This is a traditional humble peasant dish from Sicily, an old recipe from the centre of the island.
It is a durum wheat semolina (also known as timilia, locally) polenta that is prepared in the same water where wild vegetables were previously boiled. These vegetables are wild fennel, chicory or chard (locally known as giri) and, especially in Caltanissetta’s province, the “smuzzatura”, the Sicilian broccoli inflorescence, which is less and less used, since it is generally replaced by the more popular green broccoli (“bastarduni”).
INGREDIENTS
· Smuzzatura, a bunch of it
· Wild fennel, a small bunch
· durum wheat semolina flour, 250 g
· Extra-virgin oil
· Chili pepper
· Salt
PREPARATION METHOD
Boil the vegetables in three litres of salted water.
Pour small handfuls of flour into the pot, and stir carefully to avoid lumps from forming.
Let it cook for some ten minutes to make the polenta thicker.
Serve the polenta hot, with a little oil and chili pepper.
Left over Frascatula was once cut into pieces and fried in hot oil.
SMUZZATURA
A SICILIAN VEGETABLE FROM THE CAULIFLOWER-BROCCOLI FAMILY, RICH IN VERY GOOD SUBSTANCES FOR HUMAN HEALTH: E VITAMIN, CALCIUM, POTASSIUM AND FLAVONOIDS.
TAKE NOTE THAT CAULIFLOWER IS GENERALLY CALLED BROCCOLI IN SICILY.