Sicilian Recipes
CAPONATA ALLA SICILIANA
Ingredients:
2 1/4 pounds eggplants
1/2 pound green olives packed in brine, pitted
6 ounces salted capers, rinsed
1 1/4 pounds celery ribs
1 cup tomato sauce (optional)
2/3 pound onions
2/3 pound tomatoes
1/3 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
Basil
3/8 cup pine nuts
Olive oil
Salt
Preparation:
Continuing with the introduction, caponata is much too good to abandon after the summer and is now made year round, in an infinite variety of forms. Some are purely vegetarian, whereas what's made in Palermo can also contain fish.
Begin by stripping the filaments from the celery sticks, then blanch them in lightly salted water for five minutes. Drain them, cut them into bite-size pieces, sauté them in a little oil, and set them aside. Wash the eggplant, dice them, put the pieces in a strainer, sprinkle them liberally with salt, and let them sit for several hours to draw out the bitter juices. While they're sitting, blanch, peel, seed and chop the tomatoes.
Once the eggplant has sat, rinse away the salt and pat the pieces dry. Finely slice the onion and sauté them in olive oil; once they have turned translucent add the capers, pine nuts, olives, and tomatoes. Continue cooking, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the tomatoes are done, about 15 minutes, and then remove the pot from the fire. While the tomatoes are cooking heat a second pot of oil and fry the diced eggplant, in several batches to keep the oil from getting chilled.
When the last batch is done, return the tomato pot to the fire and stir in the eggplant, together with the previously sautéed celery. Cook for several minutes over a low flame, stirring gently, then stir in the vinegar and the sugar; when the vinegar has almost completely evaporated remove the pot from the fire and let it cool.
Serve the caponata cold with a garnish of fresh basil. There will be a lot, but don't worry, because it keeps for several days in the fridge, and I find that it improves with time.
SICILIAN GRILLED MEATBALLS
Ingredients:
2 1/4 pounds (1 k) boned veal or pork, ground.
5 ounces (125 g) pecorino Siciliano (if possible the variety with pepper corns in it, if not a mild Romano), freshly grated
1 cup bread crumbs, moistened in milk and then squeezed dry
3 eggs
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt & pepper
Organically grown lemon or orange leaves, lightly oiled
Wooden toothpicks
Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients except the leaves in a bowl and mix well. Roll the meat mixture into balls a little smaller than a ping pong ball, flatten them slightly, wrap a leaf around each, and hold the leaf in place by sticking it with a toothpick. When you have finished making your meatballs, grill them to taste. Some people also include grated lemon or orange zest or juice (or both) in the filling.
SICILIAN BAKED ARTICHOKES
Ingredients:
12 artichokes
2 ounces (weight; 50 g, or 1/8 pound) onions, minced
1/2 cup (50 g) bread crumbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
A bunch of parsley, minced
6 salted anchovy filets, rinsed and boned
Olive oil, salt, and pepper
Grated pecorino (optional, and purists omit it)
The juice of a lemon
Preparation:
Remove and discard the tough outer leaves of the artichokes, then trim their points, cut the bases off flat, and put them to soak in salted water to which you have added the lemon juice for about an hour; while they're soaking trim away the ridged "bark" of the stems, cut them into inch-long pieces, and add them to the artichokes.
Mince the other ingredients that need it, and combine them all in a bowl, seasoning the filling to taste with salt.
Drain the artichokes, spread the petals with your fingers, and slip the filling between the petals with the aid of a spoon. Set the stuffed artichokes in a pan, put the pieces of stem between them, drizzle well with olive oil, and add enough cold water to reach half way up the artichokes.
Dust with more salt and pepper to taste, set the pan over a medium flame, and simmer the artichokes for about an hour, adding a little more water to the pan if need be to keep them fromdryingout.
SICILIAN ORANGE SALAD
Ingredients:
6 oranges
A small bunch of parsley
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Use oranges that aren't overly ripe, and thus are tart rather than sugary. You'll need about 6, together with some minced parsley, olive oil, and freshly ground pepper. Peel the oranges and slice them finely, dust them with minced parsley, drizzle a little olive oil over them, and season them to taste with freshly ground black pepper. This salad is the perfect accompaniment to a roast, especially pork.
SICILIAN CHEESE PIE
Ingredients:
About 1 4/5 pounds (800 g) freshly risen bread dough (either make your own or buy it from your baker)
1/2 pound (250 g) mild Caciocavallo or Provolone, cut into thin strips
1/4 pound (100 g) very fresh rendered lard
3 ounces (75 g) salted anchovy filets, rinsed and boned
3 ripe plum tomatoes, blached, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips
An onion, thinly sliced
10 black olives, pitted
Salt and pepper to taste
A 10-inch (25 cm) diameter cake or pie pan
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 380 F (190 C). Briefly knead the dough and divide it into two pieces, one somewhat larger than the other. Roll the larger one out and use it to line the pan. Lay the strips of cheese over the dough, followed by the tomatoes, anchovies, and olives. Lay the sliced onion over all, dot it with half the lard, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Roll out the second piece of dough and use it to cover the pie, tamping down the edges with a fork so they stick. Dot the top of the pie with the remaining lard, make a few holes in the crust with a fork to let the steam escape, and bake the scacciata for about 40 minutes. Serve it hot.
Buon appetito!
