Your Four Course Sicilian Meal - Entry #2

Sicily is a sub-region of Italy that is well known for its culturally flavorful past, especially with food. Sicily has been occupied by Roman, Vandal, Byzantine, Islamic, Catalan, and Spanish peoples, just to name a few. This of course, makes Sicilian food a very interesting subject, which is why it is an honor to view this spread of Sicilian recipes, and their history before your very eyes. 

To begin, we will start with an appetizer, or antipasto, which many Sicilians of the past have not always had the pleasure of enjoying. 

Stuffed Mushrooms: Funghi Ripieni

 

Recipe taken from Sicilian Cooking Plus. 

Ingredients: 

• 12 large mushrooms
• 2 oz butter (1/2 stick)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 leek, rinsed and finely chopped
• 4 dry porcini mushrooms, soaked in water (optional)
• 1/2 loaf Italian bread, insides scooped out and soaked in milk
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons toasted pinoli (pine nuts)
• Salt and pepper
• Roasted red pepper, saffron or paprika for garnish

Directions: 

• THE MUSHROOMS
  With a dry cloth, wipe the mushrooms; remove stems, mince them and set aside. Lay mushroom caps in an oiled shallow pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dice the butter and divide it into the mushroom caps.
• THE STUFFING
  Sautee diced leek in the olive oil for about 3 minutes. Drain porcini mushrooms, chop them finely and, with the minced stems, add them to the leeks. Cook for about 5 minutes Squeeze out excess milk from bread and chop small before adding to the mixture. Sautee for 3 minutes. Remove from flame and add the cheese (optional), parsley and pinoli. Salt and pepper to taste.
• THE MAKING
  Stuff the mushroom caps and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Garnish with a piece of roasted red pepper or a sprinkle of saffron or paprika on each cap. 

Origins/History of the Dish:

The idea of eating specially cultivated mushrooms originated from France in the 1800s, but Italians took the idea a step further and decided to try stuffing them in the 18-1900s. This practice was already common with other foods, but stuffed mushrooms were a new concept. Stuffed mushrooms are common in Sicily because they go with anything! They can be consumed as a light snack, or a hold-you-over appetizer. 

Next, we have a soup for you.

Chickpea Soup: Pasta e Ceci

Recipe taken from: An Italian In My Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried chick peas soaked overnight in 5 cups of water garbanzo beans, rinse before cooking (2 cups soaked)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 -2 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 2 carrots (chopped)
• 1 -2 celery stalks (chopped)
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• dash of thyme
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley
• hot pepper flakes to taste
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 4 1/2 cups of water
• 1 cup dried small pasta 

Directions: 

• In a medium pot add olive oil, garlic, carrots, celery, salt, basil, oregano, thyme, hot pepper flakes, tomato puree, water and chick peas. Cook over medium heat till boiling, stirring till all ingredients are combined, once boiling reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally.
•  Cook for approximately 50 to 60 minutes (don't be scared to taste, you must taste, you have to taste for salt and doneness). Once the beans are tender, add another cup of water (depending how soupy you like it you may want to add more water) bring to a boil and immediately add the small pasta (this is where you must taste again for salt) again stirring occasionally (so pasta doesn't stick to the bottom) and cook till al dente (about 5 minutes for small pasta). 
• When done, turn off heat, serve immediately in soup bowls, topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Origins/History of the dish:

This soup is most famous in the district of Messina, Sicily. It originated from Rome, and is very popular as a comforting dish for dreary winter days. The best thing about this soup, is that it can be brought together pretty easily in just one pot. 

And now, we have the main dish. 

Sicilian Pizza: Sfincione

Recipe taken from: Allrecipes

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
•          ¼ cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• ¾ cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ¼ cups bread flour
• ¾ cup soft bread crumbs
• ½ cup olive oil 
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, drained

Directions: 

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bowl. Let stand until dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Stir the cold water and salt into the yeast mixture and gradually stir in flour until the mixture pulls together into dough. Remove dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes, until a smooth tight ball can be formed. Dust the dough with flour and place in a sealed container or resealable bag with plenty of extra room. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and up to 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). This will take a while. Stretch out the dough and press into a large oiled baking sheet. The dough should feel cold to the touch. Use a fork to poke holes all over the dough so that it will rise evenly without having giant bubbles.

Toast the breadcrumbs in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown; set aside. Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, pine nuts and raisins.

To assemble the pizza, arrange anchovy fillets evenly over the dough. Spread the tomato sauce heavily over the entire crust. Sprinkle liberally with toasted bread crumbs and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Allow the dough to rise near the warm oven for about 30 minutes.

Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottom of the crust is golden brown when you lift it up to look. Cut into 12 servings and enjoy.

Origins/History of the dish:

Sfincione is a Sicilian pizza that is known for being cheese-less, having a thick crust, and being cut into squares. Some people refer to it as the Sicilian Christmas pizza, because it was often a Christmas go-to meal. This dish was created by the Monsù people, who prepared food for the Sicilian aristocracy. It was created in around 1650. 

Finally, your dessert. 

Sicilian Cannoli: Cannoli Siciliani

Recipe taken from: Recipes From Italy

• 200 g (7 oz) of “00” flour
• 20 g (0,7 oz) of softened lard or butter
• 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• 1 teaspoon of coffee powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of fine salt
• 1 egg of about 50 g (1,7 oz)
• 35 g (1,2 oz) of icing sugar
• 50 ml of Marsala wine
• plenty of peanut oil (for frying)
• 500 g (18 oz) sheep’s milk ricotta
• 180 g (6 oz) of white sugar
• 60 g (2 oz) of dark chocolate drops
• chopped pistachios, candied fruit and icing sugar for decoration

Directions:

Beat ricotta cheese and 1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Stir in mixed peel and chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Mix flour, Marsala wine, butter, sugar, and vinegar together in a bowl to make cannoli dough. Wrap in plastic wrap; let rest for 30 minutes.

Knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until smooth. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into twenty 4-inch squares. Wrap each square around a metal tubular mold, overlapping ends and dabbing with warm water to seal.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower some cannoli molds into the hot oil; cook until shells are golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining cannoli molds. Cool briefly; twist molds carefully to remove shells. Let shells cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Fill cooled cannoli shells with ricotta filling using a spoon or piping bag. Arrange cannoli on a serving platter. Garnish with pistachios; sprinkle 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar on top.

Origins/History of the Dish:

This dish originated when Sicily was occupied by Arabs, and is a fundamental part of Italian cuisine. You can find cannoli pretty much anywhere, and there are many variations of it. But one thing that doesn't vary, is how delicious it is!

I hope you've enjoyed your taste of Sicily. We have covered several aspects of Sicilian cuisine, and gotten a peak at the amazing cultural impact of many different regions on Sicilian cuisine. Now if only, this delicious food wasn't locked behind a screen...

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