Tag: Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

SBS Italian Radio Recipes | Italian Food Podcasts with Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

SBS Italian Radio Recipes: Italian Food Interviews and Podcasts with Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

SBS Italian Radio has invited me on many occasions to share some of my favourite Italian recipes, regional food traditions and culinary stories with broadcaster Massimiliano Gugole who it the Audio and Language Content Producer at Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia,

This page brings together those interviews so they are easy to find in one place.

If you speak Italian, you can listen to these conversations on the SBS Audio App  or if you click on the links provided below. Each episode generally runs for 10–14 minutes and explores not only recipes but also some of the history, traditions and regional food culture behind them.

One exception is Zuzzu: An Ancient Sicilian Pork Terrine That Uses Everything but the Oink, runs for approximately 30 minutes. This podcast forms part of The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, a popular series on SBS with a number of interesting and noteworthy participants. Some of the presenters are not Italian speakers and the podcasts are in English.

These are the podcasts. Use the link to listen on SBS Italian Radio

L’Italia in cucina: puntarelle con pomodorini, aglio e acciughe

Italy in the Kitchen: Puntarelle with Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic and Anchovies
24 June 2026
Bunches of Puntarelle, a type of Cicoria/ Chicory. Also called Catalogna.

Best of 2025: la ricetta dei carciofi ripieni di Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

Best (recipe) of 2025: Marisa Raniolo Wilkins’ Stuffed Artichoke Recipe
20 January 2026

(rebroadcast from 2025)

Inverno, cosa comprano e cosa mangiano italiani e italiane d’Australia?

Winter: What Do Italians in Australia Buy and Eat?
22 July 2025
Purple cauliflower, Market in Syracuse

La dispensa estiva: i consigli di Valentina Vigni, Dan Pasquali e Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

The Summer Pantry: Advice from Valentina Vigni, Dan Pasquali and Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

11 December 2025

Smmer baby tomatoes

Sicilian Cassata, as Recipe by Marisa Raniolo Wilkins | SBS Italian – SBS in Italian

Sicilian Cassata: Marisa Raniolo Wilkins’ Recipe
24 December 2025
Cassata, covered with Marzipan and glace fruit  

Zuzzu: an ancient Sicilian pork terrine that uses everything but the oink

Zuzzu: An Ancient Sicilian Pork Terrine That Uses Everything but the Oink
(already published in English).
This podcast was the most popular in the series.
13 February 2024

This episode forms part of the SBS Italian Radio series The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, celebrating traditional regional dishes that are less well known outside Italy.

SBS, the Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, a series of podcasts

Ricette di Natale 2024: la caponata catanese

Christmas Recipes 2024: Catania-Style Caponata
24 December 2024

 

La jota triestina, una ricetta perfetta per l’inverno

Triestine Jota: A Perfect Recipe for Winter
18 July 2023
Jota/ Iota a hearty thick soup from Trieste made with smoked pork, borlotti beans and sauerkraut
Read the Recipes in English

Many of these recipes have also been published in English here on All Things Sicilian and More, often with additional historical background, photographs and cooking notes.

Simply use the blog’s search function and search for SBS Italian Radio or search by recipe name or ingredient, for example:

  • Puntarelle
  • Stuffed Artichokes
  • Sicilian Cassata
  • The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine  (Zuzzu)
  • Jota

You’ll find several detailed recipes about the same ingredient, together with the stories, traditions and regional food culture that inspired each dish.

It is worth seeing the full range of photos of the process of making Zuzzu – Sicilian Pork Terrine:

Zuzzu:The Ugly Ducklings in Italian Cuisine (Scarrafoni in cucina)

 

 

BAKED FISH WITH POTATOES, VINEGAR and ANCHOVIES

It is the season to begin thinking about fish and how to cook it to make it special.

Baked Fish With Potatoes, Vinegar And Anchovies Sicilian – Pisci o furno chi patati  is a recipe from my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking (now out of print), and it is so simple to cook that I could do it with my eyes closed.

The fish is a locally caught sustainable Snapper. You can see that I make slits in the fish’s sides and in the slits I insert a couple of anchovies. If you don’t like anchovies use fresh herbs; good for this fish are wild fennel, thyme, rosemary or tarragon.

