The recipe for Ceviche of mullet, grilled mussels, leche de tigre and vanilla by Alberto Angiolucci, a chef who loves to amaze with seafood aging that blends Sicily and innovation

The cuisine of the chef of “Angiò, macelleria di mare ” in Catania is rigorously based on the freshest, seasonal, zero-mile ingredients, and is the expression of a personal culinary vision that blends technique, research and respect for the territory. Great attention is paid to the maturation of the fish, a technique that enhances the flavours and improves the consistency.

Originally from Catania, Alberto Angiolucci is a young chef who has made his passion for cooking a mission to rediscover and enhance Sicilian gastronomic traditions, enriched however by an innovative and attentive approach to sustainability. Having gained a solid training in prestigious restaurants in Italy and Europe starting from the Boscolo Etoile Academy in Viterbo to then land at the starred Shalai in Linguaglossa, at The Gun in London, at Mariencò in Milan, with Marinella Rossi (the first woman in Lombardy to receive a Michelin Star in the 90s) his international path has allowed him to refine skills and competences with a personal culinary vision that blends technique, research and respect for the territory.

Concepts that today, back in his Sicily, he can apply with great determination in “Angiò Macelleria di mare”, an innovative restaurant that he opened in Catania where his cuisine rigorously based on very fresh, seasonal, zero-mile ingredients, combines Sicilian tradition with new culinary techniques, with a particular focus on the use of fish, a central element of his gastronomic proposal that reserves great attention to the aging of fish, a technique that enhances flavors and improves consistency with an eye always turned towards sustainability, quality and innovation. Angiolucci in fact chooses the real sea, that of small fishermen, of local fish and authentic traditions, supporting an ethical and sustainable supply chain, which enhances artisanal work through night markets and direct contact with those who live off fishing every day.

This is why his recurring claim is: “Angiò is a project that starts from Catania, from my home”. The design of “Angiò Macelleria di Mare” fully reflects the philosophy of the young chef: an environment that recalls the aesthetics of traditional Sicilian butcher shops, but with a contemporary touch. The use of materials such as tiles, marble, raw iron and cement creates an industrial atmosphere that marries perfectly with the modernity of the gastronomic proposal. The walls themselves tell the story of a journey that unites past and future, tradition and innovation. And in this vision mature the Cod, grapefruit and pumpkin seeds cream, the Wheat, cuttlefish ink, almond ricotta and sea urchins, the Fried moray eel and tartar sauce, the Cuttlefish tentacles, peas, wasabi and tuma, the Dry-aged fish of the day and brown sea stock and then Sausages and seafood cured meats, such as octopus mortadella, squid lard, sea bream chorizo with home-made paprika, swordfish dry-aged in beeswax or John Dory sausage with tenerumi and Sicilian hazelnuts.

“Between the fish cured meats and the aging to which the fish is often subjected – says the Michelin Guide – this explains the subtitle “seafood butcher”. The restaurant has changed the way of welcoming guests: you order directly at the table choosing between three tasting menus and an à la carte one in a simple but captivating room with an open kitchen. The best advice is to let the young Alberto Angiolucci do it”.

One of the signature dishes of his Macelleria di mare is the recipe for Ceviche of mullet, grilled mussels, leche de tigre and vanilla, a certainly demanding dish but one that will ensure success at the table and the certainty of surprising your guests.

Recipe: Mullet ceviche, grilled mussels, leche de tigre and vanilla.

For the mullet ingredients:

– 100g filleted grey mullet

– Balanced salt

– 100 gr salt

– 100 g sugar

Procedure:

• Cleaning and preparing the mullet: Purchase fresh mullet that has already been scaled, gutted and filleted from your trusted fishmonger. If it hasn't already been done, fillet the fish by removing the skin and all the bones. Sprinkle the mullet fillets with the balanced salt, covering the surface of the fish well. Marinate it for 15 minutes in the fridge, so that the salt balances its flavour. After 15 minutes, remove the fish from the salt, rinse it gently under cold water and dry it gently with a cloth or absorbent paper. Place the mullet on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut it into thin slices of about 3 mm thick.

