Sciusceddu alla messinese comes to us from Sicily, and specifically from Messina, where this unusual primo piatto is a fixture on Easter dinner tables. It has all the hallmarks of an Italian Easter dish. It’s rich, meat centric—although the meat is usually veal rather than the more typical lamb—and enriched with eggs—symbolic of fertility and rebirth—and cheese.
With all the similarities it shares with other Easter dishes, sciusceddu is unique, a sort of soup cumsoufflé. Small meatballs are simmered in broth, then topped with a ricotta and egg mixture. The eggs are separated and the whites whipped before being gingerly folded into the ricotta mixture. Then it’s into a hot oven, where the topping puffs up and browns beautifully.
Sciusceddu makes a lovely presentation, fit for a special occasion like Easter. The combination of flavors and textures may be novel, but if you try it I think you’ll be delighted. So if you want to serve something a little bit different for Easter dinner this year, here’s your ticket…