Tag: Sicilian

PASTA ALLA NORMA and a variation (Pasta with tomato salsa and fried eggplants… and currants, anchovies and bottarga)

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Pasta Alla Norma is an iconic, Sicilian, summer dish with tomato salsa and fried eggplant.

I recently made Pasta Alla Norma and although this post was first posted on May 4, 2012, I am posting it again on 25th April 2018.

Ripe tomatoes and eggplants continue into autumn and although the basil may have finished, fresh mint leaves add an interesting fresh taste to the dish. 

Pasta alla Norma is one of those dishes Sicilians are extremely fond of especially in late summer when the tomatoes are ripe, the basil is abundant and the eggplants are at their best. 

Pasta alla Norma

There are some summer pasta dishes which call for uncooked, ripe tomatoes – Mataroccu is one of them), and when possible and ripe tomatoes are availiable, I try not to substitute tinned tomatoes for Pasta alla Norma.

long eggplants P1010074 (1)

Easy stuff. It is a  salsa of fresh tomatoes, short pasta (caserecce are good) and fried eggplants – usually cubed and added to the pasta once it has been dressed with the tomato salsa.

Ricotta salata tops it all off. Failing ricotta salata, use a strong pecorino cheese… both these cheeses are preferred by Sicilians; parmigiano is the preferred cheese in Northern Italy.

The dish originates from Catania, the city that my mother’s family comes from. Many presume that the dish is named after the opera, La Norma, by the composer Vincenzo Bellini who was born in Catania (1801-1835), but there are others who think that the expression ‘a norma’ (in Sicilian) was commonly used in the early 1900s to describe food that was cooked true to form (i.e. as normal, as it should be) and according to all the rules and regulations specified in the recipe.

I ate a version of Pasta alla Norma in a seafood restaurant in San Leone (on the coast, near Agrigento). The tagliatelle were presented on top of half an eggplant, (that had been cut in half and then fried). The sauce also contained a few currants and a few anchovies, thin slices of bottarga (dry, salted tuna roe) and cubes of ricotta salata on top.

It did look very spectacular, but if you intend to do this, and are using a large round eggplant, cut the eggplant horizontally and remove a slice from the centre of it to make it thinner – the eggplant will cook more evenly. Follow the recipe below and to the salsa, add a tablespoon of currants and a couple of chopped anchovies.

In Sicily bottarga is salted, cured fish tuna roe rather than bottarga made with grey mullet as common in Sardegna (Sardinia).

INGREDIENTS
I have used casarecce, 500g

eggplants, 500g or more
extra virgin olive oil, (some to cook the tomato salsa, some to fry the eggplant) 
garlic, 3 cloves
ripe tomatoes, 1k, peeled and chopped
salt (a little) and freshly ground black pepper to taste
basil, fresh leaves (10-15) some for the salsa and some for final presentation
PROCESSES
Remove the stem end of eggplant and without peeling and slice or cut into cubes. I do not usually salt my eggplant; sometimes I briefly soak it in salted water so that the eggplant does not absorb as much oil. Pat-dry the eggplant and fry in sufficient  olive oil until golden. Drain on paper towels.
Make the tomato salsa: place the tomatoes in the pan with garlic, oil, salt and some basil leaves: cook uncovered on medium heat till it is thick.
Cook pasta and drain.
Mix the pasta with the tomato sauce. Place the pasta in a large serving bowl and top with the eggplants and the remaining basil (or mint).
Present with grated cheese, preferably ricotta salata.
 
See:

SPAGHETTINI E COZZE – Spaghettini with mussels

In Australia, Easter is not a significant cultural event, whereas in Italy it is closely associated with religious observances and traditionally, Italian Catholics eat fish on Good Friday, even if they are not practising Catholics, hence a mussel recipe.

Victoria is a prolific producer of mussels, which I regularly purchase at the Queen Victoria Market. These are typically farmed in Port Phillip Bay and recently from Mount Martha. When available, I prefer to visit Portarlington, where they are sold directly from the boats. Mussels are a sustainable seafood option.

I plan to cook something simple – a pasta dish with Mussels. Cozze in Italian, cuzzili in Sicilian.

This is not a complicated dish. It is made with fresh mussels and a little fresh tomato, but not so much to mask the taste of the other ingredients.

Red, ripe tomatoes are excellent at this time of year, but tinned tomatoes are also suitable. I  had some ripe, yellow heirloom tomatoes and added these as well in this sauce. The cause was slightly paler in colour but I did not taste any difference in taste.

Spaghetti (thin spaghetti) is used for this dish. The thin strands cook quickly but will also provide a greater surface area, allowing for greater absorption of the sauce.

The sauce is prepared quickly while the pasta is cooking. The same ingredients and method can be used with other fish, such as squid.

