Pane Cunzato (Dressed Sicilian Bread)

All Recipes
SERVES 2-3

Ingredients

  • 1 x Loaf of day old bread (ciabatta will also work well)
  • 25ml Extra virgin olive oil
  • or 25ml Sicilian Chilli extra virgin olive ol 
  • 50-75g U Capuliatu
  • 1 Tsp Dried oregano
  • 1 x Tin anchovies in oil
  • 50-75g Pecorino cheese thinly sliced

Wine pairing

  • COS, Rami Bianco
  • Centopassi, Giato Bianco

A BBQ, Picnic & Aperitvo Essential

The first time we discovered Pane Cunzatu – Dressed Bread.

We were staying in our grandma’s home town Pietraperzia, it had been a long trip and we were hungry and hot! Our cousin’s best friend offered to make us some lunch and it was as if a piece of artwork was in the making.

The way Filippo so elegantly sliced open the pani Sicilianu, placing it on a board where he generously slugged local extra virgin olive oil all over the surface which was a day old so it soaked up all the deliciousness of the oil.

He then took the capuliatu, a Sicilian speciality of minced sundried tomatoes which he marinated with local dried oregano and sprinkled them like jewels across the bread. Then came the cheese, semi-matured Sicilian pecorino, sliced thinly & layered on top of the capuliatu whilst patiently awaiting the final ingredient; The Sicilian anchovy – the sweet, salty delicate meaty fish balanced the flavours of the cunzatu perfectly.

Finally, he placed the lid from the top of bread which had also been drizzled in oil, back in its place and squeezed tightly together as if the bread had never been sliced. The pane cunzatu ‘dressed bread’ rested for 15 minutes and then we all dug in with an extra cold beer in hand. A pure marriage of classic Sicilian ingredients in a bite!

Method 

Slice the day of old bread in half down the middle and place on a chopping board. TIP* The bread is delicious grilled or toasted on a BBQ too! Drizzle the sliced bread with the extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle over the capuliatu and dried oregano.

Place the anchovies evenly on top next and then finish with the thinly sliced pecorino cheese. Drizzle the other half of the bread with extra virgin olive oil and place on top and squeeze together.

Leave to rest and marinate altogether for 15 minutes, slice and enjoy with a refreshing drink! With pane cunzatu, it really is a personal preference of how much of each ingredient you use, this is our recipe which we use as a guideline but feel free to add more or less of each ingredient which you prefer.

Buon Appetito!