue to roll out the layer of pasta until it is very thin. Using a scalloped pastry cutter, cut the pasta into squares of about 5cm/2in.


Bring the broth to a boil and add the pasta. Cook for 1-3 minutes, depending on how dry the pasta is. Serve hot, without adding cheese, which would spoil its purity.


This is what Bugialli’s  pasta looked like. With a little more effort and a pasta machine, mine will look like that too, next time.




Other recipes mentioned in this blog.


For first course I may cook:


SPAGHETTI CON RICCI DI MARE


PASTA CON BOTTARGA


SPAGHETTI WITH CRAYFISH OR CRAB


 PASTA WITH BLACK INK SAUCE 


 

	


	
	






	
	

		
	

		
AGGLASSATO braised meat with a thick onion sauce
	


	

		
In Sicily, Agglassato (also spelled Aggrassato, Agrassato or Aglassato) refers to  a traditional slow-braised meat dish in which generous quantities of onions slowly melt into a rich, satiny sauce that coats the meat with a natural glaze.


The word agglassato  suggests something glossy or glazed. It comes from the French glacer—to glaze—and in cooking it describes foods finished with a shiny coating. Cakes are glazed with icing, glacé cherries are preserved in sugar syrup, and cold pâtés or fish are often coated with a clear jelly made from stock to give them a beautiful sheen.


Despite its French origins, the dish is distinctly Sicilian. The word for meat, carne, is feminine, so the glazed meat is called carne aglassata.


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Onions- plenty of them


Like many Sicilian recipes, Agglassato reflects the island’s layered culinary history. French influence is evident in the name, yet the cooking itself remains deeply Sicilian. Traditionally, the onions are cooked in lard, sometimes combined with extra virgin olive oil, rather than butter, producing a richer and more robust flavour. It is also known as Carne Agrassata (carne meaning meat), a name commonly used in many parts of the island.


The dish appears throughout Sicily with regional variations. Veal, beef, lamb, kid and even ox tongue may be prepared this way. My father liked to cook it with ox tongue and would take over the kitchen on some Sunday mornings.


Some cooks use less onion, others add potatoes, and in south-eastern Sicily grated pecorino is often stirred through just before serving. The meat may be cooked whole and tied with string or cut into generous stew-sized pieces.


The Secret Is the Onion


The defining ingredient is not the meat but the remarkable quantity of onions.


As they cook slowly over gentle heat, the onions soften completely and gradually dissolve into a thick, velvety purée. The sauce reduces naturally, coating every piece of meat. If served cold, the onion-rich sauce sets into a delicate jelly that lightly glazes the meat—perhaps the most convincing explanation for the dish’s evocative name.


One of the pleasures of Agglassato is that the sauce is as valuable as the meat itself.


In many Sicilian homes, part of the onion sauce is removed before serving the meat and tossed through pasta as a first course. The braised meat then follows as the secondo, accompanied by seasonal vegetables.


 


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Agglassato – it has a satiny sauce


Although this particular dish may have been influenced by French cuisine, lard rather than butter is used – lard being more common in Sicilian cuisine.


Agglassato seems to be a method of cooking meat which is fairly wide spread across Sicily with a few variations. Some use less onions, others add potatoes and in some parts of Sicily, especially in the South-eastern region grated pecorino cheese is added at the end of cooking. Sometimes the meat is cooked in one piece and held together with string, at other times it is cubed as in a stew.


The sauce (without potatoes) can also be used to dress pasta – remove some of the onion sauce for the first course (pasta) then present the meat for the second course with contorni (side vegetable dishes).


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Simple recipe


The classic proportions are wonderfully straightforward:


The ratio is:


1 kg meat to 1 kg onions

200 g lard or a mixture of lard and extra virgin olive oil

salt, pepper

½ -1 glass of white wine

rosemary or sage or bay leaves, or a mixture of all

meat stock (optional)


In a pan suitable for making a stew heat the lard, add the sliced onions, and herbs. Soften the onions on low heat and then add the meat (cubed or in one piece).

Toss the meat around until it is white on the surface (unlike other stews do not brown).


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Add the wine, cover and cook it over low heat for about 70 minutes per kilo of meat, less if the meat is in small pieces. Remove the lid about 15-20 minutes if the contents look too watery and allow the sauce to thicken.


The Easter Version


In south-eastern Sicily, Agglassato is closely associated with Easter, when young kid or lamb is plentiful.


This version usually includes potatoes, whole garlic cloves, plenty of chopped parsley and, just before serving, a generous scattering of grated pecorino. The potatoes absorb the rich onion sauce, becoming almost as prized as the meat itself.


Because the age of the animal affects tenderness, cooking times vary. Young Sicilian lamb and kid generally require less cooking than older animals found elsewhere.


If you are cooking kid or lamb (this is a common recipe for Easter especially in the south east of Sicily), the following ratio of ingredients is a useful guide.


2 kg kid, or lamb on the bone, cut into stew-size pieces

800g-1kg potatoes

500g onions

100g lard or a mixture of lard and extra virgin olive oil

salt, pepper

4 cloves of garlic (whole)

1 glass of white wine

rosemary or sage or bay leaves

1 cup of parsley cut finely

meat stock (optional)

100 g grated pecorino cheese


In a pan suitable for making a stew heat the lard, add the sliced onions, garlic and herbs (but not the parsley).

Soften the onions and then add the meat.

Toss the meat around until it is white on the surface. Add the wine, cover and cook it over low heat for about 50-60 minutes. Check for moisture and add splashes of stock or water if the stew looks too dry. In Sicily kid and lamb are slaughtered as young animals and depending on the age and tenderness of your meat you may need to cook it for longer.

Peel and cut the potatoes into small chunks and add them to the stew. Add parsley and stock or water to almost cover the potatoes and cook until they are done (probably 30 minutes).

At the end of cooking sprinkle with grated pecorino.


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A Family Favourite


This dish always reminds me of my father.


He most often prepared lingua agglassata—ox tongue slowly braised in onions until beautifully tender—but from time to time he used the same method for beef or veal. The aroma of onions gently cooking for hours is one of those unforgettable kitchen memories that remains long after the meal has finished.


The photograph below shows the whole tongue after cooking. Before serving, it is lifted from the onion sauce, peeled if necessary and sliced, then returned to the rich glaze or served alongside it.


If you would like to see that family recipe, you can also read:


In a previous post I have written about how my father used to cook tongue (lingua) in this way. Now and again he would also cook meat instead of tongue


See Recipe: Carne Aglassata-  Glazed tongue in onion sauce


Below is a photo of the whole tongue (lingua)  – this is removed from the sauce and sliced before being served.


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Agglassato made with Ox Tongue


Because I have mentioned my father, and onions,  I am reminded of how he used “sweeten onions” to add to a tomato salad. this too is worth doing.


PUMARORU CA CIPUDDA (Tomatoes with onions). INSALATA DI POMODORO (Tomato salad)

	


	
	






	
	

		
	

		
EASTER SICILIAN SPECIALTIES …. Cuddura cù ll’ova, Pecorelle Pasquali
	


	

		
Cuddura cù ll’ova


These are typical traditional Sicilian Easter pastries – variations of these are made all over Sicily.  They are called cestini (Italian for baskets) or if you are Sicilian you are likely to call them cuddura cù ll’ova (there are some slight variations in what they are called in other regions of Sicily).


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These baskets carry hard boiled eggs – eggs being the symbol of fertility and birth, new beginnings –It was an important part of ancient festivals to celebrate Spring and it continued to be the symbol of new beginnings when it was embraced by Christians and associated with Easter; the belief – Jesus was resurrected from death into life, he died for our sins and we were given the opportunity to to be saved… death – life.


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Notice the colomba (dove) on the basket made of pastry, the symbol of peace. One cestino is sweet, the other is savory. Pleasing everybody!


The good thing is that these cestini (in the photos) are available from Dolcetti Pasticceria- Pastry shop in Melbourne).  Isn’t this wonderful?


If you key in the word Dolcetti in the search box on my blog you will find many posts praising the sweets from Dolcetti.


I have fond memories of my brother and I dyeing our hard boiled eggs and my mother would plait pastry around them. I continued the egg dyeing with my children and it all seems such a long time ago.


Apart from cestini (baskets) there are different shapes that hold the hard boiled eggs.


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Pecorelle Pasquali


Another particular specialty at Easter time in Sicily are the pecorelle pasquali (marzipan lambs). In Sicilian they are called agneddi (lambs)or pecuredde (small sheep) di pasta riali (marzipan).  Marianna from Dolcetti tells me that she is hoping to have some marzipan Easter lambs and Marzipan eggs available at Dolcetti. And she went ahead with this.


