Gelatina di Maiale: Traditional Sicilian Pork Brawn from Ragusa and Modica
Gelatina di Maiale — Sicilian pork brawn — is a beloved specialty throughout south-eastern Sicily, especially around the attractive historic Baroque towns –Ragusa, Modica and Chiaramonte Gulfi. Whenever I visit my father’s relatives in Ragusa, this dish appears in butcher shops, local markets, and on family tables. Rustic, fragrant and full of character, it showcases the region’s tradition of making the most of every part of the animal.
Baroque balconies in Modica
What Is Gelatina di Maiale?
This is a gelatinous terrine made by slowly simmering pork head, tongue, feet and lean meat until the broth becomes naturally thick and rich. Once cooled, the broth sets into a firm, fragrant jelly that encases shredded pieces of meat. In Sicily, it’s commonly served as antipasto, but it also makes a refreshing summer main.
A Taste of Ragusa, Modica and Chiaramonte Gulfi
Ragusa and Modica are two of Sicily’s most atmospheric Baroque towns. Their golden stone buildings, dramatic hills and rich culinary traditions make them unforgettable.
In nearby Chiaramonte Gulfi, Gelatina di Maiale (also called Zuzzu) is especially popular — a dish rooted in farmhouse cooking, where pork, citrus and vinegar combine to create something refreshing yet deeply savoury.
In Gelatina di maiale the pork’s head provides the gelatinous component. Usually the tongue is included in the head and this adds texture and extra flavour.
Zuzzu or Gelatina, pig’s head
Meat also needs to be included and apart from half of a pig’s head, lean pork (cut into large pieces) and pig’s feet.
Over time, I have adapted this recipe and I include bay leaves and peppercorns to the mix.
Great as an antipasto or as a main, especially in summer. Gelatina is sold by most butchers in southeastern Sicily.
INGREDIENTS
½ pig’s head (with tongue, for extra texture and flavour)
1.5 kg lean pork, cut into large pieces
4 pig’s feet
Bay leaves
Whole peppercorns
½ cup white vinegar
Juice of 2 lemons
PROCESS
1. Simmer the Meats
Place the pig’s head, lean pork and pig’s feet into a large pot. Add bay leaves and peppercorns. Cover with water and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for about 3 hours, or until the meat falls easily from the bones.
2. Rest Overnight
Turn off the heat and allow the pot to cool. Leave it to rest in the fridge overnight — this helps the broth begin to set.
3. Prepare the Stock
Remove the solidified meat and separate it from the jelly. Add the vinegar and lemon juice to the remaining broth. Simmer and reduce the liquid to one-third of its original volume.
4. Shred and Assemble
Remove all bones and shred the meat coarsely, not too fine. Line a terrine with bay leaves, pack in the meat, and pour over the cooled, reduced stock.
5. Chill and Set
Cool completely. As it sets, any fat will rise to the top — scrape this off once cold. The layer of fat actually helps seal the terrine.
Serving Suggestions
Gelatina di Maiale is excellent: • as an antipasto, with crusty bread or pickled vegetables • as a summer main, served cold with salads • alongside Sicilian olives, capers and lemon wedg
Gelatina sold in butcher shops
Making ZUZZU, also Called Gelatina di Maiale, podcast and recipe:
Cassata Deconstructed is my postmodernist take on the Iconic Siciliandessert – Cassata.
But can there be such a thing? Probably not in Sicily.
While I strive for precision and authenticity, I occasionally employ a shortcut and this one has proven effective. This dessert, that I have since refined, I have made multiple times.
ONE CANNOT ALWAYS BE AUTHENTIC
I always want to be Authentic.
When my children were young they used to refer to me as the Food Police; everything had to be just right and particularly when we went to a restaurant I often seemed to find fault. .This is not the case in my later years!
But the often seen as the less important side of authenticity is that making things that are not particularly “authentic” can actually be a lot of fun.
CASSATA DECONSTRUCTED
As you will see I have remained faithful to Traditional Sicilian Ingredients and Ingredients that I have used when making Cassata.
I used sponge fingers, dipped in Cointreau. These formed the casing of the sweet – the bottom and top layers.
In between I used a sweet ricotta filling, in fact it a similar ricotta filling that I use when making a cassata.
I then covered the top layer of sponge fingers with a whipped cream with a little ricotta, topped it with summer strawberries and leaves made from marzipan.
The result is very much like a summer cassata and very suitable for the Christmas season, or Easter, or anytime.
REFLECTION ON MY PROCESS
The flavours and process of dipping sponge fingers or sponge cake in liqueur and layering with a cream filling are very much Italian. After all, I have been making cassata, zuppa inglese and tiramisu for years.
I have maintained the Italian colours. The only problem is what do I call this dessert?
The marzipan can be made days beforehand, wrapped in cling wrap and left in the fridge. The leaves can also be made beforehand and placed in a sealed container with baking paper in between each leaf.
This dessert fed 6-8 people – the strawberries were huge and because of their large size they give a wrong sense of scale.
CASSATA DECONSTRUCTED RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
500 g fresh ricotta,
100 g caster sugar,
1 cup Cointreau or to taste
50g of chopped blanched almonds
vanilla concentrate
some orange and citron peel previously soaked in Cointreau for at least 1 hour
small pieces of dark chocolate
cream to cover the dessert, add as much as you like
PROCESSES
Arrange sponge biscuits in a square container lined with cling wrap. Sprinkle them with orange flavoured liqueur.
Beat 450g ricotta with a dash of cream, sugar and vanilla. The mixture should be creamy but stiff.
Fold in nuts, chocolate, and drained peel. Reserve the Cointreau.
Place this on the layer of sponge fingers and finish off with a top layer which you have sprinkled with more Cointreau – I used what I drained off the peel.
Leave it for at least 5 hours.
Close to serving, (I did this an hour before my guests arrived) decorate it with the whipped cream (mixed with a little vanilla, 50g of whipped ricotta and a little caster sugar to taste).
Place strawberries on top and decorate with leaves.
Marzipan leaves:
100g blanched almond meal
100g g icing sugar
1 egg white
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drop green food dye
Mix contents together and use your fingers to knead the mixture; add more sugar of meal if the mixture is too wet.
Place the marzipan in between two sheets of baking paper and roll it out thinly. Cut it into shapes of leaves.
One of the cassate (plural of cassata) I have made covered with green marzipan. Too much food colouring.
I use a Florentine ancient Liquer called Alchermes (or Alkermes) to make the famous Italian dessert called Zuppa Inglese.
Zuppa Inglese — Italy’s Interpretation of Trifle
Zuppa Inglese is the Italian version of the English trifle that is generally made with sponge cake, moistened with fruit syrup or/and sweet sherry, layered with cream/and or custard, jam, and most times red coloured jelly made with jelly crystals.
Trifle is still being made in UK and countries like Australia (that initially inherited much of the British cuisine) especially at Christmas. Over time there have been some little variations to the recipe, for example I have often eaten trifle in Australian homes that included preserved fruit – particularly canned peaches. Recently fresh fruit has become a popular edition, particularly strawberries.
The Origins of Zuppa Inglese
The roots of Zuppa Inglese are shrouded in mystery, with several theories about how the dessert came to Italy. Some suggest it was introduced by Italian diplomats who tasted trifle during visits to London. Others believe it emerged in the kitchens of English expatriates living in Florence in the late 1800s and early 1900s, many of whom employed Italian kitchen staff. These Italian cooks would have adapted the traditional English trifle recipe using local ingredients: , savoiardi,crema pasticcera and perhaps some signori inglesi missed some of their cooking from home and this was what their Italian kitchen maids prepared as trifle Alchermes, the ancient Florentine, red liqueur commonly used to moisten and flavour cakes.
From Trifle to “English Soup”
And thus, Zuppa Inglese was born, earning its nickname “English soup” due to its layered, somewhat “messy” appearance, which some say resembles a soup more than a neatly arranged dessert.
There are many stories about how this English dessert came to be part of Italian cuisine. Some say that perhaps Italian diplomats tasted trifle on a visit to London and this may have been their interpretation of this dessert. Others say that it probably eventuated in the kitchens of the well-off English; there were many living in Florence in the late 1800’s till the lead up of the Second World War. Most of them employed Italian staff; . They had to use Italian ingredients – savoiardi (sponge fingers – mostly used in layered Italian desserts) and Alchermes the ancient Florentine, red liqueur commonly used to moisten and flavour cakes. Fresh cream was (and is) rarely used in cakes in Italy, butpastry cream called crema pasticcera (also crema inglese – crème anglaise) is very common. And it is easy to see how this sloppy mess could be called “soup”(zuppa).
Modern versions
I have seen modern Italian versions of recipes for Zuppa Inglese, which include red fruit (like berries) and many include chocolate. My mother’s version sometimes included grated dark chocolate on the top; I think that this was partly for decoration; I sometimes top it with cherries and torrone. Other modern versions I have seen have a sprinkling of coffee beans and I wonder if the makers are getting confused with Tiramisu, which because it contains coffee is often decorated with coffee beans.
In the Zuppa Inglese below I have placed a sprinkling of crushed pistacchio nuts and choccolate on top .
I often make Zuppa Inglese especially when I am stuck for ideas, or have little time to prepare a dessert; it is so easy to prepare and never fails to impress.
I still use the traditional way to make it. I always assemble it in layers: sponge fingers moistened with Alchermes (either homemade or purchased at a good wine shop), cover these with crema pasticcera, repeat x 2-3 layers finishing with a layer of sponge fingers.
I use a large glass bowl to assemble the layers of ingredients (it is a pretty dessert) and keep the zuppa inglese, in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight before I intend to present it – it gives the dessert time to settle and the flavours to develop. I finally cover it with a layer or tuffs of panna montata (literally meaning cream made into mountains – isn’t the Italian language marvellous!). it is also known as Chantilly cream, whipped cream with a little caster sugar flavoured with vanilla bean –Italians would never think about using plain cream in cakes.
