Angelina's Bachelors

by Brian O'Reilly

  “The smelts?”

  “Even the smallest will be as the biggest when Kingdom comes.”

  “And the flounder?”

  Angelo looked at her and playfully tapped one eye. “God’s eyes are always open.”

  She reached over and shook his hand and put all of the packages into her basket. “Thanks, Angelo, merry Christmas!”

  The old man blew her a couple of kisses as he looked for his next customer. “Ciao, baby. Buon Natale.”

  Marinated Unagi over Arborio Rice Patties

  * * *

  Serves 6

  INGREDIENTS FOR THE MARINATED EEL

  ¼ cup soy sauce

  ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  ¼ cup olive oil

  1 pound freshwater eel fillets cut into 1-inch-by-2-inch pieces

  INGREDIENTS FOR THE RICE PATTIES

  1 quart beef stock

  3 tablespoons olive oil

  1 medium onion, minced

  2 cups arborio rice

  1 cup tawny port, such as Sandeman

  2 cups grated Asiago cheese (from a piece that is about 4 ounces)

  ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

  ½ teaspoon dried oregano

  Salt, to taste

  1 fresh lemon, zested with a micro-grater and juiced

  1½ teaspoons Frank’s Red Hot Original cayenne pepper sauce (use more if you like it hot)

  2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

  METHOD FOR THE EEL FILLETS

  Combine the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar in a mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk the cayenne pepper gradually into the olive oil. Then, whisking constantly, gradually pour the olive oil mixture in a slow thin stream into the soy sauce/vinegar mixture to create an emulsion. Place the eel fillets into a nonreactive container to be used for marinating the eel and coat each of them with the mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours). (If the fillets do not fit in a single layer or are not immersed, flip them and recoat them periodically during the marinating.)

  Shortly before service, brush a grill pan with a small amount of oil, and get it hot over medium-high heat, about 3 to 5 minutes.

  Grill the marinated eel, until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

  METHOD FOR THE ARBORIO RICE PATTIES

  Begin cooking the rice about 40 minutes before service. Heat the beef stock and 2 cups water to boiling in a large pot, then reduce the heat to low so it will simmer. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté the onion until it turns translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the dry arborio rice to the pot and stir to coat with the olive oil. Toast the grains of rice until they are just golden, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add the port and stir until the rice absorbs it. Begin adding the hot beef stock about ½ cup at a time, allowing each addition of stock to become absorbed in the rice before adding the next, stirring constantly so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. When half the stock has been added this way, add the balance of it all at once and continue to stir until all of the liquid is absorbed into the rice and the rice is al dente. Do not allow the rice to become gummy. Total stirring time for the rice will be approximately 22 minutes; it is labor-intensive, but time well spent. When all the stock has been absorbed, and the rice is cooked but firm “to the bite,” stir in the grated cheese, the black pepper, and the oregano. Add salt to taste, cover the pot, and remove from the heat.

  (Begin grilling the eel only after the rice has been cooked.)

  PRESENTATION

  Using a 2½-inch circle cutter as a mold, firmly press even amounts of the rice (4 to 6 tablespoons) into 6 patties, one on each serving plate. Top with one or 2 slices of grilled eel, drizzle with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon hot sauce, and garnish with minced basil and a pinch of lemon zest.

  * * *

  Caesar Salad with Batter-Dipped Smelts

  * * *

  Serves 6

  INGREDIENTS FOR CROUTONS

  ½ baguette loaf (or any small loaf of crispy French or Italian bread), cut into ½-inch cubes

  ¼ cup olive oil

  1 teaspoon garlic powder

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  INGREDIENTS FOR BATTER-DIPPED SMELTS

  ⅜ cup white rice flour or all-purpose flour

  ½ teaspoon baking powder

  Pinch salt (1/16 teaspoon)

  ¾ teaspoon canola oil

  1 egg

  ⅜ cup milk

  ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  1 liter canola oil (or 2 to 4 liters if you are using a deep fryer)

