2 pounds swordfish, salmon, or other fish steaks (see recommendations above), sliced ½ inch thick, OR salmon fillets
⅔ cup flour, spread on a plate
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
¼ cup good-quality wine vinegar, preferably white
1. Put the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan, and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it becomes colored a pale gold, then add the chopped celery. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the celery is tender, 5 or more minutes. Add the capers and cook for about half a minute, stirring steadily. Turn off the heat.
2. Put enough vegetable oil in a frying pan to come ½ inch up the sides and turn on the heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, dredge the fish on both sides in the flour and slip it into the pan. Do not crowd the pan at one time with more fish than will fit comfortably without overlapping. Cook the fish briefly, about 1 minute per side or a little longer if thicker than ½ inch, then transfer it to a platter, using a slotted spoon or spatula. When all the fish is done, add salt and a few grindings of pepper.
3. Turn on the heat to medium under the pan with the celery and capers. When the contents of the pan begin to simmer, add the sautéed fish from the platter, turn it gently to coat it with sauce, then add the vinegar. Let the vinegar bubble for a minute or so, then transfer the entire contents of the pan to a warm platter and serve at once.
Sweet and Sour Tuna Steaks, Trapani Style
ANOTHER SAVORY item from Sicilian cooking’s remarkable seafood repertory, this sliced fresh tuna is simple to do and wonderfully appetizing, its sweet and sour flavor a luscious blend that is neither cloying nor bitingly tart.
For 6 servings
2½ pounds fresh tuna, cut into ½-inch-thick steaks
3 cups onion sliced very, very thin
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
1 cup flour, spread on a plate
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1. Remove the skin circling the tuna steaks, wash them in cold water, and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
2. Choose a saute pan broad enough to accommodate later all the steaks in a single layer without overlapping. Put in the sliced onion, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 or 2 large pinches of salt, and turn on the heat to medium low. Cook until the onion has wilted completely, then turn up the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring from time to time, until the onion becomes colored a deep golden brown.
3. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer the onion to a small bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, turn the heat up to medium high, dredge the tuna steaks in flour on both sides, and slip them into the pan. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on their thickness, then sprinkle with salt and pepper, add the sugar, vinegar, wine, and onions, turn the heat up to high, and cover the pan. Cook at high heat for about 2 minutes, uncover the pan, add the parsley, turn the fish steaks over once or twice, then transfer them to a warm serving platter.
4. If there are thin juices left in the pan, boil them down and at the same time scrape loose with a wooden spoon any cooking residue sticking to the bottom. If, on the other hand, there is no liquid in the pan, add 2 tablespoons of water and boil it away while loosening the cooking residues. Pour the contents of the pan over the tuna, and serve at once.
Shrimp with Tomatoes and Chili Pepper
For 4 to 6 servings
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
Chopped hot red chili pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1⅔ cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice (see fresh tomato note below)
Salt
1½ to 2 pounds unshelled medium shrimp
Grilled or oven-browned slices of crusty bread
1. Put the olive oil and onion in a saute pan, turn on the heat to medium, and cook the onion until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and chopped chili pepper. When the garlic becomes colored a pale gold, add the parsley, stir once or twice, then add the cut-up tomatoes with their juice together with liberal pinches of salt. Stir thoroughly to coat the tomatoes well, and adjust heat to cook at a steady simmer. Stir from time to time and cook for about 20 minutes, until the oil floats free from the tomatoes.
2. Shell the shrimp and remove their dark vein. If they are larger than medium size, split them in half lengthwise. Wash in several changes of cold water, then pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
3. Add the shrimp to the simmering sauce, turning them 2 or 3 times to coat them well. Cover the pan and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the shrimp. Taste and correct for salt and chili pepper. Serve at once with crusty bread to dunk in the sauce.
Note If in season and available, use the same amount of fresh, ripe plum tomatoes, skinned with a peeler and diced very fine.
Ahead-of-time note The recipe may be completed several hours or even a day in advance up to this point. Refrigerate the sauce if you are not using it the same day. Bring to a simmer when you are ready to add the shrimp.
Note It’s possible that the shrimp may shed liquid that will make the sauce thin and runny. Should this happen, uncover the pan, transfer the shrimp to a warm, deep serving platter using a slotted spoon or spatula, turn the heat under the pan up to high, and boil down the sauce until it regains its original density. Pour over the shrimp and serve at once.
Baked Sea Bass or Other Whole Fish Stuffed with Shellfish
IN THIS PREPARATION, a whole bass is stuffed with shellfish, onions, olive oil, and lemon juice; it is then tightly sealed in foil or parchment paper and baked in the oven, where it braises in its own juices and those released by the stuffing. It emerges from the cooking with its flesh extraordinarily moist and saturated with a medley of sea fragrances.
The most agreeable way to serve the fish is whole, with the head and tail on, but completely boned. If you have an obliging fish dealer, he would know how to do it for you. If he is not that obliging, you can settle for having him fillet the fish, splitting it into two halves, removing the head and tail along with the bones, but leaving the skin on. Another solution is for you to bone it yourself, which is really not all that difficult as you will see from the instructions below.
