Ready for a virtual journey through the maze of Christmas in Sicily in the name of traditional Sicilian recipes and food customs that you absolutely must know? If you love the island and its cuisine , you will know that it is full of delicacies all year round, but between biscuits, sfinci and buccellati (just to mention the desserts), the typical Sicilian Christmas recipes make the period even more awaited (and yes even tastier).
Sicilian Christmas menu, recipes from appetizers to desserts
Anyone who lives in the South or has personally experienced the abundance of festive lunches and dinners knows that Christmas is no exception. It always seems to Sicilian mothers that they have not prepared anything and to the 10 agreed courses, they will always add at least 5 more, trust me. That of the end of the Sicilian Christmas lunch at 6 in the afternoon is not a legend.
But, returning to us, here are the recipes of the Sicilian Christmas tradition for a typical menu to remember. What do you eat at Christmas in Sicily ? Here you are satisfied.
Sicilian Christmas appetizers: not just fried
Let's start, of course, with the Christmas appetizers . The Sicilian ones are often fried. Fried are, in fact, the aubergine caponata – which finds space on the table all year round – the sfinci of cod (typical above all in the area between Catania and Syracuse), the crispelle with anciova (or anchovies) and/or ricotta , the panelle and crocché (which, on the other hand, take us straight to Palermo and its province). There is never a shortage of typical cured meats and cheeses , pickles and oil preserves prepared with absolute dedication during the summer to then be enjoyed in winter like dried tomatoes and stuffed peppers. Even the sea makes its appearance on festive tables . The Christmas appetizers based on fish are: raw marinated anchovies (which can also be counted among the Sicilian recipes for Christmas Eve ) and boiled octopus in salad. Let's not forget two other representatives of Sicilian street food , the scacce from Catania and the sfincione from Palermo: the first thin and stuffed focaccia, the second thick and soft.
What are the first Sicilian Christmas dishes
More often than not it is baked pasta , timbales of pasta or rice, lasagna, in short, rich and caloric Christmas first courses that best interpret the festive feeling. Particularly known is the timbale of anelletti alla palermitana , which is made with the homonymous pasta shape seasoned with meat sauce, fried aubergines, cheese, hard-boiled eggs and much more. Even the "ncaciata" pasta - made famous by the beloved commissioner Montalbano - meets these requirements (this one has its origins in the Messina area). Pasta cacata (excuse the French) is instead typical of Ragusa, and includes a first course of pasta cooked in the oven topped with meat sauce and ricotta. In the same vein there is, again, the pasticcio di Noto , a unique super tempting dish made up of a leavened dough shell containing a well-seasoned baked pasta inside. What better occasion to include it in the Sicilian Christmas cuisine ? If you prefer fish, however, you can always enjoy pasta with sardines.
Sicilian Christmas second courses, recipes for all tastes
It doesn't matter whether you are more of a fish or meat type, the recipes of Sicilian Christmas main courses satisfy all tastes. Let's start with the second. False magro is based on meat, a sort of huge roll whose wrapper is made up of a thin slice stuffed with everything and more. The meat chops are smaller, always rolls but in a mini version, of which there are several variations: stuffed with a mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan and oil ; of cheese and ham, or pistachio (to try!). Then there is the kid in the oven with potatoes, which is not only cooked at Easter. On the other hand, the swordfish rolls are based on fish which, although not specifically part of the Sicilian recipes for Christmas , are enjoyed with pleasure even on this occasion. And what about the beccafico sardines? Delight the palate with their semi-sweet filling. Stocco alla ghiotta deserves a mention: it is often part of the Sicilian Christmas Eve dinner menu.
Sicilian Christmas side dishes
The side dishes also deserve a mention : had you forgotten them? Between broccoli arriminati, cooked in a pan with raisins, pine nuts and saffron; baked potatoes, which go well with any second course and never go out of style and the orange, olive and fennel salad , classic with a fresh flavour, there's nothing to complain about.
Sicilian Christmas sweets, the typical recipes not to be missed
But let's get to the most awaited part, the one that concerns desserts. Shall we start with the Sicilian Christmas cookies ? The typical ones are Ragusan nucatoli , shaped like an S and with an opening from which you can see the filling made with almonds , dried figs and much more; the 'mpanatigghi from Modica, also known as "biscuits with meat", and the mostaccioli , biscuits flavored with orange peel and honey. What stands out, however, is the recipe for buccellato, the Sicilian Christmas dessert par excellence. It looks like a large donut of shortcrust pastry filled with dried and dehydrated fruit, candied fruit, pumpkin and chocolate and is festively decorated. Obviously we do not delve into cassata, baked cassata and cannoli filled with ricotta , desserts that can be enjoyed all year round, including 25 December.
Well, this is the Sicilian Christmas menu . Did we forget something? Write it to us in the comments.
