Almond Milk and Meyer Lemon Gelato, Caramelised Brioche

Visitors flock from all over the world to Sicily. They visit to see Taormina’s Greek-Roman theatre, to amble along its immaculately preserved medieval streets and to admire dramatic views of Mount Etna, immersing themselves in Sicily’s archetypal Mediterranean atmosphere. 

One thing no trip to Sicily is complete without is tasting the local breakfast speciality. Sicilians have long taken a unique approach to granita. Unlike the rest of Italy where days typically start with a quick pastry and espresso at a local bar, all along the glistening coastline of Southern Italy days begin with granita câ brioscia.

Sicilian brioscia, a soft brioche flavoured with vanilla or citrus, is served warm and destined to be pulled apart and dipped into an icy granita topped with lashings of cream. Each Sicilian town is known for a particular preference in granita flavour: Taormina for lemon, Messina for coffee, Catania for chocolate and Modica for toasted almond. 

For Silicians, this morning ritual is both a sweet and refreshing note to begin the day. The island has a long history of starting the morning with something to cool and quench during persistent, hot summers. In ancient times, ice and snow was collected from Sicily's mountains, then shaved and infused with fruit, syrup or even rose water to create granita.

At Gimlet, we reference this summer tradition with our own twist. We end the meal with a restorative meyer lemon curd and almond gelato, served in a scooped out lemon alongside warm brioche. The buttery brioche is soaked overnight in a luscious crème anglaise which is caramelised just before serving. It’s inspired by a recent trip to Sicily and many granita câ brioscia at Taormina’s Bam Bar.