Tag: Sicilian Cooking

FISH STUDDED WITH FLAVOURS

Fish cutlets (or portions) studded with flavours (herbs and spices) is something that I make quite often and is a versatile dish that keeps on evolving. I began this recipe by inserting Sicilian flavours – cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, garlic, fennel, oregano, parsley, and degalzing the fish with dry Marsala and then the recipe evolved from there.

The beauty of this dish is its adaptability—I can’t recall ever making it the same way twice! Each time I prepare it, I change the flavours I use to insert into the fish and it becomes a new taste sensation each time. Whether it’s herbs, different spices, or different types of liquids to deglaze, the possibilities are endless.

For instance, I love using herbs, which vary depending on the season. And when it comes to deglazing the pan, I  use anything from a splash of wine (or other alcohol), to stock . And the result is a dish that feels new with every iteration.

There is a recipe for this style of cooking in my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking –  Tunnu Ammuttunatu (Sicilian) or Pesce Staccato e con Marsala (Italian) and in English, it translates to Tuna Studded with Flavours and Braised in Marsala.

Over the years, I’ve made subtle adjustments to the recipe, fine-tuning it to match my evolving tastes, the people I am feeding and the ingredients available.

I also have another related recipe in this blog where I used Trevally as the fish: it is a perfect example of how adaptable this method can be.

Recently, I experimented with mackerel, adding capers to deglaze the pan (some of my guests do not drink alcohol), but the capers added an extra layer of briny taste. Pretty good and different again.

Here’s the original recipe from my book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking:

Tunnu ammuttunatu
Pesce steccato e con marsala
Fish, studded with flavours and braised in marsala

I like to use a whole fillet of fish, which I estimate will feed no more than
four people when cut into portions. For more people, I buy two fillets.

I like to serve this very pink in the centre, but it will not suffer if it is cooked longer, as done in Sicily. Long whole fillets will not cook evenly and can be adventageous as it provides well cooked and rare tuna eaters a choice.

Individual portions of large fish or tuna can also be studded and cooked in this manner.

Stud the flesh with one or more flavours – garlic (halved), cloves, a
cinnamon stick (broken into small pieces) – and a herb, (mint, rosemary
or oregano).

Below, various cuts of tuna in an open Sicilian market in Acireale, north of Catania.

Ingredients

1-1.2kg tuna fillet
1 cup dry marsala

flavourings (see intro)
1/2 to1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 fresh bay leaves
mint leaves for serving

Processes

Use a knife with a long thin blade and make a number of deep, regularly
spaced slits in the fillet. Insert flavourings (see above) into each slit. When
you cut the fillet into portions, each portion should have four slits.

Heat oil in a pan and seal the fish on all sides. Add marsala and bay
leaves and reduce slightly, cover and braise over low heat. Add more
marsala (or water) if the dish is drying out.

A fillet of four portions cooks in about 15–20 minutes. To test, insert a metal skewer into the centre – if it is done the skewer will be just warm to the touch. If it feels cool, cook
for a little longer.

Place the fish on a large platter, pour over the sauce and scatter with mint.

And if you’re interested in exploring the Trevally version, here’s the link to the full recipe on my blog:

FISH STUDDED WITH SICILIAN FLAVOURS

UNVEILING KOHLRABI, a BRASSICA

Kohlrabi is a odd looking vegetable that has remained relatively unknown. It belongs to the Brassica family, which includes more favoured vegetables like broccoli, kale, and cabbage. It has a round, bulbous shape that can be green, purple, or white, and grows above ground on a thick stem; it has an unconventional appearance that seems to deter home cooks.

Kohlrabi has a mild, slightly sweet taste and a crisp texture similar to a turnip or radish. It tastes like a cross between cabbage (sweetness, and maybe just a little bit of sharp heat) and a mild radish (spicy, peppery, like mustard and horseradish).

The bulb of kohlrabi can be eaten raw and cooked, is low in calories packed with vitamins and antioxidants. The leaves can be cooked, the young leaves can be added to salads.

But despite its nutritional pedigree and potential appeal, kohlrabi an underappreciated vegetable in many kitchens.

I was recently asked to write about kohlrabi by Lindsay Marie Morris, a novelist and journalist based in Los Angeles, California. Her work spans multiple topics and she has a strong passion for Sicilian culture and cuisine.

Lindsay Marie Morris found kohlrabi recipes on my blog.

In Ragusa (south eastern Sicily) is where my father’s family lives and  they cook the bulb and leaves with homemade pasta called Causunedda. The  water that the vegetables are cooked in (broth) is enriched with fresh pork rind and the pasta is also cooked in the broth. It may not sound appealing, but this wet pasta dish is very  unique and steeped in family tradition.

The Ragusani are known for their straightforward, flavourful dishes that focus on local produce, rich meats—especially pork—and seasonal vegetables. This emphasis on simplicity has profoundly shaped my understanding of cooking, showing me that the best meals often come from the freshest ingredients and strong traditions.

Below, photo of the homemade Causunedda as made by one of the elderly aunt and helped by the family. Unfortunately she is deceased and probably the younger faily members no longer make them.

My cousin in Ragusa mixing the Causanedda. It is usually a family affair.

In Augusta (just south of Catania), a cousin from my mother’s side of the family treats its bulb and leaves as many Italians treat green, leafy vegetables. The vegetables are cooked – boiled, then drained and sautéed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and anchovies. Chillies are optional, but adding chillies in Sicily is very common. The sautéd vegetables are then used to dress. and like when cooking pasta with broccoli, the pasta is cooked in the flavoured water that has been used to cook the broccoli.

The recipes about kohlrabi on my blog:

KOHLRABI with pasta (Causunnedda)

KOHLRABI, as eaten in Sicily

A WET PASTA DISH WITH KOHLRABI

This is a very special post of the pasta making in Ragusa:

GNUCCHITEDDI (Making small gnocchi shapes using my great grandmother’s device)

Lindsay Marie Morris

My interview as published on Lindsay Marie Morris’s blog:

https://www.lindsaymariemorris.com/blog/posts/45183

Follow Lindsay Marie Morris’s author journey and explore her writing about Sicilian culture at lindsaymorris.com/blog.

A very early photograth of me holding bunches of Kohlrabi in Ragusa. You can see how the size of the bulbs are smaller and there are many more leaves than the ones I see and buy in Australia and have seen in other  European countries and in Vietnam.

PARMIGIANA, uncomplicated

When I first came to Australia with my parents (1956), eggplants (aubergines/ melanzane in Italian) were non-existent commercially in Adelaide and probably in the rest of Australia.  I remember friends moving to Canberra in the 80’s and they had to order eggplants from the Sydney markets.

Like so many vegetables that were unfamiliar in Australia, it took a few seed smugglers some time before eggplants were grown in home gardens, and even more years before they were found in produce markets and green grocers’ shops.

Now of course, there are many types of seeds that have been imported legally into Australia and sold in many Italian produce stores.

There are Asian varieties of eggplants as well as the Mediterranean ones in Australia. Trade and migration has made eggplants a typical Mediterranean plant, but they originated from the south-east Asia and in particular from India and China.

Eggplants come in different shapes and sizes – long, thin, wide, round, small and large and they cam be grown commercially as well as successfully in most home gardens . (The eggplant above is grown in my son’s home garden in Adelaide).

The colour of eggplants range from the traditional dark purple types through to violet, lavender, pink, green and creamy-white varieties. There are also variegated types.

When I think of eggplants, I think of Sicily where the most intense cultivation takes place in Italy.

Sicily has the highest numbers of eggplants in terms of cultivation and production; they are available at all times of the year because they can be grown in serre (greenhouses) in all seasons especially in the Ragusa area, where my father’s relatives are based.

And Sicily is where some of the most famous recipes for Italian eggplant dishes initiated, for example:  Eggplant Caponata from Palermo, Pasta alla Norma from Catania and Parmigiana di Melazane (Eggplant Parmigiana) with some slight variations from all over Sicily.

Parmigiana is now one of the best-known and widespread dishes of Italian cuisine but its origin is disputed between the regions of Sicily, Campania and Emilia-Romagna. However I have always believed Parmigiana to be Sicilian. Since I was a young child I have eaten many servings of Parmigiana cooked by family and friends, in homes and in restaurants all over Sicily and I support the theory that it is a Sicilian specialty.

Parmigiana is what I am going to write about in this post.

Recently a friend (and an excellent home cook) prepared Yotem Ottolenghi’s Aubergine Dumplings Alla Parmigiana, from the book Flavor. It was a marvellous dinner and I enjoyed eating these vegetarian meatballs very much.

The ingredients for Ottolenghi’s recipe are cubed eggplants, roasted till soft and caramelized, then mashed and mixed with herbs and spices, ricotta, Parmesan, basil, bound with eggs, breadcrumbs and flour. While the mixture rests, a tomato salsa needs to be made, the dumplings are fried and then baked in the tomato salsa.

