In Sicily hinterland, between Agrigento and Caltanisetta, there is a small village called Milena (formerly Milocca) with a population of 3 thousand people and deep-rooted in agricultural tradition. Proclaimed even by the writer Leonardo Sciascia who in his book "Occhio di capra" uses the nickname "Milucchisi" as a synonym for farmer. Wheat fields, olive and almond cultivations, and vineyards make up the beautiful countryside where you’ll find historical- archaeological traces (not yet exploited) of the Roman, Byzantine and Norman periods. Of particular of interest is the rural "robbe", that is to say the houses of big landowners from the past that constituted "lively feuds of life and history".
From robbe to the villages
Milena’s originality is exemplified by the robbe: at the beginning of the twentieth century these were gathered in 13 villages that together with the urban center, still form the village. The robbe take their name from the families who built them, the villages at the time of their creation were instead given the names of facts and characters from Italian history, such as Vittorio Veneto, Cavour, Piave, Crispi, Roma, Mazzini, Garibaldi, Balilla.
Milena's ‘mbriulata
It’s from the original farmers in Milena that one of their traditional creations originates. It's called 'mbriulata and it was discovered by one of our local readers. It’s a bakery product that in ancient times housewives used to prepare for family members who spent the day in the fields working the land: a puff pastry stuffed with olives, potatoes, cheese and chopped pork or fried pork crackling. Residents of Milena are very attached to this gastronomic tradition, so much so that every year, on the second Friday of August, the Sagra della 'mbriulata is celebrated, where you can taste this specialty in company with a good glass of wine.
A great way to discover the territory and taste ‘mbriulata are the cultural and gastronomic itineraries recommended by Il Distretto Turistico delle Miniere. Alternatively, why not try and prepare the ‘mbriulata at home with this recipe by the Pro Loco of Milena.
‘Mbriulata: the recipe
Ingredients
For the dough: 200 g of semolina flour, 150 g flour, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 oz lard, ¾ oz brewer's yeast, milk, salt, one egg white.
For the filling: 3 small potatoes, 300 g minced pork or "frittuli" (pork crackling), 1 small onion, 6 pitted black olives, 4 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Method
Prepare a well worked and fairly firm dough with the flour, olive oil, brewer's yeast dissolved in a little lukewarm milk and a pinch of salt. When working the dough add a little lukewarm water if necessary, then put the dough to rise for half an hour. In the meantime, peel the potatoes, cut them into small pieces and sauté them in a pan with a little oil and salt. Mix the meat with a little salt and pepper. Cut out a sheet of pastry a few millimeters thick, sprinkle a little lard on the pastry and spread the potatoes, meat, chopped olives and finely chopped onion on top. Sprinkle with the pecorino cheese and a layer of olive oil, then roll the pastry around the filling and turn it to get a spiral shape, then brush the surface with beaten egg white. Bake the ‘mbriulata in a hot oven for about forty minutes. Let it rest for ten minutes before serving.
Photo @www.distrettoturisticodelleminiere.it – Elena La Spina
