Main Course/ Secondo/Substantial | All Things Sicilian and more

CHICKEN WITH SAUERKRAUT, from the Carso, in north eastern Italy, near Trieste

This is a simple dish with flavours from north eastern Italy, in an area between Slovenia and the Adriatic, south of Monfalcone and close to Trieste called the Carso (Karst in German, Kras in Slovenian).

The ingredients in the recipe are simple and reflect the flavours of Hungary and Germany, Russia and countries in Eastern Europe but also Trieste – chicken, sauerkraut, onion, lardo and white wine.This is not surprising as Trieste used to be part of the Austro- Hungarian Empire

I first came across a version of this recipe in Fred Plotkin’s book, La Terra Fortunata, (published in 2001). I have made versions of this dish before but have used chicken with bones as the recipe suggests, but this time I used boneless chicken and some fatty bacon that needed using. Having lived in Trieste I am very familiar with sauerkraut and cooking with smoked pork and pork fat (on the odd occasion) and I invariably have jars of sauerkraut at home, especially in winter for making dishes like iota.

Lardo is an Italian salume that is eaten and widely used in Italian cuisine especially in northern Italy; it is made from the thick layer of fat from the back of a pig and cured with a mixture of salt, herbs, and spices; the most esteemed Italian lardo is aged in the warm, fresh caves in the area of Carrara (famous for its marble) and no additives or preservatives are used.

Lardo Affumicato is Speck. This also is used widely in cooking of Trieste and Italian regions that used to be part of the Austrian- Hungarian Empire.

The rendered fat from the lardo or bacon is the fat used in this recipe. (Pork fat, or rendered pork fat is also called lardo in Italian and is lard in English).

It is not necessary to specify amounts as this recipe and like most Italian recipes it relies on estimations and what you like, but I used roughly 1k of chicken, 5 rashes of fatty bacon and about 500g of sauerkraut (drained and squeezed in a colander). If you want more bacon use it, more sauerkraut…by all means.

Gently fry the bacon or lardo in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat and when there is sufficient melted fat in the pan sear the chicken pieces till golden.

Fry the chicken in batches so as not to crowd the chicken pieces in the pan while searing.

Once you have seared the meat, add a sliced small onion and cook it gently till softened and golden.

Add some peppercorns , bay leaves and the sauerkraut and cook it gently for about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken, some white wine (about 1/2 cup) and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and cook gently for about 20 minutes. If necessary add more wine or water to keep it moist while it is cooking,

If you are using chicken with bones cook it for longer (30-40 mins depending on the size of the chicken).

Goulash (Gulyás in Magyar) and Gulasch in Trieste

Having travelled to Tyrol, Vienna and Russia recently where I saw Goulash (Gulyás in Hungary) frequently on menus, once home I dipped into my recipe books of Hungary and found George Lang’s Cuisine of Hungary to be the most informative and detailed.

I have been making Gulasch (in Triestian, dialect of Trieste) for a long time. As a child I lived in Trieste and not very far back in time Trieste was part of the Hungary – Austrian Empire and Gulasch is now part of the cooking of Trieste.

I have a fair few recipes of the cuisine of Trieste and all are made with meat, onions and paprika. Mostly the onions and meat are browned with lard and olive oil, bacon is not used, none have peppers or potatoes or any other vegetables or are thickened with flour. Some recipes suggest using caraway seeds, some a little tomato paste. None suggest adding red wine.

The main differences in my version of Gulasch as made in Trieste are:

I use wine or alcohol often in my cooking and have always added red wine to Goulash. Perhaps my mother did this and I have never questioned it. I always use herbs in my cooking so I add bay leaves, as these seem to be the most appropriate. I also use a mixture of hot and sweet paprika.

I do not add potatoes to the braise and prefer to present then separately, either Patate in teccia or creamy mashed potatoes with lashings of milk and butter. However, I am more likely to present it with Polenta, a favourite accompaniment in the cooking of Trieste. Below Goulash as presented in a restaurant in Tyrol. It was accompanied with braised red cabbage.

