Involtini di Pesce Spada

Sicily is not quite Italy. For centuries it belonged to everyone but the Italians: Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish. Each occupation left its mark on the table. These swordfish rolls carry the clearest fingerprint of Arab rule, that golden age from the ninth to eleventh centuries when Palermo rivaled Baghdad in sophistication. The pine nuts and currants, the sweet-savory balance, the fragrant bay leaves: this is North African cooking adapted to the Sicilian shore.

The fishermen of the Strait of Messina have hunted swordfish since antiquity. They still use traditional feluccas with tall masts and long harpoons, spotting the great fish from platforms high above the deck. In the coastal towns, cooks developed countless preparations for this firm, meaty catch. Involtini became the celebration dish, worthy of saints' days and Sunday tables.

Simple does not mean easy. The fish must be sliced thin and pounded thinner. The filling requires balance: enough breadcrumb to hold it together, enough fat to keep it moist, enough currant and pine nut to taste the history. The grilling demands attention. But when you bring these rolls to the table, bronze and fragrant from the fire, you serve something that has nourished Sicilian families for a thousand years.