Too often, in our recent travels to Italy, we have done most of our food shopping in supermarket-style shops - most often, the COOP chain got our business, although in Sicily we used the Simply markets.
It’s sad because we miss out on one of our favorite shopping experiences: the open-air farmers markets. Meat from a macelleria. Bread from a paneficio. Fruits and vegetables from a fruttivendolo. And, of course, fish and seafood from the pescivendolo.
The truth is that some supermarkets do have excellent butchers, fishmongers, and bakers. One-stop shopping may be a time saver, but there is still something seriously lacking in the experience.
Trecastagni, Sicily - half an hour north of Catania in the foothills of Mount Etna - was our home for the week, and also home to a locally-known fish market next door to the supermarket (which didn't sell fish). The motto of Pescheria Benefish is: "Il piacere di mangiare bene tutti i giorni." (The pleasure of eating well every day.)
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| Pescheria Benefish in Trecastagni. |
It made me happy to shop there. And I am happy to eat well every day!
We walked in to find three older men catching up on the day’s news. After exchanging our “buon giornos” and other pleasantries with them, the fish monger - one of the three – asked, across his display of sparkling fish on ice, how he could help us.
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| The fish market in Catania - a spectacular spectacle! |
I told him I needed 16 very thin slices of pesce spada (swordfish) to make involtini.
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| Our wonderful Villa Edera in Trecastagni. |
He looked me up and down and, I am sure, thought, “This American dude has no idea what he is getting in to.” He walked us to the freezer section and took out a tray of pre-prepared involtini di pesce spada.
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| More scenes from Villa Edera, and a cena al aperto... never "al fresco!" |
“No,” I said politely, “I want to make them myself.” His eyes widened and he asked, “Davvero?” Truly? “Si.”
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| A night at the Opera - Bellini's Adelson e Salvini in the Bellini Opera House. |
So he set to slicing. I found myself observing an artist. With his extremely sharp knife and decades of experience, he cut 16 uniformly thin, beautiful slices for me.
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| The Benedictine Monastery. |
While he sliced, we chatted, and his friends joined in to tell us about their favorite fish. We saw many kinds of fish there, even flying fish, as well as squid, octopus, and shrimp. The freshness was astounding - eyes so clear and bright, and no fishy smell at all.
I made the involtini twice while we were in Sicily and tried two different variations on the stuffing. There are countless versions, each with its own merits. But this was my favorite of the two I made. You can find another version on my friend Frank’s site, Memorie di Angelina. (He was in Sicily just before us.)
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| Il Duomo di Catania • Il Cattedrale di Sant'Agata. |
I have also made this post a bit of a showcase for Catania, the first of three cities where we stayed in Sicilia. I hope you enjoy the photos!
~ David
Involtini di Pesce Spada
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
olive oil
24 ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
24 black olives, chopped
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 bunch parsley, minced
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
finely grated zest of two oranges
salt
toothpicks
16 very thin slices swordfish, skin removed
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a skillet and drizzle with oil. Mix well, and place over medium heat, stirring until golden. Remove to a plate and let cool. Set aside.
Mix remaining breadcrumbs with the tomatoes, olives, capers, pine nuts, parsley, red pepper flakes, and orange zest. Drizzle with oil and mix well. You want enough oil so that, when the mixture is squeezed, it holds together in a clump. Set aside.
Set out the swordfish slices and have toothpicks ready. Take a small fistful of the filling - a couple of tablespoons - and squeeze it into a log shape. Place it at the narrow end of a swordfish slice, and then roll it up, and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the other 15 slices of swordfish.
Line a roasting pan with parchment. If there is any leftover filling, spread it over the parchment as a base for the involtini. Place the swordfish rolls in the pan and drizzle lightly with oil. Sprinkle the reserved golden breadcrumbs over the top.
Bake for 13-15 minutes. Serve hot with an arugula salad, and some of the leftover stuffing, if desired.
Serves 8.
Labels: involtini di pesce spada, main course, rolled, Sicilian, sicily, stuffed, swordfish