George Lang says that that a true gulyás should contain no spice other than paprika and caraway. Lard and bacon (either one or both) and chopped onion are absolute musts.
Never use and flour, Never Frenchify it with wine, Never Germanize it with brown sauce. Never put in any other garniture besides diced potatoes or galuska (dumplings).

But many variations are possible – you may use fresh tomatoes or tomato puree, garlic, sliced green peppers, hot cherry peppers to make it spicy and so on.

This recipe Kettle Gulyás comes from “The Cuisine of Hungary” by George Lang (Penguin Books, 1971).

2 tablespoons lard (or substitute canola or other vegetable oil)

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

2 1/2 pounds beef chuck or round, cut to 3/4-inch cubes

1/2 pound beef heart (optional), cut to 3/4-inch cubes

1 garlic clove

Pinch caraway seeds

Salt

2 tablespoons paprika

1 medium-sized ripe tomato

2 green frying or Italian peppers

1 pound potatoes

Peel onions and chop into coarse pieces. Melt lard in a heavy 6 to 8-quart Dutch oven. Add the beef cubes to the oil and brown. Work in batches if necessary, removing cubes as they are browned. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Add onions to the pot. Heat should be low in order not to brown the onions. When onions become glossy, add back the seared beef. Stir.

Meanwhile, chop and crush the garlic with the caraway seeds and a little salt; use the flat side of a heavy knife.

Take kettle from heat. Stir in paprika and the garlic mixture. Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon. Immediately after paprika is absorbed, add 2 1/2 quarts warm water. (Cool water toughens meat if you add it with the meat is frying.)

Replace covered kettle over low heat and cook for about 1 hour.

While the braising is going on, peel the tomato, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Core green peppers and slice into rings. Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch dice.

After the meat has been braised for about 1 hour (the time depends on the cut of the meat), add the tomato and green peppers and enough water to give a soup consistency. Add a little salt. Simmer slowly for another 30 minutes.

Add potatoes and cook the gulyás till done. Adjust salt. Add hot cherry pepper pods if you want to make the stew spicy hot.

For my recipe of Gulasch, as cooked in Trieste see:

GULASCH (Goulash, as made in Trieste)

RABBIT, CHICKEN and Easter recipes

Recipes for rabbit and chicken consistently generate reader interest especially around Easter. This Ragusa, Sicily-style rabbit recipe coincides with the Easter season in Australia and is always popular.

For those who do not camp, rabbit is a suitable Easter recipe. Alternatively, home cooks are increasingly appreciating these traditional recipes for rustic meats.

My last blog post was a recipe for rabbit:

SICILIAN CUNNIGHIU (RABBIT) AS COOKED IN RAGUSA, ‘A PORTUISA

But here’s the question I often get: Is rabbit considered a suitable Easter dish in Australia?

The answer is yes, but rabbit is not as common or inexpensive as it once was. If you find rabbit hard to source or expensive, you can easily substitute chicken in any of the rabbit recipes below, and vice versa. The flavours and techniques are quite adaptable.

The photos of some of my Sicilian dishes show how popular rabbit and chicken are in Sicilian cuisine.

This post has links for many of my favourite Italian rabbit, hare and chicken recipes that are already on my blog, as well as a few recipes for an Italian Easter that include kid, lamb and pies that are very common in Ragusa, Sicily.

Cooking with the Seasons

One thing that always fascinates me is how the seasons influence our cooking -especially when comparing Italy and Australia. While Italians are celebrating Easter in spring with tender lamb or kid, fresh artichokes, spring greens, and creamy ricotta that is at its best in spring, we in Australia are in autumn.

Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi voi.

This is a common Italian saying that seems appropriate for Australia as well. Whether that’s friends, neighbours, or family, Easter is a time to gather around good food, and that’s what these recipes are all about.

Easter in Ragusa, Sicily

If you happen to be in Ragusa with some of my relatives in Sicily, you might celebrate Easter casually with family and friends, sharing scacce or impanate -delicious pastries filled with vegetables or vegetables and meat wrapped in a golden, olive-oil pastry. (You’ll find links to my recipes for those below!)

If you decide to substitute rabbit for chicken in a recipe, just remember:

Rabbit is leaner and may need a little extra moisture while cooking.

Cook it longer and more gently — slow braises bring out its unique flavour.

Ponte Rosso, Trieste

And if you wish to be in Trieste:

Traditional Easter Sweets in Trieste in Friuli Venezia Giulia

Sicilian Cunnighiu (rabbit) as cooked in Ragusa, ‘a Portuisa’

The Sicilian recipe for rabbit – Cunnighiu a Portuisa as cooked in Ragusa includes olives, capers, wine, and herbs. This is one of my Sicilian aunt’s favourite ways to prepare rabbit, and it remains one of the most distinctive Ragusano dishes I cook.

In dialect, cunnighiu is coniglio in Italian and simply rabbit in English, but each Sicilian province has its own name for this recipe.

When I began researching the dish, I discovered that two respected Sicilian food writers refer to it differently: Giuseppe Coria calls it Cunnighiu a Portisa, while Pino Correnti spells it Cunnighiu a Portuisa. (This demonstrates the variations in the Sicilian dialect).

In Italian the Portisa and Portuisa becomes alla Portoghese—“in the Portuguese style.” No one seems completely certain why the Portuguese are credited, but given Sicily’s long Spanish rule, the Iberian connection is clear enough. Portugal itself did not gain independence from Spain until 1640, and across the region olives, olive oil and capers abound—ingredients shared by both Sicilian and Spanish cooking.

SPANIARDS IN SICILY

Sicily was ruled by the House of Aragon (1282–1516), the Kingdom of Spain (1516–1713), the Duchy of Savoy (1713–1720), the Habsburg Monarchy (1720–1735) and the Kingdom of Naples (1735–1806).

Located on the southwestern tip of the European continent in the Iberian Peninsula are Spain, Andorra and Portugal. Portugal only gained independence from Spain in 1640. Olive oil, olives and capers are extensively used in Sicilian and Spanish cuisine.

ABOUT THE RECIPE

There are several variations of rabbit cooked alla Portoghese in Ragusa. Most versions include green olives and capers; some add white wine, others vinegar. Some cooks enrich the colour with a spoonful of tomato paste, while others add sugar or a little chilli. It’s a wonderfully adaptable recipe.

I recently cooked this dish for friends in Adelaide, and the photos say it all—golden rabbit pieces nestled with olives, capers, herbs and potatoes, the whole kitchen fragrant with wine, vinegar, wine and mint.

There are various versions of this recipe for rabbit cooked in the Portuguese style as cooked in Ragusa and most seem to contain green olives and capers. Some contain vinegar, others white wine. Some recipes suggest adding a spoonful of tomato paste (mainly to enrich the colour), some add a little sugar, others chilli.

THE RECIPE

To make it, I sectioned one rabbit into about five pieces and browned them gently in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil. Salting as I went,

I added green olives, capers (well-rinsed , soaked and in several changes of water if salted), 2–4 cloves garlic, fresh thyme, and, in true Ragusano style, a few fresh bay leaves.

Next came one glass of white wine mixed with ½ cup white wine vinegar, poured over the rabbit before covering the pan and letting everything simmer over low heat. A tender rabbit will cook by the time the liquid evaporates. If not, simply add a splash of water—or more wine—and continue cooking gently until soft.

For the final 20–30 minutes, I added partially cooked potatoes so they could absorb the juices. A handful of fresh mint finished the dish, providing aroma, freshness and a very typical Ragusano touch.

Browned rabbit pieces in olive oil with herbs for Sicilian Cunnighiu.

