Enzo Oliveri · The Sicilian Chef
Castruriali Chef & Ambassador
Palermo · London · Castroreale
Born in Palermo and cooking in London since 1979, Enzo Oliveri is one of the best-known Sicilian chefs in Britain: President of the Federazione Italiana Cuochi UK, honoured by the President of Italy as Cavaliere Ufficiale OSI, and a familiar face from Kitchen Impossible and Sicily with Aldo & Enzo.
Today he is Castruriali’s chef and ambassador — here, cooking above Castroreale, where the oil is made.
“You can taste the hillside in it — green, peppery, alive. I finish a plate with Castruriali the way my grandmother did: raw, generous, at the very last moment.”
Enzo Oliveri
His story
From a Palermo bakery to the world’s kitchens
Enzo knew he wanted to cook at six, watching pastry being made behind the glass of a Palermo bar. He has carried Sicily with him ever since: wherever he cooks, he reaches for the island’s ingredients, from Bronte pistachios and Salina capers to Nocellara del Belice olive oil.
- PalermoSet on cooking by the age of six; working in a bakery at eight and in the kitchen of one of Palermo’s best restaurants at fourteen.
- London, 1979His first London job, at Bacco 70 on Old Compton Street in Soho, followed by kitchens in Belgium and the Munich Hilton.
- His own restaurantsAt 23 he opened his own restaurant in Palermo; later restaurants in Cefalù, London and Bromley, a cookery school in Bromley and Tasting Sicily Enzo’s Kitchen in Piccadilly.
- Hilton Park LaneCooked for guests including Diana, Princess of Wales.
- On televisionChannel 4’s Kitchen Impossible with Michel Roux Jr and Sicily with Aldo & Enzo with Aldo Zilli.
- Ambassador of Italian foodPresident of the Federazione Italiana Cuochi UK delegation since 2017, board member of the International Hospitality Council and a judge of the Young Chef Olympiad; former executive chef to the Italian national cycling team and Alitalia UK.
- Cavaliere Ufficiale OSIHonoured by the President of Italy for his work as an ambassador of Italian food and hospitality.
Signature dish
Swordfish with pistachio breadcrumbs
Pesce spada con pangrattato al pistacchio & Castruriali EVOO
Sicilian swordfish in a crust of Bronte pistachio and toasted crumb, finished with a raw pour of Castruriali for grassy lift — cooked here above Castroreale.
Castruriali is made in Castroreale from Nocellara del Belice, Cerasuola and Biancolilla olives. Enzo adds it raw, at the very last moment, so its fresh, peppery character comes through.
Questions
About Enzo
Who is Enzo Oliveri?
Enzo Oliveri, known as The Sicilian Chef, is a Palermo-born chef who has cooked in London since 1979 and lived in England since 1990. He is President of the Federazione Italiana Cuochi UK delegation, was awarded the honour of Cavaliere Ufficiale OSI by the President of Italy for his work as an ambassador of Italian food and hospitality, and is Castruriali’s chef and ambassador.
What is Enzo Oliveri known for?
Sicilian cooking. He has opened restaurants in London and Sicily, including Tasting Sicily Enzo’s Kitchen in Piccadilly, has run a cookery school in Bromley, and has appeared on Channel 4’s Kitchen Impossible with Michel Roux Jr and Sicily with Aldo & Enzo with Aldo Zilli.
Why does Enzo Oliveri cook with Castruriali?
Enzo cooks with Sicilian ingredients wherever he is, including Nocellara del Belice olive oil. Castruriali is made in Castroreale from Nocellara del Belice, Cerasuola and Biancolilla olives, and he finishes his plates with it raw, at the last moment.
What is Enzo Oliveri’s signature dish with Castruriali?
Swordfish with pistachio breadcrumbs — Sicilian swordfish in a crust of Bronte pistachio and toasted crumb, finished with a raw pour of Castruriali extra virgin olive oil.
Sources: Wikipedia, Travel Gourmet. Follow Enzo on Instagram.