L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 38 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES M y maternal grandparents were born on the shores of Sicily in the little vil- lage of Santo Stefano di Camastra, a sleepy place with stunning views sweeping north across the turquoise blue sea. They braved the ocean voyage to travel to America to escape a life of poverty and brought with them stories that I cherish still to this day. Although poor by any mea- sure here in America, their life was rich with family. Ten chil- dren later, they strived to bring up a large family in the midst of the Depression in a little row house in New Jersey. I recently moved and found a box of old photos from my childhood; pho- tos transporting me back to all the gatherings and picnics with my Mom's siblings. Smiling faces staring into the camera with kids romping in the background; food tucked onto every possible corner of the table. Alongside the photos were a few Sicilian recipes that I had collected over the years, some from family; oth- ers on my trips to Sicily. Many of these recipes are now part of my own kitchen repertoire. Two sauces, in particular, I return to time and time again. The first, an agrodolce sauce, Italian for sweet and sour, is a sauce highlighting Sicily's exotic culinary influences. Variations abound across the island but it is typically made with sugar and vinegar such as red-wine vinegar, cooked down until their flavors melt into a wonderful medley of sweet and sour. Here I have paired it with delicate rolls of eggplant filled with fresh ricotta studded with pine nuts and mint. (Feel free to swap out the pine nuts with other typical Sicilian nuts such as almonds or pista- chios.) The second, a sauce with a difficult to pronounce name, salmoriglio sauce, derived from the word Italian for briny (salam- oia), is a tangy sauce bright with lemon. The sauce is typically a whirl of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and parsley, although the ingredients can vary by village in Sicily. (Be sure to whisk vigor- ously to emulsify the sauce.) Here I have paired it with simply grilled fresh sardines to heighten and brighten the briny goodness of the fish. May these sauces also find their way into your very own kitchen – enjoy! Michele GRILLED SARDINES WITH SALMORIGLIO SAUCE Ingredients: For the salmoriglio sauce: • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil • ¼ cup hot water • Juice of 2 lemons • 1 large clove of garlic, fine- ly minced • 1 teaspoon oregano, dried MICHELE BECCI • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped • Salt and finely ground black pepper to taste • 12 fresh sardines, cleaned • Extra lemons, quartered Directions: In a small bowl, whisk the oil and hot water briskly with a fork. Add in the juice from the lemons, followed by the garlic, oregano and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Prepare a medium hot grill. Spray or wipe the grill with oil. Season the sardines with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. When grill is hot, grill until fish are cooked through and nicely charred, only about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from grill and place on a platter. Drizzle the sauce over the sardines. Serve the extra sauce on the side. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Serve with plenty of extra lemons on the side. RICOTTA INVOLTINI WITH AGRODOLCE SAUCE Ingredients: • 2 large eggplants • Salt • For the agrodolce sauce: • ¼ cup sugar • 1 cup red wine vinegar • ½ cup honey • Dash red pepper • Salt • 8 ounces fresh ricotta • A few handfuls pine nuts, toasted • A few sprigs fresh mint, plus additional for garnish • Freshly ground black pepper Directions: Slice the eggplants into rounds about ½ inch thick. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Allow to drain for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, honey, red pepper and a healthy pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn to low and allow to simmer until the sauce is reduced and thick, almost like caramel, about 30 minutes. (The sauce becomes thicker as it cools so be careful not to allow to become too thick.) Make the ricotta: Mix the ricotta with about 2/3 of the pine nuts. Chop the fresh mint leaves and add to the ricotta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lightly rinse and dry the egg- plant slices. Using an outdoor grill or grill pan, lightly coat with oil. Fry the eggplant slices until soft and browned on both sides, about 5 minutes each. Remove to a platter as you cook them. Take a slice of eggplant and fill with a few spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture. Roll the eggplant and place on a serving platter. Continue until all the eggplant is rolled. Drizzle the eggplant slices with the agrodolce sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts and mint leaves and serve! Joe and Michele Becci are a brother and sister team who love all things Italian. Together, from opposite coasts, they co-author the blog OurItalianTable.com. Ricotta involtini with agrodolce sauce Agrodolce sauce Childhood Memories: Sauces of Sicily THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

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