During your stay in Relais Briuccia, situated in Montallegro, in Agrigento district, in Sicilia, you can taste the culinary traditions of Agrigento.
Pasta con le sarde e finocchietto selvatico
Pasta with sardines and wild fennel is a typical recipe of Sicilian cuisine. In particular, this dish is related to the town of Palermo, and was born during the Arab domination. Prepare a lightly fry in olive oil with pine nuts and raisins, then add the clean sardines without the bones and the heads. The wild fennel is cooked in boiling water, the same water to cook pasta that absorbs aroma and flavor of fennel. Once drained, the dough is flavored with the mixture with sardines. A Sicilian feature of the recipe is the addition of bread crumb “atturrata”. It is breadcrumbs toasted in a pan and combined with very little oil.
Pasta with sardines and wild fennel photo ilgamberorusso
Minestra di tenerumi, ceci e gamberi
The soup of tenerumi, peas and shrimp prepared with the tenerumi, the sprouts of pumpkins. This type of pumpkin is a climbing pumpkin and can reach large dimensions, its sprouts have leaves with a velvety texture, called tenerumi. The tenerumi soup was a poor dish, made with only the sprouts, or with broken pasta. Like all soups it has many variations. This version with tenerumi, chickpeas and prawns allows us to enjoy a hot meal rich in flavor, traditionally linked to the summer when the sprouts are ready and the shrimp give it all the taste of the sea. The presence of chickpeas also makes the soup thick.
Timballo di maccheroni del Gattopardo
The macaroni timbale of the Gattopardo, described in the famous novel, is also called pie of Monsù, and is linked to the influence of French cuisine in Sicily, when the aristocrats, especially in Palermo, hired French chefs. This timbale of macaroni is a sumptuous and regal dish, also in the appearance, with a crunchy dough to make a casing for a single dish. In addition to the base of macaroni it is made with tomato sauce, minced meat, chicken, mushrooms, peas, ham, butter, marsala, cinnamon, sage and rosemary. A long and elaborate process to prepare all the ingredients and get a dish worth of the best aristocratic tables.
Cous cous with fish and vegetables photo ilbrodetto.wordpress
Cous cous di pesce e verdure
The cous cous with fish and vegetables, or couscous, is a great main dish, very common in the Sicilian cuisine, it comes from the Arab domination. Is prepared with the fish used for soup as redfish, snapper, mullet, bream, shrimp, but also clams, mussels, squid and other fish you like. With the addition of vegetables like zucchini, peas, carrot and celery you can prepare a delicious dish that is perfect for summer. In Sicily there are many variations of cous cous, in the couscous of Trapani for example there are less vegetables and there are ground almonds that give a crunchy texture and a unique taste. In all versions, there are paprika and chili as final touch!