The use of grated cheese with fish is a traditional Sicilian practice. While it may not be common elsewhere in Italy, it is a distinctive feature of the dish. The cheese is optional, particularly if the fresh taste of the tomatoes is preferred.

spaghettini, 500g
mussels, 2 kg fresh, live mussels
red tomatoes, fresh, 500 g, chopped and peeled
garlic, 3 chopped…to taste
parsley, 1 cup finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil, ½ – ¾ cup
salt and pepper
basil, fresh, some stalks and leaves in the sauce and some leaves to decorate and provide a last-minute aroma
grated pecorino, (optional), to taste

Clean the mussels by rubbing them against each other in cold water (or use a scourer or brush). Pull the beards sharply towards the pointy end of the shell.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pan.
Add the mussels.
Cover and cook over a brisk flame, shaking the pan every now and then, until the mussels have opened. Turn off the flame and let them cool slightly, then remove and discard the shells of about ¾ of them. Use the whole mussels for decoration.

If the mussels have not opened after sufficient time, they are still alive and can be returned to heat. Save the liquid from the mussels, some will be used in the sauce, but store the leftover in jars in the freezer- it makes good fish stock.

Add the onion to a new pan, sauté till golden.
Add the chopped tomatoes and some basil stalks with leaves attached (these can be removed at time of serving).
Simmer the sauce for about 8-10 minutes, just to blend the flavours and to evaporate some of the tomato juice. Place the tomato sauce aside.

Add some extra virgin olive oil and garlic to a new pan (or wipe down the same pan that you have used to cook the sauce).  Soften the garlic and add the parsley.

Cook the spaghettini.

Add the  mussel meat to the pan and toss the ingredients around for a few minutes before adding the tomato sauce and as much of the mussel juice as you think you will need for the sauce. Remove the cooked basil (it has done its job).
Add the mussels in their shells (gently) to warm through.

Drain the pasta. Add it to the pan with the rest of the ingredients toss them around till they are well coated. Be gentle with the cooked mussels in their shells as you want to keep the mussel meat in the shell.
Add fresh basil leaves.

Present with grated cheese for those who wish.

Pasta with cozze is eaten all over Italy but in Northern Italy parsley and garlic are the preferred flavourings and no tomatoes. No grated cheese in the north either!

MUSSELS, three ways: in brodetto, with spaghetti and risotto

COZZE IN BRODETTO (mussels in a little broth)

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH MUSSELS (Risu cu Zaffaranu e Cozzuli is the Sicilian, Riso con Zafferano e Cozze is the Italian)

 

PEPERONATA – PIPIRONATA (Sicilian) Braised peppers

Peperonata (pipironata in Sicilian) are  braised peppers usually made with the red and yellow peppers, onions and tomatoes. In some parts of Sicily potatoes are added. Mainly for colour,  sometimes 1-2 green peppers are added.

Cooked peperonata

Peperoni (peppers) are vibrantly coloured – green, red and yellow and I have also seen  new varieties of dark green (almost black) and cream ones as well.

Capsicum/ Pepper almost a black colour

Towards the end of summer and to mid-autumn there are greater numbers of yellow and red peppers – these are much sweeter in taste.

Ingredients for Peperonata

The vegetables are braised slowly and the results are fabulous – the onions and tomatoes almost melt and coat the peppers.

Peperonata cooking

As a contorno, it is an excellent accompaniment for simply cooked fish or meat (BBQ or fried). It makes a great filling for panini and transports well for picnics.

Traditionally there are two ways of making peperonata. The first method is to add all the ingredients in a wide pan with some olive oil and to cook it slowly on low heat. Add a little water and stir it periodically so that they do not stick. In Sicily sausages are also commonly cooked in this way – once the water evaporates, the fat/oil is left in the pan to fry and brown the ingredients.

The second method is to soften the onion before adding the peppers (and later the tomatoes). This is my preferred method.

Like Caponata, Peperonata is eaten cold (room temperature). The flavours mature and it keeps well in the fridge for days.

RECIPE: PEPERONATA

Vary amounts accordingly and as you can see in the photos I just wanted it for two people.

INGREDIENTS

red (and yellow) peppers, 1 k
tomatoes, 2 ripe, peeled and diced
onion, 1-2 sliced
extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup
fresh basil leaves or sprigs,  a few and to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a little sugar and red wine vinegar

METHOD

Clean and cut the peppers into thin strips.
Sauté the onions in the oil.
When the onions are soft, raise the heat and add the peppers. Add seasoning, toss on high heat until they are well coated and beginning to fry.
Add the tomatoes and some basil, cover and cook until the peppers are soft (about 20-30 minutes).
Remove the lid, raise heat and cook until any excess liquid has evaporated.

VARIATIONS

**Like my cousin Lidia from Augusta (south of Catania) I always add a teaspoon of sugar and a dash of vinegar during the final minutes of cooking. This provides that classical Sicilian sweet and sour flavour.

In other parts of Sicily, it is common to add 2-3 potatoes: either part cook chip-size potatoes and add them half way through cooking or fry uncooked potatoes at the same time as the onions.

