SICILIAN MEAT OLIVES (Alivuzzi di carni-Olivette di carne)

Braciola

Two of my most visited posts are the recipes for Braciole (Meat rolled around a stuffing) and Polpettone (large meat roll made with mince meat and with a stuffing).

There are many similar recipes of meat rolled around a stuffing, for example the Sicilian farsumagru (falsomagro, in Italian), involtini – or you may know them as saltimbocca or salti in bocca. Smaller  in size are are ucelletti or ucellini (both words mean little birds in Italian) and olivette (little olives).

I found a recipe called Alivuzzi Di Carni (Sicilian for Olivette di Carne – meat olives) in my copy of Cucina Nostra by Maria Consoli Sardo, published in 1978, 1 edition.

olivette ready to fry

Translating recipes from the Italian always requires a poetic licence – ingredients, times, quantities are often missing, but the following cooking method and amounts of ingredients works for me.

INGREDIENTS

veal or young beef steaks 700g, 

white wine, 1 cup

celery, parsley, onion, equal quantities of each to amount to ¾ cup, cut finely 

salt and black pepper

extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup

hot water, ½ cup

For the stuffing:

salame, sliced thinly 150g 

formaggio fresco, 150g

pine nuts,150g

spring onion,1, finely chopped

PROCESSES 

Trim and pound the steaks to about 5mm thick, each 5-6cm in size.

Spread some of the stuffing over each steak. Roll the steak around the filling and secure with netting (I use a toothpick or string). Sprinkle each olivetta (singular for small olive) with salt and finely ground pepper.

Place the olive oil in a large frypan and sauté the celery, parsley, onion until softened (over medium-high heat). 

Add the rolls and lightly fry them until lightly browned on all sides. 

Add wine to hot pan and evaporate for a few minutes. 

Add water and cook gently with a lid until cooked.