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Those of you who do not live in Melbourne and not able to visit Dolcetti may find this video very amusing.


The video, Un dolce pasquale tipico siciliano.


Persevere with the young women in the supermarket, they then go on to cook Cuddura cù ll’ova. Then watch (or enjoy if you speak Sicilian) the elderly woman and the child ….. this is the introduction of making Cuddura cù ll’ova. In brief, the elderly woman has not heard of the Simpsons that her nipote (her grandchild) is telling her about and proceeds to tell her how after fasting in Lent, Catholics look forward to eating eggs, hence Cuddura cù ll’ova!


It will give you an idea of what is possible.


No English translation is needed… the video says it all (this time it is spoken in Italian).


Farina= flour, zucchero= sugar, burro= butter,1 glass of latte (milk), orange peel, 1½ bustina di lievito = lievito is baking powder, 1 bustina packet/ envelope= 7gm).


*8 eggs, but 4 are hard boiled so that they can be wrapped in pastry.




Love it!


Do not forget Cassata -the queens and princesses of Sicilian desserts (assuming that Cannoli being masculine, are the kings and princes).


One of the many posts about Sicilian Cassata and Marzipan at Easter:


Sicilian Cassata and Marzipan at Easter 

	


	
	






	
	

		
	

		
Traditional Easter Sweets in Trieste in Friuli Venezia Giulia
	


	

		
 


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Presnitz-triestino


This time, I am writing about Presniz, a rolled pastry sweet that is eaten at Christmas and Easter. Presniz comes from Trieste where I spent my childhood. My parents were Sicilian but lived in Trieste and this is where I lived before I came to Australia.


Trieste is in the north-eastern region of Italy called Friuli-Venezia Giulia: you may recognize some of the cities and towns in this region – Udine, Pordenone, Cividale, Gorizia, Trieste.


Trieste was once the main port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia has Germanic, Slavic and Latin cultures so it is no surprise to find that the food from this region can be very different to other Italian regions.


Presnitz-triestino


At Easter, when we lived in Trieste, we bought Presniz from a Pasticceria (pastry shop) and it was only when we came to Australia and where the traditional food we were used to was not available, that my mother began to make Presniz with my aunt (from Trieste) at Easter. More common in my household and made all year round was another favourite – a Stucolo de Pomi, (an apple strudel). Also common in Friuli-Venezia Giulia is Gubana (often called Putiza in Trieste. Gubana and Putiza may have started off as being different but over time have melded to become the same thing).


All three popular dolci (pastry/sweets/ desserts) from Friuli-Venezia Giulia are made with pastry and rolled around a filling – the strudel has mainly apples, the Preznis and the Gubana/Putiza have a predominant filling of nuts.


Pinza is also a very common Easter treat in Trieste – this is a sweet brioche like bread made with many eggs and butter and similar to the consistency and colour of a panettone, but devoid of any dry fruit or nuts. Pinza is usually eaten with ham especially on Easter morning – strange but true.


There are many variations in the fillings of both the Presniz and the Gubana but basically in Trieste, the Presniz is more likely to have short pastry and mixed nuts in the filling (variations of walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts and almonds), whereas the pastry of the Gubana has yeast and the filling was once predominately made of of walnuts. Over time even flaky pastry is used for Presniz by some pasticceri (pastry chefs) in Trieste. Recipes evolve and the filling for the two have become similar; chocolate and candied citrus are also often added.


The Gubana originated and is popular in the Natisone valley in Friuli, on the border with Slovenia and in the towns of Gorizia, Cividale and Udine. The origins of Gubana has attracted many researches, both in terms of its origin as the name in Austro-German literature or literature of the Czech Republic. As you can guess, there are still no conclusions.


You will find a recipe for Gubana, in a post from 7/4/2009:

Presniz and Gubana (Easter Cakes in Trieste)


I have looked at many sources for information and recipes for Presniz and they differ significantly, especially for making the pastry. I have two bibles of Triestine cooking – La Cucina Tipica Triestina by Accademia Italiana della Cucina delegazione di Trieste (1983) and  La Cucina Triestina Maria Slelvo (1987) and the recipes could not be less alike.


I have provided two recipes for making pastry – these are by far the simplest.