If the rabbit is tender and cut into small pieces, it may be cooked by the time all the liquid evaporates. If it’s not as young or tender as you hoped (wild rabbits are tougher), and you need to cook it longer, add water, cover with a lid, and simmer gently until soft. Keep adding wine and water.

Rabbit ‘a Portuisa’ with olives, capers and potatoes, cooked the Ragusano way.

One way to cook Rabbit like a Sicilian

POLLO OR GALLINA ALLA CONTADINA, ALLA PAESANA. Braised Chicken or rabbit with Olives, Sicilian style

RABBIT with cloves, cinnamon and red wine (CONIGLIO DA LICODIA EUBEA)

CONIGLIO A PARTUISA (Braised rabbit as cooked in Ragusa)

POLLO AL GUAZZETTO (Sardinian Chicken or rabbit braised with Saffron)

FLAVOURED BUTTER TO DRESS AND ENHANCE TASTE

I hesitate to write recipes that are just so simple, but recently I was reminded how a simple herb butter can enhance simply grilled or steamed fish, meat or vegetables, bread etc. Grilled vegetables seem to be the pick of the month – enhance them with a flavoured butter.

While in South Australia I ate and drank very well in a number of restaurants, most had unusual combinations of excellent South Australian produce, others like Skillogalee Winery Restaurant in the Clare Valley had simple fare, more conventional and perfectly geared to the wide range of people who visit wineries and can enjoy a relaxing afternoon.

Our group of four sat in the garden and one of the dishes we chose to share was Port Lincoln whole sardines served with lime and parsley butter with bread. We ordered 2 serves of these sardines.

So modest, but so delicious. Sometimes we forget how something so quickly and simply made can really enhance a dish.

Some of you may remember the craze for the Beurre Maître d’Hôtel, also referred to as Maître d’Hôtel butter or Compound butter – It is simply butter combined with herbs, pepper and lemon juice and typically formed into a cylinder and sliced. A circular disc of Maître d’Hôtel butter was centrally plonked on top of a grilled steak – a technique used by many high-end steak houses in the eighties and early nineties…. people in Adelaide may remember The Arkaba Steak Cellar.

With a little imagination, different herbs instead of parsley will impart different flavours and grated lemon or lime peel will boost the citrus taste.

To make lime and parsley butter sufficient for 4-6 sardines and bread begin with 1 cup unsalted good quality butter at room temperature, 1-2 teaspoons of lime zest, 2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley chopped very finely and a little salt and pepper to taste.

Use a fork to beat the butter in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Mix zest, juice and gradually add parsley salt, and black pepper into the butter until thoroughly combined.

Taste it and if it is necessary to alter it add more of any of the ingredients to make it to your taste. Rest in the fridge to return consistency and enhance the flavour.

If you wish to store it and give it that 1980’s shape, wrap it in foil or in baking paper keep it in the fridge until ready to use.

All grilled fish and not just sardines can be used, as all meat and vegetables.

Instead of parsley, add different herbs – rosemary, thyme, sage, dill, basil, fennel fronds, tarragon, chives, oregano, marjoram, coriander are simple examples.

Garlic, ginger, horseradish, paprika, pink pepper, spices….need I go on?

Only to say that I rather like finely chopped anchovy fillets combined in butter – begin with 1 tablespoon of chopped anchovies to 1 cup pf butter and add more if it is not to your taste.

For miso butter – begin with 1 tablespoon of white miso and proceed as above. Red or brown miso can also be used.

Recently I also tried mixing some chopped lavender leaves into butter to present with scones. Not too much lavender or it could taste medicinal.

YEARNING FOR VITELLO TONNATO

Now and again I feel nostalgic for the “old” food. From my childhood, I often hanker for Vitello Tonnato. It is eaten cold, can be easily prepared beforehand and is a perfect dish as a starter or as a main meal. Left overs make a perfect panino.

There is an earlier post with the recipe for Vitello Tonnato, but this time I will let the photos guide the cooking.

I used a grirello – the eye round steak. The vegetables are onion, celery, carrots, garlic and herbs. I have tied the herbs (bay, rosemary, thyme) with string so that they can be easily removed at the end of cooking. Usually I like to include sage, but I have none growing at the moment.

I insert slices of garlic into the meat.

Some recipes indicate that the vegetables and meat can be boiled. I do not always repeat what my mother did but like her I lightly brown the vegetables and meat and this does add to the taste. I used a fish kettle for the cooking.

There is a bottle of white wine and some chicken stock ready to add. I added about 1 cup of wine and 2 cups of stock.

The liquid will add flavour and keep the meat moist. I always evaporate the juices at the end to concentrate the flavours of the sauce. Add seasoning.

Cook the meat to your liking. My mother always cooked it till it was very well done – that is how the older generation cooked meat in those times. My meat is lightly pink, but could have been rarer – on this occasion I had guests who prefer their meat well done.

Cool the meat and slice thinly.

Now for the sauce: egg mayonnaise, drained tuna (packed in oil), capers, anchovies and some of the vegetables that were used in the cooking of the meat. If the reduced sauce has cooled and jellied, add a little of the sauce.

Blend the ingredients. before adding the mayonnaise.

Add the mayonnaise and this is the sauce.

Build the layers – slices of meat, topped with the sauce. I made it the day before I served it. The sauce penetrates and softens the meat.

I have had modern versions of this dish in a number of places, both in Australia and Italy and the preference seems to be to place the sauce on top of some slices without covering each layer of meat.

I like the meat to be smothered with the tuna sauce.

Decorate it as you wish. This time was not my best, I used the left over carrots, topped them with strips of anchovies, stuffed olives cut in half and pink peppercorns. My mother probably would not have approved.

SEE:
VITELLO TONNATO

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

INSALATA RUSSA (Party time – Russian salad)

PESCE IN BIANCO (Plain fish). MAIONESE (Mayonnaise)

POLLO ALLA MESSINESE (A cold chicken dish similar to Vitello Tonnato from Messina)

LUGANIGHE CON CAPUZI GARBI – Sausages and sauerkraut, and yes, it is Italian regional cuisine

As a child, I lived in Trieste with my parents, and Ragusa, Catania and Augusta were the towns in Sicily where my Sicilian relatives lived. Both Trieste (located at the head of the Gulf of Trieste in the region Friuli-Venezia Giulia) and Sicily are at the extreme ends of Italy, and as you would expect, the cuisines are very different.

I grew up with both cuisines and appreciate them both for very different reasons.

Capuzi garbi (or crauti/krauti) is sauerkraut in Triestino (the Triestine dialect) and it is a very popular ingredient in Triestine cuisine especially when mixed in Gulash (made with pork or beef), or with a lump of smoked pork, or luganighe (Triestine) – salsicce di maiale in Italian, and pork sausages for us mere mortals in the English speaking world.

When you look at a map of Italy, it is easy to see why this part of Italy has common roots with the cooking of Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Istria.

I have German and Polish friends and they too are fond of sauerkraut, and like my relatives and friends from Trieste, they tend to overcook it; my mother also did this when she cooked capuzi garbi.

But as we know, cuisine evolves and some of us have taken on new methods of cooking traditional foods.

In my kitchen, I cook sauerkraut for about a quarter of the time as the traditional method and at times, I also like to add a little fresh cabbage to lighten the taste and to add a different texture. A little flour browned in a little oil is added to the sauerkraut towards the end of cooking, but not me, and unlike my Triestine contemporaries I also add caraway seeds, bay leaves and a dash of white wine.

The ingredients are: pork sausages, sauerkraut, bay leaves and caraway seeds. Onion, extra virgin olive oil and pepper (the sauerkraut could be sufficiently salty). Fresh cabbage and a dash of white wine are optional.

Drain the sauerkraut and squeeze out the moisture. Soften some onion in a little oil (in Trieste lard is also common and added to the oil).

Adding a little white or savoy cabbage is optional.

And with the cabbage also add the sauerkraut and the rest. A dash of white wine will keep it moist while it cooks.

Cover and cook for about 15- 20 minutes on low heat until the sausages are nearly cooked and the flavours have had a chance to meld.

Remove the sauerkraut and slightly brown the sausages – only for appearance.

A few of the other recipes from Trieste:

MARINADED FISH and a recipe for PESCE IN SAOR

IOTA (Recipe, a very thick soup from Trieste) Post 1

IOTA FROM TRIESTE, Italy is made with smoked pork, sauerkraut, borlotti beans-Post 2

Traditional Easter Sweets in Trieste in Friuli Venezia Giulia

INSALATA RUSSA (Party time – Russian salad)

APPLE STRUDEL (TRIESTE: Strucolo de pomi)

GULASCH (Goulash as made in Trieste)

PATATE as a contorno (Two recipes for ‘squashed’ potatoes).

FISH STUDDED WITH SICILIAN FLAVOURS

The fish steak, sliced vertically from a whole Trevally, offers a perfect opportunity to infuse distinct, aromatic flavours into each of the four sections of the cutlet. On this occasion, I’ve chosen fennel, cloves, garlic, and mint, but the strength of this recipe lies in its flexibility.

I like to mix and match herbs and spices—rosemary, cinnamon, thyme, parsley or sage or even a touch of lemon peel can change the entire vibe.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the Trevally cut into steaks, as it’s usually available whole or as fillets. This growing trend of partitioning fish into different cuts, just like meat, is exciting and lends itself to a broader range of cooking styles. Silver Trevally, also known as White Trevally, has a firm, dense texture when cooked, making it ideal for this preparation. It does need a little care, as it can dry out if overcooked. The addition of a small amount of liquid, like a splash of white wine or Sicilian Marsala Fine (semisecco/semi dry), is key to keeping it moist and succulent.

In other variations, I’ve swapped the Marsala for some freshly squeezed orange juice with a hint of zest, or dry vermouth and when I’m feeling adventurous and pairing it with tarragon – dragoncello – little dragon —a herb not typically found in Southern Italy but often used up North.

For a more Sicilian touch, sage (salvia) adds an earthy note, though it’s not as widely used in the region’s cuisine especially with fish. (In fact, it is rarely used with fish in other cuisines and I can only think of sage being used with pan fried trout – French)

Trevally is caught in the estuaries and coastal waters of southern Australia, with the majority of the commercial catch coming from New South Wales and eastern Victoria. It’s a wonderfully versatile fish, and I’ve also tried this technique with wild-caught Barramundi shoulders, which gives a slightly richer flavour profile.

And with a tuna fillet, in this case from Albacore Tuna:

Not much detail is needed in this recipe – the photos tell the story.

Recipe:

Prepare the Fish: Using a thin, sharp knife, make four evenly spaced slits along the length of each fish steak. You’re aiming for deep pockets, not cuts all the way through.

Stuff the Fish: Into each slit, insert a clove of garlic and three complementary flavourings. Choose from fennel, cloves, mint, rosemary, a small piece of cinnamon stick, or lemon peel. The key is variety—each section should bring something different to the table.

Sear the Fish: Heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan that can fit the fish in a single layer. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides, then place it in the pan. Sauté until the fish is golden on one side, then turn and cook the other side.

Deglaze and Finish: Add about half a cup of white wine or Sicilian Marsala Fine (or any other liquid of your choice), allowing the liquid to evaporate and leave the fish sizzling in the pan. The Marsala will enrich the sauce, while the wine adds a light, crisp finish. I sometimes add Ricard or Pernod with a bit of water to add a fennel taste.