I made the marinade and marinaded the fish in your baking tray for an hour before cooking.

In the marinade you can see that I have used consists of chopped parsley, quite a bit of onion and grated lemon peel. The liquid is: extra virgin olive oil, some wine vinegar and some lemon juice. Add a bit of salt and pepper also. I have included some quantities in the recipe below, but really, the fun of cooking is also experimenting.

Mix up the marinade and let the fish steep in it for about an hour. Turn it over a few times before you bake it. You can bake potatoes with it if you wish and the potatoes take on that lemon flavour that often Greek baked potatoes have when baked with lemon (usually cooked with chicken). The Greeks did settle in Sicily after all!

I usually part-cook my potatoes and put them in to bake with the fish about 15mins before I think the fish is ready. Raw slices of potatoes are used in the recipe and these will require longer cooking time, but do whatever you think is more practical for you.

 

PESCE INFORNATO CON PATATE/ Sicilian – Pisci o furno chi patati
Baked fish with potatoes (and vinegar and anchovies)
Ingredients
1–1.5kg (2lb 4oz–3lb 5oz) whole fish
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 onions, finely chopped a small bunch parsley, finely chopped
250g (9oz) potatoes, thinly sliced or par-boiled potatoes in chunks
3–6 anchovies, finely chopped (see above)
juice of 2 lemons, plus grated zest of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Suitable fish
Any whole fish or large, thick fillets of medium to firm fish, preferably with the skin on. The fish is cooked whole, filleted and portioned at the table.
Method
If using whole fish or fillets with skin, make a series of slashes in the skin. Mix
the oil with the vinegar, onions and parsley. Add seasoning and marinate the
fish for about an hour, turning frequently.
Place the fish in an ovenproof dish, spoon half of the marinade over it and bake for 10 minutes in a 200°C (400°F) oven. Arrange the sliced potatoes around the fish. Sprinkle the potatoes and the fish with more marinade, the anchovies, lemon juice and grated zest. Bake for another 20–35 minutes, depending on the type of fish. Serve hot.
To see if the fish is cooked to your liking, you can test  the fish with a fork held at an angle. Insert it at the thickest point of the fish and twist the fork. it should flake easily.
Variation
Place rosemary and bay leaves underneath the fish in the baking pan.
See:
There is a photo in this post where I used red onion and it can look quite spectacular.

The Ugly Ducklings in Italian Cuisine (Scarrafoni in cucina)

Late last year, I was contacted by Massimiliano Gugole from SBS Radio and asked if I would like to contribute to an SBS program on Season 2 of The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine.              

The programme aims to showcase aesthetically pleasing yet flavourful Italian dishes. Massimiliano approached me to interview me about a particular dish from South Eastern Sicily that begins with an unappetising appearance but culminates in a glorious taste. I believe he discovered me through a recipe I posted on my blog about this dish, which one of my aunts used to prepare during our Sicilian summer holidays in Ragusa.

My recipe and The Ugly Duckling  series of interviews in English and Italian are entitled Zuzzu, described on the SBS website as :

An ancient, pork terrine that uses everything of the pig, but the oink!

I mentioned to a friend in Canberra that I had been interviewed for this program. He responded with a wry remark: “Surely the reference to the ugly duckling has nothing to do with you.”

Here’s what SBS had to say about Season 1 followed by Season 2:

About Season 1

SBS has today launched its first ever bilingual podcast series – The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine (Scarrafoni in cucina) in English and Italian – celebrating the most delicious, non-Instagrammable Italian dishes that might never have come across your plate.

Over the course of six episodes, the series will follow some of Australia and Italy’s most well-known chefs and food critics, including acclaimed restaurateur and food personality Guy Grossi, celebrity chef Poh Ling Yeow, and food blogger and author Emiko Davies, as they explore and celebrate Italy’s least appetizing specialties.

Podcast host Massimiliano Gugole, from SBS Italian, said: “Italy is a country of beauty, with its food celebrated all over the world, but this podcast will introduce listeners to some of our lesser-known culinary treasures, with a healthy dose of irony thrown in for good measure.

