# Sicilian lifeguard sauce; what's authentic?



## jpinmaryland (Jun 26, 2005)

Last recipe I saw somewhere I wrote down: almonds, chilies, capers and wine. Is that the real deal? I know I've seen Mario Batali make this and I'll bet his is a little different. Perhaps there is some parsley and garlic I am leaving out? Anyhow what do you guys think is the "authentic" version?


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## Zereh (Jun 26, 2005)

I'm pretty sure that "authentic" changes from kitchen to kitchen, especially in Italy!  


Z


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## mudbug (Jun 26, 2005)

you're kidding on the name of this sauce, right?


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## ironchef (Jun 26, 2005)

How I was taught was, it's basically a quick Olio or Olive Oil based sauce that you can put together in a matter of minutes. Just make sure that the pasta is a few minutes away from being done or else you'll burn the ingredients in the sauce. Basically, it contains these or similar basic ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Red Chili Flakes
Sliced Garlic
Capers
Anchovy Paste
Lemon Juice/Zest
Italian Parsley
Salt
Breadcrumbs

Basically, you heat the EVOO (enough to make a sauce with and coat the pasta--about 4-6 Tbsp.), saute the sliced garlic until the edges just turn golden brown, add the chili flakes, capers, and anchovy paste. Using a wooden spoon, emulsify the paste into the oil. Add the lemon juice/zest, parsely, and pasta, and toss to coat. Add the breadcrumbs and toss with the pasta, then season with salt and serve.


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## jpinmaryland (Jun 26, 2005)

so how different is puntanesca sauce? Just the tomatoes? hmm looking at my notes..if I take out your lemon juice and substittute tomatoes, and take ou the bread crumbs I have the Putanesca that is in Joy of Cooking. comments?


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## Caine (Jun 26, 2005)

Puntanesca sauce HAS to have anchovies, or it's not puntanesca sauce.

If you do a Google search for Sicilian lifeguard sauce and check the first twenty responses, you will find twenty different recipes, including two different ones by Mario Batali. Like Zereh said, it is going to differ from kitchen to kitchen.


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## ironchef (Jun 26, 2005)

jpinmaryland said:
			
		

> so how different is puntanesca sauce? Just the tomatoes? hmm looking at my notes..if I take out your lemon juice and substittute tomatoes, and take ou the bread crumbs I have the Putanesca that is in Joy of Cooking. comments?


 
Actually, the ommision of lemon and breadcrumbs, as well as the addition of tomotoes will drastically change the taste of the sauce. 

True puttanesca sauce also has olives in them. Try using a combination of Sicilian and Gaeta olives. Did you know that the origin of puttanesca sauce is based on prostitution? Try calling an Italian woman "la puttana".


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## jpinmaryland (Jun 26, 2005)

Here is one of the Mario versions that he makes w/ squid and couscous, 

basic sauce ingredients: pine nuts, garlic, currants, caperberries and red pepper flakes, wine and tomato sauce, scallions, S/P. 

basic instructions: 


Ina 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the oil until just smoking. Add the pine nuts, garlic, currants, caperberries and red pepper flakes, and saute until the pine nuts are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the couscous and bring to a boil. Add the calamari, stir to mix, and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the calamari is just cooked and completely opaque. Toss in the scallions. Season with salt and pepper, pour into a large warm bowl, sprinkle with the reserved scallions, drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately. 

So the anchovies/tomato make it Putanesca; what ingredients define it as lifeguard sauce? the nuts and capers?


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## ironchef (Jun 26, 2005)

I *think* what makes it a lifeguard sauce is that you're supposed to be able to make it very quickly. Something to the effect that the lifeguards needed to be able to make a quick but tasty pasta as they could not afford long lunch (dinner) breaks like everyone else in Italy.


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## jpinmaryland (Jun 26, 2005)

Caine: I dont know what terms you used in Google but my google search of the first 30 terms hardly reveals 20 different recipes. In fact it only reveals one, essentially Mario's recipe I posted above.