  1 pound boneless smelts, halved lengthwise (a pound will yield about 3 dozen halves)

  INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD AND DRESSING

  1 large head romaine lettuce, soaked in salt water to remove grit and dried in a salad spinner

  2 large garlic cloves, peeled and quartered

  1 pasteurized egg (these are identified in stores as “pasteurized” and although not cooked have been sufficiently heated for food safety)

  ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  ½ fresh lemon, micro-zested and juiced

  ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (from about a ¼-pound chunk), plus some to shave over the salad

  Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  Salt to taste

  METHOD FOR THE CROUTONS

  Preheat the oven to 250°F. In a mixing bowl, toss the bread cubes with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and toss again to coat thoroughly. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast them until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

  METHOD FOR THE SMELTS

  In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Whisk in the canola oil, egg, and milk, and season with black pepper. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan until it shimmers or, if using a deep fryer, to 375°F (or according to the manufacturer’s instructions for similar foods). Dip the smelts in the batter to coat, allowing excess to drip away, and add them to the hot oil, cooking until golden brown, turning with tongs to brown both sides, about 20 seconds for the first side and 10 seconds for the other side (or in the deep-fryer basket, if applicable). Drain on paper toweling and let cool to room temperature.

  METHOD FOR THE SALAD AND DRESSING

  Remove the large “spines” from the lettuce leaves and tear the tender portions of the leaves into bite-size pieces.

  One at a time through the feed opening of a running blender, mix the garlic cloves, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and the lemon juice. Add extra-virgin olive oil in a slow, thin stream to emulsify. Transfer the dressing to a small bowl and mix in the grated cheese. Season with black pepper (and salt only if necessary since the cheese lends saltiness).

  Just before service, toss the romaine lettuce and lemon zest in a mixing bowl with only enough dressing to coat.

  PRESENTATION

  Place some salad in the center of salad-size serving dishes and sprinkle with croutons. Garnish with shaved cheese and arrange 5 or 6 fried smelts around the perimeter of the plate.

  * * *

  On Christmas Eve, Angelina spent the better part of the day prepping, and Gia and Tina arrived to help with the cooking around five o’clock; Mr. Cupertino came at five-thirty to set up the bar; and by the time seven o’clock rolled around, nearly everyone had arrived: Jerry, Mr. Pettibone, Dottie, Joe and Maria, Phil and Don Eddie.

  Guy and Johnny arrived last and carried Mrs. Cappuccio up the steps in a wheelchair they had borrowed from the home. She had been having more and more trouble getting around, but she looked healthy otherwise and well cared for and thrilled as punch to be there with them all.

  Angelina and Tina met them at the door.

  “How did the pick-up go?” Angelina asked Guy, as Tina navigated Mrs. Cappuccio into the
warmth of the living room.

  “Well, to tell you the truth, Johnny and I did have a little trouble, actually, lifting her into the chair. Um, you know, as to … where to get a grip on her,” said Guy.

  Angelina was amused, but also mildly appalled. “Are you kidding me?” she said.

  “No, I’m afraid not,” said Guy. “Not our finest hour. Then Sister Bartholomew shows up and she smacks me with her cane, bends me over, Mrs. Cappuccio grabs me around the neck and I ended up carrying her all the way out to the cab. The two of them were laughing at Johnny and me the whole time.”

  Angelina’s eyes went wide.

  “You met Sister Bartholomew? What was she like?” she asked breathlessly.

  Guy rubbed his arm and thought for a minute.

  “Formidable,” he said, and they closed the door and went inside.

  Soon, things were heating up in the kitchen. The first course was a variation on a French recipe that had been around since Escoffier, Baccalà Brandade. Angelina created a silky forcemeat with milk, codfish, olive oil, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. She squeezed in a couple of heads of slow-roasted garlic, a drizzle of lemon juice, and a shower of fresh parsley, then served it as a dip with sliced sourdough and warmed pita-bread wedges, paired with glasses of bubbly Prosecco.

