Catania ... La Pescheria

“If you want to eat fresh fish, you mustn’t have a tight wallet” Sicilian Proverb

Catania is Sicily’s second largest city which has had its share of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. It is rich in monuments which date back to its Greek foundations, the city you see today was built mostly after the massive earthquake in Sicily of 1693. The rebuilding was carried out in the Baroque style which Sicily is well known for using black lava stone from Mount Etna.

Some of the most important monuments are found around Piazza Duomo with its lava elephant, the Duomo which is dedicated to Saint Agata and it is here where you can reach the famous La Pescheria, the fish market of Catania.

From the Piazza you can easily reach La Pescheria. There are two ways to enter the market either go under the 17^th Century arch of Porta Uzeda or by the lava staircase behind the Fontana dell’Amenano whose mysterious waters flow under the city. Legend says that the water comes from a river which flows from Etna that was covered by lava in an ancient eruption and resurfaces at the entrance to the market.

On entering you can enjoy the ambiance and smells of the fish market where the charismatic stall holders shout across to you enticing you to buy the finest fish they have just caught that morning. Many lovingly let you sample their delicacies such as raw anchovies or sea urchins. These guys are actually in love with their fish and want to share the love.

The market is loved by the renowned English chef Rick Stein and was featured in his television series and book Mediterranean Escapes where he described it as "artistic" and "operatic" "with fish laid out like paintings".

The market takes place from 7am until 2pm but I would recommend getting there early as they start packing up around 11am, well they have been up all night fishing and need to catch up on their beauty sleep.

There are a couple of great trattorias for lunch situated adjacent serving the catch of the day.

Being in the market is like being in a different world, the mood and atmosphere has remained virtually unchanged for hundreds of years.

There is an abundance of fish on offer, look out for Soglia (Flounder), Triglie (Red Mullet), Tonno (Tuna), Mazzancolla (Large Sweet Prawns), Aragosta (Spiny Lobster), Sarde (Sardines), Polpo (Octopus), Calamari (Squid), Gambero Rosso (Red Prawns) and Pesce Spada (Swordfish).

One of the most prominent things you will see in the market is the heads of the Swordfish. The best swordfish is caught between April and June when the fish swim through the narrow Straits of Messina.

The little town of Scilla near Messina was described years ago by Homer in The Odyssey as Skylla, named after a mythological sea monster that lived in the Straits of Messina. Dangerous currents, whirlpools and winds in the straits threatened ancient sea journeys, those who escaped the whirlpools often ended up shipwrecked on the Skylla coast. These days Scilla is the modern day centre for swordfish angling. I won’t go into how the swordfish are caught as it is quite harrowing. It is said that superstitious fishermen on the straits to this day recite an ancient Greek prayer to lure the swordfish closer to the boats because legend says if the fish heard a word of Italian it would swim far far away.

My husband is a big fan of Swordfish so we always buy a couple of slices to take home from Catania and barbeque them, the stallholder will cut the steaks to our specification.

If you are barbequing swordfish and want to be like a real Sicilian no swordfish steak would be complete without a Salmoriglio sauce. My adopted Sicilian big brother’s mother in law taught me how to make Salmoriglio.

It is a simple 6 tbsp of Sicilian Olive Oil, 3 tbsp of Water, 1 ½ tbsp of Sicilian lemon juice, a pinch of salt, 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 tbsp of Sicilian oregano. Simply put into a plastic beaker or flask and then shake until combined and use as needed. It should last a couple of days although not in our house, I love it.

Around from La Pescheria the market extends into a colourful meat, cheese, fruit and vegetable market. So I always pick up some Aubergine (Eggplant), Red Peppers, Onions and Tomatoes to make some traditional Sicilian Caponata to accompany our swordfish. Search my Blog archive for my post “Caponata … an abundance of Vegetables” which includes the recipe and history of Caponata.

Whilst visiting the market you can join a street food tour to sample the true taste of Catanese cuisine and even get a certificate to prove that you ate it all. Or why not join a cookery lesson there and learn how to make Sicilian street food such as Arancini and Cannoli. Email me for my favourite recommendations.

After your fishy morning you can then enjoy discovering the other delights of Catania.

Read my post “Catania …. The City Built on Lava” from September 2014 about what to see and do in this amazing Sicilian city.

Now enjoy our Photo Gallery

(all photos are my own)

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Love Sarah x