Add more fresh basil at the time of serving.

PEPERONATA(SICILIAN SWEET AND SOUR PEPPERS)

ROASTED CHARRED PEPPERS

PEPPERS WITH BREADCRUMBS- PIPI CA MUDDICA – PEPERONI CON LA MOLLICA

PUMARORU CA CIPUDDA (Tomatoes with onions). INSALATA DI POMODORO (Tomato salad)

POMURORU is the Sicilian word for tomatoes, POMODORO is the Italian, and simple tomato salads feature very frequently in my kitchen.

This is not surprising as local tomatoes and basil in summer are at their best.

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ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS in Tomato Salad

When I say simple, I mean made with basic ingredients – in season tasty tomatoes, fresh basil, spring onion, the inside part of the celery, salt and extra virgin olive oil. In fact, so simple that I have not written the recipe for a tomato salad in my blog.

Just writing about tomato salad makes me want to have some – I can taste the fresh bread that I particularly like to use to mop up the juices. Good, extra virgin olive oil is as important as the quality of the tomatoes.

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SO many types of tomatoes

A SIMPLE FAMILY AFFAIR

I have inherited my like of tomato salads from my father; it is one of the things my father made well and my parents, especially when they were elderly would eat a tomato salad almost every day for lunch (accompanied with some sort of cheese, smallgoods, frittata, or left over meat or fish from the night before). This sort of tomato salad  was not considered special enough to present to guests – it was family, simple, every-day food and to a certain extent it has remained so in my present home.

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Beautiful tomato produce
ABOUT SQUEEZED ONION

Apart from the simple tomato salad made with spring onion, my father excelled in the salad his mother used to make (NONNA Rosa lived in Ragusa, Sicily). this salad  was made with squeezed onions or as he used to call  it – cipolla dolce (sweet onion) – the onion is made sweet by having the bitter juices squeezed out of it before it is used.

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Tmatoes in California. I found so many varieties

The squeezed onion makes the taste of the salad unique and my children and nephews still mention this legendary version of a nonno-tomato salad. When they were in season the large, fresh, salad onions were his favourites (sold in bunches with the bulbs and part of the green stalk still attached) but the ordinary white or the red onions sufficed at other times.

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Tomatoes I bought in South of France

HOW TO MAKE squeezed  CIPPUDDA (onion) for salad

Cipudda is the Sicilian word for onion and cipolla the Italian.

Probably because it is used extensively in Calabria, red onion is called cipolla calabrese or cipolla di Tropea in Italian, Tropea is a very picturesque, old fortified town built on a cliff overlooking a spectacular beach in Calabria.

I now have the old colander my father used to use to strain the onion – this was one of the very few, kitchen implements that came with us from Trieste where we lived before coming to Australia.

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In Italian a colander or strainer is called a scolapasta

Amusing: in Italian a colander or strainer is called a scolapasta – scola means strain…and where would Italians be without an implement to drain their pasta!

 RECIPE for PUMARORU CA CIPUDDA (Tomatoes with onions)

To sweeten onion: Expect to shed tears during this process.

Place 2 large, thinly sliced onions in a colander, sprinkle with about 2 heaped tablespoons of salt and leave it for about 30 minutes. Do not be concerned about the quantity of salt, it will draw out the onions’ strong juices. If fresh onions are in season, leave the sliced onions with the salt for about 15 minutes.

Use your fingers and palms to squeeze the onions inside the colander – the juices and the salt will just dribble through the perforations.

My parents have always made tomato salad with firm, slightly golden, unripe tomatoes. Interestingly in Italy, tomatoes (pomodoro) were first called pomo d’oro, apples of gold and these early specimens were not necessarily red in colour.

My father was making salad well before the heirloom varieties of tomatoes were available – he would have enjoyed using these tomatoes that come in a multitude of colours and variety of shapes. Interestingly, not all are coloured red.

In most parts of Sicily, the most common tomato salad is as follows:

6-8 tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil at least ½ cup
fresh basil (or dried oregano)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk of celery from the inside part of the celery and include some of the pale green leaves – all sliced thinly
1 spring onion sliced thinly or replace the spring onion with the sweetened onions

Cut the tomatoes into bite size pieces and add everything else and serve.

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My son’s Alex’s tomatoes

REGIONAL VARIATIONS by other Sicilians

From Comiso and Vittoria (towns south of Ragusa) and popular inland (in Enna and Caltanissetta) it is common to cut large tomatoes called (cuore di bue — ox heart), horizontally into halves, remove the seeds and stuff each crevice with chopped garlic, salt and extra virgin olive oil. On visits to the South of France I found that these tomatoes are popular and eaten in the same way. Surprise, surprise!

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In my last post I made reference to Sicilian tomato salad. See post:

RICOTTA, TOMATOES and Basil. A perfect summer dish.

These little beauties below were left by a neighbour at my door.

I feel a tomato salad coming on.

