Page 210 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

208  tr a vellers ’ needs

The Flavours of Sicily

sicilian cuisine is Italy’s most varied and exotic, influenced by the
different settlers who have grown flavourful ingredients in the
lava-enriched soil and hot sunshine. Homer’s Odyssey describes
the island’s bounty of apples, pomegranates and grapes. the
normans brought their way of curing fish with salt and
the spanish imported tomatoes and peppers. But it was the
arabs’ introduction of almonds, aubergines (eggplant), saffron
and sugar cane that defines much of sicilian cooking. arabic
traditions of stuffing vegetables, making sweet pastries and using
rice, couscous and sweet-sour combinations are still used today. Fresh herbs
Southwestern Sicily
many dishes, while the vine-
yards around Marsala produce Inland the traditional fare is
wines that are used in both poultry, meat, offal and game.
savoury dishes and desserts. Liver is often cooked in a
Insalata d’arance – orange sweet-and-sour sauce while
salad – refreshingly combines rabbit or goat is simmered with
oranges, mint and Marsala. vegetables, herbs and spices.
Historically, villages along the Fruits are made into preserves
northwest coast thrived on tuna and pastes, almonds into mar-
fishing, and Mazara del Vallo zipan treats. The speciality in
has one of the Mediterranean’s Agrigento, where there is an
largest deep-sea fishing fleets. almond festival each spring, is a
Local farmer with a basket of freshly Lobster Sardines
made ricotta Tuna Squid
Northwestern Sicily
Cooking in Northwestern Sicily
is often highly spiced, revealing
a strong eastern influence, not
least in the capital, Palermo,
where the food markets have
the feel of Arabian souks.
Blossom and fruits from the
orange and lemon groves of
La Conca d’Oro near Palermo Mussels Clams
perfume the air and feature in Selection of seafood from the clear waters of Sicily’s coastline
Sicilian Dishes and Specialities
Antipasti include carpaccio of tuna or
swordfish; caponata – aubergines
(eggplant) in a rich sweet-and-sour
tomato sauce with capers, olives,
pine nuts and basil; and frittedda
of artichokes, peas and broad (fava)
beans. Arancini are small stuffed, fried
balls of golden risotto rice, named for the
Local figs little oranges they resemble. Fresh ricotta
melds with aubergine and tomato as a sauce
for pasta alla Norma. Seafood and shellfish
are also added to pasta, such as pasta al nero di seppia (with
cuttlefish ink) and pasta con aragosta (with lobster). Sardines, Maccheroncini con le sarde is
squid and mullet are cooked in myriad ways, like calamari in Sicilian macaroni with sard ines,
umido (squid and anchovies in tomato sauce) and triglie allo fennel, pine nuts, raisins,
scoglio (red mullet in a sweet-sour onion sauce). breadcrumbs and saffron.

SC_208-209_Favours.indd 208 18/11/2014 16:26
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
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Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm