t s a e ! n a i l i Sic Sicilian cooking is all about using simple, fresh ingredients to create beautiful, flavoursome dishes. Food Editor Emma Winterschladen travelled to Taormina in Sicily and learned how to cook the real Sicilian way. From homemade pasta to traditional aubergine stew, she shares her take on these time-tested Sicilian classics.
Caponata: sweet and sour Sicilian stew Serves 2 6 large vine tomatoes 100ml light olive oil Handful fresh basil 2 Natoora Italian round aubergines* 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 small white onion, diced 3 garlic cloves 3 tbsp vinegar (white wine or balsamic) 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 handful green olives, pitted and halved 1-2 tbsp salted capers Handful of fresh parsley to serve l l l l
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*If you can’t find round aubergines, swap for 2 large normal aubergines instead.
Stuffed globe artichokes with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic and olive oil Serves 2 4 artichokes 2 slices of wholemeal bread 100g Parmesan cheese, finely grated 1 lemon 5 cloves of garlic, minced 50ml extra virgin olive oil Handful of fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped Sea salt and cracked black pepper
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1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Carefully cut off artichoke stems to create a flat bottom (a serrated knife is best for this). Cut the top third off each artichoke and pull off the tough outer leaves. Place each artichoke on to a mediumdepth baking tray. Open out the leaves on each artichoke to make room for the stuffing. 2 Whizz up the bread in a food processor or NutriBullet until you have coarse breadcrumbs, then add them into a bowl with the
Parmesan, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Stuff each artichoke with the breadcrumb mixture, working it down between the leaves. Squeeze the lemon over each artichoke and drizzle with a generous glug of olive oil. 3 Pour boiling water around the artichokes, so an inch is covered. Oil a sheet of aluminium foil and cover the artichokes, moulding the foil securely around each one. Bake for around 45 minutes with the foil on, until the base of each artichoke is tender. Remove the tin foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the artichokes and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and golden brown. 4 To eat the artichoke, open out the leaves like a lotus flower and pull off a leaf at a time, scraping the juicy flesh off with your teeth and picking up the stuffing as you go. Once you have eaten all of the leaves, cut the heart of the artichoke into chunks and eat with the remaining stuffing on the plate.
Heat up the olive oil in a medium-deep saucepan, leaving approx 10ml to add in later. When oil 1 Cross cut the large tomatoes is sizzling add in the aubergine and simmer for 5 minutes in a and celery. Sauté for 12 minutes pan of water. Drain the tomatoes until both have turned golden. and cool before carefully peeling, 3 Add the remaining olive oil to discarding the skin. In the same the pan and sauté the garlic and pan, heat up 1 tsp of olive oil onion for a further few minutes, from your 100ml, and add the before adding in the vinegar, tomatoes back in, with 4 fresh sugar, olives, capers and tomato basil leaves, sea salt and half a sauce made previously. Season glass of water. Simmer gently well with salt and pepper. Let it for 10 minutes. all simmer on a medium heat for 2 Cut the aubergine into medium- 15 minutes before serving with sized cubes (approx 2cm). fresh parsley and crusty bread. 49
Serves 2 For the pesto 150g pistachios 120ml olive oil of choice 4-5 leaves fresh basil 30g Parmesan 1-2 clove of garlic ½ lemon, juice and zest Salt and pepper
the salt in tepid water in a jug. Into a large bowl, add the flour and pour in the salted water. Mix with a fork until it just comes together and then start to knead by hand (or use a dough hook, which will take less time) for 10-15 minutes until you have a smooth Blend all the ingredients dough. If you prefer, you can together in a food processor, turn out the dough on to a adding more olive oil to loosen floured surface to knead. the mixture if necessary. 2 Shape the dough into a block and place back into the For the pasta bowl (if you have taken it out), 250g durum flour then cover with a damp cloth. 125ml water (30°C/85°F temp) Let it rest for at least 2 hours. 1 tsp salt 3 To check if it’s ready to use, press your thumb firmly into To serve the dough and the imprint 70g ricotta cheese should not start to spring l
Pan-fried seabass with chilli, olives and caramelised lemons Serves 2 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ½ lemon, thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 large red chilli 2 salad onions 1 tbsp salted capers Handful of green olives 1 bay leaf 150g cherry tomatoes, halved Glug of red wine 2 seabass fillets Handful of fresh parsley, chopped l l l l l l l l l l l l
1 To make the pasta, dissolve
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back. When rolling the pasta, work on a cool, floured surface and keep the dough you’re not using covered with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out. 4 Roll the pasta out thinly. If it’s sticky let it dry for 5-10 minutes. Using a sharp knife and a straight edge, cut 1cm strips out of the dough. You can experiment with different shapes of pasta, just try not to work the dough too much. 5 To cook the pasta, boil some salted water and put the pasta in for a few minutes until it’s cooked through. Mix the pistachio pesto through the freshly cooked tagliatelle and crumble over the ricotta cheese.
With thanks to our friends at Ristorante Nettuno da Siciliano in Taormina for sharing their secrets and expertise in cooking real Sicilian food.
Fresh pistachio pesto with homemade tagliatelle pasta and ricotta cheese
1 Heat the extra virgin olive oil
in a pan, and add in the lemon slices, cooking them until they start to caramelise and turn golden. Add in the chopped garlic, whole salad onions and whole red chilli and let them sauté for a further 5 minutes. Now add in the capers, olives, bay leaf and cherry tomatoes, followed by a glug of red wine. Bring it up to the boil and add in half a cup of water. 2 Place the sea bass in the juices, lower the heat and cook for 8 minutes until the fish is tender. 3 Take out the salad onions and red chilli, and chop thinly, before adding them back into the pan. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve and scatter with fresh parsley.
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