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Yellow Tomatoes
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So many excellent varieties of tomatoes

RICOTTA, TOMATOES and Basil. A perfect summer dish.

GREEN TOMATOES: Pickled under oil

TOMATO SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA (INSALATA DI POMODORI E GORGONZOLA)

RICOTTA, TOMATOES and Basil. A perfect summer dish.

Summer is the season for ricotta, tomatoes and basil. When tomatoes are sweet and fragrant, and basil is growing abundantly, very little else is needed to create a memorable dish.

One of the pleasures of eating out is returning home inspired to cook my own version of something I have enjoyed. Often it is not only the flavours that stay with me, but also the presentation.

That happened after a meal at Gauge in Brisbane. Among the dishes my friends and I shared was Cow’s ricotta, sansho pepper, heirloom tomatoes and olive. It was beautifully balanced, elegant in its simplicity, and it immediately sparked ideas.

In summer, my parents who lived in Adelaide enjoyed a tomato salad almost every day. The salad was accompanied by fresh cheeses purchased from their local cheese factory, including ricotta, Formaggio Fresco, Bocconcini, Mozzarella and Ricotta salata. Occasionally, the ricotta was still warm.

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The tomato salad with Asian herbs in Brisbane – Cow’s ricotta, sansho pepper, heirloom tomatoes and olive.
The Magic of Fresh Herbs

The restaurant used an Asian herb, but what fascinated me most was how easily the character of the dish could be changed simply by choosing a different herb.

Each herb brings its own personality. Thyme adds warmth, oregano and sweet marjoram a Mediterranean fragrance, tarragon a gentle aniseed note, dill freshness, while the many varieties of basil available today each contribute something different. The ingredients remain the same, yet the flavour changes completely.

That flexibility is one of the pleasures of cooking.

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Whipped Ricotta
A Summer Favourite at Home

The evening after I returned from Brisbane I was cooking for friends. I had excellent tomatoes, fresh cow’s ricotta and an abundance of basil growing on my balcony. The inspiration from Brisbane became my own version.

Presentation mattered almost as much as flavour. My photographs do not quite capture how attractive the dish looked, but it was fresh, colourful and full of natural flavours. Served with good bread or crisp crackers, it made a perfect summer starter.

Recreating the Dish

The restaurant’s version was:

Cow’s ricotta, sansho pepper, heirloom tomatoes and olive.

The ricotta and heirloom tomatoes were easy enough to source.

Sansho pepper (also known as Japanese pepper) has a distinctive citrus freshness, reminiscent of lemon myrtle. It is readily available from many Asian grocers, but there are plenty of alternatives. I enjoy experimenting with different peppercorns and with dried Mexican chillies that I grind fresh. Some are smoky, some earthy, some fruity and others wonderfully hot.

On this occasion I chose pink peppercorns. They added gentle spice, subtle sweetness and looked beautiful against the white ricotta.

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The basil oil, pink peppercorns, fresh small leaf basil and tomatoes
Olives — Or Just Their Flavour?

Interestingly, the restaurant did not use whole olives. Instead, the olive flavour came from black olive salt.

More recently I have seen another restaurant use dehydrated olives, which provide an intense burst of flavour and wonderful texture.

For my version, whole olives felt too dominant, so I scattered over a few tiny capers instead. They added the salty contrast I wanted while keeping the presentation delicate. Small leaves of Greek basil completed the dish.

A Sicilian Touch

I also added finely sliced spring onion for freshness.

Next time I may include one of those tender pale-green inner celery stalks, finely sliced. In my family, tomato salads always included onion and celery — the traditional Sicilian way of preparing them. It is a combination I still love.

Bringing Everything Together

I whipped fresh cow’s ricotta with a little salt until smooth and creamy.

The basil oil was simply good-quality extra virgin olive oil blended with basil leaves picked from my balcony and a pinch of salt.

The tomatoes came, as they often do, from one of my trusted fruit and vegetable stallholders at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market. Starting with excellent produce is what makes a dish like this shine.

With good bread and a glass of chilled wine, it was everything I want from summer cooking: simple, fresh and full of flavour.

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Basil growing on my balcony- 2 varieties

TOMATO SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA (INSALATA DI POMODORI E GORGONZOLA)

A SAVOURY COEUR À LA CRÈME to accompany a summer fresh tomato salad or summer vegetables

RICOTTA how to make it

 

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CAPONATA DI NATALE (Christmas, winter caponata made with celery, almonds and sultanas)

Caponata di Natale is a traditional Sicilian Christmas caponata that surprises many people familiar only with the more common eggplant version.

In Sicily, caponata exists in many forms, and not all caponate contain eggplants.

This festive caponata reflects the season in which it is served. While eggplants and peppers are abundant during the Sicilian summer, they are not winter vegetables. For Christmas, some Sicilians prepare a caponata based on celery hearts, creating a dish that is lighter, fresher and particularly suited to festive meals.

