Having fully entered Sicilian iconography, the prickly pear draws the landscape of the island, transforming it into a postcard. But he also repainted the table
Originally from Central and South America, in the history ofOpuntia ficus does not lack the intertwining with the legend. It is said, in fact, that it was Christopher Columbus to taste the fruit during his trip to the Americas, but thinking he was in India, he called it prickly pear.
The prickly pear arrives in Sicily
One of the undisputed symbols of Mexico, so much so as to be included in the national flag emblem, is in Sicily which has found its second home since the early 1500s, most likely introduced by the arrival of the Spaniards on the island.
Whether it is the volcanic soils of Etna, or the sandy and clayey ones, the prickly pear is ante litteram the fruit of sustainability and resilience. With zero impact on the environment, it does not need massive water resources to survive, it has a great ability to survive in the Sicilian summer heat. Organic by vocation, it does not require pesticide treatments for its cultivation. The most transversal fruit on Earth boasts countless uses: from gastronomic to medical, passing through cosmetics.
In Sicily there are five thousand hectares devoted to the cultivation of prickly pear, four production poles (Etna, San Cono, Roccapalumba, Santa Margherita di Belice), two DOP awards (Etna DOP, San Cono DOP) and a Production District that focuses on its growth and identity.
From mid-August to December, the Sicilian countryside is an explosion of colors: from the yellow of Sulfarin, the yellow pulp variant of the prickly pear, to the red of Sanguine, up to the white of the Muscaredda.
To these three varieties, we also add that of the "bastardoni", the fruits obtained from the second flowering, induced by the manual cutting of the first flower (a practice called in Sicilian "scozzolatura"). A natural, agricultural, but also human landscape, represented by the iconic, as difficult and demanding as it is hand-picked.
The prickly pear at the table. But not only…
With a delicate and full-bodied taste, a fibrous texture, there are so many properties and benefits that the prickly pear is a real super food. Rich in fiber, vitamins and mineral salts, this fruit has recognized diuretic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and gastroprotective properties.
Even in Sicilian popular culture, as well as in the original Aztec culture, there is room for the therapeutic and curative use of the medicinal properties of the prickly pear. And to confirm that nothing is thrown away from this fruit, the cladodes (ie the blades of the plant) have always been used in Sicily as a healing agent.
Liqueurs, infusions, drinks, jams, creams and much more, on the island everyone is crazy about this fruit, which in Sicily has given rise to various entrepreneurial realities that are increasingly specialized in the production, processing and transformation of the prickly pear.
In San Cono, one of the capitals of the Sicilian prickly pear, the couple Luca Santonocito and Daniela Farchica, with their company I'm cool to be good they dedicated themselves to the transformation of the fruit by creating a line of jams and pesto, declining it in its sweet and savory version.
The extracts of this precious plant are exploited to the maximum in cosmetics in the face-body line of Etna Cosmesi, while on the slopes of Etna, Sicilio is the brand that the Op La Deliziosa company has dedicated to the production of an organic drink, with 75% of Etna PDO prickly pear pulp and juice.
In Roccapalumba, a municipality in the Palermo area that rises at the foot of the imposing fortress, the cultivation and processing of prickly pear represent the main economic resource. The More than … fig consortium was also born: every year a festival celebrates its properties and uses in the gastronomic world.
Electrocuted on the way toOpuntia ficus, this fruit has captivated chefs and pastry chefs, continually providing new ideas for culinary and confectionery creations. It all begins with prickly pear mustard, the famous dessert of Sicilian popular culinary art, to reach the present day, with new expressions and recipes such as ice cream, salads, paté, going as far as panettone.
Giuseppe Zito, pastry chef from Mezzojuso, another small charming village in the Palermo area, dedicated his Terre Sicane recipe to prickly pear, paying homage to what for the Sicilian pastry chef "is the most iconic and representative fruit of Sicily".
In this original recipe, Zito made the most of all three varieties and parts of this fruit, from the peel, used for the caramelized diced, to dried flowers for coulis, to cladodes (shovels).
The chocolate crumble closes, which symbolically represents the Sicilian land.
«A fragile fruit, difficult to work and transform. It's a good challenge, says Zito. If you don't balance the prickly pear cactus well with the other ingredients, you risk losing its identity ".
Terre Sicane recipe
Prickly pear shovel coulis
1 shovel of tender prickly pear of about 500 g
5 star anise flowers
1/2 cinnamon stick
Method
Brush the shovel well and take care to remove all the thorns, remove a very thin layer from the surface of the shovel, boil the shovel together with the star anise flowers and the half cinnamon stick for 15 minutes from boiling, let it cool completely in water cooking. Blend the shovel with the help of a cutter and then pass through a very fine-grained colander to remove all the fibers, an essential step for a velvety coulis.
Brunoise of prickly pears
8 prickly pear peels
100 g of sugar
30 g of orange juice
10 dried prickly pear flowers
Method
Boil the peels of prickly pears in water together with the dried prickly pear flowers for 5 minutes from boiling, peel the prickly pear peels and refrigerate overnight. Then, dry the skins well and cut them into cubes. In a pan, put the sugar and orange juice and bring to a boil, add the prickly pears and create a semi-candied mixture and place in the fridge.
Quenelle of prickly pear
600 g of peeled prickly pears / total juice 300 g
500 of custard
10 g of isinglass
280 g of white chocolate
300 g of unsweetened semi-gloss cream
Method
With the help of an extractor, extract the juice from prickly pears. Bring the custard to 45 degrees and add the previously melted white chocolate; pour in the prickly pear juice, the isinglass previously melted in the microwave, the semi-gloss cream. Mix everything with the help of a spatula and place in the fridge until it cools. Subsequently, create quenelles with the help of two spoons.
Procedure for serving
In a plate, create a comma with a fairly pot-bellied shovel coulis, in order to recreate the shape of a prickly pear shovel. On one side, place the brunoise of prickly pears and on top lay the quenelles of prickly pears. Close at the bottom with a sprinkling of chocolate crumble to recreate an effect that refers to the Sicilian land. Decorate with edible flowers.
Text by Liliana Rosano
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