TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Zucca in AgrodolcePalermo Sweet-and-Sour Pumpkin
A traditional Palermo agrodolce dish of pan-fried pumpkin marinated in a sweet-and-sour mixture of white wine vinegar, sugar, garlic and mint.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- PumpkinRemove the seeds and fibrous centre, leaving the skin on, and cut into 1 cm thick wedges.600 g
- Extra virgin olive oil60 ml
- GarlicThinly slice.2 cloves
- White wine vinegar60 ml
- Sugar25 g
- MintPick the leaves.10 leaves
- Salt3 g
Method
Prepare the pumpkin and aromatics
- 1 Remove the seeds and fibrous centre from 600 g pumpkin and cut into 1 cm thick wedges, skin on.
- 2 Thinly slice 2 garlic cloves.
- 3 Pick 10 mint leaves from their stems.
Ready when
Continue once the pumpkin slices are evenly thick.
Pan-fry the pumpkin
- 1 Heat 60 ml extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Arrange the pumpkin without overlapping and fry both sides, in 2 batches if necessary.
- 2 Once both sides are deep golden and a skewer slides in easily, transfer to a tray and sprinkle with 3 g salt.
Make the agrodolce
- 1 Place the pumpkin pan over low heat and warm the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 2 Add 60 ml white wine vinegar and 25 g sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat for 1–2 minutes.
- 3 Turn off the heat when the sugar has fully dissolved and the sharp vinegar aroma has mellowed.
Marinate
- 1 Pour the warm agrodolce over the pumpkin in the tray and scatter with torn mint leaves.
Ready when
Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes; it is ready when the marinade has soaked into the surface and made it glossy.
About this dish
Fry shops known as friggitorie have long lined the streets of Palermo’s old town. Sweet-and-sour pumpkin is an everyday dish born at their counters. In autumn, when large pumpkins fill the markets, this dish of pumpkin fried in oil and marinated with sweet vinegar and mint appears.
Sicily’s sweet-and-sour seasoning, agrodolce, is said to date back to the combination of sugar and vinegar introduced during Arab rule from the 9th century. The cooling mint scattered on at the end is another trace of the island’s eastern food culture.
It is generally eaten at room temperature, and its flavours settle more fully the next day. Palermo’s homes and eating places still serve it beside meat or fish, or on bread as an appetiser.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
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