La VASTEDD FRITTA di GRATTERI

It is the recipe that made the small town of Gratteri known throughout Sicily. The vastedda fritta is a delicious pancake, sweet or salty, whose origins are lost in the mists of time. What is certain is that to have given birth is this center in the province of Palermo, where every housewife jealously guards the recipe handed down from their ancestors. Flour, yeast and extra virgin olive oil are the ingredients with which this delicacy is prepared, which is cut into rectangles in which a salted anchovy is placed in the center, desalted, folded in two and then fried. The vastedda fritta can also be served in the sweet variant: in this case, at the end of frying, it is passed into the sugar; and there is another recipe on the island,

RECIPE

2 pounds Flour flour,

1 and 1/2 packages of Dry Yeast

2 tablespoons of olive oil

lukewarm water

Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil for Frying

Dissolve the yeast with a little water, add the flour and 2 tablespoons of oil, knead well. Let the dough rest for half an hour. Once the dough is leavened, form rectangles of dough, lay on one side of the anchovy fillets, close and fry in hot oil. The vastedde fritte, to be more appreciated by children, can also be sweet, not putting the anchovy and passing them, after having fried them, in sugar.

This is the Sweet version of VASTEDDA FRITTI

For the Savory Version, split a Vastedda open at one end and Fill with Ricotta and Caciocavallo Cheese, and Veal Spleen fried in lard if you have it. If you don't have Veal Spleen, it may be omitted.

NONNA BELLINO'S COOKBOOK

SICILIAN RECIPES

la VASTEDDA MARITATA

Translation : This is a Married Vastedda Sandwich,

meaning that Firedd Spleen is married with Ricotta

and Caiciocavalo Cheeses

On a Sicilian Sesame See Bun

"The Sicilians just Love Sesames on Their Bread"