For Thanksgiving dinner, friends asked Michele to prepare a turkey recipe that she had learned in Palermo, Sicily when she was leading culinary tours. Michele and her group had dined at the home of a former caterer and chef. Much of the menu was based on historical recipes that had been devised by the Monzu’, French-trained Sicilian chefs who cooked for the Palermitano nobility. When Michele and her group visited, the chef made a roast turkey stuffed with pasta. It was unique and delicious. Michele has come up with her own version of the Monzu’s turkey, and we have enjoyed it for several Thanksgiving dinners.
For Thanksgiving this year, our dinner will once again have a Sicilian theme so I decided the match the meal with Sicilian wines.
We’ll start with shrimp dressed with olive oil, lemon, garlic and parsley.
“Fiordiligi” Sicilian DOC Grillo 2023 Assuli (Trapani) Made from 100% Grillo. The production area in the Mazara del Vallo is in northwestern Sicily. Soil is of medium texture rich in limestone and good minerality. The vineyards are at 200/250 meters. Training system is guyot vertical trellis with a medium high plant density of 5,000 plants per hectare. Harvest is from the second week of September depending each year on the ripening of the grapes. There is an extremely soft pressing with membrane press, followed by static clarification of the must and fermentation at controlled temperatures (between 15°-18°C) in stainless steel tanks. Wine remains on the lees for 4/5 months in stainless steel tanks and the in bottle for at least 2/3 months before release. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, pineapple and a touch of tropical fruit. $18
The Monzu’s Turkey stuffed with pasta
Il Frappato Vittoria Frappato Sicily DOC 2020 Valle Dell’ Acate (southeast corner of Sicily) made from 100% Frappato. There are 80 hectares of organically cultivated vineyards. The vineyards are at 100 meters and the soil is black, relatively compact and riddled with white stones. The soil structure makes it possible for plant roots to oxygenate freely, extending down deep into the ground. There are 5,000 plants per hectare and the training system is espalier. Harvest takes place the first week of September. The wine is aged in steel vats for 6 months and in bottle for at least 3 months before release. This is a fresh aromatic wine with hints of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, with a hint of violets and a touch of sage.
The extra pasta stuffing baked in a gratin dish.
Nerello Mascalese Terre Siciliane Vento di Mare IGT 2021 Cantine Ermes Soc. Coop. Agr. 100% Nerello Mascalese produced from organic grapes (Colline di Gibellina in Western Sicily) The soil is mainly sandy and the training system is guyot. Harvest takes place in the middle of September. The wine is aged for about 4 months in stainless steel before it is bottled. Plum, blackberry, black cherry, touch of smoke and a note of leather with a spicy finish. $18
Nero D’Avola Sicilia DOC 2021 Feudo Arancio Stemmari made from 100% Nero D’Avola (Sambuca di Sicilia, in the province of Agrigento). The soil is mostly clay and the training system is espalier. There are about 4,500 per hectare. Harvest is the first week of September. The grapes are destemmed and alcoholic fermentation with the skins lasts a few days in stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation occurs with selected bacteria and then the wine is aged for a long period in French barriques. The wine has hints of currants, strawberries, and pomegranate with a hint of blackberries and a touch of blueberries, $20.
Biscotti Regina, Sicilian sesame cookies are always a favorite way to end a meal.
It’s time to start making your Thanksgiving Dinner plans!