When I looked at Ottolenghi’s recipe, I was amazed at just how many steps have to be covered compared with the time it would take to cook the traditional Parmigiana. A few days later a friend came to dinner and I made a simple Parmigiana.

I baked the eggplants this time rather than fried them..

Made the tomato salsa.

Proceeded to layer the salsa, eggplants, grated cheese and because the Ottoleghi recipe had ricotta, and because ricotta seems to have become an addition to the traditional Parmigiana recipe all over the web, I also added ricotta between the layers.

What it looked like before I placed it in the oven.

And I presented the Parmigiana with roast peppers and a green salad.

I don’t know how long my version took, but it tasted good.

Parmigiana can also be made with fried zucchini.

Parmigiana can also be made with fried zucchini. It is worth cooking it.

**** I  first wrote a post on my blog in 2009 about how the name of the recipe originated and recipe of a traditional Parmigiana. The recipe is also in my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking.  The background information about Parmigiana is  fascinating. The post is worth reading:

EGGPLANT or ZUCCHINI PARMIGIANA

PASTA CON LE SARDE (SARDINES)

Pasta Con Le Sarde (sardines) can only be a Sicilian dish.

Sardines are plentiful, so is the wild fennel (it is seasonal), and most Sicilians eat pasta in some form, every day.

The flavours and ingredients of pine nuts, saffron and currants are said to have been introduced by the Arabs.

Breadcrumbs toasted in a fry pan with a little bit of olive oil are popular in Sicily as a topping or dressing – called muddica/ mollica/pan grattato, it is sprinkled on pasta instead of grated cheese, and some vegetable dishes like Parmigiana di Melanzane (eggplants), Caponata, fried peppers (Peperonata), and Sfincione (a type of regional pizza) .

And I make Pasta Con Le Sarde when I know I can impress friends, those who appreciate being impressed.

Accept that not everyone likes sardines or fancy the idea of wild fennel. The photo below shows how some bunches of wild fennel are sold in Sicilian markets.

Over the years I don’t just toast the breadcrumbs in the frypan (made bread that’s several days old); I  also add a little cinnamon, a tiny bit of sugar and grated lemon peel. The lemon flavour really makes this pasta topping even more special. Sometimes I also add pine nuts to the pan.

Bucatini is the pasta I prefer – it’s slightly larger than spaghetti, long and hollow, like a tube.

But last time I made Pasta Con Le Sarde, I did use spaghetti. You can see how many pine nuts I sprinkled on top before folding them into the pasta. In a traditional dish there would be fewer.

Most of the time my Pasta Con Le Sarde looks like pretty ordinary, but still tastes magnificent. Sometimes I also add chopped, roasted almonds. Looking at this photo below can see that not all the almonds were chopped!

It is sometimes difficult to find wild fennel that is healthy looking or in season, so  sometimes I do add a fresh fennel bulb.

Below the photo shows fennel and onion sauté-ing (if there is such a word!)

This is followed by the addition of saffron, wild fennel and currants.

If I can get sufficient wild fennel I use it in the boiling water to flavour the pasta. The stalks from fresh fennel also work. Simply cook the stalks or wild fennel in the water and remove them before adding the pasta to cook.

Although Sardines are easy to clean, sardines are also sold as fillets.

I have written about Pasta Con Le Sarde before.

PASTA CON LE SARDE, Iconic Sicilian made easy

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

PASTA CON SARDE; the baked version, Palermo, Sicily

WILD FENNEL and photos

PASTA WITH BREADCRUMBS, anchovies and fennel (Pasta cca muddica)

From my book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

DUCK AND MUSHROOM RAGÙ

A duck ragù is nothing new, but it always seems to be special. Pappardelle is the pasta of choice for game and duck.

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I bought a whole duck, dismembered it and trimmed away the obvious fat. I cooked the duck for the ragù over 2 days because ducks can be very fatty and I wanted to remove some of the fat.

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I left the cooked duck overnight and the liquid jellied (in the meantime the flavours also intensified) and the fat rose to the top making it easier for me to remove most of I with a spoon. I used some of the duck fat to sauté the mushrooms.

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1 duck
for the soffritto: 1 onion, 1 carrot,1 stalk of celery
fresh rosemary, bay leaves
½ cup of diced tomatoes or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups chicken stock
salt and black pepper
250g mushrooms…on this occasion I used brown mushrooms.
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
fresh thyme and parsley

Wipe the duck pieces to dry them as much as possible.

Heat a heavy based casserole and over medium heat add the duck skin-side down and fry until browned and fat renders (6-9 minutes).

