Fried pumpkin flowers

Under the warm sun of Sicily, from March to August, blossom the pumpkin flowers, beautiful to see and equally good to eat. Below I propose you a typical dish of the Sicilian cuisine, very simple to make, which exalts their delicious flavor. To prepare it for the best I recommend using fresh pumpkin flowers and strictly extra virgin olive oil. Of this fast plate there is also a more delicious variation, made by the housewives of the island, which includes a filling of chopped mozzarella or mozzarella and anchovy fillets. I will show you both, your palate will suggest to you what to cook. In any case, you will not regret your choice.

After buying the pumpkin flowers, preferably choose the ones still closed, deprive of the stems and pins and wash them gently under cold water. Take care to open them and clean them with water even inside. With the same delicacy, wipe them with a cloth. Now start preparing the mixture for the batter. In a large bowl pour durum wheat flour and 00 flour, beer and salt. Mix everything well, until the texture of the batter is sufficiently liquid.

Now place a large frying pan on the fire, pour oil and heat it. One at a time, put the flowers in the batter and bake them well on both sides. Drain the excess of batter and put them in the pan with  the hot oil. When the flowers are golden, gently wrap them over the other side and when they will be ready remove them from the frying pan and put on a platter lined with absorbent paper to catch the excess oil.

If you want to prepare the version with the filling inside, after washing and drying the flowers, open them carefully and introduce a cube of mozzarella and, if you like, also an anchovy fillet. I suggest you to serve the flowers  still hot and accompany them with a good glass of fruity white wine, firm or slightly sparkling. Ideal for a lunch with your own vegetarian friends and if you prepare them in the non-filling version for vegan ones too.



Doses for four people:

- 16 fresh pumpkin flowers
- 50 grams/2 oz of durum wheat flour
- 50 grams/2 oz of 00 flour
- 150 ml/ 1/2 cup of blonde beer
- 1 mozzarella chopped into cube (if you prefer a more intense taste you can use tuma or provola cheese)
- 16 anchovies in oil:
- 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons of salt


We recommend for your shopping:

http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/vini-e-spumanti.html

"Sciusceddu"

As during all holidays, Sicilian tables are a riot of flavors and beauty for the palate and the sight of everyone, young and old, even on Happy Easter. Among the principal dishes of the period, there is the "sciusceddu" a recipe prepared throughout the island but whose origins are strictly of Messina.

About this rich soufflé, based on meatballs, ricotta and broth, there are several variants that affect the method of preparation and ingredients, but I propose the city of the Strait housewives's recipe, where it is prepared, in particular, the Easter Sunday. Typical of the Messina area is, for example, the cheese used for the dish: the Maiorchino, a ewe's cheese of the area of ​​Peloritani mountains. Even of the name "sciusceddu" exist variants: "ciusceddu" or "trusceddu", which however must be traced to, according to various interpretations, the Latin word "juscellum", which means soup, or the Sicilian verb "ciusciare" or the French "souffler", both meaning blow.

Start by preparing a beef broth. Pour into a saucepan 1 litre of water and add the pieces of meat, tomato, onion, celery and carrots. Simmer until all the broth will not be well thickened. Now prepare the dough for the meatballs. In a generous bowl pour the minced meat, finely chopped parsley, minced garlic thin, breadcrumbs, grated cheese (150 grams) and 3 eggs. Knead the dough with your hands to form the balls slightly larger than an olive. When you are done, strain the broth and add, instead, the meatballs, leaving them to cook for about 5 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the cream that will cover them. Open the eggs (6) and separate albumen and yolks. In a bowl pour the ricotta with the remaining cheese (150 grams), yolks, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix together the ingredients. Now whip the egg whites, then pour over gently othe ricotta and mix well together with movements from the bottom up.

Arrange on the bottom of a baking tray with high sides the meatballs with the broth, then spread on the cream prepared with ricotta. Bake the whole at 200 degrees and let it cook until the surface will form a golden crust. Shortly before leaving the baking tray from the oven, I suggest you sprinkle with other cheese and finish cooking. Serve hot.




I suggest you serve the "sciusceddu" accompanied by a good white wine with a dry taste. If you prefer more delicate flavors, you can prepare the broth without the meat and use the Parmesan cheese instead of ewe's cheese.


Doses for 6 people:

1 kilogram of veal cut into pieces to prepare the broth
600 grams of minced beef or veal
800 grams of fresh ewe's ricotta
9 eggs (3 for the mixture for the meatballs and 6 for the cream with the ricotta)
300 grams of Maiorchino cheese or, alternatively, another ewe's cheese
100 grams of bread crumbs
2 carrots
1 celery
1 onion
1 ripe tomato
a thinly sliced bunch of ​​fresh parsley
1 very thin chopped garlic clove (the garlic is optional)
1 and a half tablespoon of salt
2 teaspoon of pepper
the tip of a teaspoon nutmeg