AI-generated image
Stigghiola
Stigghiola: lamb intestines wrapped around spring onions and grilled smoky, with lemon
Stigghiola is the smell of Palermo after dark: lamb intestines wound around spring onions or parsley stalks and grilled over smoking braziers in the Ballarò market, in the alleys of the Kalsa and on the seafront at the Foro Italico. Sellers chop the long coils into pieces, salt them and squeeze over lemon, and people eat them standing, from paper, late in the evening. Smoky, crisp at the edges and rich, it is offal at its most direct. At home, buy cleaned lamb intestines from a halal or specialist butcher, wash them again carefully and parboil them before grilling, so they cook right through. Chef's tip: wind the intestine tightly around the onion; loose coils unravel and fall through the grill.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb lamb small intestinescleaned, from a butcher
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
- 12 spring onionstrimmed
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsleystalks kept
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lemonscut into wedges
- ½ tsp black pepper
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 2 ¼ lb lamb small intestines inside and out under cold running water, running water through each length, until it runs completely clear. Cut away any fat or dark patches. Common mistake: skimping on washing; poorly cleaned intestines taste strong and sour.
20 minStep 2: Soak them in cold water with 2 tbsp white wine vinegar for 15 minutes, then rinse again.
15 minStep 3: Bring a large pan of water with 1 tbsp coarse salt to the boil, add the intestines and simmer for 20 minutes, until firm and fully cooked. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle.
25 minStep 4: Hold one of the 12 spring onions together with a few 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley stalks and wind a length of intestine tightly around them, end to end, making bundles about 20 cm long. Tie off or tuck in the ends.
15 minStep 6: Cut into 4 cm pieces, sprinkle with ½ tsp black pepper and a little extra salt, and squeeze over 2 lemons. Eat hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does stigghiola take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white wine vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Boiled pasta
The basic method for any dried pasta, from penne to spaghetti. A large pan of salted boiling water keeps the pasta from sticking, and you cook it only until just done, with a little bite left. Use it in salads, bakes or with any sauce.
Mint pistachio pesto
A fresh, fragrant pesto made with mint leaves and toasted pistachios. It is lovely tossed through hot pasta or spooned over roasted vegetables, and a spoonful lifts a plain vegetable soup.
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek