We met Lena as we were all marveling over the Greek theater in Taormina, Sicily (parconaxostaormina.com/en). Originally built in the third century BCE, the ruins perch high above the Ionian sea. Even after the Roman renovations (they took out the orchestra to make room for gladiatorial combat) and more than a millenium of decay, the old theater has a marvelously imposing presence.
After chatting about Sicily’s rich history and remarkable artifacts like Roman villas and Byzantine churches, our conversation inevitably turned to food. We had been spending a lot of time in the fresh food markets, after all. Lena had been born near Trapani and emigrated from Sicily to Toronto with her family when she was seven years old. She grew up eating her mother’s simple but delicious home cooking. She promised to send us a favorite family recipe for ghiotta.
An approach to cooking
As we understand it, ghiotta is more of a way of cooking than a specific recipe. It often refers to poaching swordfish or tuna steaks in a sauce of tomatoes, onions, capers, and olives. That version is often attributed to Messina on the east end of Sicily. Lena’s family recipe from the west side is simpler yet: It’s essentially a vegetable stew with poached eggs — heavy on eggplant and zucchini. True to a lot of rustic cooking, it also uses potato to extend the dish.
There’s a fair bit of chopping involved, but the dish comes together quite easily. We served our ghiotta with some crusty bread and olive oil and a glass of Grillo, a Sicilian white wine. It made a perfect Sunday night supper. We’ll probably experiment a little with Lena’s recipe to adapt it to our tastes. Next time we make it, we might add a few green olives and some capers, two other traditional flavors of the island that we saw in all the markets. We might even go so far as to add a pinch of hot pepper flakes to the veggies, just to lift the flavor profile a little.
LENA’S EGGPLANT GHIOTTA
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 2 potatoes, cubed
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper
- 1/2-inch pieces of Parmesan rind
- 1 eggplant, peeled and cubed (if bitter, let sit in salt for 20 mins and squeeze well before adding to pot)
- 1 medium zucchini, cubed
- 1 can artichoke hearts, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 basil leaves
- 6 eggs
Heat olive oil over medium heat in Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add onion, potatoes, and garlic. Cook until potatoes brown on the surface (about 10 minutes).
Add tomatoes and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add Parmesan pieces. Cook about 7 minutes over medium heat.
Add cubed eggplant, zucchini, and trimmed artichokes. Cook an additional 7 minutes.
Check vegetables to see if they are cooked and check liquid. If too watery, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and stir.
Add basil leaves and make 6 indentations with bottom of ladle. Slip eggs into indents. DO NOT STIR. Cover pan and let eggs poach. You can turn the heat off at this point and let it sit. Eggs will cook firm in 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve with a loaf of Italian bread for dunking. ENJOY