Boning fish while leaving it whole A slit will be made in the fish’s belly when it is gutted at the store. With a sharp knife, extend the slit the whole length of the fish, head to tail. The entire backbone will then be exposed, along with the rib bones embedded in the upper part of the belly. With your fingertips and with the help of a paring knife, pry all the rib bones loose, detach them, and discard them. Use the same technique to loosen the backbone, separating it from the flesh attached to it. Carefully bend the head without detaching it, until the backbone snaps off. Do the same at the tail end. You can now lift off the entire backbone, and your whole, boneless fish is ready to be stuffed.
For 6 or more servings
1 dozen clams
1 dozen mussels
6 medium raw shrimp
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion
2 tablespoons chopped parsley Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
⅓ cup fine, dry, unflavored bread crumbs
A 4- to 5-pound whole sea bass, red snapper, or small salmon, or similar fish, boned as described above
Heavy-weight cooking parchment or foil
1. Wash and scrub the clams and mussels as described. Discard those that stay open when handled. Put them in a pan broad enough so that they don’t need to be piled up more than 3 deep, cover the pan, and turn on t
he heat to high. Check the mussels and clams frequently, turning them over, and promptly removing them from the pan as they open their shells.
2. When all the clams and mussels have opened up, detach their meat from the shells. Put the shellfish meat in a bowl and cover it with its own juices from the pan. To be sure, as you are doing this, that any sand is left behind, tip the pan and gently spoon off the liquid from the top.
3. Let the clam and mussel meat rest for 20 or 30 minutes, so that it may shed any sand still clinging to it, then retrieve it gently with a slotted spoon, and put it in a bowl large enough to contain later all the other ingredients except for the fish. Line a strainer with paper towels, and filter the shellfish juices through the paper into the bowl.
4. Shell the shrimp and remove their dark vein. Wash in cold water and pat thoroughly dry with cloth kitchen towels. If using very large shrimp, slice them in half, lengthwise. Add them to the bowl.
5. Mash the garlic lightly with a heavy knife handle, just hard enough to split its skin and peel it. Add it to the bowl.
6. Slice the onion as fine as possible. Add it to the bowl.
7. Put all the other ingredients listed, except for the fish, into the bowl. Toss thoroughly to coat all the shellfish well.
8. Preheat oven to 475°.
9. Wash the fish in cold water inside and out, then pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
10. Lay a double thickness of aluminum foil or cooking parchment on the bottom of a long, shallow baking dish, bearing in mind that there must be enough to close over the whole fish. Pour some of the liquid in the mixing bowl over the foil or parchment, tipping the baking dish to spread it evenly. Place the fish in the center and stuff it with all the contents of the bowl, reserving just some of the liquid. If you have opted for having the fish split into two fillets, sandwich the contents of the bowl between them. Use the liquid you just reserved to moisten the skin side of the fish. Fold the foil or parchment over the fish, crimping the edges to seal tightly throughout, and tucking the ends under the fish.
11. Bake in the upper third of the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. After removing it from the oven, let the fish rest for 10 minutes in the sealed foil or parchment. If the baking dish is not presentable for the table, transfer the still-sealed fish to a platter. With scissors, cut the foil or parchment open, trimming it down to the edge of the dish. Don’t attempt to lift the fish out of the wrapping, because it is boneless and will break up. Serve it directly from the foil or parchment, slicing the fish across as you might a roast, pouring over each portion some of the juices.
Ahead-of-time note The steps above may be completed 2 or 3 hours in advance.
Baked Bluefish Fillets with Potatoes, Garlic, and Olive Oil, Genoese Style
IN GENOESE COOKING, there is a large repertory of dishes in which the lead role is taken each time by a different player, while the supporting cast remains the same. The regulars are potatoes, garlic, olive oil, and parsley; the star may be fish, shrimp, small octopus, meat, or fresh porcini mushrooms. The recipe that follows illustrates the general procedure.
In Genoa one would have used the fresh-caught silvery anchovies of the Riviera. I have found Atlantic bluefish to be a successful replacement, so good in fact that one may even prefer it. Where bluefish is unobtainable, the fillets of any firm-fleshed fish may be substituted.
For 6 servings
1½ pounds boiling potatoes
A bake-and-serve dish, approximately 16 by 10 inches, preferably enameled cast-iron ware
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
¼ cup chopped parsley
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
2 bluefish fillets with the skin on, approximately 1 pound each, OR the equivalent in other thick, firm fish fillets
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Peel the potatoes, and slice them very thin, barely thicker than chips. Wash them in cold water, then pat them thoroughly dry with cloth kitchen towels.
3. Put all the potatoes into the baking dish, half the olive oil, half the garlic, half the parsley, several liberal pinches of salt, and black pepper. Toss the potatoes 2 or 3 times to coat them well, then spread them evenly over the bottom of the dish.
