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Category: Fish Page 1 of 2

Rigatoni with Baccalà and Mussels for 4 to 6 People (Rigatoni col Baccalà e Cozze)

By

On May 23, 2025

In Dr. Michele Carbone, Fish, Pasta Dishes

This is a phenomenal dish invented by my friends at Sora Lella, one of the best and most traditional Roman restaurants on the Isola Tiberina in the center of Roma.

Michele serves baccalà and mussels with rigatoni.

One of Sora Lella’s best recipes is the baccalà and mussel pasta.

Ingredients

  • 500 grams of Rigatoni for 4 – 6 people
  • 3 pounds of mussels (cozze 1.3 kg)
  • ¾ pound de-salted baccalà (400 grams)
  • ½ cup grated pecorino (the best aged Roman or Calabrian pecorino you can find). The amount of pecorino varies depending on how intense it is, for a very good one ½ cup (40 grams) is sufficient, for an average pecorino, one you need double that amount/
  • 4 green scallions, finely sliced
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • large clove of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 4 small sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup of white wine
  • 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil, separated
  • 2 hot chopped red peppers (Calabrian preferred)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. In a large pot, start boiling the water for the pasta.
  2. Clean the mussels.
  3. Cover the bottom of a large pot with enough olive oil to cover the bottom (about 1/8 inch of oil, or 3 mm). Heat to high, and when the oil is hot, add the peeled garlic cloves. As soon as the garlic takes on a gold color, remove it.
  4. Immediately add the mussels to the hot oil, and cover. Once the noise of the frying mussels changes, it means the mussels have opened, which usually takes about 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Remove the cover, add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley, mix well and add one cup of white wine. Cover the pot again and remove it after 1 minute. Allow the alcohol to evaporate for 30 seconds. Immediately remove the pot from the heat—do not overcook the mussels!As long as the mussels are open, they are fine. Add black pepper, mix well. Remove mussels from the pot but reserve the liquid.
  6. Remove about 5 whole mussels in their shells and reserve them in a medium sized bowl. For the rest of the mussels, remove the mussel from the shell and chop each mussel into about 4 pieces.
  7. In a small pot, add 1/3 of a cup of olive oil and the scallions cut in thin slices and after a few minutes add some water, say ¼ of cup, cook on low heat for about 7-10 minutes., add ¼ of cup of white wine, bring the heat to high for 1 min to let alcohol evaporate. Turn heat off and add this to the larger pot containing the mussels sauce turn on fire to medium.
  8. Throw the pasta in the hot water.
  9. Cut the Baccalà in strips and put it in the pot with the mussel sauce. Add the minced hot pepper, the chopped mussels, half of the zested lemon peel, 1 teaspoon of parsley, and the thyme. Let it cook on medium for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off. Let it rest.
  10. Cook the pasta. When the pasta is very al dente, say 2 minutes less the indicated cooking time on the box, drain it, reserving some of the water. Add the al dente pasta to the pot containing the Baccalà/mussel sauce. Bring up the heat to high and cook the combined sauce and pasta for about 3 to 5 minutes, gently mixing the pasta and sauce together to allow some of the sauce to absorb into the pasta.If the sauce seems too thick, you can add some of the reserved pasta water, but it should not be necessary.
  11. Take the pot from the hot burner, add the grated pecorino, the remaining lemon zest, and a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
  12. Put into the pasta bowls, decorating each plate with the 5 mussels reserved in Step 6.
  13. And now, as my friends at Sora Lella would say, enjoy this “poetry”!

 

Baccalà Soup for 4 – 6 people (Baccalà in Guazzetto)

By

On May 23, 2025

In Broths and Soups, Entrees, Fish

Baccalà is dried salted Atlantic Cod (merluzzo in Italian), not to be confused with stoccafisso which is dried (unsalted) cod.  Authentic cod should be made using Atlantic cod, merluzzo, but at times I have seen people sell other fish (such as black cod and lingcod) under this same name, so check.  Baccalà is traditionally served in Italy on Christmas Eve and Fridays during Lent.

Here are two outstanding recipes for Baccalà. Please note that you need to start preparing baccalà three days in advance in order to remove the salt flavor from the fish.

How to De-Salt Baccalà

When you buy baccalà, you need to remove the salt before you cook it.  This needs to be done three days in advance of cooking it.

