On the Search for Sicilian Olive Oil

During her time in Sicily, Carine was on the hunt for first-rate local produce, but found it was more difficult than she had initially suspected. With little to no Italian, and their Air BnB host being their only point of contact, Carine and her family set out to forage for themselves and were lucky enough to come across Oro del Castello.

After hopelessly scouring the supermarket shelves for locally-produced olive oil, Carine – with husband and daughter in tow – decided to try driving through the area their host had vaguely designated as “the place where they make olive oil”. Miraculously, she spotted a small sign out of the corner of her eye and, after following it, they found themselves at a tiny olive oil farm, in the middle of nowhere in rural Sicily.

The first people they saw when they arrived were a couple who – thankfully – spoke both English and Italian, and who kindly agreed to play translator for the afternoon. They lived a few towns over, and came to the farm a couple of times a year to stock up on olive oil, saying it was such good quality that it is hard to find anything equally good closer to home. A strong start!

The farm is owned – and exclusively run – Antonino Cannata and his wife, a couple in their 80s. Their award-winning olive oil is the result of a lifetime of passion and hard work – a fine legacy if only it could be kept up. The couple has no children, and in Sicily times are hard for the independent local producer, with the government pushing for imported olive oil to take its place on the supermarket shelves. “In the supermarket, they had olive oil coming from everywhere in Italy, but not from Sicily, and they were brands you can buy here, like Bertolli!”

Carine was shocked, but the couple told her it had been like this for some time. “He mentioned that they put signs up so many times to show where to find them and the sign would always be removed.” Sicilian olive oil may be excellent quality, but it is expensive in a time where Sicilian unemployment is skyrocketing, and North African olive oil is cheaper than ever.

 

Agriculture has been the cornerstone of Sicily’s economy for centuries, but nowadays young people are turning away from this unglamorous way of life, and farms such as this are becoming increasingly rare. This, for Carine, is one of the reasons why it is so important to support local producers while you are travelling, rather than rely upon what is familiar and easy to come by.

“Although their oil is a bit expensive, we bought lots! It’s definitely a good oil and was still a really good price for what we got - about 8 euros for a bottle”. The opportunity to see the cellars where the oil is made, to taste it fresh out of the press, and to learn about the story behind it was invaluable, she continues. “They are proud of their product, they know what they’re doing, and they are hard workers, you can tell. It’s not an easy task, especially for people of their age. But they enjoy what they do, they’re very humble, and they were so welcoming. I couldn’t believe actually that we were so lucky to find a place like that.”

The oil from Oro del Castello is extra virgin certified, the olives grown right there and pressed within 24 hours of picking. And whatever the effect of the government crackdown, their oil has received considerable acclaim over the years. Fancy supporting this dying industry and trying it for yourself? Well Oro del Castello say they will ship internationally, so head to their website to learn more (you can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.)

Easter Lamb with a Sicilian Twist

We’re back! And we can’t believe it is already March, with Easter just a few short weeks away. This Easter, Carine is going to be heading to the wonderful island of Sicily so it was only right that this month’s recipe reflected that, albeit with a bit of a twist.

Sicilians take Easter very seriously. Not only is it a solemn and ritual-laden time, but it is also the beginning of Spring which means lots of lovely things to eat after the long, hard winter. In an area which has been invaded and inhabited by a great many peoples, Easter is a time when the leftovers of these cultures intersect, pagan rituals meeting Catholic processions. 

And the star of this week’s dish – Lamb – is common to both! The pagans would sacrifice a lamb to welcome the Spring, and before the flight from Egypt, Moses advised Jewish families also to sacrifice a lamb, smearing the blood over their doors and eating the meat with unleavened bread. But, as well as being symbolic, it is delicious and never more so than in this month’s mouth-watering dish – lamb shank osso bucco.

Although traditionally a Milanese dish made with veal shanks, Osso Bucco has become a favourite dish the world over and, like most of our favourite dishes, has been reinvented and reimagined many, many times. In this recipe we are substituting the veal with Easter lamb and serving it with delicious baked aubergines – so let’s get started!

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

4 Lamb shanks

sea salt and pepper

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 of Small glass of white balsamic vinegar

1 glass white vine

2 tins chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato puree

Sunflower oil

1 vegetable stock cube.

For the soffrito

1 large Carrot

1 Celery Stalk

3 small onions

3 Garlic cloves

Zest of 1 lemon

3 Bay leaves

100ml Olive oil

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C (Fan)/ Gas Mark4.
• Peel the carrot, onions, and garlic and finely chop, along with the celery, for your soffrito
• Add these to an ovenproof casserole dish along with the bay leaves, lemon zest, and olive oil.
• Pop this on the hob and fry for 20-30 minutes on a low to medium heat, stirring every 5 minutes or so to make sure it does not burn or stick
• Season both sides of your lamb shank with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper then lightly coat them in all-purpose, plain flour.
• Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and, once hot, brown your lamb shanks all together until they reach a deep brown colour.
• Once all shanks are brown on both sides, remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the tomato purée to your soffrito and cook for a further 10 minutes over a low-to medium heat.
• Add the vinegar, white wine, and stock cube and let it reduce for 5 minutes on a high heat. 
• Add your shanks to the pan, along with chopped rosemary, sea salt and pepper to taste and put the casserole dish, uncovered, into the oven for at least 2-3 hours.
• Be sure to check on your dish every 30-45 minutes, if it begins to run out of juice, add half a cup of water.

Once cooked, your Osso Bucco sauce should look a bit dry but the meat will be meltingly tender.

Baked Aubergines

Ingredients

3 aubergines

50g Parmesan

Handful flat-leaf parsley

1 large clove garlic

2 slices of wholemeal bread

100 ml Olive oil

1 medium glass water

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

• Start by mixing the bread, parmesan, garlic and parsley in your food processor until you reach a crumbly texture, then set aside.
• Slice your aubergines into thick rounds.
• Then it is simply a case of layering the two up – one layer of aubergine, then olive oil, salt and pepper, then a sprinkling of the breadcrumbs.
• Repeat until you run out of aubergine.
• Add the water and top up with the remaining breadcrumb mix, keeping back just a little as a garnish.
• Bake for 30-45 min at 180C (Fan) or until cooked.

 

Serve with your Osso Bucco, the last sprinkle of your breadcrumbs and a dash of good finishing olive oil.

And speaking of good olive oil – that will be the tasty theme of Matango’s next supper club! Come try some of the finest, most fragrant olive oil you will ever taste and have a culinary trip to the Mediterranean, without ever leaving London. Tickets are available here. Keep your eyes out for more details soon!

What will you be having for Easter lunch? Get in touch on Twitter and let us know!