4. When the oven reaches the preset temperature, put the potatoes in the uppermost third of it and roast them for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are about halfway done.
5. Take out the dish, but do not turn off the oven. Put the fish fillets skin side down over the potatoes. Mix the remaining olive oil, garlic, and parsley in a small bowl, and pour the mixture over the fish, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle with liberal pinches of salt and black pepper. Return the dish to the oven.
6. After 10 minutes, take the dish out, but do not turn off the oven. Use a spoon to scoop up some of the oil at the bottom of the dish, and baste the fish with it. Loosen those potatoes that have become browned and are stuck to the sides of the dish, moving them away. Push into their place slices that are not so brown. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 5 to 8 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish fillets.
7. Remove the dish from the oven and allow to settle a few minutes. Serve directly from the baking dish, scraping loose all the potatoes stuck to the sides—they are the most delectable bits—and pouring the cooking juices over each portion of fish and potatoes.
Bass or Other Whole Fish Baked with Artichokes
For 4 servings
4 medium artichokes
½ lemon
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
A 2- to 2½-pound sea bass OR red snapper OR similar fine-fleshed fish, scaled and gutted, but with head and tail on
An oval or rectangular bake-and-serve dish
A small sprig of fresh rosemary OR 1 teaspoon dried leaves, chopped very fine
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Trim the artichokes of all their tough parts following these detailed instructions. As you work, rub the cut artichokes with the lemon to keep them from turning black.
3. Cut each trimmed artichoke lengthwise into 4 equal sections. Remove the soft, curling leaves with prickly tips at the base, and cut away the fuzzy “choke” beneath them. Cut the artichoke sections lengthwise into wafer-thin slices, and squeeze the lemon over them to moisten them with juice that will protect them against discoloration.
4. Put the olive oil, lemon juice, several pinches of salt, and a few grindings of pepper in a small bowl, beat briefly with a fork or whisk, and set aside.
5. Wash the fish in cold water, inside and out, pat thoroughly dry with paper towels, and place it in the baking dish, which ought to be just large enough to contain it.
6. Add the sliced artichokes, the oil and lemon juice mix, and the rosemary. If using chopped dried rosemary, distribute it evenly over the fish. Turn the artichoke slices over to coat them well with the oil mixture, and stuff some of them into the fish’s cavity. Tilt the dish in a see-saw motion to distribute the oil and lemon juice evenly, and spoon some of the liquid over the fish. Place in the upper third of the preheated oven.
7. After 15 minutes, spoon the liquid in the dish over the fish, and move the artichoke slices around a bit. Continue to bake for another 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the fish to settle for a few minutes. Serve at table directly from the baking dish.
Note If you have difficulty finding a whole small fish as indicated in the list of ingredients, and do not want to increase the recipe by using a much bigger fish, buy a 2-pound fillet with the skin on cut from grouper or other large fish. First bake the artichoke slices alone, along with the oil and lemon juice. After 20 minutes, put the fish skin side down in the baking dish, and spoon over it some of the artichokes to cover. Cook for 15 minutes, basting it midway with the juices in the dish.
<
br /> Baked Fillet of Sole with Tomato, Oregano, and Hot Pepper
GRILLING or crisp-frying, which are the most characteristic Italian methods of handling sole, are successful only with European sole, in particular the small, very firm-fleshed, nutty variety caught in the northern Adriatic. When flatfish from either the Atlantic or Pacific is grilled or fried, its consistency is un-satisfyingly flaky, and its flavor listless, drawbacks that can be minimized by a less brisk cooking mode and a stimulating sauce, as in the baked fillets of the recipe that follows.
For 6 servings
⅔ cup onion sliced very thin
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic chopped very fine
1 cup canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
Salt
2 tablespoons capers, soaked and rinsed as described if packed in salt, drained if in vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh oregano OR 1 teaspoon dried
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill, OR chopped hot red chili pepper, to taste
2 pounds gray sole fillets OR other flatfish fillets
A bake-and-serve dish
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Put the onion and olive oil in a saute pan, turn on the heat to medium, and cook the onion until it softens and becomes colored a light gold. Add the garlic. When the garlic becomes colored a very pale gold, add the cut-up tomatoes with their juice and a few pinches of salt, and stir thoroughly to coat well. Cook at a steady simmer for about 20 minutes, until the oil floats free of the tomatoes. Add the capers, oregano, and ground black or chopped chili pepper, stir two or three times, cook for about a minute longer. Take off heat.
3. Wash the fish fillets in cold water and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. The fish will be placed in the baking dish with the fillets folded so they meet edge to edge, and in a single layer where they slightly overlap. Choose a bake-and-serve dish just large enough to accommodate them, and smear the bottom with a tablespoon of the tomato sauce. Dip each fillet in the sauce in the pan to coat both sides, then fold it and arrange it in the baking dish as described just above. Pour the remaining sauce over the fish, and place the dish on the uppermost rack of the preheated oven. Bake for about 5 minutes, or slightly more, depending on the thickness of the fillets, but taking care not to overcook them.
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking Page 34