Above – One Fish, One Chef, presentation by Josh Niland, and part of Melbourne Good Food Month. Josh butchered a large fish, head to tail – that is correct, almost every part of the fish, innards as well are edible. (Mr Niland, Fish Butchery)

A bit of fish butchery at a fish market in Sicily where butchery has been going on for centuries.

PASTA CON LE SARDE, an iconic Sicilian recipe from Palermo. Cooked at Slow Food Festival Melbourne

Slow Fish Festival: Save Our Seafood

To those of you who attended the successful event at Spotswood – Kingsville, Slow Fish Festival: Save Our Seafood.

As promised, here is an update of the recipe Pasta con le Sarde I cooked at this event.

There are already two posts about this recipe:

PASTA CON LE SARDE (Pasta with sardines, from Palermo, made with fennel, pine nuts and currants)

PASTA CON SARDE – the baked version, Palermo, Sicily

Here are some useful photographs to compliment the recipes:

Wild fennel plant.

Wild fennel shoots.

Packing wild fennel for the winter season – used to flavour the pasta water.

Extra flavour with sachet of fennel seeds. It can be removed when you also remove the boiled wild fennel.

Wild fennel sold in bunches at Catania Market.

You will need a plate to serve it. This is an Alessi Plate ( not THE Alessi, the Sicilian Alessi) They use old stencils, colours and images from the past to decorate their plates.

Recipe in Sicilian Seafood Cooking, Tim White from Books For Cooks (Melbourne) may have a couple of this book left for sale.

Timballo, made with left over Pasta con Sarde

Reference was made to Il Gattopardo – The Leopard, by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampadusa. Film made by Visconti, an historical epic, based on Lampedusa’s novel.

‘NDUJA with SQUID, very simple

‘Nduja– a spicy, spreadable, pork salame originating from Calabria is sold in places that sell Italian smallgoods.

I have mainly presented ‘Nduja with some fresh bread (like Pâté) or I have used ‘Nduja as an ingredient in sauces for pasta –an excellent ragù (a meat-based tomato sauce), sautéed with cime di rape and Italian pork sausages and I often add it to squid either for a sauce for pasta/polenta/rice or on their own.

As you can see by the photos, this is a very simple recipe and it is cooked very quickly – onions, ‘Nduja, squid and olive oil. Most of the time I also add finely chopped parsley at the same time as the squid.

Use small to medium sized squid.

1,5 kg of Squid, 150g ‘Nduja, ½ onion, extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Sauté onion in olive oil on medium low heat. Add ‘Nduja, it will dissolve, release some fat and fragrance.

Add squid, a little chopped parsley and stir fry it until it colours (about 10 minutes).

Sprinkle with lemon juice, more chopped parsley or mint and present it.

Category: Main Course/ Secondo/Substantial

CHICKEN WITH SAUERKRAUT, from the Carso, in north eastern Italy, near Trieste

Like this:

Goulash (Gulyás in Magyar) and Gulasch in Trieste

Like this:

RABBIT, CHICKEN and Easter recipes

Rabbit and hare recipes:

Chicken recipes:

Easter food, Ragusa, Sicily:

Other Sicilian Easter dishes:

And if you wish to be in Trieste:

Like this:

Sicilian Cunnighiu (rabbit) as cooked in Ragusa, ‘a Portuisa’

Like this:

FLAVOURED BUTTER TO DRESS AND ENHANCE TASTE

Like this:

YEARNING FOR VITELLO TONNATO

Like this:

LUGANIGHE CON CAPUZI GARBI – Sausages and sauerkraut, and yes, it is Italian regional cuisine

Like this:

FISH STUDDED WITH SICILIAN FLAVOURS

Like this:

PASTA CON LE SARDE, an iconic Sicilian recipe from Palermo. Cooked at Slow Food Festival Melbourne

Slow Fish Festival: Save Our Seafood

Like this:

‘NDUJA with SQUID, very simple

Like this: