Author Topic: Sicilian Sauces? (Read 21108 times)

JimBob · « **on:** June 04, 2005, 10:45:33 PM »

It looks like I'm running into the same dilemma in the Sicilian category. Is anyone knowledgeable in the area of Sicilian sauces? A traditional recipe would be fantastic.

Regards,

Randy · « **Reply #1 on:** June 05, 2005, 09:03:08 AM »

JimBob, most of the good recipes on this site come from years of research, testing and digging some more until they believe they have a quality recipe. Sicilian pizza on this forum has not found the champion it needs to figure this one out. Sounds like you have the pasion to lead the rest of us to the best Sicilian pizza in town.

I think a lot of us have not had the chance to even try a professionally made Sicilian pizza.

Best of luck with your quest.

Randy

JimBob · « **Reply #2 on:** June 05, 2005, 09:17:59 AM »

I guess I'll have to start the search. I'll post what I find here and maybe we can piece something together eventually.

Quote

strattu; incredible italian tomato paste

strattu; incredible italian tomato pasteThe secret of Sicilian sauces. Fresh tomato sauce is dried in the sun for days til it's the texture of a dense tomato "jam." Just a spoonful or two adds enormous depth.

The secret power behind Sicilian sauces. It takes over 10 pounds of fresh tomato sauce to fill this 290 g jar! It's like a confit of tomatoes-a super concentrated tomato paste that Sicilian chefs use to turn sauce from typical to terrific. Melt a bit of strattu in olive oil and then use that to start your sauce. Strattu adds depth of flavor that would otherwise take you hours of cooking and reduction to recreate on your own. A little goes a long way. Legendary Sicilian sauce.

Found @ http://www.zingermans.com/Product.pasp?Category=&ProductID=P-EST

JimBob · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2005, 09:26:36 AM »

Quote

Sicilian Pizza Sauce from http://www.correllconcepts.com/Encyclopizza/08_Sauce/03_sauce_recipe.htm

Ingredients

Heavy Tomato Puree 1/4 can

Ground Tomatoes 1/4 can

Leaf Basil 2-1/4 t

Leaf Oregano 1-5/8 t

Parsley 5-1/4 t

Black Pepper 3-1/4 t

Granulated Garlic 1-1/2 t

Granulated Onion 3/4 t

Salt 1-3/4 t

Sugar 2-1/4 t

Virgin Olive Oil 4 t

Yield 3.4 lb

can = #10 can lb = pound oz = ounce t = teaspoon T = Tablespoon

NOTES: A bit spicier and heartier than Neapolitan, this complements thicker crusts well.

I have no idea how authentic this recipe is. I'm also not familiar with HEAVY TOMATO PUREE, but this seems to be one of the differences.

JimBob · « **Reply #4 on:** June 05, 2005, 10:01:23 AM »

Here is another one.....

Quote

AUTHENTIC SICILIAN PIZZA

WARNING: No, this is NOT "deep dish" pizza. If it were, it would be called "Authentic Chicago Pizza". Also, if you are a sophisticated world traveler who lovingly remembers the taste of Neapolitan pizza - THIS IS NOT IT.

What this IS is a wonderful pleasant bread with light toppings that are really just a way of flavoring the bread - and using left-overs. So think of it as bread - not pizza. It is exactly the way great grandma (and her great grandma) made it. even some whole wheat if you want) 3 packets yeast (use fast rising if you must - we never have. If you use "blocks" of yeast you're on your own) 2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. sugar 2 c. water 4 tbsp. olive oil

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING:

2 or 3 small canned Italian plum tomatoes (we're talking left-overs, not a whole can). Squeeze them to release the water and then pull them apart into "pinch" size pieces (right - there's not much left and there isn't supposed to be much).

4 tablespoons chopped onion (maybe less - it's up to you).

1/4 pound raw Italian sausage with casing removed and pulled apart into "pinch" size "gobs" PLEASE USE GOOD SAUSAGE.

1/2 can flat anchovies (OK - not even all authentic sicilians like anchovies - but this one does).

2 or 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese (we're talking a DUSTING NOT A DOUSING).

2 teaspoons dried herbs and spices for pizza (Dell Alpe Italian Seasoning for Pizza is available in a jar in the Chicago area).

If you have other left-overs you want to put on, fine, but this is BREAD not "Tombstone Pizza".

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO: 1. Put 5 cups of flour in a REALLY BIG BOWL.

2. Put the salt, sugar, and yeast in the bowl.

3. Mix it up a bit.

4. Get the 2 cups of water hot enough so you can put your finger in without burning it - my tap water gets hot enough.

5. Pour the water into the flour bowl and stir until all the flour is wet. If the mixture is not beginning to pull away from the side of the bowl, add some of the 1 cup flour you have left until it does leave the side of the bowl.

6. Add the olive oil and keep stirring. Using the flour you have left, keep adding flour until the mixture is JUST dry enough so you can work it with your hands. If the bowl is really big enough, you can do the kneading right there in the bowl (great grandma & I do). If you aren't lucky enough to have a bowl that big, I guess you have to take the dough out of the bowl and mess up your countertop. WHETHER YOU WILL USE ALL THE FLOUR LEFT FROM YOUR 1 CUP OR WHETHER YOU WILL NEED A LITTLE MORE DEPENDS ON THE HUMIDITY (or phase of the moon). IF YOU HAVE SOME LEFT OR NEED A LITTLE MORE - OK. The dough should be dry enough so you can knead it without having to pull it off your hands, but not so dry that your hands have no dough on them when you're done.

7. Wipe the inside of a medium size bowl (not metal or plastic) with olive oil.

8. Put the dough in the medium size bowl, then take it back out and turn it upside down (now there's oil on the top of the dough). Put a cloth over the bowl and let it rise for 1 hour.

9. When the hour is up, punch the dough in the middle to knock it down. Take it out of the bowl and knead it - maybe ten times, not a lot. Then let it rest for 10 minutes with the cloth back on it.

10. Put some olive oil on a round pizza pan (NOT DEEP DISH).

11. Use a rolling pin to start rolling the dough out - it's easier to finish shaping it into the pan by hand. Pull, stretch, push.

12. Put the cloth back over the dough and let it rise again for 1 hour.

13. When the hour is over, take the cloth off and brush a little olive oil over the top of the dough. Put the toppings on - giving each little "pinch" of topping a little push to keep in on the dough and put the Parmesan on last.

14. Put the bread into an oven preheated to 450 degrees and bake for about 18 minutes.

15. Let the bread cool ON A RACK. If you let it cool in the pan or on a flat surface the bottom will end up like cardboard.

THIS IS NOT AS HARD AS IT SOUNDS

THIS IS AN ART - NOT A SCIENCE

THIS IS REAL PIZZA

This is a gift from great grandma Lentine given to you by the Fasano Family

from http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,181,145179-230200,00.html

JimBob · « **Reply #5 on:** June 05, 2005, 10:08:32 AM »

Here is another:

Quote

Topping:

* 2 pounds (1kg) tomatoes
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 2 small onions, chopped
* 1 teaspoon salt
* Scant 1/4 cup (50ml) olive oil
* Anchovies

This one seems to be more authentic than the others. http://italianfood.about.com/od/fritterssnacks/a/blr0607_2.htm

Randy · « **Reply #6 on:** June 05, 2005, 01:55:36 PM »

I don't think we even hace a picture of a Sicilian pizza on this site.
JimBob do you have a favorite Sicilian pizza place?

JimBob · « **Reply #7 on:** June 05, 2005, 03:53:54 PM »

I think I live in an italian food challenged area of Ohio. Most of the pizzerias are chain owned and of thel New York style or Pizza Hut deep dish styles. Years ago I remember having Sicilian pizza but I can't remeber where from, although I remeber it was in Michigan somewhere. I'm interested in recreating one but obviously this seems to be a lost art. $:-\$

scott r · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2005, 07:10:54 PM »

Jim bob, I am not sure what part of Ohio you live in, but you could be fairly close to Pittsburgh. If you ever get a chance to be in the Pittsburgh area you must try the Sicilian at Mama Lucia's. There are a few locations. The sauce there is much simpler than you might think. I always order extra on the side for dipping, and it really tastes like Escalon tomatoes without much else. Maybe salt with a touch of fennel and oregano. They do put a good amount of olive oil down on the crust first before the sauce goes on the pie. From what I have read this is probably nothing like the actual pizza in Sicily, but it is just like the thick square pizza you see all over New York city. I have been told that the best Sicilian in the US is at L&B spumoni gardens in Brooklyn.

JimBob · « **Reply #9 on:** June 05, 2005, 07:16:16 PM »

Is the sauce thicker and more robust tasting than that of the other types you've tried?

scott r · « **Reply #10 on:** June 05, 2005, 11:32:06 PM »

Yes, it is thicker and better than your typical sauce. I HIGHLY recommend getting some escalon 6 in 1 tomatoes. I buy the ground pealed. There is tons of info here on the forum about them. I have done many comparisons between these and other brands. Even other high end foodservice brands like Stanislaus and San Benito. For a typical American Sicilian sauce there is nothing better than escalon brand. You can order them direct from the factory, or if you are lucky you can find a foodservice provider in your area that is willing to do cash and carry. I have heard from a few members of the forum that have found them in specialty stores, but I think this is quite rare. These tomatoes are so good you could just eat a bowl of them with a spoon. Open the can a night or two before use, mix in some herbs and seasonings and some olive oil and let them sit. Try this before you try to cook them, and I think this will probably get you the sauce you are looking for. You can cook them down if you want them to taste even more intense, but I don't think you will need to. I have recently been combining them with stanislaus 74/40 tomato strips, but I think escalon might have an equivalent that is as good or better than the stanislaus. The 74/40 strips are really juicy and fresh tasting, the 6 in 1 are really intense and rich. The combination of these two have fooled many of my friends into thinking that I actually took fresh tomatoes, blanched, peeled and cooked them down from scratch like I used to do. Now that I have found these brands (escalon/stanislaus) I can have that fresh rich taste with about five minutes of work instead of two hours.

scott r · « **Reply #11 on:** June 05, 2005, 11:55:12 PM »

I almost forgot to add that I have also heard really good things about the escalon Bonta tomatoes. The place where I buy my escalon only carries 6in1, so I really don't know about any of their other products. They probably have some that are really chunky, some that are really smoothe etc. I would consider the 6 in 1 to be on the chunky side, but not as chunky as the strip/filet/diced types. I think Escalon and Stanislaus use the same type of tomatoes for the whole line, but just process them differently.