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Drain most of the fat. Turn and fry until browned (2-3 minutes), then set aside.

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To the same saucepan add onion and soften slightly before adding the carrot and celery and sauté until vegetables are tender (5-8 minutes).

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Return the duck pieces to the pan, add the wine, stock, tomatoes, seasoning, bay leaves and rosemary.

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Cover and cook slowly for about 1¾-2¼ hours, until the meat looks as it will be easy to separate from the bones.

Leave to cool. The fat will rise to the top making it easier to remove.

Reheat the duck braise very briefly, just sufficiently to melt the jelly.

Remove the duck pieces and set aside. When they are cool enough to handle remove the the skin and strip the meat from the bones in chunks. Discard herbs and the bones.

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Drain the solids from the liquid and add these to the duck. Place the liquid from the braise (i.e. that is yet to be reduced) in a separate container.

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Wipe the pan and use some of the fat to sauté the mushrooms and garlic. Add parsley and thyme and some seasoning.

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Deglaze the pan using about a cup of liquid and evaporate most of it. Repeat with the left over liquid until it has reduced.

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Add the duck, a couple of twists of nutmeg and the ragù is ready.

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Combine the cooked pasta with the duck ragù and serve.

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Pasta: I used egg Pappardelle.

Grated Parmigiano on top.

See Pappardelle with hare:

PAPPARDELLE (Pasta with Hare or game ragù)

PAPPARDELLE Continued…..

A Sicilian recipe for Duck:

Anatra a paparedda cu l’ulivi (Sicilian Duck with green olives and anchovies)

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).

CAVOLOFIORE AFFOGATO (Cauliflower braised in red wine, cheese and anchovies)

 

Affogato is an Italian term meaning ‘drowned’ or ‘smothered’. In this recipe, the cauliflower is effectively ‘drowned’ in red wine and ‘smothered’ by compression.

My grandmother Maria was born in Catania and this was one of her ways of cooking cauliflower – It is called CAVOLOFIORE AFFOGATO and VRUOCCULI AFFUCATI in Sicilian.

Although the coloured cauliflower or broccoli can also be used for this recipe, I prefer the white cauliflower because it acquires a rose tint when cooked with red wine. The yellow one is also suitable and even more dramatic in colour.

To compress the cauliflower layers, assemble the ingredients, cover them with a circular piece of baking paper, place an oven-safe plate on top, and then add a weight (as shown in the photo). I used my stone mortar, at other times I have used a smaller saucepan partly filled with liquid.

The cauliflower is cooked slowly until all the liquid evaporates and then it can be turned out and sliced like a cake. try to cut the cauliflower horizontally into layers if you can, however, the pecorino usually performs the function of keeping the layers together.

I place a circle of baking paper at the bottom of the pan to ensure that the “cake”( tortino in Italian) does not stick to the bottom or you may also like to use a non- stick saucepan as I often do. Many recipes add water as the cauliflower is cooking to prevent it from burning, but if you cook it on very gentle heat, you have added wine and used a good quality saucepan with a heavy base, adding water may not be necessary.

VRUOCCULI AFFUCATI are especially suitable as an accompaniment to a strong tasting dish. Usually it is presented at room temperature and even cold the left over cauliflower is particularly satisfying as a stuffing for a panino.

INGREDIENTS

cauliflower or broccoli, 1kg,
onion, 1large, sliced thinly
pecorino, 50 -100g, sliced thinly
anchovies, 4-5 or more
red wine, 1 glass
extra virgin olive oil, ¾ cup
freshly ground black pepper to taste, salt if necessary
stoned black olives, 10 (optional)

PROCESSES

  • Place some olive oil in a deep saucepan (the ingredients are layered). Line with baking paper if you wish.
  • Add a layer of the cauliflower.Top with the pecorino cheese, anchovies, ground pepper and onion slices (and olives if you wish). The ingredients are pretty salty so you may not wish to add salt.
  • Repeat with another two layers of the cauliflower and the other ingredients. Drizzle more oil on top each layer. Make the top layer just cauliflower.
  • Press down the layers with your hands.Top with more oil and add the wine.
  • Cover the contents first with either a piece of baking paper or foil cut to size and slightly loose. Put a weight on the top so as to keep all of the layers compressed (see above). There should e a gap around the weight and the saucepan to allow the steam to escape. Add little bit of water if necessary.
  • Cook on very slow heat for about 30-40 minutes and when the liquid has evaporated, you should also hear the cauliflower sizzle in the oil.