One of the true joys of travelling is getting a real taste for a place, and for me the challenge is always how to recreate that at home. I was back in New Zealand just two days before I was in the kitchen trying to see if I could recreate these three dishes we enjoyed regularly in Sicily and often in contrasting locations, be it a white table clothed restaurant or on the street in a bustling market. For me that was one of the pleasures of Sicilian food, the complete lack of snobbery, instead relishing history and tradition and the ability to make something delicious out of very simple ingredients.
Sfincione
I can probably sum sfincione up as love at first bite. On our first night in Palermo, we had dinner in a private palazzo that had been lovingly restored. Here, in what was the original kitchen, we were introduced to the world of Sicilian wines, but I could have been a little distracted after biting into the soft pillowy sfincione.
I had read about sfincione, which had been described as Sicilian pizza or a focaccia-like bread with thick tomato topping, neither of which descriptions does justice to this dish. The specimen we devoured on that first night was by far the best, with its sponge-like texture, crispy bottom, and perfectly balanced tomato topping.
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
1½ cups luke warm water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups high grade flour
Topping
2–4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried oregano or 2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 400g tin of cherry tomatoes (you can use chopped but I like the sweetness of the cherry ones)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
¼ cup water
In a large bowl mix together the sugar, salt, yeast, and water. Allow to sit for five minutes before mixing in 2 tbsp. of the olive oil and flour. Once thoroughly mixed, cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 24–48 hours.
Make the tomato sauce ahead of time and chill so it is ready when the bread has fermented. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot and sauté the onion, garlic and oregano over a low heat. When the onions are soft add the tinned tomatoes, salt, and sugar. Use the ¼ cup of water to swish out the remains in the tomato tin and add this in. Stir and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Check and adjust the seasoning to taste before pureeing to thick sauce.
Coat the bottom of a 30cm x 20cm cm baking dish with the remaining olive oil. Spread the dough into the pan and allow it to rise again in a warm place for around an hour.
Place a pizza stone in your oven and turn it up as high as it goes.
Carefully spread the tomato sauce on top.
Turn the oven down to 230°C and place the pan on the pizza stone to bake for 30–35 minutes.
Caponata
Serve it with pasta, on its own, or as part of a charcuterie board; in Sicily caponata goes with everything. I think breakfast time was the only time we weren’t served this sweet and sour eggplant dish. Every restaurant and nona has their own recipe, resulting in different degrees of sweetness. After asking almost everyone for their recipe, we learnt that the secret to the soft unctuous eggplant was to fry them. While not adverse to some deep-frying, I found that a generous drizzle of olive oil and baking them works just as well.
2 eggplants
1 red capsicum (optional)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt
2 celery stalks
1 onion
⅓ cup Sicilian olives
¼ cup capers
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 400g tin of chopped or cherry tomatoes
¼ cup water
2 tbsp sugar
⅓ cup white wine vinegar
fresh mint and sliced almonds to garnish
Chop the eggplants and capsicum (if adding) into 2cm cubes. Toss with all but 2 tbsp of the olive oil and season with a little salt. Place on an oven tray and bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant is very soft.
While the eggplant is cooking bring a large pot of water to boil. Chop the celery into 1cm pieces and then add to the boiling water. Cook for 3–4 minutes then add the olives and capers. Cook for another minute before straining.
Peel and chop the onion into similar size pieces as the celery. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onion, and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Add the blanched celery, olives, and capers and continue to cook for a few more minutes or until the onion is translucent. If it begins to brown turn down the heat.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute before adding the tinned tomatoes. Fill the tomato tin with ¼ cup of water and then add this to the pan too. Allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes before adding the sugar and vinegar. Stir and taste, adjusting the seasoning to taste.
Simmer for another 5 minutes before adding the cooked eggplant and capsicum.
Serve hot, warm, or cold garnished with fresh mint and some sliced almonds.
Panelle
So many of the dishes that stood out were ridiculously simple, and panelle was a great example of this. We enjoyed it freshly fried standing in the bustling market of Palermo as well as while sipping expensive cocktails admiring the view in a swanky hotel in Taormina.
Similar to the French socca, this chickpea fritter is moreishly addictive!
This recipe is based on the one from Sicilia: The Cooking of Casa Planeta.
2½ cups chickpea flour (available from Vetro, Bare Refillery, and The Herbal Dispensary)
3 cups water
salt and pepper
neutral oil for frying
In a medium sized pot place the chickpea flour and whisk in the water, trying to avoid getting lumps. Season with the salt and pepper then heat, bringing the water to a simmer. Stir continuously with a combination of the whisk (to remove lumps) and a spatula (to stop the mixture catching and burning).
When the mixture has thickened and is pulling away from the sides, take off the heat.
Spread onto a lined baking tray. Ideally you want it to be around ½cm thick. Allow to cool and set in the fridge.
Once set, cut the mixture into the desired shape and, in batches, deep fry at around 180°C until golden. Drain on paper towels, season with flaky sea salt, and serve while still warm with a glass of Sicilian Chardonnay, dry sparkling wine, or an ice cold lager.
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