Involtini di Pesce Spada (Swordfish Rolls)

Posted by Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 7/15/2011

Involtini di Pesce Spada (Swordfish Rolls)

This is the one. No, this is not the real one because the fish is different. Let me start again before I get lost in my thoughts. The only dish that makes my world stop is "sarde a beccafico", a Sicilian dish of sweet & sour sardine rolls filled with breadcrumbs, raisins & pine nuts and wrapped with bay leaves. It's explosive with tastes which is typical of the Sicilian cuisine. Now what does it have to do with the swordfish rolls? The recipe is exactly the same except that I used swordfish instead of the sardines.

Sardines are not so easy to find in the fish markets nowadays unless you order them beforehand. That was my mistake. On the day that I had been planning to prepare this when we were expecting some guests, I couldn't find a single sardine in town so I bought the swordfish instead. I knew I should have ordered ahead.

Nonetheless, it was my first time to try out this recipe with this fish. I was scared to be disappointed because I had already set my mind, heart & excited tummy in having "sarde a beccafico". Instead, my mother-in-law, the holder of this recipe, nonchalantly told me that swordfish is the same, because it's used in some parts of Sicily. Not to me it isn't. Maybe she doesn't realize how much I love her recipe and when a single ingredient goes astray, it alters the taste. Well, she is the Sicilian after all, not me, so I followed her lead.

With the two of us working in the kitchen, we finished in no time. This is a very easy recipe. The only factor that robs your time is the preparation of the fish. In this aspect, I am pro-swordfish. The last time I prepared this dish with the sardines, it took me two whole hours in the kitchen to clean & flatten all the sardines! I swore and swore more but when I put the first forkful of sardines in my mouth, I forgot how much I badmouthed this dish. Who? Me?

As soon as the oven rang, I couldn't stop myself from flying towards the kitchen and taking out the tray. I had to try it even if it was still scorching hot. Rule number one - it's not so good when it's very hot. You don't put anything in your mouth straight out of the oven anyway, however excited you are. I had to wait a few more minutes to try it again when it cooled down. It was marvelous just like its cousin sardines. It's also a winner!

A few years back, my husband started to ask me to learn his favorite family recipes so I can cook them at home too. It was bequeathal time. This is one of the last recipes I approached. His mother's version is so good that I was scared that mine won't ever parallel with hers. The thing is, his mom doesn't jot down the exact measurements, just a bit of this and a little bit more of that. You have to figure out the quantities on your own. After some trials and errors, I finally understood that the secret is to put a lot of lemon juice & sugar. Over time, I finally learned this recipe by heart.

The last sarde a beccafico I did.