TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Broccoli Affogati alla SicilianaSicilian Broccoli Braised in Red Wine
A winter staple from Catania: broccoli layered with onion, caciocavallo and olives, then gently braised as though “drowned” in red wine.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- BroccoliDivide into florets; peel and thinly slice the stalk600 g
- Red onionThinly slice1 piece
- Caciocavallo cheeseThinly slice60 g
- Black olivesRemove the pits50 g
- Anchovies in oilFinely chop3 pieces
- Red wine120 ml
- Extra virgin olive oil50 ml
- Salt3 g
- Black peppera little
Method
Cut and prepare the ingredients
- 1 Divide 600 g broccoli into florets; remove the tough peel from the stalk and slice it thinly.
- 2 Thinly slice 1/2 red onion.
- 3 Thinly slice 60 g caciocavallo.
- 4 Pit 50 g black olives.
- 5 Finely chop 3 anchovy fillets.
- 6 Proceed when all the ingredients are prepared.
Layer in the pot
- 1 Coat the base of a heavy pot with 25 ml extra virgin olive oil. Layer half the broccoli, the red onion, anchovies, black olives and half the caciocavallo, in that order.
- 2 Add another layer of the remaining broccoli and caciocavallo, then distribute 3 g salt and the remaining 25 ml extra virgin olive oil over all the layers.
Ready when
Proceed when the layers fit in the pot and the surface is coated with oil.
Drive off the wine’s alcohol
- 1 Pour 120 ml red wine evenly into the pot and boil uncovered over medium heat for 2–3 minutes to drive off the alcohol.
Ready when
Proceed when the smell of alcohol around the sides of the pot has disappeared.
Gently braise the “drowned” broccoli
- 1 Cover and braise over low heat for 20–25 minutes without stirring.
Ready when
Remove the lid when the broccoli is very tender and the cheese has melted and mingled with everything.
Reduce the juices and finish
- 1 Gently reduce the remaining cooking liquid over medium heat.
- 2 When only a thin layer of liquid remains on the base of the pot, grind over black pepper and transfer to a plate without breaking up the layers to finish.
About this dish
Catania, a port town at the foot of Mount Etna, is known as the kitchen of Sicily’s east coast. In winter, when brassicas fill the markets, the smell of vegetables simmering in red wine drifts from home kitchens.
Named for “drowning broccoli in red wine,” this dish layers vegetables, onion, cheese and olives in a pot, adds red wine and covers it to braise. The method of cooking humble ingredients in local wine is said to have emerged from farming life lived alongside winemaking.
Known in Catania as a Christmas Eve staple, it almost invariably appears beside fried fish or salt cod. Still listed on trattoria blackboards in winter, it is a home-cooked dish that eastern Sicily holds with pride.
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