About Season 2

SBS’s first bilingual podcast is back for seconds! Season Two of The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine (Scarrafoni in Cucina) returns in Italian and English to introduce six new dishes for the adventurous eater such as sea urchin gonads, stew with chocolate and wild boar, and risotto with a stinging weed.

A line-up of new guests will share their expertise in the world of Italian food including award-winning Melbourne chef Alberto Fava, Sicilian food truck owner Pino D’Addelfio, TV chef, author and former Food Director of Australian Women’s Weekly, Lyndey Milan, and the inimitable queen of TV cooking, Nigella Lawson.

SBS Italian Producer Massimiliano Gugole said the podcast started from a love of weird and wacky food.

“During the first season I talked about a typical dish from Verona – pearà. Not even people from neighbouring cities knew about it. When they saw a picture, they thought it looked like vomit but I, like all Veronese, love it!” said Gugole.

Looking past the superficial, Season Two of The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine will delve deeper into how these unique, local dishes became a proudly acquired taste.

“These dishes are not the celebrities – the pizzas and pastas – but they have strong links to families, towns and history. My intention is to tell their stories,” Gugole said.

“On Instagram, all food is perfect: perfect framing, perfect garnishes, but my research shows that’s not what makes food delicious. Nigella Lawson even once said, ‘brown food tastes the best’.”

Episode three in English features TV cooking royalty Nigella Lawson, who talks about stinging nettle risotto and her special relationship with 98-year-old Italian-British food writer Anna Del Conte. Lawson cites Del Conte as her only culinary influence, apart from her mother. In the Italian version of this episode, we hear from the doyenne herself, Anna Del Conte.

Conte and Lawson join guests including blogger and Instagram sensation Emiko Davies, environmental scientist and sea urchin expert Dr Paul Carnell, Italian food writer Chiara Cajelli, and research scientist Dr Maurizio Rossetto from the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, as well as restaurateurs from Italy and Australia, university professors, medieval food fanatics and more.

The podcasts in both season 1 and Season 2 are worth listening to and are very entertaining.

BS Italian Executive Producer, Magica Fossati, says differences between the Italian and English episodes on the same topic are an interesting by-product of having the same conversation with bilingual guests, but both versions are worth listening to as they complement each other.

“I heard some Italian language teachers recommended our first season to their students because it’s easier to understand and study Italian with English context,” she said.

Both English and Italian speakers can look forward to hearing a fresh perspective on the world of lesser-known Italian dishes in season two, available on the SBS Radio app and SBS Italian website. Episode one launches on February 1, recipes for the dishes featured in the series can also be found on SBS Food.

 

My recipe for Zuzzu is available in both Italian and English

As you notice the participants are very noteworthy recognised Chefs and food experts. I feel honoured to be asked to contribute to this series.

I have listened to both SBS podcasts about Zuzzu, and although they feature the same traditional Sicilian dish, each episode has its own character. The Italian version was recorded before anyone tasted the terrine, while the English version was recorded afterwards, when everyone was able to comment on the experience. The Italian podcast is perhaps the more entertaining of the two, featuring lively commentary from Lisa Ferraro, formerly of Melbourne and one of the founders of Bar Idda, the much-loved Sicilian restaurant in Brunswick East. Lisa now lives in Rome, where she leads culinary tours throughout Sicily.

Special compliments to Massimiliano Gugole, who expertly wove together the voices and conversations, creating an engaging and enjoyable listening experience.

You can listen to The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine on the SBS Audio app or your favourite podcast platform to enjoy the complete series.

You’ll also find a collection of recipes featured in the first series on the SBS Food website, including my recipe for Zuzzu, the traditional Sicilian pork terrine.

SBS Food website, including this recipe for my Sicilian pork terrine (Zuzzu)

Here are some photos about the preparation of Zuzzu:

The head

The head in the pan

The boiled meat drained

The different parts of meat, separated (2 photos above)

Dealing with the jelly (2 photos above)

Dealing with the terrine (2 photos above)

A tasty sauce to pour on top of the Zuzzu or to serve with it, can be made with a mixture of chopped parsley, extra virgin olive oil, some lemon juice, salt and either pepper or chili flakes. At times, I also like to add a few chopped leaves of fresh garlic or mint in mine, but this is optional. The dressing can be as thick or as thin as you wish to make it.

Links:

https://www.sbs.com.au/language/italian/en/podcast/the-ugly-ducklings-of-italian-cuisine

https://www.sbs.com.au/language/italian/en/podcast-episode/zuzzu-an-ancient-sicilian-pork-terrine-that-uses-everything-but-the-oink/okrixs5gn

The recipe has been called Pork Terrine…. not quite right, but maybe no one would look at a recipe mad with pig’s head. Brawn may have been a better title.

https://www.sbs.com.au/food/social-tags/ugly-ducklings

My original posts about this dish:

GELATINA DI MAIALE. Pork Brawn

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

MY ITALIAN KETTLE and “Russian tea”

This is a kettle. It is an Italian kettle and it is very stylish.

I have a number of teapots of different sizes for different tea blends and to use at different times of the day.

But I like to use a large tea pot in the morning, because that is when I have about three to four cups of tea while I grow into the morning and this is my largest.

My large teapots has a cracked sprout. It has been mended, but it may not last long.

My very classy Italian kettle is about thirty years old, but like my fellow Australians, I have been using an electric kettle for many years.

The Italian kettle is a beautiful object that sits on one of my shelves, but it wants to be used as well as admired.

When I was an Italian child growing up in Italy, my parents made tea in a little saucepan that  was also used to be used to heat milk. Once the water boiled, tea was added to the boiling water and allowed to boil for a few minutes. The tea was then poured into cups through a dainty tea strainer. A slice of lemon was  always added to the brew. Never milk. we called this Tè alla Russa . Now that I know how Russians make tea and the ritual that is followed, I know that my parents and their friends were making pretend Russian tea. I expect that like the rest of the world, most Russians now use tea bags.

Not me! I prefer a tea pot.

When my family came to Adelaide in South Australia, we continued to make tea by this method and used the same saucepan that we brought with us  from Trieste. That is, until I began to visiting my Australian friends in their homes. They boiled water in different shaped saucepans with spouts! I went home and spread the news so we bought a kettle, boiled water in the kettle, added tea, boiled it some more, and then used the kettle as a teapot. Tè alla Russa once again. We thought we were so very with it!

This little memory prompted me to think about using my very attractive kettle as a tea pot. Not to boil tea in, but to use it as a conventional tea pot. Of course, there is the added advantage of being able to boil the water in the kettle-to-be-tea pot (or heating the water sufficiently for making green or white tea) and then making the tea. This would also do away with “warming” the tea pot before adding the tea.

Bingo! It works, but I shall have to use an oven mit for the handle.

I now shall need to sort out the accompanying, beautiful objects that sat on the same shelf.

My Italian relatives still seem to boil water for tea making in a saucepan. They use tea bags. Milk still seems unpopular, a slice of lemon is still preferred.

See:

Do I take making coffee at home too seriously?

 

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

PASTA CON LE SARDE, an iconic Sicilian recipe from Palermo and it was the dish I prepared as a cooking presentation for the Slow Fish Festival Melbourne – Save Our Seafood, held in Spotswood–Kingsville.

IMG_1034
Pasta Con Le Sarde. The pasta is BICATINI.

Pasta con le Sarde at the Slow Fish Festival Melbourne

To everyone who attended this successful event, thank you for your interest and enthusiasm. As promised, here is an updated version of the recipe and some additional information about the ingredients that make this classic Sicilian pasta so distinctive.

Pasta con le Sarde is one of Sicily’s most celebrated seafood dishes. Originating in Palermo, it combines fresh sardines, wild fennel, pine nuts, currants, saffron and breadcrumbs in a harmonious balance of sweet and savoury flavours. It is a dish that reflects Sicily’s layered culinary history, shaped by Arab, Mediterranean and local traditions.

For those interested in the recipe itself, I have previously published two versions:

  • Pasta con le Sarde – the traditional Palermo-style version with wild fennel, pine nuts and currants.
  • Pasta con le Sarde al Forno – the baked version, a favourite for special occasions and family gatherings.
The Importance of Wild Fennel

Wild fennel (finocchietto selvatico) is one of the defining ingredients of Pasta con le Sarde. Its delicate aniseed flavour perfumes both the sauce and the cooking water used for the pasta.

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Wild fennel plant.

In Sicily, wild fennel grows abundantly in the countryside and along roadsides during spring.

Traditionally, cooks harvest the tender shoots, boil them, and then use both the fennel and the aromatic cooking liquid in the preparation of the dish.

IMG_7739
Packing wild fennel for the winter season – used to flavour the pasta water.

To preserve its flavour for use throughout the year, Sicilians often freeze the cooked fennel. or dry the seeds.

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Wild fennel shoots.

They also dry the seeds.

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Extra flavour with sachet of fennel seeds. It can be removed when you also remove the boiled wild fennel.
Wild Fennel in Sicilian Markets

During the fennel season, bunches of freshly harvested wild fennel are sold in markets throughout Sicily.

wild fennel_0011
Wild fennel sold in bunches at Catania Market.

Whether in Palermo, Catania or smaller country towns, the sight of market stalls overflowing with fennel is a reminder of the strong connection between Sicilian cooking and seasonal produce.

The fragrance alone is enough to evoke memories of traditional home cooking.

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

A Dish That Tells Sicily’s Story

Pasta con le Sarde is much more than a pasta dish. It reflects Sicily’s history and cultural influences.

The combination of sardines, wild fennel, currants and pine nuts illustrates the Arab contribution to Sicilian cuisine, while the use of fresh local seafood speaks of the island’s enduring relationship with the Mediterranean Sea.

Like many traditional dishes, it is a recipe that varies from family to family, yet remains unmistakably Sicilian.

IMG_7756

Flavouring the pasta water and the boiled wild fennel.

From Pasta to Timballo

One of the pleasures of Pasta con le Sarde is that leftovers can be transformed into another classic Sicilian dish: timballo di pasta.

The pasta is layered or baked in a mould and served as a substantial second meal. In many Sicilian households, yesterday’s pasta often becomes today’s timballo.

IMG_5417
Timballo, made with left over Pasta con Sarde
Pasta con le Sarde and The Leopard

During my presentation, I also referred to the famous Sicilian novel The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.

The novel, later adapted into the acclaimed film The Leopard by Luchino Visconti, captures the elegance, complexity and changing social landscape of nineteenth-century Sicily.

Like Pasta con le Sarde itself, the story is deeply rooted in Sicilian identity and tradition.

IMG_7799.jpg

 

SICILIAN PLATE -Alessi 

You will need a plate to serve it and this is what I used.

It is an Alessi Plate ( not THE Alessi, the Sicilian Alessi) They use old stencils, colours and images from the past to decorate their plates. I bought this in  the premier pottery town in Sicily – Caltagirone. It is located in central Sicily between Catania and Ragusa,

IMG_0567

 

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

PASTA CON SARDE – the baked version, Palermo, Sicily

 

SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING

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

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10 MUST-TRY DISHES WHEN YOU ARE IN SICILY

I’m often asked about the must-try Sicilian dishes when visiting Sicily—and it’s a question I love answering. Sicily’s cuisine is deeply rooted in its rich history, geography, and vibrant culture. It’s no surprise that food is a key reason people return to the island again and again.

If you’re familiar with the Great British Chefs website (a leading source for professional chef recipes in the UK), you may also know their sister site, Great Italian Chefs. This site celebrates the traditions, creativity, and passion behind Italy’s most iconic culinary offerings.

As they rightly point out:

“The Italians themselves are fiercely passionate about their culinary heritage, and with good reason – a large number of the world’s best dishes come from the cities, fields and shores of this deeply cultural, historic country.”

AND

Today, Sicily is one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations, and it’s the food that keeps people coming back year after year.

On 29 September 2017, Great Italian Chefs published an article titled “10 Must-Try Dishes When You’re in Sicily.” In fact, there are 11 dishes once you include the one that’s assumed you already know: arancini.

Palermo cathedral_0095

The Sicilian specialties are:

  • Fritella
  • Caponata
  • Raw red prawns
  • Busiate al pesto trapanese
  • Pasta con le sarde
  • Pasta alla norma
  • Cous cous di pesce
  • Fritto misto
  • Involtini di pesce spada
  • Cannoli

AND

  • Arancini

Let’s explore these iconic Sicilian specialties—most of which you’ll find recipes for right here on my blog. I’ve included links, photos, and some notes from my cookbook Sicilian Seafood Cooking, with food styling by Fiona Rigg and photography by Graeme Gillies.

catania163

Although I have no recipes on my blog for Fritto misto, Raw red prawns and Involtini di pesce spada, I have explained each of these these Sicilian specialties and where appropriate I  have links to similar recipes on my blog.

Fritella (Frittedda)

This spring vegetable medley is made with artichokes, broad beans, and peas. It’s lightly cooked and often dressed with olive oil, fresh herbs, and sometimes a splash of vinegar. In Sicilian dialect, it’s called Frittedda.

Recipe: Frittedda

Featured in: Jewels of Sicily

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Caponata

Caponata is one of Sicily’s most well-known dishes. It’s a sweet and sour eggplant stew made with vinegar, capers, olives, and sometimes pine nuts or even chocolate, depending on the region.

There are several regional variations:

  • Palermo: Eggplant-focused, sweet and tangy
  • Catania: More emphasis on tomato and celery
  • Other versions: Potato-based or with unique local additions

SICILIAN CAPONATA DI MELANZANE as made in Palermo (Eggplant caponata and Eggplant caponata with chocolate)

CAPONATA SICILIANA (CATANESE – Caponata as made in Catania

CAPONATA of Potatoes (General information and recipe for Caponata di patate)

Sicilian 061 Caponata Catanese.tif.p

Raw Red Prawns

Known as Gambero Rosso (Aristaeomorpha foliacea), these blood-red prawns are a delicacy in Sicily. When fresh, they are served raw with just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice—simple, elegant, and delicious.

Often, the lemon juice slightly “cooks” the prawns in a style similar to ceviche.

All very fresh seafood can be eaten raw and is loved by Sicilians, usually served with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Most times the seafood is marinaded in these even if it is for a short time – the lemon juice “cooks” the fish.

SARDINE, CRUDE E CONDITE (Sardines – raw and marinaded)

PESCE CRUDO, raw fish dishes in Sicily

GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, GREAT ITALIAN CHEFS, Feature articles by Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

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Busiate al Pesto Trapanese (from Tapani in Western Sicily)

This dish features Busiate, a corkscrew-shaped pasta traditionally hand-rolled around thin rods. It’s served with Pesto Trapanese, a Sicilian version of pesto made from tomatoes, almonds, garlic, and basil. In some regions, it’s also called Matarocco.

Pesto trapanese is also called Matarocco. Busiate is the type of pasta traditionally made by coiling a strip of pasta cut diagonally around a thin rod (like a knitting needle).

MATARROCCU, a Sicilian pesto

Sicilian 303 Pesto made w Tomatoes Basil Pinenuts.tif.p copy

Pasta con le Sarde

One of the island’s most iconic pasta dishes, Pasta con le Sarde is made with wild fennel, sardines, pine nuts, raisins, and saffron. It embodies Sicily’s Arabic and Mediterranean influences.

Two versions to try:

  • Classic stovetop version
  • Baked version, often topped with breadcrumbs

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

PASTA CON SARDE – the baked version, Palermo, Sicily

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Pasta alla Norma

A Catania favorite, this pasta dish is made with fried eggplant, rich tomato sauce, basil, and grated ricotta salata. It’s hearty and comforting—a must-try for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike.

PASTA ALLA NORMA (Pasta with tomatoes, and eggplants)

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Cous Cous di Pesce

This North African-influenced dish is popular in Western Sicily, particularly in Trapani. It’s made with semolina couscous steamed and served with a spiced fish broth.

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⚠️ Note: Unfortunately, the original recipe for Cous Cous di Pesce has disappeared from my blog after a platform migration. I plan to repost it soon.

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Great Italian Chefs link to 10 must-try dishes when you’re in Sicily (29 September 2017).

RICCI DI MARE – Sea Urchins

Ricci di Mare  are sea urchins.

Sea urchins and they are now available (July) at the Queen Victoria Market at George The Fish Monger.

They are called ricci in Italy (di mare means from the sea) and are considered a culinary delicacy – the two most common ways to eat them are very fresh and raw with a squeeze of lemon juice (like oysters) or in a dressing for pasta. The roe (the edible part) is never cooked directly – it is much too delicate in flavor and consistency. In the pasta dish it is the hot, cooked pasta that warms (and ‘cooks’) the roe – flip and toss the roe over and over until all of the ingredients of the pasta sauce are evenly distributed.

I have written a previous post about sea urchins and a recipe for preparing spaghetti SPAGHETTI CHI RICCI – SPAGHETTI CON RICCI DI MARE (Spaghetti with sea urchins). This recipe is also in my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

 

PESCE CRUDO, raw fish dishes in Sicily

PESCE CRUDO,RAW FISH IN SICILY, AND THE ISLAND’S FISH MARKETS

Eating  raw fish- pesce crudo – is a serious business in Sicily – of course, it is also cooked in many ways.

Pesce Crudo in Sicily

Pesce crudo has long been part of Sicily’s coastal food culture. Fresh fish is treasured on the island and enjoyed in countless ways—grilled, baked, fried, stewed and, increasingly, served raw.

Today, raw seafood appears on menus throughout Sicily, but traditionally it was rarely eaten completely untreated. Instead, it was first marinated in fresh lemon juice before being dressed with extra virgin olive oil. This simple preparation is known as condito in Italian or cunzato in Sicilian, allowing the freshness of the fish to remain the star.

One of the best examples is fresh anchovies. After being cleaned, filleted and trimmed, they are left to marinate in lemon juice for several hours. The acidity of the lemon gently changes the texture of the flesh, a process often described as “cooking” the fish without heat.

In Sicily, these marinated anchovies are sometimes called anchive cotti d’a lumia—anchovies “cooked by the lemon”. Once drained, they need little more than a generous drizzle of excellent extra virgin olive oil to become a perfect antipasto.

Fresh sardines
Beyond Tuna and Swordfish

For generations, tuna and swordfish were the fish most commonly served raw in Sicily, particularly as appetisers. Today, however, Sicilian chefs are embracing a much wider range of seafood.

Influenced by international cuisines and contemporary dining trends, they prepare many varieties of local fish and shellfish as pesce crudo. Yet the philosophy remains unmistakably Sicilian: start with exceptionally fresh seafood and treat it with restraint.

Writing About Sicilian Pesce Crudo

I was commissioned to write an article on Sicily’s pesce crudo for Great British Chefs, a food multimedia company that publishes recipes and other culinary content via its website. Great British Chefs has expanded into Italy with Great Italian Chefs, and the article published on their website is titled PESCE CRUDO.

No matter how beautifully the fish is presented, it all begins with extraordinary ingredients.

Palermo Fish market, swordfish and tuna are among the treasures of Sicily’s fish markets
Sicily’s Fish Markets

One of my greatest pleasures in Sicily is wandering through its fish markets. They are lively, colourful places where fishermen, fishmongers, chefs and local shoppers gather each morning in search of the day’s catch.

Although there are excellent fish markets throughout the island, the famous market beside Piazza del Duomo in Catania is one of Sicily’s finest. The sounds of vendors calling to customers, the scent of the sea and the dazzling displays of seafood create an unforgettable experience.

The stalls are filled with remarkable variety—from octopus, squid, cuttlefish and shellfish to sea urchins, edible seaweeds and the celebrated gamberi rossi (Sicilian red prawns). Buckets teem with live seafood, shells glisten in the sunlight and every display reflects the freshness that Sicilian cooks insist upon.

Swordfish and tuna remain the undisputed centrepieces. Whole swordfish are often displayed upright, their long bills pointing skyward, while enormous tuna are expertly broken down before customers’ eyes. Every cut is carefully displayed, reflecting the Sicilian respect for using the whole fish and providing unmistakable proof of its freshness.

Whether you enjoy pesce crudo in a seaside restaurant or prepare it yourself at home, Sicily reminds us that outstanding seafood needs very little embellishment. Freshness, good olive oil, lemon and restraint are often all that is required.

The famous fish market in Catania, where Sicily’s freshest seafood arrives each morning.

I have always enjoyed fish markets in Sicily.

Fresh Squid as sold in Markets in Sicily

This is a small segment from the article PESCE CRUDO:

PESCE CRUDO: http://www.greatitalianchefs.com/features/pesce-crudo-sicily

Walking through the fish markets in Sicily is always a joy; the hustle and bustle of locals seeking out the best produce among the colourful stalls and traders is what makes the island such a charming place. There is more than one fish market in Catania, but the principal market in the southwest of the Cathedral Square is one of the largest in Sicily. However, wherever you are on the island will never be too far from fresh fish.

Sicily’s fish markets have vast, colourful, varied displays of exotic specimens such as sea urchins and edible algae to the more conventional octopus, squid, tuna and swordfish. Small, live fish swim circles in buckets of sea water, snails crawl about and all types of shellfish, especially the gamberi rossi (red prawns of Sicily), look dazzling. You know the fish is fresh – their shells and scales glisten in the sun.

Swordfish and tuna, the traditional staples of Sicilian cuisine, are the centrepieces of the market stalls. They are often displayed whole, the swordfish bill like a spear thrusting upwards. At other times, their massive round carcasses lie like a trunk on the fishmonger’s bench, while the tuna is sliced vertically and horizontally before being filleted along the length of its spine, while all its parts are laid out, testifying to its freshness.

Links:
Great British Chefs web site: http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/
Great Italian Chefs:  http://www.greatitalianchefs.com/
PESCE CRUDO: http://www.greatitalianchefs.com/features/pesce-crudo-sicily
From my blog recipe for marinaded sardines: SARDINE CRUDE E CONDITE CON LIMONE
Sword fish in Fish markets is sold in the open

The photos in this article were taken over my numerous trips to Sicily (Thank you also to Bob Evans and Angela Tolley). Some of these photos are in my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

Catania Fish Market
Fish can be presented in an elegant manner.

Sicilian Cheese and more cheese

I was in Sicily in May and spent days in Ragusa  where my father’s family still live.

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While I was there, my aunt invited the extended family to go to a masseria – a farm where they make local cheese.

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We ate warm ricotta, sampled some of their other cheeses…

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…..and ate scacce with a variety of fillings – too many.

Recipes: See – SCACCE (focaccia-like stuffed bread)

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Ragusani ( people from Ragusa) are very fond of local cheeses and over my many visits to Ragusa I have eaten large quantities of cheese.

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I found an early post about Cheese and a visit to a masseria. Habits  do not change very much in Ragusa.

See: SICILIAN CHEESE MAKING. A VISIT TO A MASSARO (farmer-cheese maker) IN RAGUSA. and with a recipe for pan fried cheese with oregano, garlic, a bit of sugar and vinegar. Formaggio all’argentiera.

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In Melbourne we have La Latteria.…now called That’s Amore  ……….worth a visit if you wish to eat cheese made by a  Sicilian.

 

Palermo and GoEuro competition

Here are more photos of Palermo and Mondello and details of a GoEuro Travel Inspiration Competition that  I have entered.

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Some time ago, I was contacted by a member of the marketing Team at GoEuro, a travel search engine/website that combines and compares rail, bus and air travel in one site. They are based in Berlin. GoEuro was preparing a blog feature about Sicily, with tips from well-travelled bloggers and had found my site. They asked if I’d be interested in sharing some of my recommendations within the region.

Palermo

I did so, and the result was:

18 Secrets of Sicily Revealed by Top Travel Bloggers

Recently I was contacted by GoEuro again, this time inviting me to enter a travel blog competition:

Write a post on your blog detailing how you would spend your perfect holiday in Europe: where would you go? Why? One lucky writer wins £500 towards their next European adventure.

How could I resist?

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I wrote a blog about visiting Palermo because it is the most diverse and complex city in Sicily.

Palermo and Sicily … peeling the onion

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GoEuro Travel Inspiration Competition

http://www.goeuro.co.uk/travel/travel-writing-competition

Post  Mortum….I did not win this competition but I hope that some readers may feel motivated to travel there.

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Many thanks

Marisa

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