Category: Regarding Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

LAUNCH OF SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING AT MERCATO (Baccalaru ‘o fornu – Sicilian and Baccalà al forno- Italian).

ADELAIDE LAUNCH OF SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING was hosted and organized by the team at Il Mercato, the Italian providore in the north-eastern suburb of Campbelltown, which is where my family settled after migrating from Italy.

Baked baccalà was one of the  finger food offerings at the launch and I have included the recipe from my book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking

After the excitement and satisfaction of the successful launch of my book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking, in Melbourne on 6 November, and book signing event at Readings Hawthorn on 17 November, I drove to Adelaide, for the launch of my book in South Australia.

The local member and the State Minister for Education, Grace Portolese, MP introduced the South Australian event on Sunday, 20 November.

I was thrilled and honoured that respected cook and cooking teacher, Rosa Matto, agreed to launch the book in my former hometown. Rosa and I have known each other for over many years and I have always admired her cooking skills, her generosity and her commitment to sharing her knowledge of food through her cooking classes.

The launch at Il Mercato was very well attended. John Caporosa, the owner of the providore, had ordered 100 copies of Sicilian Seafood Cooking and on the day 99 were sold and signed.

Book signing queue at il Mercato

I am immensely grateful to John and his team, especially Cynthia and Lina who helped to make the event a success and prepared a selection of food:  there were white anchovies and arancini and Lina selected and cooked two recipes from Sicilian Seafood Cooking, the Caponata from Catania (pg 362) and the Baked baccalà (pg 193). It was presented on a ceramic spoon – practical and attractive and very suitable for this occasion.

Baccalà is cooked in many ways but this is probably my favourite – It is full of flavours and colours that can only be Sicilian. It can be presented as a main dish or as an antipasto. At Il Mercato it was served on spoons and everyone loved it.

Baked baccalà

Baccalà. has to soak for a couple of days before it is cooked, so begin preparations beforehand ( min. 24 hours but if  it is extra salty it will need extra time. It can be purchased pre soaked in some stores which sell Italian and Spanish food.

INGREDIENTS

1–1.2 kg (2lb 4oz–2lb
12oz) baccalà, soaked
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup finely cut parsley
500g (17.oz) tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
(or canned)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
mixed with ½ cup water
flour for coating
½ cup salted capers, soaked and washed
½ cup sultanas or currants
½ cup pine nuts
1 cup white wine
½ cup black olives, pitted and chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Cut the baccalà into square portions and leave to dry on a paper towel.
Heat ½ cup of oil in an ovenproof casserole. Add the onion, garlic and
parsley and cook until the onion is pale golden. Add the tomatoes, the tomato
paste and seasoning and cook until thickened.
Lightly coat the baccalà with flour and fry in hot oil.
Arrange the baccalà in the casserole with the capers, sultanas, pine
nuts and ½ cup of wine. Bake in a preheated 180C (350 F) oven for
30–45 minutes. Add the rest of the wine and the olives and bake for another
15–30 minutes until cooked (the fish should flake). During cooking, check to
see if it is dry and either add more wine or water.
Variation
  • Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves or extra pine nuts and serve with chopped chilli and a dribble of extra virgin olive oil.
  • Cook any firm-fleshed fish this way. Large thick pieces are best.

IMG_1837

 

CHEAT FOOD FOR LAUNCH OF SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING AT COASIT AND READINGS: Marinaded white anchovies AND Olive Schacciate made with commercially prepared olives

Marisa-talks-@-Readings-852x797
Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

I am receiving numerous requests for recipes for the two ‘cheat recipes’ – marinated anchovies and squashed olives (olive schiacciate). These were two of the spuntini (small mouthfuls) available for the  Melbourne Launch of Sicilian Seafood Cooking at COASIT.

These olives and anchovies were presented at COASIT and at the event at Readings in Hawthorn- great compliments and many requests for the recipe- a cheat recipe but very successful.

EVENT | Thursday 17 November 2011 at 6:30pm

Marisa Raniolo Wilkins
Food, wine, book signing at Readings Hawthorn: 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122

The olives and anchovies are both called my Cheat Recipes and you will see why.

I also made caponata, the Catanese version, which includes peppers. These little offerings, together with the generous food offerings by Fiona Rigg  from Fiona Louise, Marianna di Bartolo from Dolcetti and Alfredo and Lisa La Spina from Bar Idda were very much appreciated by those who attended the launch.

Marinaded anchovies

MARINADED WHITE ANCHOVIES

Ingredients and Processes:

I used boquerones (white anchovies) from Spain (1 kilo pack)

Drain them (they are packed in oil and vinegar), add 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic, 1 cup of finely cut parsley and 3 spring onions and cover them with extra virgin olive oil.

Leave in marinade at least one day.

This recipe is nothing new. When we first come to Australia and could not buy fresh sardines (they were used a bait, like squid used to be) my father would buy Spanish sardines packed in salt, wash them carefully, drain them and dress them in the same manner. And he was Sicilian. Sometimes he added oregano or chopped fennel fronds, sometimes capers. The anchovies were stored in the fridge ready to be placed on a fresh piece of bread whenever anyone was hungry and they were also very useful if guests dropped in unexpected.

Accompanied with a cold glass of white wine or a glass of dry vermouth (or dry marsala if we had been able to buy some in the 60’s in small town Adelaide) these marinaded anchovies were very much appreciated. And we never made a brutta figura.

By tomorrow they will be superb. In two days time, they will taste even better.

Not everything need take a long time to prepare. And some of your guests may even like them more than eating fresh sardines treated the same way – some people squirm at the mention of fresh sardines.

Olive scacchiate, marinaded Sicilian Olives

OLIVE SCHIACCIATE

I asked my daughter Francesca to prepare the olives for me. The following is her writing:

With two book launches to promote, one book signing, menu preparation for two cooking demonstrations, sourcing wine, book promotion, writing her blog and launch speeches plus a family wedding interstate thrown in, Mum was in need of an extra pair of hands, those I could supply.

I was a little daunted, to begin with, when I learnt my ‘job’ was to prepare 7kg of olives. Not because 7kgs of olives sounded so much and they all had to be crushed in small amounts but I hadn’t made them before and what if they are awful? How embarrassed I would feel and would they come even close to the olives my mother dressed? But there is no cooking involved and I had my instructions – it would be hard to “stuff it up” so I did it.

INGREDIENTS
(for 1 kg of olives, double up for 2kg and so on)
Sicilian Green olives in brine (These were Nocellara brand)
garlic   4/5 large cloves
orange rind from 1 orange
chilli flakes 2 tbls
fennel seeds, 2 tbls
bay leaves, 3-4
wild Fennel fronds/ leaves/green stuff  (failing this, use extra fennel seeds,1 tbs)
extra Virgin olive oil, about a litre- you need enough to cover the olives

 

PROCESSES

Drain the brine from the olives, no need to rinse them. I used a mortar and pestle to crush the olives, a handful at a time and they don’t require much force.
Roughly chop the garlic and wild fennel fronds.  Place the crushed olives into a jar or sealable plastic container and add the chilli, wild Fennel, bay leaves, orange peel and garlic and cover them completely with olive oil.

The olives need to be keep completely under oil at all times and should be stored in the fridge.  I placed a plate over the olives to keep them under the oil level. The oil will solidify so the olives need to be removed from the fridge a couple of hours before eating and the oil drained off. Remember to keep and re-use the flavoured oil – great for salads and cooking.

LAUNCH OF SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING AT COASIT, Marisa Raniolo Wilkins – Pushing out the boat

My book Sicilian Seafood Cooking was launched in Melbourne at COAIT, the Museo Italiano in Faraday Street Carlton, last Sunday (6 November).

Historically, the term ‘launching’ was commonly used to describe the process of launching a ship. This typically involved a ceremonial act where a prominent figure would break a bottle of champagne across the bow of the vessel as it slid down the slipway into the water. Spectators would often offer prayers for the ship’s safe passage.

Richard+launches+book+adj

Thanks to Richard Cornish

My feelings of anticipation, excitement and relief were just as intense when Richard Cornish launched my book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

And while Richard didn’t crack a bottle of champagne over the lectern, and I did not make the sign of the cross, there was certainly plenty of wine, food and bubbles to float my book out into bookstores, and a great crowd of well-wishers who to lent a hand to see it on its way. All of them need to be thanked.

Crowd shot 1

First, thanks to the staff of CoAsIt and the Museo Italiano and  especially to Carlo Carli who is the Coordinator of the Museo Italiano, and Rosaria Zarro, Italian Education Officer at CoAsIt, who hosted the launch in the spacious and well-equipped conference room in Faraday Street, Carlton.

Crowd shot 3

Special thanks to Richard Cornish, award-winning author and journalist. I have always admired Richard and his writing and I am deeply honoured and seriously grateful to Richard for launching Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

Richard Cornish is best known to readers of Epicure (the Age) and Good Living (Sydney Morning Herald) for his articles on food, concentrating on ethical and sustainable production. Richard has also co-authored a series of books on Spanish cuisine with Frank Camorra, chef and owner of Melbourne’s Movida restaurants. The latest book MoVida Cocina is published in November 2011 so I know how busy he must be.

The Sponsors

Wine

The wine was generously provided by three producers – two of them, family companies, Coriole and Brown Brothers – and the other, a major producer of wines in Sicily, distributed by Arquilla Food and Wine.

Coriole 2

Coriole [link to http://www.coriole.com] provided two varieties of Sangiovese, a wine whose Italian origins are most closely linked to Tuscany. Led by Mark Lloyd, Coriole has ventured further and further into the production of Italian varieties in their McLaren Vale vineyards, south of Adelaide. Coriole began with Sangiovese in 1987, and followed by Nebbiolo and Barbera. The experimentation has continued with plantings of Fiano (recently awarded Best McLaren Vale White Wine), Sagrantino and Nero d’Avola, which is yet to have a vintage – maybe next year.

Brown Brothers provided a sparkling Zibibbo, the Sicilian name for a grape originally named Muscat of Alexandria. You can never finish a meal in Sicily without being offered a glass of Zibibbo!  Brown Brothers, who established their first vineyard at Milawa in the lower King Valley, grow the grapes for their Zibibbo at their Mystic Park Vineyard beside the Murray Valley Highway about halfway between Kerang and Swan Hill.

Arquilla supplied traditional Sicilian wines, Nero d’Avola and Frappato, produced by Feudi del Pisciotto. I first tasted the Feudi Nero d’Avola at my favourite Sicilian restaurant, Bar Idda, another fabulous family affair in the hands of Lisa and Alfredo La Spina, with Lisa’s brother Anthony managing the bar and the drinks.

Food

The book didn’t just float out on glasses of Sicilian wine. There was a selection of tasty finger-food (or as they are called in Italian, spuntini).

Fiona Rigg and Richard Cornish

Fiona Rigg, who was the amazing food stylist for the book, made a Christmas caponata [made with celery]. Being very creative she made some sauces (cipollata and mataroccu) from the chapter Come Fare una Bella Figura from Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

P1090704%255B1%255D-250x225

Lisa and Alfredo from Bar Idda contributed roasted peppers  l Iove to eat at their restaurant!

Marianna%252C+Rita+and+Howard-250x250

The highly capable pastry chef, Marianna Di Bartolo, who owns Dolcetti, a Sicilian-inspired pastry shop (pasticceria) in North Melbourne, made special fish-shaped biscuits for the occasion, which were perfectly matched with the Zibibbo.

I was really pleased to see the editors of two important publications at the launch: Agi Argyropoulos editor and publisher of Seafood News which I contribute a recipe to every month. Agi held the publication so that he could include photos from the launch, which deserves a special thank you, and has given it a whole page in the November edition.

363da9d

And Danielle Gullaci from Italianicious, the bi-monthly magazine which celebrates all things Italian, and which is publishing an article on me in the January-February 2012 issue.

Others I would like to thank for their contribution to the success of the launch, include:

UCG Wholesale Foods at 58 A’Beckett Street Melbourne for the Novara Mineral Water,

The Sicilian travel experts, Echoes Events for the posters of Sicily and a special thank you to the photographers on the day,

David and Rilke Muir, directors and cinematographers for Making of Movies.

Valerie Sparks

Rita Price

launch

NEXT EVENT IN MELBOURNE
 
EVENT | Thursday 17 November 2011 at 6:30pm

Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

Readings Hawthorn: 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122
 
Food, wine, book signing
 
*Entry is free but you must book before Monday by phoning: 9819 1917. 
 
ADELAIDE
The Adelaide launch of Sicilian Seafood Cooking is at:
Il Mercato, 625 Lower North East Road, Campbelltown at 3.00pm
on Sunday 20 November.
Il Mercato specialises in Italian food, wine and culture.
If you wish to attend the launch please RSVP to Cynthia at Il Mercato:
CynthiaPorciello@ilmercato.com.au
Sicilian Seafood Cooking will be launched by Rosa Matto – a great friend and a cook I’ve admired and respected for as long as I have known her.
Rosa and I will be introduced at the launch by the newly appointed Minister for Education and Child Development in South Australia, Grace Portolesi MP, the Member for Hartley (which includes Campbelltown).
AND A BIG THANKS TO ALL WHO ATTENDED

MA2SBAE8REVW

ORTIGIA FOOD MARKET, SYRACUSE (Sicilian Seafood Cooking)

A Visit to the colourful, Ortigia food market in Syracuse
Introduction.
My Australian friend Sandi was going to Sicily. Her first big stop was Syracuse and she asked if there was anything she could do for me while she was there.

 

 

I gave her some photos of some of the stall holders in the Ortigia market in Syracuse and said that if she found these people she was to tell them that they would be in Sicilian Seafood Cooking (New Holland, release date Nov 2011). 


Sandi has just returned from Sicily and this is what she writes:
 
When Marisa learned of my intention to visit Syracuse to join my sailing friends she asked me to deliver some photographs to some of the stall holders there. Marisa and her partner Bob had taken the photographs whilst they were visiting Syracuse. The photographs of the stall holders are among the many wonderful photographs of Sicily, it’s markets  with their bountiful array of fruit, vegetables and of plenty of fish which are featured in Marisa’s  book entitled “ Sicilian Seafood Cooking”. I was thrilled to be able to do so. I am always excited at the opportunity to revisit the richness of the market in Syracuse – one of my favourite haunts.

It was easy to recognise the stall holders from their photographs despite the fact that the market as usual was crowded with locals buying the wonderful fresh produce.One of my sailing companions spoke Italian and therefore was my translator. They were ecstatic to receive a copy of their photograph and a copy of the cover of Marisa’s book. They listened intently with sparkling eyes and smiles on their faces whist my friend explained who had taken the photographs and why I was delivering them. They immediately remembered Marisa when I showed them a copy of her photograph.  As soon as they heard the explanation they ignored the crowd of customers waiting to be served and rushed from one end of the market to the other waving their photograph and relating their news to other stall holders excitedly. They even told the story to those that hadn’t been listening closely to my friends’ explanation.


All this despite the fact that they were busy with many customers.  No one seemed to mind and all enjoyed the excitement. Two of the stall holders pinned their copy of the photograph proudly on the wall behind their stall. If you visit you will see the photographs and I’m sure they will be pleased to proudly explain where they came  from.

MA2SBAE8REVW

SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING – Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

The suspense is killing me!
Friends sent me this postcard from Holland.
I feel like the woman in the picture…waiting…waiting …waiting!
I’ve been expecting my personal copy of my book on Sicilian Seafood Cooking to be delivered from the publishers, New Holland in Sydney.
Sicilian Seafood Cooking is due for release in the first week of November – and for those of you who live in Melbourne it is about the time they run the Melbourne Cup!

The book combines social and culinary history, personal memoir, anecdotes and folklore. It has 383 pages with 120 authentic Sicilian recipes for fish and its many accompaniments: special sauces and vegetable contorni (side dishes). My editor, Mary Trewby, has done a brilliant job ensuring that the book is logically structured and clearly laid out: first courses (in Sicily this means pasta), second-course dishes (mains), sauces, food for feasts and vegetables. Some of the contorni (side plates of vegetables) also double up antipasti.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, there are some excellent photographs of the food I cooked in my very small kitchen. The credit goes to the New Holland photographer, Graeme Gillies, and the food stylist Fiona Rigg – their team work and attention to detail is obvious when you look at the photos of the food. As well as styling food, Fiona who is based in Melbourne, has a gourmet service called FionaLouise.

The book also features a large selection of photographs of Sicily, especially of fish, fruit and vegetables in the markets of Palermo, Syracuse and Catania. These were mostly taken by my partner, Bob Evans. Some photos have been generously been given to me by friends, Angela (from Adelaide) and Barrie (from Philadelphia).

Like all true Italian cooking, Sicilian cuisine is intensely regional and where it is appropriate I have provided information about the origins of recipes. Recipes come embedded with bits of folklore, quotes from literature and personal reminiscence. There is important information about the sustainability of fish species relevant world wide, and there are a variety of fish that can be substituted in each recipe.And wouldn’t you know it – no sooner had I written that last paragraph, than the door bell rang – there was the courier with a box of books. Time to tear off the tape and open the covers.

DSC_0135

See:

 

SICILIAN COOKBOOK: Sicilian Seafood Cooking, photography and food styling

Fish+couscous

The book will feature recipes for fish (primi and secondi) and vegetables and will be called Sicilian Seafood Cookbook.  The photography is by Graeme Gillies and food styling by Fiona Rigg, but the book will also have photos that were shot in Sicily over my many travels.

There were approximately 70 dishes, cooked and photographed in 4.5 days. We were busy and the photographer and food stylist did an amazing job, as did the team of volunteer friends who were kitchen hands.

 Fiona dresses cauliflower dish for Graeme to shoot

The kitchen and dining room of my apartment was completely taken over by ingredients, implements, cutlery, crockery and decorative props for the week. Most of the furniture was shipped out and stored with friends and neighbours – so many people pitched in to help.

I source most of my ingredients from my favourite and ever-reliable suppliers in the Queen Victoria Market. But I also travelled to the Preston and Kingston Markets for some of the more exotic things such as sea urchins (ricci) – these unfortunately were suitable for the props only and were not very edible.

DSC_0149

I found Coorong mullets, urchin roe, wild/line caught species of fish (sustainable) from a couple of specialist, restaurant fish suppliers.  I ended up buying about ten cuttlefish to extract the ink and ended up finally finding a live eel in an Asian food market in Adelaide.

 Room set for pix

Fishing the eel out of the tank was extremely dramatic. Several eels made a bid of freedom, slithering along the market floor, as the person serving me, tried his best to get to grips with one of these slippery creatures.  Finally, after much wriggling and squirming, he succeeded. The vendor was ready to give me a live eel in a plastic bag until I told him that I had to fly back to Melbourne with it. I left the shop with a very fresh eel, which I only had to skin. But that is another story.

Eel- top two pieces are the skin

And in those four days that the photo shoot took place, we all worked extremely hard.

Thanks Graeme , Fiona and the friends who come to help.

FESTA DI SAN GIUSEPPE (SAINT JOSEPH) and sweets called Sfinci di San Giuseppe

Those of you who have been to Ragusa Ibla will recognize these shots. The baroque church is that of San Giuseppe, a much loved saint in Sicily (not as much loved as San Giorgio who is the patron saint of Ragusa and has a church which is much larger Duomo- cuppola in photo above- more beautiful and not far from this one).

March 19 is the Feast of San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph), which in the Northern hemisphere coincides with the spring solstice. This feast day is a major religious celebration in Sicily.

images

San Giuseppe is the patron saint of pastry cooks and among the many celebratory dishes are special breads shaped in varying shapes and sizes. On this day pulses are also eaten in many parts of Sicily; some of you may be familiar with maccu made with dried fava beans, which is especially common in southeastern Sicily. Several of these present day traditions have developed from very ancient origins – both legumes and wheat are considered to be seeds of life and are metaphorical foods from pre-Christian times.

MACCU (a thick, broad bean soup, made at the end of winter to celebrate spring)

In many parts of Sicily there are banquets to celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph, which coincides with the end of Lent, a period of fasting in the Catholic liturgy. But it is also a celebration of the end of the fast imposed by nature – this was more so before the days of fast travel and transport or refrigeration when the provisions kept from summer over winter were depleted by this time of the year.

In some communities especially in small villages large altars and tables are built and filled with large quantities of local cuisine: fish dishes, cooked vegetables, breads, many sweets, but no meat is prepared.  Once, in many Sicilian towns and villages the food was also shared with the poor.

One of the recipes cooked on this day are the Sfinci di San Giuseppe.  The translation to fritters does not necessarily sound very appealing, but maybe if I tell you that they are made from the same dough used to make Pâté à Choux or Bigné or creampuffs, you may be more enticed. They are fried rather than baked.

If you have ever made cream puffs you would know that the dough is cooked before being baked. For making the sfinci a little sugar is added to the mixture.
There are many recipes to make Choux Pastry and the following recipe works pretty well:

eggs, 4 large
water,1 cup (230 cc)
unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons (55 g)
salt, a good pinch
plain flour, 1 cup (140 g)
sugar, 1 tablespoon
oil, to fry the batter (I use extra virgin olive oil for everything- but not my best olive oil which I use to dribble on hot food or salads)

Place water, salt and sugar in a saucepan (large enough to hold all of the ingredients) and bring the water to a boil. Add the butter.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour all at once. Beat the mixture immediately with a wooden spoon and work quickly. Stir till the dough is smooth – the flour and water will form a ball and no longer stick to the sides of pan. Allow the dough to cool for about 10-15 minutes, but stir it often to allow the steam to escape and to cool at a greater rate.

Add eggs one at a time, stirring each egg completely into the dough before adding the next. (The dough should be pliable but not be runny).

Heat some oil to frying temperature – there should be sufficient oil to nearly cover the level tablespoonfuls of dough, which will be dropped into it.

Fry only a few at the time or the sfinci will broil rather than fry. Turn each sfinci once or twice until they are golden brown and have swelled in size.

Variations:

Some Sicilians eat them warm and coat the sfinci with honey, others use a sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon.

Some allow them to cool, split them open and fill them with pastry cream or with whipped ricotta flavoured with a little sugar and cinnamon. In some parts of Sicily they are called Zeppole.

If you have watched the Inspector Moltabano television series, you will recognize the building that was used as the police station; it is in Ragusa Ibla. To the right of the building you can see the corner of the Chiesa di San Giuseppe (church of). Some of my male Sicilian relatives are posing for the photo. They live in Ragusa.

 

Ristoworld

A short time ago I became a member of an organisation called Ristoworld. This is an organisation that was first formed in Sicily, under the direction of Chef Andrea Finocchiaro who is based in Catania.

This is different to my other posts and I wish to explain why I am doing this.

Originally the group wanted to promote mainly Sicilian food&beverage – managers, sommelier, chefs and all staff involved in the trade as well as Sicilian produce. This group and its network have recently expanded. Andrea is still the President and he is working with Mario Principi, a group of advisers, representatives from all regions of Italy and from other parts of the world.

The initial concept of promotion Sicily has become the promotion of all things related to food&beverage of Italy – ‘all made in Italy’.

Recently I posted a message on their face book site (in Italian) about Mary Taylor Simeti. Mary is a leading Sicilian food writer living in Sicily who is coming to the Sydney International Food Festival– she is participating in a session is on October 9th.

Andrea has since asked me to publicize this photo on my site and I have agreed to do so – reciprocal thanks.

In summary, the photo is an idea of Andrea’s to demonstrate how culinary art and fashion can be linked (the sweetness of the chocolate with the beauty of the models). Michele Crimi, a Sicilian photographer of note is responsible for the photo; Lucia Russo, Angela Viola e Selene Eulalia Cabrabas are the models. It has been photographed in the scenic restaurant  Falconiera di Acireale, located the beautiful coastal city of Acireale in the north-east of the province of Catania, Sicily. The decorated chocolate centerpiece has been produced in collaboration with the ancient and famous Pasticceria Michelangelo Spina di Misterbianco. Although this is not mentioned in the article I was given to work from, there is promotion for the beauty of Sicily (Acireale and this restaurant) and the craft of the people involved in making this photo possible including the pastry cook.

MA2SBAE8REVW

KID/GOAT WITH ALMONDS (SPRING IN SICILY, CAPRETTO CON LE MANDORLE)

Spring in Sicily is a celebration of renewal. In cultural and religious terms it is expressed through Easter, when Primavera (spring) and Pasqua (Easter) become almost synonymous—a joyful coming together of nature, family, tradition and food.

In Australia, spring arrives just as Sicily is entering autumn. Yet goat is available here throughout much of the year, allowing me to cook dishes that Sicilians would traditionally prepare only in springtime.

When I was a child living in Trieste, Easter in Sicily was more important that Christmas and although my family always spent time in Sicily in Summer, we would always try to visit Sicilian relatives

Across Sicily, Easter Sunday lunch often centres on young lamb or kid (capretto). Every family has its favourite preparation—roasted, braised or baked—and, as is so often the case in Italy, the “best” version is usually the one your mother cooked.

Ragusa
Easter Traditions from Ragusa

My  father’s family comes from Ragusa in south-eastern Sicily, where Easter would not feel complete without ’mpanata ri agnieddu—a large, focaccia-like pie filled with very young lamb, bones included, and enclosed in bread dough. It is a dish that has been handed down through generations. My grandmother  made it every Easter, and no doubt her mother before her.

The recipe I am sharing here comes from another part of Sicily altogether—the province of Trapani in the island’s north-west, encompassing Marsala and Mazara del Vallo.

In Australia the meat I buy is likely be considered as goat in Italy.

Saanen goat
In Italy, this would be considered a goat, rather than a kid
A Well-Loved Sicilian Recipe

This version of Capretto con le Mandorle (Kid with Almonds) is adapted from La Cucina Tradizionale Siciliana by Anna Pomar, first published in 1984.

The book has special meaning for me. It was a gift from my cousin Rosetta during one of my many visits to Ragusa. It was her own well-used copy, filled with handwritten notes and alterations in the margins—much like the treasured cookbooks I inherited from my mother. Those annotations remind me that recipes are living things, evolving as they pass from one kitchen to another.

Kid for sale in Sicilian Market. notice that it is sold with the head intact

I love the texture that the almonds provide in the thickening of this dish.

Making the Recipe My Own

The original recipe uses kid, but the meat available to me in Australia is usually sold as goat. In Italy, it would probably be considered a more mature animal and therefore benefits from a much longer cooking time.

As with many traditional recipes, I have adapted it to suit my own taste. I use extra onions, bay leaves, homemade stock instead of water, and dry Marsala rather than simply relying on the tomatoes for flavour.

Does that make it a different recipe? I don’t think so. It simply reflects what generations of home cooks have always done—respect tradition while quietly making it their own.

One element I would never change is the almonds. Ground almonds enrich the sauce, giving it a beautiful silky texture and a delicate sweetness that balances the richness of the meat. It is this combination that makes the dish unmistakably Sicilian.

Ingredients
  • 3 kg kid or goat, cut into serving pieces with some bone attached
  • 2 onions, finely sliced
  • 3–4 bay leaves
  • ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup dry Marsala (Marsala Fine) or dry white wine
  • 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or equivalent canned tomatoes)
  • 300 g blanched almonds, finely ground
  • About 3 cups good stock or broth
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
  1. Trim any excess fat from the meat and pat it dry.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole. Add the meat and onions, browning them lightly.
  3. Pour in the Marsala and allow it to reduce slightly, scraping up any caramelised bits from the base of the pan.
  4. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, stock, salt and pepper.
  5. Cover and cook gently until the meat is very tender. Anna Pomar suggests about 45 minutes for young kid, but Australian goat usually requires 1½–2 hours, or until the meat comes away easily from the bone. *If you are cooking goat, cook it for longer.
  6. Stir in the ground almonds and cook gently for another few minutes until the sauce thickens. If it becomes too thick, loosen it with a little extra stock.

Serve hot, although many Sicilians would happily enjoy this dish only slightly warm—a reminder that in Sicily good food is savoured rather than rushed.

goatseller_0092-403x600
Market in Sicily, kid hanging up, ready to be chopped into suitable pieces by the butcher

‘MPANATA (A lamb pie, Easter treat)

EASTER (Pasqua) in Sicily

RICETTE per capretto (e capra); Recipes for slow cooked kid and goat

OVEN COOKED KID (capretto)

EASTER IN SICILY: Faith, Spring, History and Cassata

GELATINA DI MAIALE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAR IDDA (Buon Compleanno Bar Idda).

Alfredo and his co chef at Bar Idda

On the 5t of July Bar Idda celebrated its first birthday and their new menu strongly influenced by recent discoveries of recipes experienced while in Sicily. Gelatina di Maiale was one of the offerings.

Lisa and Alfredo are the proprietors of Bar Idda in Lygon Street. Their heritage is from the South Eastern Part of Sicily and they have returned from their holiday in Sicily full of ideas and enthusiasm for their small, Sicilian restaurant.

