Menus

Menus change continually throughout the year as various produce comes in and out of season and depending on what is available day to day. We will send out a final menu idea on the day before the lesson, however, menus may still change last minute due to recent weather conditions, difficulties in the supply chain or the mood of the marketeers.

For any requests, or for vegetarians, pescatarians or people with food intolerances, please let us know any details as soon as possible so that we have time to try and create a menu that suits everyone.

Here are a few example menus to get your mouth watering!

This is far from an exhaustive list of the recipes that we choose from, but it will give an idea of some of the typical dishes we make each season

Antipasto:  Arancine al Burro

• a Palermo market street food classic, saffron flavoured rice filled with cheese and besciamella then breaded and fried. Once you have the basics of this recipe you can let your imagination run wild & invent your own Arancina!

Primo:  Pasta fresca con le Fave

• make your own southern Italian style fresh pasta, we’ll top this with fresh fava beans and wild fennel. This is a dish served all through the Sicilian countryside in early spring, delicious and hearty comfy food

Secondo:  Pesce Spada Panato 

• slices of delicious swordfish dipped in extra-virgin olive oil and coated with breadcrumbs seasoned with fresh parsley, mint and lemon zest, served with seasonal salad and a slice of lemon

Dolce:  Granita di Limone

• lemon granita: the first ever frozen deserts were made in Sicily, and long before there were freezers! We are going to make this simple and very delicious frozen desert the traditional way with a bit of science and a bit of muscle. Served with a brioche bun

Summer :

Antipasto: Panelle

• freshly fried chick pea fritters, served with a squeeze of lemon, a cornerstone of Palermo street food and a favourite of everyone

Primo: Pasta alla Norma

• pasta with fried aubergines, tomato sauce and fresh basil, topped with some freshly grated salted ricotta

Secondo: Tonno all’Agrodolce

• Now is Tuna season so let’s take advantage of it while we can!! this is a very traditional way of preparing tuna, pan-seared and served with caramelised sweet and sour onions

Dolce: Gelo di Melone

• a very typical and refreshing Sicilian summer desert, watermelon pudding served with chocolate chips and chopped pistachios from Bronte

Autumn :

Antipasto: Carciofi Fritti

• artichokes are one of the best things from the autumn / winter season, for this recipe we will strip fresh artichokes down to the heart, then they get breaded and fried to make a very delicious starter or snack

Primo: Pasta con le Sarde

• a real 100% Palermitano classic, pasta with fresh sardines (no canned sardines!), aromatic wild fennel, saffron, currants and almonds, topped with crunchy toasted breadcrumbs (If you are scared of sardines please withhold judgment until you have tasted this delicious dish!)

Secondo: Polpette di Broccolo

• this is a very traditional way of preparing cauliflower, it is steamed then mixed with pine nuts, currants and fresh mint, shaped into little balls and then pan fried to create a crispy coating

Dolce: Cassatine

• mini-Cassata THE Sicilian cake, home made almond paste and sponge cake stuffed with sweet ricotta cream and decorated with candied fruit, this is a treat for the eyes and the tastebuds

Winter :

Antipasto: Zucca in Agrodolce

• agrodolce is the Sicilian Sweet & Sour, for this recipe we make the agrodolce sauce and pour it over oven roasted squash seasoned with garlic and oregano

Primo: Pasta con Carciofi

• pasta with fresh artichokes sautéed with garlic and served with ricotta salata, simple and delicious

Secondo: Involtini alla Palermitana

• thin meat rolls stuffed with cheese, breadcrumbs, currants and almonds, skewered, breaded and roasted, this is great example of an Arab-Norman recipe and a family favourite in any household, served with seasonal vegetables

Dolce: Biancomangiare

• a very typical Sicilian desert made with fresh milk flavoured with bitter almonds and topped with cinnamon and the famous pistachios from Bronte