Sicily

Luce e Limoni is a charming neighbourhood restaurant in leafy Clerkenwell that I’m delighted to have discovered, thanks to the lovely folk at Zomato.

The day I visited, Chiltern Fire House was being heralded on the cover of a magazine as the hottest restaurant in London and I couldn’t help being amused that we were dining at the antithesis of the celebrity circus restaurant. While I like a good ‘scene restaurant’ as much as the next London foodie, it’s a different kind of enjoyment finding a real under-the-radar hidden gem – exactly what this blog was started for.

We arrived early evening and had the place to ourselves for a short while before a steady stream of locals, groups of friends and the after-work crowd arrived. The restaurant is petite and lovingly designed with comfy seats and vintage-style pictures of Sicilian lemons adorning the walls.

Sicilian chef Fabrizio Zafarana offers a tantalising menu of seasonal dishes that take inspiration from his homeland. The cooking is honest and unpretentious but with flair, and uses authentic Mediterranean ingredients.

To start, I ordered the Burrata with Sicilian caponata (£9.95). The enormous ball of fresh burrata was cool and silky with a soft, creamy centre and topped with black pepper and olive oil. It was served on a bed of rich, flavoursome caponata made up of slow-cooked aubergine, celery, onion, pepper and black and green olives.

It was a delicious, simple starter done exceedingly well, plus the portion size is big enough for two to share.

Steven ordered the Baked mackerel timbal with capers, ricotta, samphire and red pepper couli (£9.50). The flavoursome, flaky mackerel was oven-baked with light and creamy ricotta and encased in paper-thin filo pastry – almost like a Sicilian quiche.

It was sat atop a tangy, slightly spicy red pepper couli and the accompaniment of fresh, salty steamed samphire perfectly complimented the flavours.

For my main course, I couldn’t resist the Slowly roasted pork belly served with lentils and Marsala reduction (£14.95). It was a comforting, rustic dish that I could imagine coming 0ut of a kitchen in rural Sicily.

The high quality piece of pork belly was succulent and tender, with contrasting textures of lean meat, melt-in-the-mouth fat and crunchy pork crackling. The lentils were beautifully-cooked with tiny pieces of vegetable and had a slightly sweet taste.

There could have been a little more of the delicious Marsala reduction to accompany the pork, however every mouthful was an absolute delight.

Steven went for the Roast rump of lamb with cinnamon, date and caramelised shallots with red wine jus and rosemary, with mashed potato (£15.95). The roast lamb was so tender and juicy and it was served with roasted whole shallots and a generous amount of buttery, smooth mashed potato.

The highlight of the dish was the intense red wine jus infused with aromatic herbs and spices. The cinnamon and cloves gave it a festive feel, so it didn’t seem like a summer menu dish, but it was a welcome comfort as the rain was beating down outside.

For dessert, I went for the simple classic of Lemon Meringue (£5.50). It had the potential to be a great dessert, but sadly the proportions were all wrong.

I quite liked the crispy, wafer-thin pastry basket, but it was filled with just a thin layer of tart, zesty lemon curd and a mountain of dense, whipped meringue. I never usually leave even a tiny morsel of dessert on my plate, but I had to give up on half of the meringue and still left on a sugar high.

Steven’s Tiramisu (£6.50) was a much more successful dessert. Crunchy biscotti were doused in potent espresso and liqueur and finished with cool, creamy mascarpone and cocoa powder.

What I liked about the desserts were that they were both freshly made. The Lemon Meringue had been blow-torched just before it came out and the top of the Tiramisu has been made into a wave shape before being covered in cocoa.

Luce e Limoni is a fantastic spot for when you fancy some delicious Sicilian food in a low-key, attractive setting. The staff were friendly and attentive and contemporary Sicilian music at just the right volume added to the cosy atmosphere. It’s definitely a new addition to my London eating address book.

For more information and booking, visit: www.luceelimoni.com

Chérie City was invited by Zomato

Photos by Chérie City (interiors by Luce e Limoni)

On my recent Silversea Mediterranean cruise, we docked for one day in Trapani, Sicily, and what better way to spend a lazy Sunday than at an olive oil farm in the countryside.

Our Panoramic Trapani and Olive Oil Tasting Tour took us on a short tour around Trapani’s harbour. Our guide explained about the city’s fishing industry and pointed out the Ligny Tower, built by Prince di Ligny in 1671.

We then drove along the salt road towards Paceco to Fontanasalsa, an olive oil farm and charming bed and breakfast owned by Mrs Burgherella.

Walking through the olive trees and bougainvillea, we were greeted in the courtyard by one of our hosts singing traditional Sicilian folk songs with a guitar from a top window.

After short time perking up with an espresso or a glass of chilled mineral water in the orange garden, we were taken on a tour of the olive oil factory and talked through the pressing process.

In the beautiful converted barn dining room, we tasted four different olive oils served with freshly-baked bread and coarse sea salt.

This was followed by a stunning lunch of Sicilian delicacies and local wine. We helped ourselves to plates of traditional lasagne, tomato and basil pasta, local cheeses, rice salad, roasted vegetables, olive tapenade and caponata. All of the dishes were tasty and beautifully-prepared, plus we got to try some ice cream made with olive oil for dessert.

While munching away, we were serenaded with Sicilian folk songs and all ended up having a jolly sing-along. We picked up some bottles of olive oil and tapenade from the small shop before the coach took us back to the port.

I spent a short time wandering around Trapani’s pretty streets and the town’s central beach before boarding the Silverwind. Trapani was very quiet on a Sunday, so the olive oil farm excursion was a great way to spend the day and a perfect, idyllic Sicilian experience.

Silversea’s Silver Wind departs on 9th August 2014 for a 9-day cruise from Venice to Rome and prices start from $4,450 per person. Calling at Venice, Koper, Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Sorrento and Rome. For more information and booking, visit:www.silversea.com / tel: 0844 251 0837

Read more about my Silversea Cruise around the Mediterranean:

Chérie City was a guest of Silversea

All photos by Chérie City

Chérie City

Luce e Limoni, Clerkenwell

A Day in Trapani, Sicily