In Sicilian dialector “Scruscio” is a short and simple word but holds a deep and meaningful meaning: it is noise, noise, din, everything that is done to attract attention, but it is also a noise that can recall history, the environment, all identity of a place, like the sound of the sea for Pantelleria, the westernmost volcanic island of Italy halfway between Italy and Tunisia which is only 70 kilometers away. harsh island, without beaches, where the dark volcanic stone beaten by the waters of the sea becomes sharp. In that noise there is the effort of the men who cultivate the land in difficult conditions, there is the wind that mercilessly slaps the island, there is the hard work of the fishermen in a sea that is friendly and, at the same time, enemy.
An evocative name from a thousand angles. The great knew it well Andrea Camilleri who, one day, to the journalist who asked him "What do you miss about Sicily" replied: "U scruscio du mari"
Calling a restaurant "Scruscio" is like giving an emotional synthesis of all these dramatic but at the same time fascinating elements that make up the soul of Pantelleria.
Here, on the terrace of theCossyra hotel, a scenographic hotel of old tradition in the village of Mursia has arrived, after a long wandering among the restaurants of the island Salvatore Bottaro and made it into a veritable laboratory of sensory experiences, an elegy of Pantelleria philosophy which permeates its gastronomic culture strongly rooted in its land, which starts from the taste to envelop every other perception, in a spiral of flavours, smells and colors, which are based on the territoriality and seasonality of the ingredients, strictly at Km0. However, an inclusive cuisine that is based on refined combinations, the result of constant culinary research and a great love for experimentation, balanced between tradition and innovation, but also on a constant dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures: "what I seek - he says – is to leave a persistent and emotional pleasure of genuine, modern and intriguing Pantelleria cuisine in those who come to the Scruscio”
Because for Bottaro cooking has always been pure emotion since he was a child when his father Andrea took him to the market and then saw him cook: the sizzling of pans and the Mediterranean scents that emanated into the air have remained in his blood.
The first experiences in La Vela, a fish restaurant with a suggestive view of the port of Scauri, then in La Pergola in the locality of Suvaki where he took on the role of assistant pizza maker made him want to plunge deeply into this world by starting a path of gastronomic knowledge and the growth of technical skills. The decisive leap in quality came with the move to the La Nicchia restaurant, noted in the Michelin Guide for its typical seafood specialities. “In this restaurant – he recalls – I understood the importance of raw materials and learned the art of refinement”.
Finally, the first opportunity to express oneself at the best and in freedom by treasuring the skills acquired was the opening of a restaurant of his own Zabib "my greatest adventure".
An adventure that represented for him a stepping stone to arrive at the large and important dimension of Lo Scruscio, where he quickly consolidated his fame among a large audience of connoisseurs far beyond the island's borders.
For the readers of Mondo Food, chef Salvatore Bottaro offers a dish that comes from the memory of the scent of freshly fried anemone fritters. “When I was very young – he says – I often tasted these pancakes at the home of some elderly lady which, from the first bite, seemed to contain sea water. An intense and highly sought-after flavor that I have felt the need to rediscover over the years". From these memories the idea of a first course that knew the sea and the land of Pantelleria took shape in which the essentiality of the ingredient manifests its maximum expression, worked with great simplicity but safeguarding a perfect balance of all the elements.
The recipe for Spaghetti with sea anemones, sea urchins and basil chlorophyll
Ingredients for people 4
Anemones 200gr
Sea urchins 70 g
Spaghetti 240 g
Half a clove of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh basil leaves
Ice
Sale
Method
To begin with, extract the chlorophyll. Pour the basil leaves into a saucepan filled with lightly salted boiling water, after a few seconds drain them and pass them in water and ice, at this point blend them and pass through a very fine sieve.
For the dressing
Brown half a clove of garlic in a pan, add the previously blended anemones, cook for a few seconds. As soon as the pasta is ready, toss it vigorously and serve, only at this point complete with the very cold sea urchin roe and the basil chlorophyll.
Scruscio restaurant
Hotel Cossyra, Contrada Mursia, 20
91017 Pantelleria (Trapani)
Phone: 331 4949329