Alchermes LiquEUR
At some stage during my research about Alchermes I found out that the name is likely to have been derived from the Arabic “al” (a) and “qirmiz” (worm). This is because it contains cochineal, which gives the liqueur its red colour. Cochineal used to be made with a particular insect which was crushed and dried, this produced a rich, red dye.
In the photo I have included a bottle of purchased Alchermes (32% volume). I also make my own , see link below.
Recipe for Crema Pasticcera
Crema Pasticceracan be a litttle scary to make. This is the easier way to make the egg custard.
For a more authentic recipes see link below.
INGREDIENTS
3 egg yolks, 3 tablespoons caster sugar infused with a vanilla bean, a pinch of salt 3 tablespoons of cornflour, 1 litre of milk, rind of 1 lemon, and a cinnamon stick, a lump of unsalted butter.
PROCESSES
In a saucepan, mix the egg yolks with the sugar and slowly add the flour, salt and a little milk to make a smooth paste – a whisk could be useful. If you do not have sugar that has been infused with a vanilla bean, use a little vanilla essence (not artificial).
Add the rest of the milk and incorporate to dilute the mixture evenly.
Using a vegetable peeler remove the rind in one piece from ½ lemon. Add this to the milk mixture. Add the cinnamon stick.
Use low – medium heat, stir it constantly with a whisk or a wooden spoon and slowly bring it to the boil – the custard should have thickened. if it thickens too much, add a little more milk. Add a lunp of butter and stir it in: this will enrich the custard. Cool before using. To prevent a skin from forming, I place a piece of baking paper or butter paper on its surface until you are cready to use it.
This Zuppa Inglese looks quite impressive in a round glass bowl.
This one is topped with preserved cherries (link below), and bits of torrone.
Zuppa Inglese – decorated.
Zuppa Inglese in progress.
zuppa inglese ready for filling.
Zuppa Inglese, nearly ready for final layer.
Zuppa Inglese is the kind of dessert that’s perfect for any occasion. It’s versatile enough for a family dinner, but elegant enough to serve at a special gathering. While modern variations with berries or chocolate are delicious in their own right, there’s something about sticking with tradition that feels just right.
Affogato is an Italian term meaning ‘drowned’ or ‘smothered’. In this recipe, the cauliflower is effectively ‘drowned’ in red wine and ‘smothered’ by compression.
My grandmother Maria was born in Catania and this was one of her ways of cooking cauliflower – It is called CAVOLOFIORE AFFOGATO and VRUOCCULI AFFUCATI in Sicilian.
Although the coloured cauliflower or broccoli can also be used for this recipe, I prefer the white cauliflower because it acquires a rose tint when cooked with red wine. The yellow one is also suitable and even more dramatic in colour.
To compress the cauliflower layers, assemble the ingredients, cover them with a circular piece of baking paper, place an oven-safe plate on top, and then add a weight (as shown in the photo). I used my stone mortar, at other times I have used a smaller saucepan partly filled with liquid.
The cauliflower is cooked slowly until all the liquid evaporates and then it can be turned out and sliced like a cake. try to cut the cauliflower horizontally into layers if you can, however, the pecorino usually performs the function of keeping the layers together.
I place a circle of baking paper at the bottom of the pan to ensure that the “cake”( tortino in Italian) does not stick to the bottom or you may also like to use a non- stick saucepan as I often do. Many recipes add water as the cauliflower is cooking to prevent it from burning, but if you cook it on very gentle heat, you have added wine and used a good quality saucepan with a heavy base, adding water may not be necessary.
VRUOCCULI AFFUCATI are especially suitable as an accompaniment to a strong tasting dish. Usually it is presented at room temperature and even cold the left over cauliflower is particularly satisfying as a stuffing for a panino.
INGREDIENTS
cauliflower or broccoli, 1kg,
onion, 1large, sliced thinly
pecorino, 50 -100g, sliced thinly
anchovies, 4-5 or more
red wine, 1 glass
extra virgin olive oil, ¾ cup
freshly ground black pepper to taste, salt if necessary
stoned black olives, 10 (optional)
PROCESSES
Place some olive oil in a deep saucepan (the ingredients are layered). Line with baking paper if you wish.
Add a layer of the cauliflower.Top with the pecorino cheese, anchovies, ground pepper and onion slices (and olives if you wish). The ingredients are pretty salty so you may not wish to add salt.
Repeat with another two layers of the cauliflower and the other ingredients. Drizzle more oil on top each layer. Make the top layer just cauliflower.
Press down the layers with your hands.Top with more oil and add the wine.
Cover the contents first with either a piece of baking paper or foil cut to size and slightly loose. Put a weight on the top so as to keep all of the layers compressed (see above). There should e a gap around the weight and the saucepan to allow the steam to escape. Add little bit of water if necessary.
Cook on very slow heat for about 30-40 minutes and when the liquid has evaporated, you should also hear the cauliflower sizzle in the oil.
