Traditional Cuisine and the Local Catch

Arrival and check-in at the selected property.

Our journey into the cuisine of western Sicily begins seemingly far from the sea, going up by private vehicle to Erice.

We will enter through the walls and walk along paved alleys, courtyards, churches and shops of a village where different cultures and rulers have left traces over the centuries.

But this time we will not look only for monuments. We will look for recipes.

The sweet – Recipes behind convent doors

Erice’s pastry tradition will be our first encounter with the area.

We will enter a pastry shop or artisan workshop and meet those who keep alive preparations tied to the convent tradition.

Genovesi pastries, almond sweets and other Erice specialities will become the starting point for understanding something that will accompany us throughout the journey: a recipe can tell the story of a community as much as a monument.

When possible, the experience will not be limited to tasting.

The area in a glass

The day will continue with a meeting dedicated to the wines and products of the area.

Return by private vehicle. Dinner dedicated to traditional cuisine and overnight in the Trapani/Erice area.

Breakfast and departure by private vehicle for Trapani.

We will cross the historic centre to the port and the sea, following the traces of a city that built much of its identity on its relationship with the Mediterranean, on trade and on fishing.

Trapani goes into the kitchen

We will put on the apron and meet a chef or a traditional cook.

We will put our hands in the flour.

Together we will prepare busiate, learning the movement that turns a small piece of dough into the characteristic twisted pasta of Trapani cuisine.

The catch decides the menu

The menu will vary according to season and availability of the catch.

This will be a precise rule of the journey: we do not decide beforehand which fish must come from the sea.

We will start from what is really available.

At the table – We eat what we have prepared

At the end of the cooking class we will sit down together. The busiate, the fish and the other dishes made during the lesson will become our lunch.

In the afternoon we will keep getting to know Trapani through its streets, its shops and its constant relationship with the sea.

Dinner at leisure or traditional dinner depending on the chosen formula. Overnight in Trapani.

Breakfast.

Yesterday we cooked the fish. Today we will take the opposite path: we will go looking for where it comes from.

The fisherman – Who really decides the menu?

We will meet a fisherman, a small-scale fishing operator or a local figure tied to the world of the sea.

We will talk about seasons, species, tools, techniques and days when it is the sea that decides what can reach the table.

The experience of the sea

When weather, season and the availability of an authorised operator allow, we may go out by boat.

Otherwise we will stay ashore and meet those who work daily with the local catch. Local catch does not necessarily mean the most famous fish. It means what the sea really offers at that moment.

From the fisherman to the chef

Lunch will complete the route. This time we will not start from a set menu. We will start, when possible, from the available catch and see how the kitchen manages to transform it.

At the end, private transfer to Trapani or another agreed destination and end of services.