Origins of ‘Mbriulata, a typical Milenese dish

In a small town in the Sicilian hinterland, of about 3 thousand inhabitants, a dish of the ancient tradition is prepared: the ‘mbriulata. Are you curious to know what it is and where you can taste it?

Today we would like to take you to the Sicilian hinterland and we will talk about a typical Sicilian recipe, a unique dish, really good and interesting.

The “‘mbriulata” is a specialty of a small village located in the Sicilian hinterland, Milena, (formerly Milocca). This small town, in the province of Caltanissetta, of about 3 thousand inhabitants and with a deep-rooted agricultural tradition, is also mentioned by the writer Leonardo Sciascia who, in his book “Occhio di capra”, uses the name of “Milucchisi” as a synonym for a peasant.

Wheatfields, olive and almond crops, vineyards make up the beautiful countryside where there are historical and archaeological traces (not yet well valued) of the Roman, Byzantine, Norman eras and where it is interesting to discover the rural “robbe”, or the homes of the large owners’ former landowners who constituted “fiefdoms pulsating with life and history”.

The peculiarity of Milena is constituted precisely by the robbe: at the beginning of the twentieth century, these were united in 13 villages which, together with the urban center, still form the built-up area of ​​the town today. The robbe take their name from the families who built them. The villages, on the other hand, at the time of their establishment, between the cities of Agrigento and Caltanissetta, were given the names of facts and characters from Italian histories, such as Vittorio Veneto, Cavour, Piave, Crispi, Rome, Mazzini, Garibaldi, Balilla.

The ‘mbriulata has its origins in the rural world. It is a dish that keeps well, even for a few days, which in the past was prepared by housewives for their families who spent the day out working the land. In this way, they had a full meal at their disposal for lunch. It is a pastry wrap filled with olives, potatoes, onions, minced pork (formerly cracklings), and cheese.

Today, it is prepared above all to celebrate Christmas Eve, even if this gastronomic tradition is recalled every year in August with the ‘Mbriulata Festival, which is held in Milena. So, if you happen to be on holiday in Sicily at that time, you could take the opportunity to visit the town and the festival. And while you are there, we recommend you to take a trip to Aragon and its surroundings.

Now, are you ready to prepare the ‘mbriulate with us? Here are the ingredients:

– 200 g of semolina flour
– 150 g of “00” flour
– 3 tablespoons of olive oil
– 20 g of brewer’s yeast
– 3 small potatoes
– 300 gr of mixed minced meat (I use sausage)
– 1 small onion
– 6 pitted black olives
– 4 tablespoons of grated pecorino
– olive oil (for the filling)
– salt
– pepper

Preparation:

Mix the flour with oil, brewer’s yeast, enough salt, and enough milk to give consistency to the dough. It will have to be quite firm, so don’t overdo it. Keep in mind, however, that during the dough it could be useful to add a little warm water. When the dough is ready, put it to rise for about 30 minutes. Take advantage of this break to dedicate yourself to the filling.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into logs. Brown them in a pan with a little oil and salt. Mix the two different types of meat and always add a pinch of salt and pepper. Now put your hands back into the dough and make a sheet a few millimeters thick. Brush with a little olive oil and immediately arrange the potatoes, then the meat, and, finally, the olives and a little onion, to make them even tastier. Turn the dough into a spiral and cook in a hot oven for about 40 minutes. Before serving, let it rest for 10 minutes. We know that it will not be easy to resist, but just long enough to avoid burning your tongue!

We prepared them and they came out very well. Our video recipe here  https://youtu.be/WA6f3oZfPsM

We just have to wish you … Buon appetito!