There are various references to Babbo (his restaurant) and other people who have sample food from Babbo or who have plagiarized the recipe outright.

There is one variation I found, where they start w/ Leeks and add parsley later but it probably the same Mario recipe.

So Batali uses tomatoes and our Iron Chef does not. I'm willing to go with Iron Chef as the last word, he has not steered me wrong yet. 

Another fun thread, tracking this down.


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## jpinmaryland (Jun 26, 2005)

Here is the recipe with the leeks, personally since it doesnt contain capers or anchovies, I dont see how it fits in. It does have olives. Hmmmm: 

http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/24/133922.shtml


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## jpinmaryland (Jun 26, 2005)

ironchef said:
			
		

> I *think* what makes it a lifeguard sauce is that it's you're supposed to be able to make it very quickly..


 
errh so what makes it putanesca sauce?


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## ironchef (Jun 26, 2005)

jpinmaryland said:
			
		

> errh so what makes it putanesca sauce?


 
Look at my post above with the devil's face. It gives you an idea of the basis of where the word "puttanesca" originated from.

A lot of classic Italian dishes were named after some sort of significance, either by whomever invented the dish, or from why they made up the dish. Carbonara is a perfect example which I explained about in the carbonara thread. Amatriciana is another example of what is my personal favorite pasta sauce.

The basic premise behind the puttanesca sauce was that it was made by prostitutes after a hard night of work, both literally and figuratively speaking.  

Regarding the Sicilian Lifeguard sauce, I've never trained in Italy like Mario has, so I'm not going to say that my versions are correct. I did however work in an Italian restaurant for a year and a half with a Chef who was born and raised in Puglia (the heel of the boot) and I learned what I know of as the basics and base of Italian cuisine from him.


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## jpinmaryland (Jun 26, 2005)

great now Ihave to track down carbonara sauce, which folder is it now? sauces, ethnic? general?


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## Caine (Jun 26, 2005)

jpinmaryland said:
			
		

> Caine: I dont know what terms you used in Google but my google search of the first 30 terms hardly reveals 20 different recipes.


lifeguard sauce recipe


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## jpinmaryland (Jun 27, 2005)

I think that produces the same recipes I found, can you post a different one?


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## Caine (Jun 27, 2005)

jpinmaryland said:
			
		

> I think that produces the same recipes I found, can you post a different one?


A Google search for _Lifeguard sauce recipe_ gets over*7,500* hits . How many different recipes do you need? Are you trying to tell me they are all the same recipe? I kind of doubt that.


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## jpinmaryland (Jun 27, 2005)

w
Yes that is exactly what I am telling you. Why dont you click on one or two of those hits and see what actually comes up? I went through the first 30 hits for "Siclian lifeguard" and came up with only two different ones, the original Mario one and a variation w/ leeks.


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## Caine (Jun 27, 2005)

Funny, I opened the first three, all accredited to Mario Batali, and all three had subtle differences. Try putting each one in a data base, sort the ingredients alphabetically, and compare.


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## jpinmaryland (Jun 27, 2005)

can you post one?


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## Michael in FtW (Jun 28, 2005)

Mario would be the first to tell you (as he has many times) that "true authentic" Italian depends on which grandma made it, which town, which end of the street - and which side of the street she lived on. One of the prides of the Italian kitchen is the individual "interpritation" of the basic dish.


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## Caine (Jun 28, 2005)

jpinmaryland said:
			
		

> can you post one?


No. I have better things to do with my time.

Now, if you asked me to PREPARE one, THAT would be a different story!


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## jpinmaryland (Jun 28, 2005)

"lifeguard sauce recipe" produces no hits at all on google.

"lifeguard sauce" + recipe produces 7400 but it looks like similar list to the other ones I've looked at. I did find another recipe from Babbo that is the same as Mario but omits garlic. Whoopee!

Is this what you mean by 20 different recipes?


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