Enzo a Mare: Sun, Sand & Sicilian Seafood

Enzo a Mare is a delightful seafood restaurant located on the beach in the small town of Punta Secca on the south coast of Sicily. The restaurant is also quite famous because it's regularly featured in the enormously popular Sicilian television series, "Inspector Montalbano" for it is one of Commissario Salvo Montalbano's favourite places to eat, usually with a beautiful woman. Arriving for our first lunch in Sicily on a gloriously hot and sunny afternoon, we were thrilled to get a lovely table overlooking the beach and even happier with the wonderful menu featuring fabulous Sicilian fish and seafood dishes typical of the area. Surrounding Sicily on three sides are the Ionian Sea, the Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean, which offer some of the richest fishing grounds in Italy, no meal is complete without delving into Neptune's bounty. 

Beginning with some local wine recommended by Enzo, we decided to share a platter of Fritto Misto with calamari and prawns, which were perfectly cooked and simply delicious. To follow, we chose two dishes: Pesce Spada, swordfish fished directly from the Med, superbly fresh and cooked 'alla ghiotta' with a thick tomato sauce enriched with capers, onion, olives and oregano; as well as a superb Linguine allo Scolglio with mussels, clams, red prawns and shrimp. According to Italians, there's always room for dolci, so in celebration of our arrival in Sicily we ordered Cassata Siciliana, a traditional Sicilian sweet made with sponge cake moistened with fruit juice or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese and candied fruit. The heavenly combination of the sun, sand and seafood made our lunch and Enzo a Mare a glorious start to our two weeks in Sicily.  

Overlooking the beach at Punta Secca, Enzo a Mare is a delightful restaurant where we enjoyed our first lunch in Sicily

Handwoven baskets lamp shades offer a whimsical Mediterranean touch 

The beach at Punta Secca on the south coast of Sicily with lots of well tanned Italians

A scene from the Italian TV series "Inspector Montalbano" at Enzo a Mare

The fabulous menu with an incredible selection of local fish and seafood

Enzo

A litre of cold Vino Locale

Lovely squishy warm bread

Fritto Misto con calamari e gamberi

Pesce Spada alla Siciliana con capperi, olive, pomodoro, origano, pepe nero e menta,

an iconic Sicilian dish

Linguine allo Scolglio con cozze, vongole, scamponi, gamberi, pomodoro, aglio, olio e prezzemolo

Cassata Siciliana

Cassata Siciliana is a traditional sweet from Sicily made with sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese and candied fruit

Caffe Macchiato

The whole staff of Enzo a Mare

enzoamare.it

Sicilian Swordfish

Serves 4

4 slices of swordfish

3 cloves, minced

1 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, with juice

2 tbsp salted capers

1 handful of pitted green and/or black olives, roughly chopped

1/2 cup white wine

2 tsp dried oregano 

Extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh chopped parsley or mint as garnish, optional

Brush the swordfish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then set aside. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to a sauté pan set over medium, and once hot, add the garlic. Cook until fragrant then add the tomatoes with their juice, olives, capers, wine and oregano, and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are cooked through. Reduce the heat to low, and keep the sauce at a simmer, adding a wee bit more wine if it gets too dry. Meanwhile, in another pan, add the seasoned swordfish and sauté on medium-high for 3-5 minutes, then turn the fish over and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until it's just cooked through, or your preferred level of doneness. Spoon the sauce over the swordfish and serve immediately, with a garnish of fresh parsley or mint.