…..Once upon a time, in the early 70s, in via Glorizio (arretu or Casteu = in the back of the Castle) in Tropea, a small food shop, specialising in spices and preserves.

It was managed by a very nice old woman, a great friend of my maternal grandmother, known as' Ntonetta du Piscistoccu (means Antonia who sel the Codfish). The specialties of the shop were in fact stockfish, cod, capers and similar preserves. Everything was from the territory: stockfish and cod from Cittanova or Mammola, capers from Salina Aeolian Islands, olives from the Piana di Gioia Tauro etc. In the early spring afternoons my grandmother often went to the kitchen to chat with Mrs. 'Ntonetta while my mother, and I with her, went to' Maistra (Tailoring) to learn embroidery. A 'Maistra was Tota from the Tatamba family and she was (and has remained) very kind, always with a smile on her face. Her workshop was at the end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele, not far from where my grandmother was with her friend. It was not uncommon, therefore, for me to ask my mother for permission to visit the grandmother.

The recipe below is from one of the afternoons when I listened to them. Inside there will surely be generations of TROPEANS Fishermen whose names I heard mentioning while they talked about the recipe and how to make it; nevertheless there is also a part of me.

750 g cod already soaked

300 g of datterini (Cherry Tomatoes)

1 Tropea red onion

3 cloves of garlic Parsley, oregano, fresh spicy chilli, all from the area. Extra virgin olive oil, Crushed jar olives (possibly of Carolean variety from the GioiaTauro Area), Capers of the Aeolian islands (or from calata du portu / Calata Port), Paniculu semolina (maize)

Cut the cod into large pieces, coat it in the semolina and burn it in terracotta on the wood or better on the fire on the sea sand. In another clay pot, sauté garlic, chilli pepper and finely chopped onion in hot oil. Add the cherry tomatoes (preferably blanched peeled and seeded), olives, capers, parsley, oregano and complete with salt. Wait a few minutes and add the pieces of cod and complete the cooking Enjoy the plate cu pani addimuratu (with stale bread) of the Osteria.