  The second course had been a favorite of her mother’s, called Angels on Horseback—freshly shucked oysters, wrapped in thin slices of prosciutto, then broiled on slices of herb-buttered bread. When the oysters cooked, they curled up to resemble tiny angels’ wings. Angelina accented the freshness of the oyster with a dab of anchovy paste and wasabi on each hors d’oeuvre. She’d loved the Angels since she was a little girl; they were a heavenly mouthful.

  The third course was grilled Marinated Unagi, or freshwater eel, over Arborio Rice Patties. Angelina had marinated the eels all day and flash-grilled them just before serving on rice patties laced with Asiago cheese.

  This was followed by a Caesar salad topped with hot, batter-dipped, deep-fried smelts. Angelina’s father used to crunch his way through the small, silvery fish like French fries. Tonight, Angelina arranged them artfully around mounds of Caesar salad on each plate and ushered them out the door.

  For the fifth course, Angelina had prepared a big pot of her Mediterranean Clam Soup the night before, a lighter version of Manhattan clam chowder. The last two courses were Parmesan-Stuffed Poached Calamari over Linguine in Red Sauce, and the pièce de résistance, Broiled Flounder with a Coriander Reduction.

  The atmosphere was like backstage at the dinner rush at a good restaurant.

  “Tina, honey,” called Angelina, “can you bring in the dishes from the salad?”

  “I got ’em already, they’re stacked over there,” said Tina.

  Gia grabbed a big pot off the stove and muscled it over to the sink. “I’m pulling the macaroni for the calamar’ and linguine.”

  “Pull it,” said Angelina. “Tina, get the two big bowls and get ready to dish out the linguine. I’m bringing the calamari.”

  “Got it,” called Tina as she grabbed the second bowl.

  Gia tossed and dressed the linguine in extra-virgin and black pepper, while Angelina doled out the calamari and sauce.

  The kitchen seemed hotter than usual to Angelina, probably because Old Reliable was working overtime. While Gia and Tina served the soup, Angelina poured herself a glass of ice water, held the glass against her temple for a minute, then drank it down in one go.

  “Angelina, you and me can carry in the bowls, okay?” said Gia. “Tina, you have to go and sit next to Johnny and get something to eat.”

  “And take off your apron,” said Angelina. “And put on your pretty white sweater.”

  Tina wiped her hands and gave Angelina a quick kiss on the cheek, then said, “Here I go,” and dashed out of the door.

  Gia came over to help with dividing the calamari and linguine into two bowls. “Angelina, you going to sit and eat something?”

  “No, Ma, my stomach’s a little flippy from doing all of this seafood. Are you?”

  Gia finished and picked up the bowl. “I never sit.”

  In the dining room, the wine and food and Christmas carols playing had cast a wonderful yuletide spell on the table. Everybody talked and laughed and applauded each course as it arrived. Tina kissed Johnny on the cheek and sat next to him at the table as Mr. Pettibone came around and poured wine into her glass.

  When Angelina and Gia made their grand entrance, each carrying a big pasta bowl filled with calamari and linguine, more cheers erupted—“He-ey!” from Don Eddie and “Bravo!” from Mr. Pettibone, and more scattered applause. Angelina bowed playfully, then went back into the kitchen as Gia and Dottie started dishing out the pasta.

  What happened next became the stuff of family legend.

  Dottie was diligently working her way down the left side of the table and, when she reached Johnny and Tina, Johnny helpfully scooched his chair to one side so that Tina could be served first. Dottie scooped and, as the linguine hit Tina’s plate, an errant drop of red pomodoro sauce took off like a tiny spark from struck flint, flew, and splattered on her white cashmere sweater.

  Tina gasped.

  Without a second’s thought, acting on instinct, Johnny pulled his hankie out of his jacket pocket. As it came free, the engagement ring that it had been wrapped around went spinning into the air.

  They all followed its flight in sudden silence. The ring arced and landed, whirling like a coin to a stop on the tablecloth, the small diamond flickering with light before it finally quivered and lay still.

  As if in a dream, Johnny delicately picked up the ring and looked into Tina’s eyes.

  With lightning speed, Gia poked her head into the kitchen and hissed urgently to Angelina, “Come quick, Johnny’s gonna propose!”

  Angelina dropped her towel, rushed into the room, and stood next to Gia, their eyes riveted on the young couple frozen in time across the room.

  Johnny turned and looked from face to expectant face around the table, as if searching for any last-minute instructions. Jerry caught his eye and made a slow downward gesture with the palm of his hand. Johnny dropped slowly to one knee.

  Gia looked at Jerry with a firm nod of approval.

  “Tina,” said Johnny in a clear, unwavering voice that she would never forget, “I promise to love you for the rest of our days, if you will do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

  With tears in her eyes and not a moment’s hesitation, Tina said:

  “Yes, Johnny, I will.”

  Johnny slipped the ring onto her finger and she threw herself into his arms. Thunderous applause erupted, hugs and backslaps and handshakes were exchanged around the room. Wine was poured, toasts were offered, and glasses rang in a chorus of spontaneous celebration.

  Angelina’s eyes rolled back in her head and she dropped to the floor in a dead faint and did not move.

  Angelina’s eyes fluttered once or twice, but she never fully regained consciousness until Dr. Vitale arrived about twenty minutes later, as soon as Gia called him. He only lived a few blocks away and had been the family doctor for so many years that Gia knew she could rely on Doctor Al to drop everything and come right away, even on Christmas Eve.

  The men had moved Angelina as gently as possible from the floor to the couch in the living room, put a pillow under her head, and layered blankets over her to keep her warm. Everyone was tensely gathered into the front room while Dr. Vitale checked her pulse, gently opened her eyelids one at a time and flashed his light into her pupils, then reached into his black bag and found an ammonia capsule. He broke it under her nose and her eyes immediately opened as she tried to sit up.

  “Somebody turn down the oven,” she said.

  Jerry laughed, not only because she was awake, but because she was picking up right where she left off. Johnny put his hand on Tina’s shoulder and Don Eddie let out an audible “whew.”

  “I got the oven, honey,” said Gia. “How you feeling?
”

  Angelina was still disoriented and took them all in at a glance, trying to get her bearings. “I’m so dizzy. I got dizzy and I … what happened?”

  “You fainted,” said Basil, who still looked a little washed-out himself.

  “Scared me half to death,” said Guy, who had been the first to her side.

  Some color came back into Angelina’s cheeks and her gaze alighted on Johnny and Tina. “Tina,” she said, reaching for her hand, “did you get engaged?”

  Tina stretched out her hand and Angelina elbowed up to a sitting position to get her first proper look at the ring.

  “The two of you, get over here right now and give me a hug.”

  Tina bent down and embraced her tightly, and Johnny followed. Angelina gave his hand an extra-hard squeeze, to let him know that he had gotten it right.

  Dr. Vitale reached down into his bag and came up with a stethoscope. “Angelina, can you lean forward a little bit?”

  “I think so.” She sat up and leaned forward, which made her feel breathless. Dr. Vitale listened intently for a minute, then took the stethoscope off and tossed it back into his black bag. He straightened his tie, stepped away from Angelina and over to Gia. They conferred in low tones for a moment or two, and Angelina overheard Gia say, “Sure, okay.”

  Gia turned to the assembled and waved her apron in the direction of the dining room. “Tutti a tavola,” she said, clapping her hands once sharply. “Back to the table, let’s go. Everything’s getting cold.”

  When Gia spoke in that tone of voice, people generally listened. They all moved along quickly back into the dining room, but everyone understood without having to be told that the doctor wanted a moment or two with Angelina alone.

  Dr. Vitale retook his seat and patted her shoulder kindly. “Angelina, when’s the last time you came to see me?”

  Angelina had to stop and think. It was like being asked when your last confession had been. It was hard to remember exactly unless you had really sinned or really been sick.