  1. Put the filets of baccalà in a large container and rinse for about an hour under a faucet that continuously drips cold water on it.
  2. Place the container full of fresh water and the Baccalà in the refrigerator. Change the water every morning and evening It will be ready the evening of the third day.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. De-salted baccalà (500 grams)
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 2 hot red peppers (Calabrian preferred)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 2 – 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1/4 tsp dried Italian oregano (this has a different flavor than the dried spice you find in most grocery stores, look for the Italian dried oregano)
  • A handful of fresh Italian parsley, minced
  • Fresh Italian basil
  • 800 grams of peeled Italian peeled whole tomatoes (the best are home canned tomatoes)
  • 1 cup of dry white wine (remember to use a decent wine for any cooking), I used Pinot Grigio
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. In a large clay pot or Dutch oven (if you do not have a clay pot) place the de-salted baccalà filets with about ¼ of a cup of olive oil and thyme. Massage the thyme over the baccalà. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the sauce.
  2. In a medium-large pot, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add the chopped red onion, 2 hot peppers, 2 peeled, smashed garlic cloves smashed, two tablespoons of chopped parsley, and about 10 whole leaves of basil. Cook on medium-high heat.
  3. Once the garlic starts to take color, add 1 cup of white wine. Cook for about a minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate, then add about 2 pounds (800 g) of canned whole Italian tomatoes (or your own canned tomatoes). Add 1 teaspoon of Italian oregano and 1 cup of cold water, one teaspoon of salt, lower the flame, and let it cook covered for 25 minutes.Uncover the pot while continuing to cook for another 5 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 325F.
  5. Add the sauce to the pot containing the baccalà filets, mix well, and put in the oven for 35 minutes.
  6. Serve with a crusty fresh bread.
  7. Buon appetito!

Note: This typical Roman dish often has pine nuts and raisins added at the end. I much prefer the soup without them, but if you like them, you can add them. Also rather than cooking the Baccalà in the oven you can cook on the stovetop on low heat.

Two Fabulous Baccalà Recipes

By

On May 23, 2025

In Broths and Soups, Dr. Michele Carbone, Fish, Pasta Dishes

Baccalà is dried salted Atlantic Cod (merluzzo in Italian), not to be confused with stoccafisso which is dried (unsalted) cod.  Authentic cod should be made using Atlantic cod, merluzzo, but at times I have seen people sell other fish (such as black cod and lingcod) under this same name, so check.  Baccalà is traditionally served in Italy on Christmas Eve and Fridays during Lent.

Here are two outstanding recipes for Baccalà. Please note that you need to start preparing baccalà three days in advance in order to remove the salt flavor from the fish.

How to De-Salt Baccalà

When you buy baccalà, you need to remove the salt before you cook it.  This needs to be done three days in advance of cooking it.

  1. Put the filets of baccalà in a large container and rinse for about an hour under a faucet that continuously drips cold water on it.
  2. Place the container full of fresh water and the Baccalà in the refrigerator. Change the water every morning and evening It will be ready the evening of the third day.

Baccalà Soup for 4 – 6 people (Baccalà in Guazzetto)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. De-salted baccalà (500 grams)
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 2 hot red peppers (Calabrian preferred)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 2 – 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1/4 tsp dried Italian oregano (this has a different flavor than the dried spice you find in most grocery stores, look for the Italian dried oregano)
  • A handful of fresh Italian parsley, minced
  • Fresh Italian basil
  • 800 grams of peeled Italian peeled whole tomatoes (the best are home canned tomatoes)
  • 1 cup of dry white wine (remember to use a decent wine for any cooking), I used Pinot Grigio
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. In a large clay pot or Dutch oven (if you do not have a clay pot) place the de-salted baccalà filets with about ¼ of a cup of olive oil and thyme. Massage the thyme over the baccalà. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the sauce.
  2. In a medium-large pot, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add the chopped red onion, 2 hot peppers, 2 peeled, smashed garlic cloves smashed, two tablespoons of chopped parsley, and about 10 whole leaves of basil. Cook on medium-high heat.
  3. Once the garlic starts to take color, add 1 cup of white wine. Cook for about a minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate, then add about 2 pounds (800 g) of canned whole Italian tomatoes (or your own canned tomatoes). Add 1 teaspoon of Italian oregano and 1 cup of cold water, one teaspoon of salt, lower the flame, and let it cook covered for 25 minutes.Uncover the pot while continuing to cook for another 5 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 325F.
  5. Add the sauce to the pot containing the baccalà filets, mix well, and put in the oven for 35 minutes.
  6. Serve with a crusty fresh bread.
  7. Buon appetito!

Note: This typical Roman dish often has pine nuts and raisins added at the end. I much prefer the soup without them, but if you like them, you can add them. Also rather than cooking the Baccalà in the oven you can cook on the stovetop on low heat.

Rigatoni with Baccalà and Mussels for 4 to 6 People (Rigatoni col Baccalà e Cozze)

This is a phenomenal dish invented by my friends at Sora Lella, one of the best and most traditional Roman restaurants on the Isola Tiberina in the center of Roma.

Michele serves baccalà and mussels with rigatoni.

One of Sora Lella’s best recipes is the baccalà and mussel pasta.

Ingredients

  • 500 grams of Rigatoni for 4 – 6 people
  • 3 pounds of mussels (cozze 1.3 kg)
  • ¾ pound de-salted baccalà (400 grams)
  • ½ cup grated pecorino (the best aged Roman or Calabrian pecorino you can find). The amount of pecorino varies depending on how intense it is, for a very good one ½ cup (40 grams) is sufficient, for an average pecorino, one you need double that amount/
  • 4 green scallions, finely sliced
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • large clove of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 4 small sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup of white wine
  • 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil, separated
  • 2 hot chopped red peppers (Calabrian preferred)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. In a large pot, start boiling the water for the pasta.
  2. Clean the mussels.
  3. Cover the bottom of a large pot with enough olive oil to cover the bottom (about 1/8 inch of oil, or 3 mm). Heat to high, and when the oil is hot, add the peeled garlic cloves. As soon as the garlic takes on a gold color, remove it.
  4. Immediately add the mussels to the hot oil, and cover. Once the noise of the frying mussels changes, it means the mussels have opened, which usually takes about 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Remove the cover, add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley, mix well and add one cup of white wine. Cover the pot again and remove it after 1 minute. Allow the alcohol to evaporate for 30 seconds. Immediately remove the pot from the heat—do not overcook the mussels!As long as the mussels are open, they are fine. Add black pepper, mix well. Remove mussels from the pot but reserve the liquid.
  6. Remove about 5 whole mussels in their shells and reserve them in a medium sized bowl. For the rest of the mussels, remove the mussel from the shell and chop each mussel into about 4 pieces.
  7. In a small pot, add 1/3 of a cup of olive oil and the scallions cut in thin slices and after a few minutes add some water, say ¼ of cup, cook on low heat for about 7-10 minutes., add ¼ of cup of white wine, bring the heat to high for 1 min to let alcohol evaporate. Turn heat off and add this to the larger pot containing the mussels sauce turn on fire to medium.
  8. Throw the pasta in the hot water.
  9. Cut the Baccalà in strips and put it in the pot with the mussel sauce. Add the minced hot pepper, the chopped mussels, half of the zested lemon peel, 1 teaspoon of parsley, and the thyme. Let it cook on medium for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off. Let it rest.
  10. Cook the pasta. When the pasta is very al dente, say 2 minutes less the indicated cooking time on the box, drain it, reserving some of the water. Add the al dente pasta to the pot containing the Baccalà/mussel sauce. Bring up the heat to high and cook the combined sauce and pasta for about 3 to 5 minutes, gently mixing the pasta and sauce together to allow some of the sauce to absorb into the pasta.If the sauce seems too thick, you can add some of the reserved pasta water, but it should not be necessary.
  11. Take the pot from the hot burner, add the grated pecorino, the remaining lemon zest, and a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
  12. Put into the pasta bowls, decorating each plate with the 5 mussels reserved in Step 6.
  13. And now, as my friends at Sora Lella would say, enjoy this “poetry”!

 

Spaghetti with Black Squid Ink, Venetian Version

By

On September 28, 2023

In Fish, Pasta Dishes

This is the Venetian version, which I prefer because of its stronger “sea” flavor. Be sure to wear a large napkin to protect yourself from stains from the black ink! As for the wine, how about a Greco di Tufo by Benito Ferrara -if you can find it—or, a good Pinot Grigio or a Verdicchio!

This is a very easy and quick recipe to prepare.