PASTRY FOR PRESNIZ


    

  1. From Culinaria Italy: Pasta, Pesto, Passion, the ingredients.
    2. 



Ingredients are: 250 flour, 250 butter, 5-6 tbs milk, juice of one lemon, 1 egg and salt.


The instructions are: Rub the butter into half of the flour and leave the mix to stand overnight. Mix the remaining flour with the rest of the ingredients. Leave to stand for1 hour and then mix the two together. Roll out thinly on a cloth.


    

  1. From: La Cucina Tipica Triestinaby Accademia Italiana della Cucina delegazione di Trieste
    2. 



Ingredients are: 250 flour, 250 butter, 4 tbs milk, juice of one lemon, 2 eggs and salt.


The instructions are as above.


If anything I think that my mother and aunt always added a bit of grappa to the pastry.

As for the filling: Many of the recipes do not provide amounts for the nuts, but this combination should be sufficient for the amount of pastry. It is interesting to see that in  La Cucina Triestina, Maria Slelvo (1987) does not suggest hazelnuts  – one of her recipes  suggests using either walnuts or almonds, another has walnuts and pine nuts and a third recipe just walnuts.


Most of the recipes suggest blanching all of the nuts – blanching almonds is fine, but I am unsure that I want to spend time blanching walnuts of hazelnuts.


This combination below is to my taste, but with all Italian recipes, vary it to suit your tastes.


    

  • Nuts: mixed 300g = use a greater amount of walnuts than hazelnuts or almonds, i.e. ½ walnuts, ¼ hazelnuts, ¼ almonds.
    • 

  • 60g pine nuts
    • 

  • 100g raisins and/or sultanas
    • 

  • grated peel from lemon and orange
    • 

  • 100g of fresh breadcrumbs lightly toasted (in a fry pan) in about 60g butter
    • 

  • 60g dark chocolate, broken into little pieces
    • 

  • 50g sugar
    • 

  • 3 tablespoons rum or grappa
    • 



To brush on the pastry:


    

  • 1-2 eggs to paint on top of the pastry
    • 

  • 2 tbs jam
    • 

  • 2 tbs butter
    • 



Soak the raisins/ sultanas in the rum or grappa and leave them to plump for about an hour or more.


Grind the nuts (not to a powder). In  L’Artusi, La scienza di Cucina e L’Arte di Mangiare Bene, Pellegrino Artusi suggests cutting each nut into three and crushing the pine nuts into pieces as large as a rice grain (Go for it!). He also suggests adding cinnamon and some powdered cloves to the mix.


Roll out the pastry into a long strip (about 15 cm wide) and 0.5 cm thick. I use baking paper to roll the pastry on. Leave the pastry to rest while you mix the filling.


Mix all of the ingredients together (not the ingredients to brush on the pastry). The filling will be moist. Taste the mixture and see if you would like it sweeter – add more sugar.


To Assemble:


Brush the pastry with beaten egg (not all of it, leave some for the top once it is rolled, this will add gloss) and then with a little warmed jam. Add bits of solid butter on top.


Spread the filling over this, but leave an edge of pastry all round- about 2 cm. Roll it on to itself and make a long shape – about 10 cm in circumference. Seal the ends. Coil it into a  loose snail shape/ spiral and place it on some baking paper. Arrange it on buttered and floured baking tray. See pictures – a Gubana is snail shape, coiled closer together and usually baked in a tin, a Presniz is not quite joined together.


Brush the rest of the egg over the pastry, sprinkle it with a little sugar.


Bake in 180°C for about 60 minutes.


Let cool before serving. It stores well (wrapped in metal foil) for about a week.


Buona Pasqua.


More sweets from Trieste


****Strucolo De Pomi, Apple Strudel:

Strucolo De Pomi (apple Strudel From Trieste, Common at Christmas and Suitable for Our Autumn)


Apple Strudel (Trieste: Strucolo De Pomi)


 


 


There a many posts and recipes on my blog about Easter in Sicily.


EASTER IN SICILY: Faith, Spring, History and Cassata


EASTER IN SICILY – A SICILIAN FEAST IN RAGUSA – Recipes and Giuggiulena

	


	
	






	
	

		
	

		
PANFORTE again and again
	


	

		
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It was time to revisit Panforte again. I made two batches before Christmas. It’s a great gift or a pantry staple for emergencies – it lasts a long time.


I never follow recipes closely, so every time I make Panforte it will taste different.


