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Sicily |
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Sicily. Marsala, the wine region
“Trinacria” or “a three cornered island” is the ancient and very appropriate name for Sicily. It is the largest island in the
Mediterranean, surrounded by three different seas: Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and the Mediterranean.
The fascinating thing about Sicily is that it's not really one place, but many. Its diversity is striking. For 2000 years different rulers have
dominated it: from the Greeks and Romans, the Byzantines and Arabs, to the Normans and the Spanish, creating a mixture of roots, dialects, cuisine,
and architecture. In one place one can witness Greek temples, Roman settlements, unique Norman-Arab, Byzantine, and early Gothic churches, medieval
castles, Baroque mansions, and even a Chinese Revival villa built in the first years of the nineteenth century.
There’s plenty to do and see in Sicily: sailing the coastline and the islands, fishing and diving, hiking up Mount Etna, the largest active volcano
in Europe, or bearing witness to the harvesting of salt in Trapani. A region of Sicily, which is home to some of Europe's oldest salt marshes, dates
back to the time of the Greeks and Romans and flourishes to this day. ¬The only experience you shouldn’t miss for sure is Marsala, the region known
for its fine grapes and world famous fortified Italian wine. Sicilian rocky soil happens to be ideal for wine production: rocks absorb heat throughout
the day and release it slowly at night. Marsala wine is recognized for its golden brown color and sweet, nutty flavor and is produced in three
different colors - Oro (golden), Ambra (amber) and Rubino (ruby).
Marsala wine is used in cooking of both sweet and savory dishes like the popular ‘veal and mushroom marsala’ or like our ‘Inspired by Travel’
recipe of ‘warm chicken liver pan-fired with marsala wine and grapes’, an intriguing combination of meaty chicken liver and sweetness of wine
and grape. This is a superb starter or salad dish when served with leafy greens.
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Chicken liver in Marsala wine
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Ingredients:
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1 lb. chicken liver
8 slices of white bread cut into squares
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds, few dried cage leaves, few small bay leaves, a clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of flour
¼ cup Marsala sweet wine
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
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Cooking:
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1. In mortar crush fennel seeds, dried sage leaves, garlic, salt, and pepper.
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2. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken liver. Add olive oil to the remaining mixture and preserve it for later.
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3. Dust chicken liver with flour. |
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4. Heat olive oil and pan fry chicken liver pieces until they are golden brown. |
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5. Add Marsala wine and cook until wine is almost evaporated. |
6. When chicken liver is almost cooked, set them on a wooden stick:
one piece of liver, then piece of white bread. Arrange them as kebabs. |
7. Sprinkle kebabs with the remaining mixture of herbs soaked in olive oil. |
8. Put kebabs into the oven to grill for 3-4 min until bread is crispy and chicken liver starts sizzling |
9. Arrange dry sage or other dry herbs on a plate. Serve warm.
Sweet Marsala wine is a good pairing to this recipe. |
Sweet Marsala wine is a good pairing to this recipe. |
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