It may be very different from the Christmas fare many Australians expect, but it makes a wonderful antipasto, salad or accompaniment to roasted meats and fish.

A Christmas CAPONATA  – a Dish Rooted in Sicilian Seasons

One of the pleasures of Sicilian cooking is its respect for seasonal produce. Traditional Christmas tables often feature dishes that celebrate winter vegetables rather than relying on ingredients available year-round.

In many parts of Sicily, celery is the principal ingredient in Caponata di Natale. Some regional versions also include leafy winter greens such as chicory, spinach or endive.

Traditionally, the celery is boiled before being sautéed. I prefer a simpler approach: slicing the celery very finely and cooking it gently in olive oil until just softened. This preserves some of its texture and freshness while allowing it to absorb the sweet-and-sour flavours that are characteristic of Sicilian caponata.

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Caponata di Natale served at room temperature—a traditional Sicilian Christmas antipasto made with celery, olives, capers and almonds
The Magic of Agrodolce

Like many Sicilian dishes, this caponata relies on the balance of agrodolce—the combination of sweet and sour flavours.

The sweetness comes from sugar and sultanas, while vinegar provides acidity. Salty capers and olives add depth, and almonds contribute richness and texture.

The result is a dish full of contrasts:

  • Sweet and sour
  • Salty and fruity
  • Soft and crunchy
  • Delicate and robust

It is these contrasts that make Sicilian caponata such a memorable dish.

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Unlike the better-known eggplant caponata, this festive Sicilian version celebrates winter vegetables, especially tender celery hearts.

 

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The sweet-and-sour agrodolce dressing brings together the distinctive flavours of capers, olives, sultanas and almonds.

Sultanas or currants are both good to use. Muscatels and raisins are OK as well, but their size may not be as visually pleasing.

Sometimes I toast the almonds, sometimes I have used pine nuts.

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Prepared a day ahead, Caponata di Natale develops deeper flavours and is ideal for entertaining.

Serving Caponata di Natale

Although I often serve this caponata alongside meat or fish, I particularly enjoy it on its own at the beginning of a meal with good bread and a glass of wine.

Like most caponate, it improves with time. Preparing it a day ahead allows the flavours to develop and meld together beautifully.

Serve it at room temperature and finish it with toasted almonds or, for an extra layer of texture, a sprinkling of toasted breadcrumbs.

Caponata di Natale (Christmas Caponata)

Serves 6–8

Ingredients
  • 1 cup blanched almonds, toasted and chopped
  • 1 large celery heart, using only the pale inner stalks and tender leaves
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • ¾ cup sultanas or currants
  • ½ cup capers (salted or in brine)
  • ¾ cup green olives, pitted and chopped
  • ½ glass white vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method

Prepare the Vegetables

Finely slice the celery stalks and chop the tender leaves.

Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and gently sauté the celery and onion. Season lightly with salt and cook for about 10 minutes, or until softened.

Add the olives, sultanas and capers. Cook for a further 2 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Make the Agrodolce Sauce

Using the same pan, gently heat the sugar until it begins to melt and lightly caramelise.

Carefully add the vinegar and allow it to bubble and reduce slightly.

Return the vegetable mixture to the pan and stir well to coat everything in the sweet-and-sour sauce.

Add some of the almonds, reserving the remainder for garnish.

Rest and Serve

Transfer the caponata to a serving dish and refrigerate overnight.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

 Top with the rest of the almonds or breadcrumbs when ready to serve.

A Caponata for the Festive Table – SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING

This celery-based Christmas caponata is one of the many traditional Sicilian caponate featured in my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking. It demonstrates the remarkable diversity of Sicilian cuisine and the way seasonal ingredients shape festive cooking across the island.

While it may not resemble the caponata most people expect, it remains unmistakably Sicilian—rich in contrasts, deeply rooted in tradition, and always at its best when shared, especially with guests who are only familiar with eggplant caponata.

THE MANY VERSIONS OF CAPONATE and grilled food

ARTICHOKES and how we love them; CAPONATA DI CARCIOFI

CAPONATA Catanese (from Catania) made easy with photos

SICILIAN CAPONATA DI MELANZANE from Palermo (Eggplant caponata with chocolate)

Sicilian Pumpkin with vinegar, mint, sugar and cinnamon

Fegato di sette cannoli

It is autumn  in Australia and  there are plenty of pumpkins around. I like cooking pumpkin this way because it has unusual flavours and it can be made well in advance. I have presented it both as an antipasto and as an accompaniment to main dishes.

I cook this dish quite often and I am surprised that I have not written about it on my blog.

The following text is a condensed version from my first book  Sicilian Seafood Cooking. The photograph is also from the book. This all took place in my kitchen – I cooked it , Fiona Riggs styled it and Graeme Gillies photographed it.

This  Sicilian specialty  is sometimes called zucca in agro dolce (pumpkin in sweet and sour sauce) but I prefer the more colloquial Sicilian name, ficato ri setti canola – literally, ‘liver of the seven spouts (or reeds)’.