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If I want a softer Panforte,  I add more honey and butter and less amounts of sugar.


Likewise adding more sugar  and less honey and butter makes it firmer.


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I also play around with the range of nuts I use and I always add great amounts of spices than any Panforte recipe that you are likely to find and always generous quantities of pepper. Sometimes I have added pink pepper – no true Italian is likely to corrupt Panforte with this spice.


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For some reason I do not add cocoa or chocolate but many do like this version of dark (scuro) Panforte. I always add some sort of citrus peel ( I added cumquat to one of my latest batches) and sometimes I add figs. I would never add ginger, pineapple or cranberries or any other dried fruit for that matter – that would be so far removed from the traditional.


As for nuts, I added macadamias to one of the batches I made –  my first time. I usually add a mixture of almonds, pistachio and hazelnuts.


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Basically…. I  use:


375g of nuts altogether

170g of citrus peel or citrus peel and figs

100g plain flour

420 g of sweetness altogether (honey and sugar). You could use 210g of each…this is usually what is done, but If I want a soft Panforte I use 200g sugar and 220g of honey. …harder still 215g sugar and 205 of honey.

45g of butter….less if I want it harder

spices and pepper to taste

grated orange or orange and lemon peel


Oven is 150C. Tins are lined with baking paper.  Depending on the size of your tins, this quantity resulted in 2 large ones or 5-6  little ones – I used my Le Cruset mini casseroles. Expect to cook  the larger ones 40-50 minutes…. smaller ones 35-40 minutes.

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Heat honey and sugar till sugar is melted, add butter.

Work quickly and add wet to dry ingredients.


Press into tins.


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You will find a recipe for Panforte (it is Carol Field’s recipe) in an earlier post:


PANETTONE AND PANFORTE for an ITALIAN CHRISTMAS


I have always played around with the ingredients and spices – Carol Field’s recipe was the “mother” recipe that launched the various versions of Panforte I have made over many years. Thank you Carol Field.


PANFORTE again and again


 

	


	
	






	
	

		
	

		
CHICKEN LAYERED WITH A TUNA AND EGG MAYONNAISE – A cold Chicken dish
	


	

		
Christmas for me is not just cooking for Christmas eve (as is more traditional in my household) or Christmas day. It is more to do about having a range of simple ingredients on hand so that I can prepare the odd meal quickly, just in case I end up feeding some one. It is the festive season after all but whatever happens during this very silly season in the year, I like to be in control.


In my first book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking, I have written:


Every cook and professional chef has a way of doing things.

It is said that you don’t leave your life behind, you take it with you.

My mother’s surname is Leone. Often daughters acquire some of their

knowledge and skills in the kitchen from watching their mothers and, like the

Sicilian proverb, I am a leone (a lion) in control of my kitchen.


In this post I want to revisit an easy chicken dish that is Vitello Tonnato but not made with vitello (veal) but chicken. The word tonnato comes from the word tonno (tuna).


This recipe could keep you sane and will gain you many compliments.


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Chicken fillets, capers and a tin of good tuna in oil are easy to get and these are likely to be ingredients that you have in your pantry. Mayonnaise can be made in no time with eggs and extra virgin olive oil. Anchovies taste good in this dish but not everyone likes anchovies so I did not use them on this occasion.


This dish is so simple to make, but it will be very much appreciated and enjoyed. Great for summer (as in Australia) or any season. It can be – but it also makes an impressive antipasto at any time.


Your guest could be familiar with Vitello Tonnato, but they are not likely to be familiar with Pollo alla Messinese – the word pollo or gallina  is chicken and alla Messinese  is as  prepared by the Sicilians from Messina.


I have written this recipe before so I will just include some photos as I have made this many times (for recipe see link below).


On this occasion I  wanted to make some chicken broth (another staple in my fridge) so I used a whole chicken and two chicken breasts. Then removed the breast from the whole chicken and used it with the two other breasts to make Pollo alla Messinese for six people. I cooked the chicken and when it was nearly cooked I added the chicken breasts whole. I then cooked it for an extra five minutes and then switched off the heat. The residual heat will cook the fillets.


Photo: tuna, capers and mayonnaise.


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Photo: breasts are sliced, tuna sauce has been blended but because it was too thick I added more mayonnaise.


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One layer of mayonnaise on the bottom, one layer of breasts. Three layers in all, topped with the sauce last and a sprinkling of capers. Pink peppercorns also have visual impact.


