Celebrating Sicilian-style Easter in Singapore
Updated: Apr 5, 2022
Sicily is one of the regions in Italy where Easter is celebrated in a big way. Easter is one of the most important calendar year in Sicily where every city and village is filled with ceremonies and celebrations which attract visitors from all over Italy and overseas to visit.
Sicily has always been rich in cultural diversity. The Sicilian Easter holiday does not only represent the traditional religious processions from the resurrection. The Jewish in Sicily celebrates this occasion as liberation from evil and sin. The Albanian and Greek community in Palermo celebrates this Holy Week with their own interpretation of the resurrection journey. The celebrations in Trapani came from Spanish origin as the typical tradition of rituals of Holy Week in Andalusia and Easter in Seville. In Palermo, the highlight of Easter is the representation of the Last Supper and the devotion to Santa Maria's sorrow which have been a tradition that they carried out since the Roman days.
The diversity of culture in Sicily influenced the food which is served in Sicily for the Easter festivity too. Lamb is a customary Easter dish that is cooked with different local recipes in Sicily and the whole Italy. For Christians, the lamb is more a representation of Jesus crucification and sacrifice as “the lamb of God”. The sacrificial lamb is mentioned in the Old Testament, when God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son. This year at Gattopardo, Chef Giovanni has prepared his family's recipe to represent the cultural diversity in Sicily - Spit-Roasted Whole Lamb with Grilled Corn Cous Cous & Smoked Anchovies Gremolata.
Fish is served in Easter as the catalyst for the disciples to recognize the resurrected Jesus beside the shore. It also was a symbol for early Christians because the Greek word ichthus -- "fish" -- forms an acrostic consisting of the first letters of the phrase "Jesus Christ, the Son of God." As part of our Easter Brunch Menu, we'll be serving Salt-Baked Giant Seabass with Sicilian Caponata.
No Easter is complete without the breaking of the Colomba di Pasqua. A colomba cake is not only a Sicilian tradition, it is a culinary symbol of Easter in Italy. The colomba is a traditional dove-shaped cake featuring a rich, soft dough with a slightly chewy texture. Shaped similar to panettone, filled with candied orange peel. Our kitchen is serving Colomba di Pasqua with Dolce de Leche & Bronte Pistachio Gelato to complete your Sicilian Easter Brunch at Gattopardo.
Other dishes to complete your Sicilian Easter Experience at Gattopardo are:
Fresh Apulia Burrata Cheese with Charred Courgettes, Green Chili Pesto & Garlic Focaccia
Seared Yellowfin Tuna Salad with Salmoriglio Dressings
Sicilian Wagyu Beef Arancini with Arrabiata Sauce
Spaghetti with Fruits of the Sea & Bottarga
Naturally, the Sicilian way of Easter celebration is completed with the serving of lots of wine during the meal.
Join us for this Easter Festivity Brunch on Sunday, 17 April 2022 from 12 - 2.30pm OR 2.30 - 5pm. $108++ per person including free flow of artisanal soft drinks & juices / $168++ per person including free flow of wines & prosecco.