For the leche de tigre ingredients:

• Lemon juice 40 gr

• Garlic 1 gr

• Chili pepper 4 gr

• Vanilla 1 gr

• Coriander 4 gr

• Fennel seeds 1 gr

• Oil 10 g

• Mullet pulp 20 gr

• Sardine garum 4 gr

Method: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and homogeneous. If necessary, pass the cream through a fine mesh strainer. Add a little water or more oil to obtain the desired consistency.

For the sweet and sour red onion:

Ingredients:

• Onion 10 gr

• Vinegar 7 ml

• Water 7 ml

• Sugar 2 g

• Salt 0,25 g

• Peppercorns 1 pc

• Bay leaf to taste

Procedure:

Peel the red onions and slice them into 1mm thick slices (preferably with a mandolin to obtain uniform slices). Pour the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, peppercorns and bay leaves into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring to completely dissolve the sugar and salt. When the liquid begins to boil, add the sliced onions. Stir gently and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onions are soft but not mushy. Turn off the heat and let the onions cool directly in their liquid. This way they will absorb all the sweet and sour aroma.

For the candied chili pepper ingredients:

• Fresh chilli pepper 1 pc, 12/16 gr

• Syrup (Water 40 g + Sugar 40 g)

Procedure:

In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. When the syrup begins to boil, dip the chili pepper cut into small cubes. Turn off the heat and let the chili pepper cool in the syrup. Once the chili pepper is completely cool, drain it and bring the syrup back to a boil. Dip the chili pepper again, turn off the heat and let it cool. Repeat this process a total of 3 times. After the final cooling, you can store the candied chili pepper in a container, covered with syrup, in the refrigerator for a few days.

For the mussels:

Ingredients:

100g fresh mussels

Procedure:

Light the grill and let the coals get very hot. Place the mussels on the grill. Arrange the cleaned mussels directly on the grill, with the concave side facing up. Cook the mussels for about 5-7 minutes or until they open. Do not touch them too much to avoid losing their water.

If you don't have the possibility to cook the mussels on the grill, you can open them in a pan: In a large pan, heat a drizzle of oil with a whole clove of garlic and some parsley.

Pour all the mussels into the hot pan and turn up the heat. Cover with a lid and let cook for about 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then. The mussels will open with the heat of the steam. Remove them one by one as soon as they open so that they remain soft and juicy.

Chilli flavoured oil ingredients:

• 250 ml of extra virgin olive oil

• 4-6 dried chillies (or fresh, but dried)

• Sterilized glass bottle

Lightly break the dried chili peppers (if you prefer them whole, you can leave them like this for a more delicate flavor). Heat the oil in a saucepan over low heat: it must reach 80°C to help extract the aromas. Add the chili peppers. Pour the warm oil into the bottle using a funnel. Close well and let it rest in a cool, dark place for at least 1 night. You can filter it or leave it with the aromas inside.

Basil flavored oil ingredients:

• 250 ml of extra virgin olive oil

• 1 bunch of fresh basil (about 20-30 leaves)

• Sterilized glass bottle

Procedure:

Wash and dry the basil leaves very well (they must be completely dry to avoid mold). Heat the oil to 80°C and add the chopped basil leaves. Leave on a very low heat for about 5-10 minutes, then turn off and let cool, then blend everything in a mixer. Filter the blended oil with a fine strainer or gauze and pour it into the bottle. Store in the refrigerator and consume within 2-3 weeks or you can freeze it in the freezer.

Plating:

Pour the leche de tigre into the base of a slightly deep dish. Arrange the marinated mullet slices on top of the sauce, alternating them with the mussels. Season each slice of mullet with a little sweet and sour onion and chili pepper, according to your taste. Complete the dish with the chili pepper and basil flavored oils.