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Recipes:


 Pollo Alla Messinese (a Cold Chicken Dish Similar to Vitello Tonnato From Messina)


 Brodo di Gallina (chicken Broth) 


Maionese (Mayonnaise) 


And by the way, Insalata Russa, made with Mayonnaise is also good…and festive.


Vitello Tonnato


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BUONE FESTE to everyone! (Seasons Greetings)


This plate is one of my mother’s. She painted it in 1994 and her name was Elena (nee Leone).


And she really was a lion in her kitchen.


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PRAWN GUIDE, better choices
	


	

		
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I will be cooking prawns sometime over the Christmas period, but not just any prawns – they need to be sustainable.


Those of you who read The Age (a Melbourne newspaper) may have read:


Date December 15, 2015


Woolies, Coles, Aldi caught up in child labour scandal


Woolworths, Coles and Aldi are embroiled in a child labour scandal, with all three supermarket chains confirming they sell prawns or seafood supplied by a Thai company at the centre of the allegations.


Graphic evidence of forced labour, including child labour, has been uncovered at a prawn peeling factory owned by major seafood supplier Thai Union.


An investigation by Associated Press found hundreds of workers at the company’s factories working under poor conditions with some workers, mainly from Myanmar, locked inside or otherwise unable to leave the factory……


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I am always fussy about the prawns I buy.


Spencer+Gulf+prawns


 


skordalia4
 Other useful sites:


Sustainable Seafood








	


	
	






	
	

		
	

		
PETRAFENNULA also called PETRAMENNULA, a Sicilian sweet with possible Arabic origins
	


	

		
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Shelves are being stacked with Christmas sweet goodies at Dolcetti. There will be plenty more delectable and interesting sweets to come. Many of her sweets will have Sicilian origins.


IMG_2476-800x598Dolcetti is now open from Wednesday to Sunday in December


One of the things that I really like about Marianna (the pastry chef and owner of Dolcetti) is that she is willing to make new sweets and be creative; I like trying new things. Today I was offered a taste of this:


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I liked it and I hope that she will go ahead with adding this sweet to her range of Christmas goodies. She may experiment with it more before she is satisfied with it.


I have written about petrafennula, (also called petramennula depending on the Sicilian locality) a very long time ago in an earlier post called Arabs in Sicily, Some Sweets, Petrafennula. It is a Sicilian version of Croccante (brittle) or a Torrone.


It is a Christmas sweet like cubbaita or giuggiulena/ jujiulena (can be spelled different ways).


My recipe is made with almonds. Hers may not be called Petrafennula; there are many variations for making this sweet.

Marianna has used a selection of nuts: hazelnuts, pistachio, almonds and sultanas in hers – great stuff.


Arabs in Sicily, Some Sweets – Petrafennula


PETRAFENNULA – PIETRA DI MIELE (Rock made of honey).


INGREDIENTS

honey 1kg,

almonds, 500g blanched and roughly chopped into large pieces

candied orange peel, 400 g chopped finely,

cinnamon, ½ teaspoon (optional).


PROCESSES

Place the honey in a saucepan.

Add the peel.

Allow the mixture to simmer gently and stir from time to time until it begins to solidify.

Take the mixture off the stove and work quickly

Add the almonds and the cinnamon and stir gently to incorporate.

Pour the mixture on to baking paper placed on a cold surface – such as a marble slab or a baking tray (traditionally this is done without paper on an oiled marble slab).

Break it into pieces when it is cold. When my mother made this, she sometimes used to drop dollops of the mixture (about a tablespoon in size) on to a cold surface to form small odd shapes – more like pebbles than sharp rocks. This seemed easier than shaping it into one large slab, which then needs to be broken into smaller pieces.


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I have been writing for a long time and there are plenty of Christmas sweet recipes on this blog.


Giuggiulena (also Cubbaita) – A Brittle Sicilian Toffee of Sugar and Honey with Sesame Seeds and Almonds


Christmas at Dolcetti in 2014 (and Recipe for Spicchiteddi – Sicilian Biscuits)


Christmas Dolci and Dolcetti and Pistachio Shortbread Biscuits 2013


Also:


Panettone and Panforte for an Italian Christmas


Sicilian Cassata and Some Background (perfect for an Australian Christmas)


I will visit Dolcetti once again and soon.