The word Agghiotta derives from the Sicilian term “a’ ghiotta”, literally “the delicacy”.
Ingredients and Instructions (serves 4):
- 2 pounds/1 kilogram of swordfish
- 5 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large celery stick, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of capers in salt, rinsed and drained
- 2 ounces/60 grams of pitted green olives
- 1 tablespoon of raisins
- 1 ½ tablespoons of pine nuts
- 1 cup of canned tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
- salt and pepper
- Start placing the raisins in a small cup with some warm water and let them soak for about 30 minutes, until soft, then squeeze them and drain well.
- Rinse and drain the capers and set aside.
- Chop very finely the onion, celery and garlic.
- Dredge the fish in the flour.
- In a frying pan, fry the pieces of fish in the olive oil and get them nice and golden on each side.
- Remove the fish from the pan and let it rest on some paper towel to remove the excessive oil.
- Meanwhile, in the same pan, using the residual oil sauté all the chopped vegetables until the onion starts turning translucent.
- Add the capers, olives, raisins, pine nuts, tomatoes, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Let cook the ingredients for about 15 minutes over medium heat, so to obtain a nice sauce.
- Add about 1 cup of warm water to the pan, return the swordfish fillets in it, season them with a little more salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and let cook gently for a few more minutes, until the water is reduced and the sauce has a rather thick consistency.
- Serve immediately, topping each piece of swordfish with the Agghiotta sauce.
Wine Suggestions for Agghiotta: among the Italian wines I would choose Etna Bianco from Sicily or Vernaccia di San Gimignano or also a good Pinot Grigio.
Buon appetito!
Cinzia Aversa, 2013