Involtini Alla Siciliana Recipes

SICILIAN VEAL INVOLTINI

Steps:

• Soak 4 wood skewers in water to prevent them from burning. Alternately, cover the ends of each skewer with foil.

INVOLTINI ALLA SICILIANA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the olives, capers, red pepper flakes, pine nuts and currants. Stir in the marinara (Basic Tomato Sauce) and wine. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, orange zest, parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper, and mix well.
• Season each piece of fish with salt and pepper and place flat on a work surface. Spread the bread crumb mixture evenly across each of the fish pieces and carefully roll each like a jelly roll, securing each roll with string or with toothpicks. Place the rolls in the skillet with the sauce. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Place 1 roll on each of 4 warmed dinner plates, spoon some of the sauce over each, and garnish with chopped parsley, torn oregano, fennel fronds and olive oil.

INVOLTINI OF BEEF

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic and saute until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Stir in the Parmesan. Season beef with salt and pepper. Using 2 tablespoons for each, divide the carrot mixture among the beef slices. Roll up the beef slices to enclose the filling, tucking in the ends. Secure the rolls with toothpicks.
• Heat the remaining oil and the remaining tablespoon of butter in the same large frying pan over medium-high heat. Dredge the beef rolls in flour to coat lightly. Add the beef rolls and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the bay leaf. Cover and simmer until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the beef rolls to a platter. Remove the toothpicks, then cover the beef rolls with foil to keep warm. Add the peas and prosciutto to the sauce in the skillet and stir until the peas are heated through and the sauce reduces slightly, about 5 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Drizzle the sauce over the beef rolls and serve.

INVOLTINI DI CARNE ALLA SICILIANA

Steps:

• Cut each 1/4-inch thick slice of meat into portions about 2 to 2 1/2 by 4 to 5 inches. Transfer the slices to sheets of plastic wrap, cover with plastic wrap, and, using the smooth side of a meat mallet, pound the sliced top portions until slices are very thin - ideally about 1/8-inch thick, being careful not to tear the meat. You should have approximately 16 (3 by 6 to 7-inch) rectangular portions of meat.
• In a small skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on a medium-high heat and saute the onion until tender and translucent. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and add the bread crumbs, cheese, raisins, pine nuts, parsley, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside for filling.
• Preheat a grill, grill pan, or broiler to high heat.
• Lay the beef slices on a clean flat work surface and drizzle with 4 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil, turning to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the bread crumb mixture evenly among the beef slices, about 2 tablespoons each, placing the filling on 1of the short ends. Using your fingers, roll the slices lengthwise up and over the filling until the meat is completely rolled up. Using butcher's twine, tie both ends of each roll firmly to secure. Thread the meat rolls onto 2 skewers, 1 at either end of the roll, and thread bay leaves and onions onto each skewer, then top with a second beef roll and 2 more onions, until you have used all of the ingredients, like a kabob. Lightly brush each skewer with some of the remaining olive oil. You should have 8 double-skewered kabobs, each with 2 beef rolls, 4 onions, and 2 bay leaves.
• Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until meat is charred on the outside but still medium-pink on the inside, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Set skewers aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

CANNOLI ALLA SICILIANA

Steps:

• Combine the flour, cinnamon, shortening, sugar and salt, and wetting gradually with the wine, knead together with fingers until rather hard dough or paste is formed. Form into a ball, cover with a cloth and let stand for about 1 hour. Cut dough in half and roll half of the dough into a thin sheet about 1/4-inch thick or less and cut into 4-inch ovals.
• Place a metal tube diagonally across each oval lengthwise. Wrap dough around tube by overlapping the 2 sides, sealing the overlapping sides with a little egg white. Meanwhile heat vegetable oil in a large deep pan for deep frying. Drop 1 or 2 of the tubes at a time into the hot oil, fry gently on all sides until dough turns a golden brown color. Remove from pan, let cool a little, gently remove shell from the metal tube. Set shells aside to become cold. Repeat procedure until shells are all made.
• Mix the ricotta thoroughly with sifted dry ingredients. Add two drops of vanilla and chopped fruit peel. Mix and blend well. Chill mixture before filling shells. Fill cold shells and smooth filling evenly at each end of the shell. Sprinkle the shells with confectioners' sugar.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.