DISCOVER ITALIA!
Catania and I didn’t get off to the greatest start. “Take a hike,” was the censored version of an insult shouted at me by a fishmonger yielding an intimidating cleaver in one hand, and a cernia (grouper), dripping with blood in the other. In his defence, I was documenting his skilful gutting and filleting of an enormous fish without his prior consent, mouth open in awe – apparent sacrilege in this historic fish market. While I can censor the language that escaped the mouths of gruff vendors, in the city’s pescheria scenes of gutting, de-heading and slithering live octopus were most certainly uncensored – an orgy of tentacles, shells and slimy fins. This is, after all, one of the most gloriously gritty markets in Italy, and the heart and soul of the city’s gastronomic culture.
The seas around Sicily are renowned for their tuna, swordfish and sardines