Anthony is the bar person and after discussing the wine with him we selected a bottle of ROSSOJBLEO, a bio-organic, Sicilian Nero d’Avola from Chiaramonte Gulfi (Ragusa). My partner and I then ate our way through many very enjoyable Sicilian specialties. These included:

Hot ricotta soup with home made pasta. Ricotta is very much appreciated by Sicilians especially when it has just been made.  Particularly in Ragusa and the environs people visit cheese makers (sometimes on farms) and watch the ricotta being made. Ladles of hot, fresh curds and whey are usually poured on broken pieces of bread and eaten like soup.  

Gelatina di maiale (brawn, made with pork- see recipe and photos below) and some affettati (a selection of cold cuts of salumi). An eggplant caponata was also included in this antipasto.

Farsumagru (il falsomagro is a beef, meat roll stuffed with hard boiled egg and can include cheeses , salamini and mortadella).  It is braised in a tomato sauce and presented sliced. In this case it was made with minced beef and Alfredo’s version included a little zucchini for colour and variety of textures. Farsumagru translates into false–lean. It contains delectable ingredients including meat, so this is a pun on ‘lenten’ food – during the liturgical seasons Catholics were required to eat simple food and to abstain from eating meat. These laws have relaxed over time.

DSC_0107
Farsumagru ( in Sicilian) Falso magro,(in Italian) meat loaf with egg in the middle

The farsumagru was accompanied by a warm potato salad with capers and comichons, and a fennel and orange salad with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.

We then had a glass of Malvasia a very rich flavoured dessert wine made by drying Malvasia grapes (bianche– white variety)  before crushing.  It was an excellent accompaniment to the small fried pastries called cassateddi. There are many local variations to this recipe, and in this version the dough was stuffed with ricotta, cinnamon, and honey. I could taste some alcohol too. (Honey is used instead of sugar in the Ragusa area).

Thank you Bar Idda, for a very enjoyable meal. Auguri e complimenti and may there be many years to come.

 Recipe and photo of the Gelatina I make



Gelatina (means gelatine or jellied). It is sold as a Smallgoods food.

In various parts of Sicily the gelatina di maiale is called by a variety of names: jlatina di maiali, Suzu, suzzu, or zuzu.

I found a recipe for gelatina scribbled in one of many notebooks which I use to record recipes when I visit Italy. In this particular notebook from 1980, there are many Sicilian recipes, but on this particular trip I must have visited the relatives in Genova (a Piedmontese aunt married to my father’s brother and living in Genova and her daughter Rosadele who is an excellent cook also). There were  also some recipes written in Trieste (my zia Renata was from Rovigo and married my mother’s brother).

I have not made gelatina di maiale for many years but I have nearly always included a half of a pork’s head – this provides the jelly component. The tongue adds texture and extra flavour (you can throw out the eyes).

It is always a good idea to pre-order a pork’s head beforehand and I was not able to purchase one. I used pork feet instead (as you can see by this photo) and fortunately it turned out very well. In this gelatina I included approx 1.500 kilo of lean pork (cut into large pieces) and four pig’s feet.
INGREDIENTS AND PROCESSES
The recipe is one of my zia Niluzza’s who lives in Ragusa (Sicily) and it simply says:
1 part vinegar to 3 parts of water, red chilli flakes or whole pepper corns and salt. Use a mixed selection of pork meat, including the head.
Place in cold water mixture, cover meat.
Boil for 6 hours (covered) on slow heat.
Filter broth, remove some of the fat and reduce, remove bones, shred meat.
Lay meat in earthenware bowl, cover with cooled broth and leave to set.

Over time, I have altered the recipe and include bay leaves and peppercorns and I boil the pork without the vinegar only for about 3 hours (until I can see the meat falling off the bones).

Once it is cooked, I leave it to rest overnight.

The next day I remove the meat from the jelly, I add ½ cup of vinegar and the juice of a couple of lemons to the broth and reduce the liquid down to a third of the original amount.

I shred the meat and place it into a terrine and cover it with the cooled reduced stock. Any fat will rise to the surface and can be scraped off when it is cool (in fact, it acts as a seal).

RICOTTA SOUP:

SICILIAN CHEESE MAKING. A VISIT TO A MASSARO (farmer-cheese maker) IN RAGUSA. Formaggio all’ argentiera