It is a colourful and aromatic dish. There is the strong colour of the pumpkin, tinged brown at the edges, and contrasted with bright green mint. The sweetness   of the pumpkin is enhanced by the flavours and fragrance of garlic, cinnamon and vinegar. It is better cooked ahead of time – the flavours intensify when left at least overnight, but it can be stored in the fridge for several days.

The dish is said to have originated among the poor, in what is known as one of the quartieri svantaggiati (‘disadvantaged suburbs’) of Palermo.

Sicilians are colourful characters and like stories. It is said that the pumpkin dish was first cooked and named by the herb vendors of the Piazza Garraffello a small square in Palermo. These were the days before refrigeration and balconies and windowsills were often used to cool and store food, especially overnight. As the story goes, the herb sellers could often  smell the aroma of veal liver coming from the balconies of the rich. At home, they cooked pumpkin the same way as the well-to-do cooked liver (fegato) and, wanting to create a bella figura, they hoped the fragrance of their cooking would mislead the neighbours into thinking that they too were well-to-do and could afford to eat liver.

The typical way of cooking liver is to slice it thinly, pan-fry it and then caramelise the juices in the pan with sugar and vinegar to make agro dolce (sweet and sour sauce).

As for the seven spouts (sette cannoli), they are the short cane-shapedspouts of an elegant 16th-century fountain in the piazza. Below – cathedral in Palermo.

In Australia I generally use the butternut or Jap pumpkin,The pumpkin is sliced 1cm (.in) thick and traditionally fried in very hot oil (if thicker, they take too long to cook).

Although baking the pumpkin slices is not traditional, I prefer this method .It certainly saves time in the preparation (see variation below). Serve it at room temperature as an antipasto or as a contorno (vegetable side dish).

1kg (2lb 4oz) pumpkin
10 cloves garlic
extra virgin olive oil (1. cup
if frying 1/3 cup if baking)
3 teaspoons sugar
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
small mint leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper

Fried Method

Peel and remove the seeds of the pumpkin and cut into 1cm (in) slices.
Peel and slice 4 cloves of garlic.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based frying pan. Add the garlic cloves.
Remove when it has coloured and fry the pumpkin slices, turning them only once in case they break, until they become soft and begin to colour around the edges. Add salt to taste. Remove the pumpkin and discard some of the oil,
but keep any juices.
Use the same frying pan for the agro dolce sauce: add the sugar, stir it around the pan to caramelise it, and then add the vinegar and cinnamon.
Stirring constantly, allow the sauce to thicken slightly as the vinegar evaporates.
Add the remaining garlic cloves and few sprigs of mint to the warm sauce.

Add the pumpkin to the sauce, and sprinkle with pepper. Allow the sauce to penetrate the pumpkin on very low heat for a few minutes. Alternatively, pour the sauce over the pumpkin and turn the slices a couple of times. Cool
and store in the fridge once cool. Eat at room temperature.

When ready to serve, arrange the slices in a serving dish, remove the old mint (it would have discoloured). Scatter slices of fresh garlic and fresh mint leaves on top and in between the slices.

Baked version

Cut the pumpkin into thicker slices, about 2–3cm (1in).
Sprinkle with salt and place on an oiled baking tray.
Bake the pumpkin and garlic in a 200C (400F) oven (discard the garlic when the pumpkin has cooked).
Make the agro dolce sauce (see the above) in the baking tray instead of a frying pan.

I also add fresh bay leaves – like the look and the taste of it.

The mint must be fresh mint.

Proceed as the recipe above.

PASTA CON SARDE – the baked version, Palermo, Sicily

This is Pasta con le Sarde, the baked version, and a taste of Sicily’s history. It is one of the most iconic Sicilian dishes and consists of bucatini pasta tossed with sardines, wild fennel, pine nuts, saffron, and topped (or encased)  with golden, fried breadcrumbs.

Pasta con le Sarde can be served hot or cold and is visually more impressive when baked into a tummàla, a Sicilian term derived from the Arabic. The Italian name is timballo, from the French timbale, the cooked ingredients are encased in rice, pasta or pastry.  The dry breadcrumbs are used to line and cover the contents in the baking pan, the long bucatini can be coiled around the pan and together with the sardine sauce become the filling.

I’ve cooked this dish many times and it is one of those recipes that tells a tale that begins with Sicily’s layered history and whenever I make this dish, I enjoy telling this story to my guests.

A tale – a Dish Born of Conquest and Creativity

Muslim Arabs took control of North Africa from the Byzantines and Berbers and began their second conquest of Sicily in 827 from Mazara, the closest point to the African coast. By 902 they had fully conquered Sicily. The Muslims were known as Moors by the Christians and by the time of the Crusades, they were also referred to as Saracens.

When the Muslim Arabs conquered Sicily from 827 to 902 AD, they brought with them not just new rulers, but new flavours — saffron, nuts, and dried fruit. Legend has it that when Arab troops first landed on the island, their cook was told to prepare food from whatever could be foraged. The soldiers brought to the cook wild fennel and sardines, plentiful along the Sicilian coast.

