Palermo: Blood Orange Sorbetto, Myths, and Antiquities

I love everything about Sicily.  The cuisine is one of my favourites of Italy, maybe because it is a mix of multi-cultural influences from so many conquering cultures (Greek, Arab, French, you name it...).  And also so much of the food is what I call the cuisine of poverty (cucina povera) in which meals are based around vegetables and what can be foraged locally, creating dishes that satisfy with their intense flavours rather than fancy ingredients.

image from lonelyplanet.com

I also love the humourous names for the dishes like Nun's Bones and Pasta di Cacate (poop pasta).  The countryside has inspired Greek myths, so it is possible to stand at the top of a hill town and look down on the banks of a lake where Hades is believed to have pulled Persephone down to the Underworld.

the view of Mount Aetna when arriving at sunrise

statue of Hades abducting Persephone in Enna

Sicilian hill town

loved all the blues

stairs to the water from our hotel with Siracusa in the distance

coffee on the rooftop terrace of our airbnb in the old town of Palermo

The Sicilans are famous for their gelato and sorbetto and graniti.  We did our best to try every flavour available while we were on the island.

The island climate is wonderful for growing almonds and oranges, in fact, the Tarocco blood oranges are native to Sicily.  In their cookbook, Ciao Bella, F.W. Pearce and Daniel Zecchin said that "The blood orange is the classic Sicilian fruit; it reflects the nature and spirit of the Sicilian people: generous, direct, and unique."

So to me the most representative recipe to make from the island was blood orange sorbetto.

cooking in Palermo after getting fresh tomatoes, basil, and pasta at the street market

Blood Orange Sorbetto

Preparation and Cooking: 1 hour, plus at least 3 hours of refrigeration and freezing time

Makes: 5 cups (about ten 1/2 cup servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup/235 ml water
• 1 cup/128 g sugar
• 3 cups/710 ml chilled blood orange juice (takes about 15 medium blood oranges)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped grated blood orange zest

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine the water and sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes, stirring often until all the sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove the pan from the stove and let the syrup cool, then transfer to covered container and refrigerate at least an hour until cold.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the juice, zest, and syrup. 
5. Freeze according to the instructions for your ice cream maker.  Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.