Catania Piazza del Duomo & La Pescheria Market

Catania is a volcanic jewel. A Unesco World Heritage Site, thanks to the stunning beauty of its baroque palaces and churches built after the devastating eruption of Mt Etna in 1669, Catania has an ancient and eventful history. As with many cities in Sicily, Catania's history reflects the history of the whole island: after the First Punic War, Catania submitted to the Romans and was afterwards sacked by the barbarians and dominated by the Arabs, then conquered by the Normans who made it a royal city. Catania's central piazza is a dramatic set of contrasting lava and limestone, surrounded by buildings in the opulent Sicilian baroque style and crowned by the grand Cattedrale di Sant'Agata. At its centre stands Fontana dell'Elefante, a smiling black-lava elephant dating from Roman times and surmounted by an improbable Egyptian obelisk. Another fountain at the piazza's southwest corner, Fontana dell'Amenano, marks the entrance to La Pescheria, Catania's raucous fish market, where tables groan under the weight of enormous swordfish, ruby-pink prawns and trays full of clams, mussels, sea urchins and all manner of sensational sea life. In the heart of the market are a number of good seafood restaurants, including Mm! Trattoria run by brothers Gaetano and Carmello Marino, the chef who works in the kitchen along with their Mamma. With just two small rooms, a few tables and a wonderful menu that showcases the fabulous fresh fish from the market, from sensational raw, grilled and fried fish to homemade Sicilian pastas and desserts. 

Monument to Italian operatic composer Vincenzo Bellini in the historic Piazza Stesicoro by Giulio Monteverde

Palazzo San Giuliano which was built in 1738 is now part of the University of Catania

Catania's grand Baroque-style Cattedrale di Sant'Agata has been built and re-built several times after the eruptions of Mt. Etna

Detail of Sant'Agata on the Duomo exterior

The spectacular cupola which dates to 1882 

The ornate Baroque interior of Cattedrale di Sant'Agata

The vaults and the dome were frescoed in 1896 by Giuseppe Sciuti with scenes of the Life of Mary, Angels and Saints

Fresco detail

The grave of Catania-born Vincenzo Bellini, was a leading opera composer of his era 

The magnificent Cupola where for a few euros, visitors can climb to the top for panoramic views of the city

The bell tower designed by Carmelo Sciuto Patti, was originally built in 1387 and the clock was added in 1662

Made entirely from black lava stone, Fontana dell'Elefante dating from Roman times, is known locally as “U Liotru” and is the symbol of the city

Via Etnea is very pedestrian friendly with very view cars in the central core

Remains of a Roman Amphitheater and the S. Biagio Church

Catania's raucous fish market, which takes over the streets behind Piazza del Duomo every weekday morning, is pure street theatre

Crabs, small fish, red prawns and mantis shrimp

Locally caught fish and seafood

Fishmonger in La Pescheria

Locally grown vegetables in the Catania Market

Chef Carmello Marino of Mm! Trattoria at the market

Mm Trattoria in La Pescheria Fish Market

With just two small rooms, a few tables, simple furniture and paper napkins, this family run trattoria is perfectly positioned in the centre of the market

The menu is based on the catch of the day with lots of raw, grilled and fried fish and a few pasta dishes

Delicious fresh ciabatta and grissini al sesamo

Glass of local Etna Bianco

Raw Red Mazara Shrimp 

Raw Anchovies

Tuna Tartare

Raw Tuna

Raw swordfish with sea asparagus

Salsiccia di tonno in foglie di limone: Tuna "Sausage" in lemon leaves

Polpette di Pesce Spada: Swordfish "Meatballs"

Insalata

Caponata

Pesce Spada alla Griglia: Grilled Local Swordfish

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Parmigiana di Melanzane Tradizionale

Serves 8

For the eggplant:

2-1/2 lb. eggplant, about 4 small or 2 medium-large

Kosher salt

3 cups olive oil, or a blend of olive and canola oils

For the sauce:

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half

2 28 oz cans San Marzanao plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped

Kosher salt

12 large fresh basil leaves, torn in half, plus extra for garnish

For assembling:

6 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups lightly packed freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, about 3 1/4 oz

Peel the eggplant and cut each crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cover the bottom and sides of a large colander with a few eggplant slices and sprinkle generously with salt. Top with more layers of eggplant and salt until you run out of slices (you’ll end up with five or six layers). Let the colander sit in the sink or over a large bowl for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. The salt will draw out water and reduce the eggplant’s ability to absorb oil.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and barely golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt. Raise the heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down into a sauce, 20 to 25 minutes. If the sauce begins to dry up before the tomatoes break down, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time. Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until you have a thick, chunky sauce, 5 to 10 minutes more — Note: Too much liquid in the sauce will make the finished dish watery. Turn off the heat, remove the garlic, and stir in the basil leaves. Season to taste with more salt, if necessary, and set aside.

Dry the eggplant by lining a large plate with a paper towel and setting a few slices on it. Top with another paper towel and layer on a few more slices. Repeat until you run out of slices. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of a 3- or 4-quart saucepan. Add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil reaches 375°F, add as many eggplant slices as will fit comfortably in a single layer. Don’t crowd the pan. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can test the oil temperature by dipping a tip of one eggplant slice in the oil. If it immediately sizzles, the oil is ready.

Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute more on the second. Working quickly, pick up each slice with a slotted spoon and press the back of another large spoon against the slice to squeeze out as much oil as possible. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all the slices are fried, layering the fried eggplant between paper towels and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain the frying temperature.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.

Layer about one-third of the eggplant slices so they overlap slightly on the bottom of a 10×8-inch (or similar size) baking dish. With the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread about one-third of the tomato sauce in a very thin layer over the eggplant. Evenly sprinkle about half of the mozzarella and 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano over the tomato sauce. Make another layer with one-third of the eggplant, one-third of the tomato sauce, the remaining mozzarella, and 1/3 cup Parmigiano. Make one last layer with the remaining eggplant, tomato sauce, and Parmigiano. Bake until the cheese has melted evenly and the top is bubbly, with browned edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish each serving with fresh basil.