Marsala Sfincione
By Carola
Sfincione is a recipe that takes on different connotations depending on the area of Sicily where it is prepared, and there are numerous variations, both meat-based and vegetarian. In the Pellegrino household, the oldest version of Marsala sfincione has always been traditionally cooked, made with meat and chicken ragù: a dish that is never missing from the family table during the Christmas period.
ingredients for 4 people
For the filling:
500 ml béchamel sauce
200 ml milk
500 ml tomato purée
500 g minced pork and veal
100 g Emmenthal cheese
100 g mortadella
100 g mild provola cheese
½ boneless chicken breast fillet, cut into small pieces, seasoned and fried in a little oil and garlic
1 stalk of celery
1 sprig of rosemary
½ glass of white wine or Marsala
Butter to taste
Nutmeg to taste
Bay leaves to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
For the brioche dough:
350 g plain flour
150 g remilled flour
150 g butter
10 g salt
4 eggs
½ cup of milk
1 cube of brewer’s yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
preparation
Start by preparing the filling. In a pan, sauté the chopped carrot, onion and celery. Add the minced pork and veal and the coarsely chopped chicken. Brown the meat, then simmer with wine or Marsala. Then add the herbs, warm milk and tomato purée and cook for about 2 hours over a low heat. Season with salt and pepper and add a knob of butter at the end of cooking. Soften the ragù with the béchamel sauce and, once it has cooled, add the previously chopped Emmenthal, mortadella and provola cheese. Now proceed with the brioche dough. Place the sifted flour, whole eggs, butter, sugar and yeast dissolved in half a cup of warm milk in a mixer. Knead until the dough is soft and easily comes away from the sides. Then add the salt. Divide the dough into two equal parts and pour the first half into a round baking tin with high sides, previously buttered and floured. Fill the brioche dough disc with the ragù mixture and spread the second half on top as a covering. Leave to rise for about 2 hours. Finally, bake in a preheated oven at 180°-200° for 30 minutes.
Pair with a glass of Gazzerotta Nero d’Avola
ingredients for 4 people
For the filling:
500 ml béchamel sauce
200 ml milk
500 ml tomato purée
500 g minced pork and veal
100 g Emmenthal cheese
100 g mortadella
100 g mild provola cheese
½ boneless chicken breast fillet, cut into small pieces, seasoned and fried in a little oil and garlic
1 stalk of celery
1 sprig of rosemary
½ glass of white wine or Marsala
Butter to taste
Nutmeg to taste
Bay leaves to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
For the brioche dough:
350 g plain flour
150 g remilled flour
150 g butter
10 g salt
4 eggs
½ cup of milk
1 cube of brewer’s yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
preparation
Start by preparing the filling. In a pan, sauté the chopped carrot, onion and celery. Add the minced pork and veal and the coarsely chopped chicken. Brown the meat, then simmer with wine or Marsala. Then add the herbs, warm milk and tomato purée and cook for about 2 hours over a low heat. Season with salt and pepper and add a knob of butter at the end of cooking. Soften the ragù with the béchamel sauce and, once it has cooled, add the previously chopped Emmenthal, mortadella and provola cheese. Now proceed with the brioche dough. Place the sifted flour, whole eggs, butter, sugar and yeast dissolved in half a cup of warm milk in a mixer. Knead until the dough is soft and easily comes away from the sides. Then add the salt. Divide the dough into two equal parts and pour the first half into a round baking tin with high sides, previously buttered and floured. Fill the brioche dough disc with the ragù mixture and spread the second half on top as a covering. Leave to rise for about 2 hours. Finally, bake in a preheated oven at 180°-200° for 30 minutes.
Pair with a glass of Gazzerotta Nero d’Avola