The cook combined these local ingredients with his own Arabic exotic ingredients and flavours of Arabs and North Africans – the saffron, dried fruit and the nuts. And so Pasta con le Sarde was born.

To this day, it remains a quintessentially Sicilian dish, especially in Palermo. Its sweet-savoury, sea-meets-land flavour captures Sicily’s unique blend of cultures.

Baked or Fresh Pasta con le Sarde  – The Sicilian ‘Tummàla’

This layered, breadcrumb-crusted bake turns simple pasta into a festive centrepiece. The recipe  with slight variations is also featured in my book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

Wild fennel is seasonal and is not always easy to find so I use fennel bulbs. On this occasion I bought fennel bulbs with the greatest amounts of green fronds, added some ground fennel seeds and a splash of Pernod to enhance the fennel taste.

Wild fennel

If you can get wild fennel, place it into some cold, salted water (enough to cook the pasta) and boil it for 10-15 minutes (it can be left in the water for longer). The green tinged, fennel-flavoured water is used to cook the pasta — it will flavour and colour the pasta. Reserve some of the tender shoots of wild fennel raw to use in the cooking of the sauce.

Drain the cooked fennel and keep the fennel-flavoured water to cook the pasta. Some of the cooked fennel can be added to the pasta sauce.

Traditionally, wild fennel is boiled to make the aromatic water used to cook the pasta. When wild fennel is scarce, bulb fennel makes an excellent substitute. I like to boost the anise flavour with a pinch of ground fennel seeds or a splash of Pernod.

Baked Pasta con le Sarde (Serves 4–6)

I prepare Pasta con le Sarde in sufficient quantities to have some leftovers for baking. This is a particularly useful strategy when I have different guests arriving on two occasions in close proximity. It is especially advantageous around Easter and Christmas when fish is still a preferred dish on Good Friday and Christmas Eve. The leftovers can be reconfigured for the following day.

Ingredients:

  • 500g bucatini
  • 500g fresh sardines (fillets)
  • 1 large fennel bulb with fronds, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground fennel seeds or a dash of Pernod
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 4 anchovies, chopped
  • ¾ cup toasted  pine nuts
  • ¾ cup toasted almonds
  • ¾ cup currants or sultanas (soaked)
  • ½–1 tsp saffron threads (soaked)
  • Salt, black pepper or chilli flakes
  • 100g coarse breadcrumbs, made with day old, quality bread (sourdough/pasta dura), lightly tossed and toasted in oil with a little lemon zest, a little cinnamon, and sugar

Method:

Prepare the fennel and Sardines : Slice the fennel into thin slices and cut fronds finely. Cut about two thirds of the sardine fillets into thick pieces. Reserve whole fillets to go on top and provide visual impact.

Cook the sauce:

In a wide pan, heat olive oil and sauté onion until golden. Add fennel and cook until softened. Stir in pine nuts, almonds, and currants  (drained). oss gently until heated.

Add the sliced sardines, salt and pepper or chili. Cook  for about 5-7 minutes, stirring gently.

Add the anchovies (try to remove any bones if there are any) and as they cook, crush them with back of spoon to dissolve into a paste. Add ground fennel seeds or a splash of Pernod to enhance the fennel taste. Add saffron (and the soaking water) and continue to stir and cook gently.

Fry the whole fillets of sardines in a separate frying pan, keeping them intact. Remove them from the pan and put aside.

The Pasta: Boil bucatini in the fennel water (if using wild fennel) until al dente.
Drain the pasta.

Combine: Toss pasta with the sauce, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and top with fried whole sardine fillets.

Timballo (Baked Version) of Pasta con le Sarde

Method:

Make more breadcrumbs using the quantities above. For a deeper crust, double the quantities. I am not a great lover of using more breadcrumbs as you see in the photos.

Line a baking tin with baking paper or foil to prevent sticking and make lifting easier. Traditionally a round shape is used.

Sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs and layer coiled bucatini, sardine mixture, more pasta, and breadcrumbs. Make the bottom and the top thick layers of breadcrumbs if you wish for a significant crust.

 Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil, cover with foil and bake in preheated 200°C for approximately 20- 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. When the dish is baked, the breadcrumbs form a crust.

 

The result? A fragrant, golden, fragrant dish and centuries of Sicilian history.

 

LINKS:
WILD FENNEL, link with photos

PASTA WITH ANCHOVIES , wild fennel and breadcrumbs recipe

EASTER IN SICILY

LA VIGILIA (Christmas Eve revisited)

A SEAFOOD CHRISTMAS Feast with Fran Kelly; RADIO NATIONAL BREAKFAST PROGRAMME

SAINT JOSEPH’S FEAST DAY (La Festa di San Giuseppe) 19 March

Saint Joseph’s Feast Day (Festa di San Giuseppe) is celebrated in Italy on March 19.

photo-12-e1426641501350 Because Saint Joseph is considered as a symbol of compassion and kindness and because he is the father of Jesus, Father’s Day is ‘Festa del Papa’ is also celebrated in Italy on this day.

The Feast day is celebrated big time in the majority of Sicily. As well as being a symbol of generosity especially to the poor, he is also is associated with harvests. People pray to him so as to have abundant crops; his statue is often used in religious ceremonies (the blessing of the crops) to prevent famine.

The statue on the right is that of Saint Joseph. Saint Anthony is also considered a significant saint in the Catholic Church and he is also often depicted holding the child Jesus.

In many parts of Sicily there are banquets to celebrate the bounty of the harvest (known as La Tavola di San Giuseppe – Saint Joseph’s Table). The main food is a collection of wheat based breads of various shapes and sizes, many sprinkled with seeds (grain and seeds are symbols of life). The food and breads on display were once shared and offered to the poor, now they are shared within the community.

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In some of the villages in Sicily especially in the provinces of Enna, Caltanissetta, Trapani, Agrigento and the Aeolian islands the tradition of setting up an altar-like, multi-tiered table and the religious celebratory ceremony that accompanies this banquet is still practiced by some in varying forms in these communities.

But what may surprise you is that the photos of the Saint Joseph’s table in this post was taken at an exhibition called Donne di Sicilia (Women of Sicily) by Rosetta Pavone. She is a Mebourne -based Artist who was born in Valguarnera, a town in Sicily near Enna. The female members  of all ages of the Valguarnera Social Club in Melbourne prepare the breads and have carried on this significant, cultural tradition which is still undertaken in Melbourne by male and female members.

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The photo below is of Sicilian women in Melbourne making a particular type of Sicilian biscuits (called Scannati) and it is not associated with this event. I am including it in this post because it shows how scissors are used to make that particular pattern on the edges of dough which is often included on the wreath shaped votive breads.

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Rosetta’s exhibition was held in the Kingston Art Gallery Moorabin in 30 October – 20 November 2014. She has also captured on film the women making the bread and the accompanying ceremony where selected members of the club  and a Catholic priest participate. At this ceremony (and as can be seen in her film) the Holy Family is represented by an elderly man, a young woman, and a young male child. There are also twelve men or boys who represent the Apostles (Saints). A priest blesses the food, then the Holy Family is served before the apostles. The attendants viewing the ceremony must wait until family and saints have eaten before participating in the banquet.

In Rosetta’s film the Votive bread was auctioned to the community members to raise funds – I cannot remember if it was for the poor via the Church or the Valguarnera Social club. I am inclined to think that it was for a worthy charitable cause as the Catholic Priest blessed the food and conducted the ceremony.

It seems fitting that the Church also made St Joseph the patron saint of pastry cooks.

Sfinci and Crispeddi di Risu, for the Festa of San Giuseppe (fritters for St Joseph’s Feast Day)

 

 

 

FILETTI DI SARDINE CON VINO E LIMONE (Sardines with wine)

These two recipes for Filetti Di Sardine Con Vino E Limone  –  Sardines With Wine And Lemon  – use the same ingredients but differ in preparation. One recipe involves sautéing the sardines while the other bakes them. I prefer to use cleaned whole sardines when baking.

A close-up of a fish AI-generated content may be incorrect.
I love sardines. Being a small fish they cook quickly and are still considered by some as being exotic.

In both recipes whole fish or fillets can be used. The sardines as fillets (no bones) can be eaten on fresh or toasted bread and makes a good starter. I like to top them with a little harissa when I do this (mixing of cultures here). However, the first time I tried Harissa was in Augusta, Sicily.

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INGREDIENTS
500 g of fresh sardines (whole or fillets), ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon of fresh parsley and ½ tsp of dry oregano, 1-2 cloves of garlic chopped finely, salt and pepper to taste, juice of ½ lemon, ¼ cup white wine.
Instead of using white wine try cooking them with red wine and use red wine vinegar. It alters the taste and colour.

PROCESSES
Sauté sardines in hot extra virgin olive oil, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste, garlic and the herbs. Turn once only. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add lemon and wine and de-glaze the pan. Evaporate a little to form a sauce. Return the sardines to the pan to coat them in the sauce and to reheat.

INGREDIENTS (as above)
I prefer to use whole sardines for the baked version of this recipe. Fillets can also be cooked the same way but will cook more quickly.

PROCESSES
Bake whole sardines 200°C for 25-30.  Bake fillets for 20mins.
Arrange the sardines in a round baking tin that you have coated with the oil. These look very attractive if arranged in a pattern with their heads in the centre and tails radiating out to the edges (like spokes).
Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste, wine and lemon juice,  garlic and the herbs.
Bake and eat when ready.

These too can be accompanied with bread and harissa.

Harissa made with fresh Chillies

HARISSA (A hot chilli condiment)