If you have friends coming over and you want to impress them with a Sicilian aperitivo, all you need is some fresh ingredients and a little help. Don’t worry that’s what our blog is for: here you’ll find our selection of some of fresh and quick typical recipes suitable for the occasion, easy to cook and tasty!
Insalata di patate alla pantesca
Olive cunzate (dressed olives)
300 gr of green olives
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot
3 cloves of garlic
1 little red onion
chili pepper to taste
oregano as required
extra virgin olive oil as required
1 sprig of fresh parsley
Well, this recipe is very easy: just slice and place all the ingredients in a bowl together with the green olives left intact and the extravirgin olive oil for at least two hours before you serve, and that’s it! The scents and flavors will mix together thus giving the olives a special smell and a delicious taste!
Insalata di polipo (octopus salad)
1 big octopus
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot
extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
80 gr of pitted green olives
2 lemons
pepper to taste
1 sprig of fresh parsley
The octopus salad is a light and fresh appetizer, a must of the typical summer dinner in Sicily. The preparation itself is quick and simple, but the real secret for a delicious octopus salad is to properly boil the octopus. To prove its freshness, you must check if it has a vivid and intense color! Ask the fishmonger to clean the octopus for you.
To prepare the salad, start by boiling the water in a big pot, then wash and slice the carrot and the celery and put them in a big bowl together with the pitted olives and a pinch of salt. As soon as the water boils, dip the tentacles of the octopus holding it from the head, then remove them from the boiling water and do it again for 3 or 4 times: this way they will soften and curl; now put the whole octopus in the water, lowering the heat, and cover the pot. Let it cook for about 30-35 minutes. Once cooked, remove the octopus from the pot, then slice it and add it to the ingredients in the bowl. Put olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Finally, let the salad cool down and serve it. Dress with lemon juice.
Milinciani a cotoletta (Eggplant cutlets)
2 Tunisian eggplants (the rounded ones)
Eggs as required
Salt to taste
Breadcrumbs as required
Extra virgin olive oil for frying
Eggplants are one of the most beloved and used ingredients of Sicilian cuisine. This is another simple recipe that you will surely love! Rinse the eggplants and cut them into circular slices about one inch thick. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Dip the slices of eggplant in the beaten eggs and then in the breadcrumbs. Fry them in a pan with hot olive oil until they are golden, then remove them from the pan and lay them on absorbent paper to remove the oil in excess.
Insalata di patate alla pantesca (potato salad of Pantelleria) – serves 4 people
600 gr of potatoes
1 red onion
80 gr of black olives
dry oregano as required
olive oil as required
vinegar to taste
basil to taste
salt and pepper as required
300 gr of Pachino tomatoes
Pantelleria capers to taste
This is another cold dish, typical of the island of Pantelleria, very easy but really appetizing. For the best result, it is mandatory to use original ingredients grown in Sicily, with their unique scents and flavours, such as Pantelleria capers, a true local pride. Wash and boil the potatoes in salted water, then remove them from the water, let them cool down and peel them. Slice them into pieces about 1,5 inch thick. Peel and cut the red onion into very thin slices and let them soak in vinegar for about 30 minutes, then drain them well. Rinse and cut the tomatoes in half. Put the Pantelleria capers in a colander and rinse them thoroughly under cool running water to wash the salt away, then drain them well. Cut the pitted olives in half and gather all the ingredients in a bowl, dressing all with extra virgin olive oil and plenty of oregano, chopped basil, salt, pepper, along with a few drops of vinegar. You can also try a little variation slicing some anchovy and adding them to the salad. A real delicacy!
For the best presentation, we suggest you to accompany the dishes with local bread and to display them in ceramic bowls and plates to follow the true Sicilian style!
If you’re planning to come visit us staying in one of our villas in Sicily you’ll have the chance to try each recipe using the freshest Sicilian ingredients, and have authentic Sicilian home-made dinners during your stay!
