Sicilian food and culture celebrated on the other side of the world

Citrus Orchard Cake with Drunk Dates and Radiatore with Peas feature in Guy Mirabella’s new book, Pranzo. Photos / supplied)

Radiatore with peas

Serves 4-6

Radiatore with Peas. Photo / supplied

Radiatore pasta dressed simply with extra-virgin olive oil and butter, sprinkled with finely grated cheese and lots of pepper, is a favourite that always leaves me wanting more, but radiatore with peas comes a close second. Mushy peas with not-so-mushy peas for the top, finely
chopped dill, lemon and a pinch of chilli flakes for a tangy, spiced edge, leaves everyone going back for seconds. My grandbabies’ favourite dish is any pasta with peas or pesto (or the two combined). All four of them love it and it’s so easy and quick to prepare.

• 125ml (½ cup) mild olive oil

• 2 shallots, finely chopped

• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped

• small handful of finely chopped dill, plus some small fronds to serve

• 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional), plus extra to serve

• 775g (5 cups) fresh or frozen peas

• 2 litres (8 cups) boiling water

• 500g radiatore or other short pasta

• juice of ½ lemon

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• freshly grated pecorino, to serve

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, then add the shallots, celery, dill, chilli (if using) and salt and pepper. Fry until the shallots are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add 620g of the peas and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the boiling water and season with a pinch of salt. Cook, partially covered, for about 45 minutes. Mash the peas from time to time. By the end, the sauce should be a chunky puree.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add salt and cook the pasta until nearly al dente, then add the remaining peas. Drain the pasta and peas and return them to the pan. Add the lemon juice, season with pepper and stir, then add the pea sauce and stir again.

Serve in individual bowls and top with the extra dill and chilli flakes, if using. Don’t forget a big bowl of grated pecorino for the table.

Chicken chops with chickpeas

Serves 6-8

Chicken Chops with Chickpeas. Photo / supplied

There is nothing sweeter or more life-affirming than the smell of spiced, roasting chicken.

The chickpeas in this dish are like hundreds of golden beads edging in and around the chicken. When I was a child, Nonna Giuseppa and Mum called me Sango mio (my blood). Nonna and Mum may not have considered this dish traditional – the many ingredients may have amused them – but like Rembrandt’s portrait of Margaretha de Geer, I see them both facing me directly, telling me to be active, engaged and loving my chicken with chickpeas.

• 80ml (¹∕3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

• 12 chicken thigh fillets, skin on, patted dry with paper towel

• 3 tablespoons dry white wine

• 2×4 425g tins of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 8 garlic cloves, whole, peeled

• 2 tsp ground turmeric

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• ¼ tsp chilli flakes

• 1 red capsicum, core, membrane and seeds removed and cut into strips

• small handful of flat-leaf (Italian) parsley sprigs, chopped

• grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 30g salted butter, chopped into 12 pieces

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Herby yoghurt

• 500g (2 cups) Greek-style yoghurt

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• handful each of mint, basil, parsley,

• thyme leaves and chives, torn up

• grated zest of 1 lemon

• salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Use 2 tablespoons of the oil to grease a 28cm by 38cm roasting tin.

Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in batches for 8-10 minutes on each side, just until it starts to get some colour. Set the chicken aside in a bowl.

Pour the wine into the hot pan and boil for about 1 minute, stirring to scrape off any bits. Take off the heat and pour the wine over the chicken.

Combine the chickpeas, garlic, turmeric, paprika, chilli flakes, capsicum, parsley and lemon zest and juice in a large bowl and mix well. Put the chickpea mixture into the roasting tin and spread over the bottom. Push the chicken into the chickpea mixture, pouring any juices over the top. Place a chunk of butter on top of each piece of chicken and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 45 minutes.

Remove the roasting tin from the oven and tilt it to one corner to collect some of the juices, then spoon the juices over the chicken. Cover with foil and rest for 20 minutes.

For the herby yoghurt, mix the yoghurt with the garlic and spread it over a flat dish. Sprinkle with the herbs, lemon zest and salt and drizzle a little extra oil on top.

Present the chicken on a large dish for everyone to help themselves. Serve with herby yoghurt.

Citrus orchard cake with drunk dates

Serves 6-8

Citrus Orchard Cake with Drunk Dates. Photo / supplied

I love everything about this cake and hope to continue to bake it for as long as I can. Sometimes I substitute the dates for dried apricots. In the autumn, when my local greengrocer has fresh dates available, I use them to take this beautiful cake to another level. The same goes with fresh apricots.

• 50g pitted dates, diced

• 125ml (½ cup) dry Marsala (fortified wine)

• 250ml (1 cup) grape seed oil

• 3 eggs

• pinch of salt

• grated zest of 1 lemon, 1 lime and 1 orange

• 125g (½ cup) smooth ricotta

• 460g (2 cups) caster sugar

• 450g (3 cups) self-raising flour, sifted

• 2mm silver cachous, to decorate citrus glaze

• 100g (¾ cup) icing sugar

• 2 tsp each of lemon, lime and orange juice

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 24cm angel cake tin with butter and line the centre tube with baking paper. Soak the dates in the Marsala for 30 minutes.

Combine the oil, date mixture, eggs, salt, zests, ricotta and caster sugar in a large bowl and stir to mix well. Add the flour and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until it tests done with a skewer. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin completely. Once cool, gently turn the cake out onto a wire rack.

Meanwhile, to make the citrus glaze, combine the icing sugar and juices in a bowl. Whisk to a smooth, pourable glaze.

Transfer the cake to a serving plate, drizzle with citrus glaze and sprinkle on some cachous.

The cake will keep for 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator (bring to room temperature before serving).

An edited extract from Pranzo, by Guy Mirabella (Hardie Grant Books, RRP $60). Available in stores from March 4.

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