In the area of Palermo and in the western part, it is called “arancina” in the feminine, while in the eastern part, around Catania (where, moreover, the arancini have a conical shape reminiscent of that of Etna) it is called “arancino”.

The most popular arancini in Sicily are the meat one (with meat sauce, peas and carrots) and the abburro one (with mozzarella, ham and béchamel).

The origins of the arancino date back to the late nineteenth century, a period in which it was eaten during lunch by farmers who worked the flourishing and warm land of Sicilian citrus groves. 

Tradition has it that the arancino takes inspiration from the ancient Arab custom of eating rice and saffron seasoned with meat and herbs. The crispy breading, on the other hand, is traced back to Frederick II: the breading in fact made it possible to make the rice easily transportable, and thus make the arancino the perfect food to take with you on hunting trips.

Preparation:

To prepare perfect arancini, first prepare the rice: heat the broth in a saucepan and add the saffron.

When the broth is boiling, add the rice and cook over medium heat until the broth is completely absorbed.

Let the rice rest, putting it in a very large pan and add the butter and Parmesan cheese and mix well.

Then prepare the filling to taste and assemble the arancini.

Put a little rice in the palm of your hand, a tablespoon of filling, a cube of mozzarella and close with more rice.

Form meatballs, dip them in flour then in egg and finally in breadcrumbs. 

Fry in plenty of oil and serve hot.

L'articolo Sicilian Arancini  proviene da ViaggidiMatt.

Cannoli are one of the typical desserts of Sicilian cuisine. Cannoli are made from a crispy, fragrant waffle that is fried in abandoning, boiling peanut oil. The wafer, once well fried and golden, is filled with a delicate cream made from fresh sheep’s milk ricotta and sugar. Once filled, tradition has it that the cannoli are decorated with different ingredients including candied fruit, pistachio grains, chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips.

Ricotta is the central part of the cannoli and in Sicily two types of ricottas are used: sheep’s milk ricotta and cow’s ricotta.

In most of Sicily there are cannoli with sheep’s milk ricotta (Palermo, Catania, Messina), while in the Ragusa area there are only cannoli with ricotta from cows in the Hyblaean Mountains.

Another classic of Sicilian pastry, but specifically from Palermo, is the cassata. The cassata is made up of a sponge cake base filled with ricotta with chocolate, all covered with icing and candied fruit.

Almond paste, also known as royal paste, is a traditional Sicilian recipe: a basic pastry dough used to prepare almond pastries, small pastries decorated with dried or candied fruit typical of the Christmas period, martorana fruit and pizzicotti. Unlike marzipan, another well-known Sicilian dessert made with almonds, almond paste has a grainier texture because it is prepared with chopped whole almonds, but at the same time it is moist and crumbly.

The martorana fruit is a typical Sicilian dessert, it is real reproductions of fruits made with Sicilian almond paste and colored by hand.

L'articolo Sicilian pastry proviene da ViaggidiMatt.

A classic Palermo dish is Panelle and crocchè. The panelle are thin slices of fried chickpea flour, while the croquettes are made of potatoes and always fried.

Another classic street food is pani ca meusa (spleen sandwich). It is a sandwich, round and covered with sesame seeds, stuffed with boiled veal spleen and lung and then passed in a fryer.

Another typical specialty of Palermo gastronomy is the sfincione pizza. The sfincione is a kind of pizza with a very soft and porous dough that can be seasoned with tomato sauce, caciocavallo, pecorino cheese, anchovies, onion, oil and oregano. 

Another typical recipe is caponata. A dish that embodies the authentic culinary tradition of the island, it offers a perfect combination of fresh and local ingredients: eggplant, zucchini, peppers, celery, extra virgin olive oil, onions, capers, peeled tomatoes and black olives. To make caponata, the vegetables are cleaned and diced, which are then sautéed in a pan with extra virgin olive oil. The onion is thinly chopped and sautéed, and then the previously sautéed vegetables are added along with desalted capers, peeled tomatoes and black olives. After a slow cooking of about 15 minutes, the caponata is ready to be served, seasoned with salt and pepper.

L'articolo Palermo gastronomic tradition  proviene da ViaggidiMatt.