Sicily is renowned for its food and for its contribution to Italian cuisine. We did a cooking class to learn from a native Sicilian, Deborah.
All the ingredients were ready for us.
Deborah even supplied aprons for us.
The food we cooked was simple, traditional and using excellent ingredients.
Pasta alla Norma is a dish that resembles Mt Etna. The heap of pasta is the mountain, the red tomato sauce is the lava, the eggplant with black skin the ash and the grated salted ricotta the snow on top.
The tomato sauce was made from sweet, thin-skinned tomatoes. Picalilli and another, local variety. They were chopped and placed in a mixing machine that heated them to 100°. They cooked slowly for an hour or so while we got on with the rest. Eggplants were cut lengthwise into 8mm thick slices, then placed into a bowl of salted water for half an hour to draw out the bitterness.
They were then dried and deep fried in sunflower oil. No temperature given; use the sizzle test instead.
The pepperoni alla Siciliana was one of my favourites. A big handful of basil and a quarter as much of mint were finely chopped and mixed with a crushed half clove of garlic, fine dry breadcrumbs (half the mix in proportion) and a tablespoon of chopped toasted almonds were scattered over batons of red capsicum in a baking dish then roasted. Half way through they were stirred up and some apple vinegar splashed over (very good white wine vinegar is ok too). Then they were cooked through till soft, moist and crunchy. So yum!
For the meatballs a soft bread roll was soaked in milk and crumbled, then mixed through the mince with an egg. Add grated lemon rind, salt, pepper, ginger powder, nutmeg (half tap of each) and finely chopped parsley. They were mixed, rolled into walnut-sized balls and coated with flour. After the eggplant had been deep fried, the meatballs were browned in the remaining oil that reached halfway up their sides. They were not left to cook through though. A mix of lemon juice, white wine and cornflour was made up, another pan was coated lightly with olive oil and the drained meatballs were put in with the lemon/wine mix to cook, covered, for about 20 minutes.
Jim and I were sat at a lovely table and given antipasto and glorious ruby-red wine.
The pasta alla Norma was served and it was delicious. Each ingredient was perfect and matched the rest.
I’d eaten half before remembering to photograph it.
Then the second course came out; the pepperoni, meatballs and a bonus parmigiana that we’d assembled from leftover sauce, eggplant, sliced hard boiled eggs and grated Parmesan cheese.
To finish off we were served a tiny palate cleanser (cold, yet not frozen) sorbet of orange juice and mint, set with cornflour. We rolled back to our accommodation replete and happy.
Deborah’s house was fabulous. She takes guests too, and I’d have liked to stay there.
I deliberately wore loose clothes for this activity.
Lindathestar 