JimBob · « **Reply #12 on:** June 06, 2005, 06:12:05 AM »

I'll try the 6-1 then, I can get those and the San Marzono at the local grocery store. Thanks for the help!!!

007bond-jb · « **Reply #13 on:** June 06, 2005, 11:10:20 AM »

Looks like the recipes you found don't have any wine. You must use a good dry italian wine in Sicilian sauce. Reduce it by at least 1/2 DON'T BOIL IT it will become bitter. Heres a photo while still SLOWLY simmering.

JimBob · « **Reply #14 on:** June 06, 2005, 12:17:15 PM »

Do you have a recipe you can share?

007bond-jb · « **Reply #15 on:** June 06, 2005, 01:22:44 PM »

Sure here ya go
1 28oz can 6-1 crushed tomatoes
2tbls REAL UNPASTURIZED unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion finely diced
2 cloves of garlic pressed (or as many as you like)
1 tbls fresh chopped basil
2 tbls fresh chopped oregano
1 teas fresh thyme
1/4 teas fresh ground pepper
1/4 teas salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup good italian dry red wine
saute onions in butter till clear (10min)
add wine reduce by at least 1/2 volume 1/4 is best DO NOT BOIL!!!
add garlic & herbs salt & pepper simmer for 10min.
add tomatoes & simmer for 2 to 4 hours (the longer it simmers the sweeter it be)
simmer = under 200deg AGAIN DO NOT BOIL if your stove is to hot use your oven
stir every 15min
I also add 1/4 cup diced yellow bell peppers cause I like em
To make it more like true sicilian would be make your own wine from the grapes you grew, As well as the tomatoes, That were watered from your sicilian water well. OK!
1 more thing don't put olive oil in your sauce pour it on your finished pie if you like oil

scott r · « **Reply #16 on:** June 06, 2005, 03:48:59 PM »

I hope you don't think I am trying to argue with your comment 007, you give great advice. I realize that there are so many ways to make a great pizza. But....
I have a good friend with a Sicilian grandmother (she moved here when she was in her mid 30's) who swears by olive oil in her pizza sauce. It does taste much different there than on top of the pizza. Also, like I was saying earlier my absolute favorite Sicilian I have ever had uses a lot of olive oil on top of the crust, and under the sauce. I think this ends up blending to get a similar flavor. To me oil on top of the pizza steps up the flavor of the cheese, not the sauce.

Randy · « **Reply #17 on:** June 06, 2005, 04:28:31 PM »

OO7, that recipe looks mighty good and it is first recpie for tomato sauce that properly described the way to simmer. I ended up using a digital thermometer to learn the right setting for my stove. 180F seemed to work best for me. As you said it has to be stirred often to help with evaporation.

Randy

JimBob · « **Reply #18 on:** June 06, 2005, 04:28:57 PM »

Thanks a million !!!!!!!

Quote from: 007bond-jb on June 06, 2005, 01:22:44 PM

Sure here ya go
1 28oz can 6-1 crushed tomatoes
2tbls REAL UNPASTURIZED unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion finely diced
2 cloves of garlic pressed (or as many as you like)
1 tbls fresh chopped basil
2 tbls fresh chopped oregano
1 teas fresh thyme
1/4 teas fresh ground pepper
1/4 teas salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup good italian dry red wine
saute onions in butter till clear (10min)
add wine reduce by at least 1/2 volume 1/4 is best DO NOT BOIL!!!
add garlic & herbs salt & pepper simmer for 10min.
add tomatoes & simmer for 2 to 4 hours (the longer it simmers the sweeter it be)
simmer = under 200deg AGAIN DO NOT BOIL if your stove is to hot use your oven
stir every 15min
I also add 1/4 cup diced yellow bell peppers cause I like em
To make it more like true sicilian would be make your own wine from the grapes you grew, As well as the tomatoes, That were watered from your sicilian water well. OK!
1 more thing don't put olive oil in your sauce pour it on your finished pie if you like oil

007bond-jb · « **Reply #19 on:** June 07, 2005, 09:18:25 AM »

Scott you are correct I too have 2 Italian friends each granny has a difference of opinion 1 says oil the other says butter in sauces. sicily is a large island just under 10,000 sq miles, so it depends on 1 what you like 2 what region your in & 3 what you have on hand. In cooking 101 we learned to saute vegetables in real butter it brings out their natural sweetness, Which leades me to point out this. I see sauce recipies calling for sugar If a sauce is cooked long enough it sweeten naturaly. 1 time I left a sauce in the oven over night on low simmer (by accident) it came out thick like tomatoe paste & was super sweet. You would have thought someone put in a lot of sugar. As a last note cooking is a matter of taste if you like an ingrediant by all means use it. Just don't get carried away try a little at a time.