Ingredients

  • 1 box of spaghetti (500 grams)
  • 1 lb. of squid (500 grams), tubes and tentacles
  • 1/3 cup olive oil (80 ml olive oil)
  • ½ sweet onion, or you may also use chopped green onions
  • 3 – 4 black ink squid bladders or 2-3 teaspoons of frozen black ink
  • ½ cup of good-quality white wine (120 ml), such as a Pinot Grigio
  • 1/3 cup of Italian parsley, finely minced
  • Optional: 1 or more red hot peppers (if you like it spicy)

Preparation

  1. In a large pot for pasta, put water on to boil. Do not add salt, because the squid ink is salty, so add little to no salt to the water, if necessary, you can always add salt at the end.
  2. As you put the pot on to boil, and before you add the pasta to the pot, use a large skillet to cook the sauce, which will take about 20 minutes total. Heat the olive oil at medium-high heat and add the chopped onion for about 1 minute.
  3. Add the squid, bringing the heat to high for about 2 minutes, moving the squid around to cook on all sides.
  4. Add ½ of the minced parsley and the optional red pepper. Then add the white wine and lower the heat to medium-low.
  5. By this time, your pot of water for the spaghetti should be boiling, so add the pasta to the pot and give it a quick stir as soon as it comes to a boil.
  6. Continue cooking the squid on medium-low until the pasta is very al dente (firm, but almost completely cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes before the cooking time on the box of pasta). Add the squid ink to the skillet where you are cooking the sauce. How much ink?

    Enough for the spaghetti to turn completely black, not gray.

  7. If the squid sauce begins to get dry, add a little bit of water from the pot of boiling pasta.
  8. Immediately after, when the pasta is still very al dente, drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta-water (which contains starch), transfer the pasta in the pan with squids, and adding water as necessary keep mixing well for about 3-5 minutes (this is why it is critical to drain the pasta when is still a little bit hard or you will end up with overcooked pasta). Once all the water is absorbed, and you have a thick sauce, remove from the heat.
  9. Add remaining parsley, mix well, and enjoy!

 

Italiano: Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia (alla Veneziana)

Ingredienti

  • 500 g. spaghetti o bigoli
  • 500 g. seppie (tagliate i tubi a rondelle+ tentacoli)
  • Circa 3 vescichette col nero di seppia, oppure 2-3 cucchiai di nero surgelato
  • ½ cipolla dolce oppure scalogno a pezzetti
  • Prezzemolo, vino bianco e se vi piace peperoncino rosso

Preparazione

  1. Mettete l’acqua per la pasta a bollire-poco o niente sale perché il nero di seppia è un po’ salato.
  2. Mettete in una padella capiente -deve accogliere gli spaghetti alla fine- l’olio d’oliva, quando è caldo aggiungete la cipolla a pezzetti 1 minuto a fuoco medio alto.
  3. Aggiungete le seppie, e cuocete altri due minuti girando spesso.
  4. Aggiungete metà del prezzemolo tritato fino, il peperoncino (se vi piace, a me si), mischiate bene e poi mezzo bicchiere di vino bianco, abbassate il fuoco a medio-basso.
  5. Più o meno a questo punto l’acqua bolle: calate la pasta.
  6. Continuate a cuocere le seppie aggiungendo l’acqua della pasta come necessario perché sia sempre un po’ liquida.
  7. Quando la pasta è a circa 3-4 min dalla fine della cottura, cioè molto al dente, aggiungete il nero di seppia e anche un po’ d’acqua della pasta nella pentola dove state cuocendo le seppie, alzate il fuoco e mischiate bene 1 min.

    Quanto nero?

    Abbastanza perché la pasta diventi completamente nera, non grigia!

  8. Immediatamente dopo, scolate la pasta tenendo da parte almeno una tazza di acqua.
  9. Versate la pasta nella pentola con le seppie e continuate a mischiare aggiungendo acqua come necessario finche non è pronta e la salsa asciutta. Spegnete il fuoco aggiungete il resto del prezzemolo, mischiate bene e buon appetito.

 

Vino: Greco di Tufo di Benito Ferrara, se lo trovate.

 

Michele Carbone spaghetti

Spaghetti with Bottarga

By

On June 20, 2021

In Fish, Pasta Dishes

This is a simple dish to make and delicious, but some people don’t like it because “it tastes too much of fish!”

Bottarga is the dried, salted, pressed roe of various fish, mostly being the gray mullet and yellow fin tuna (also sold under the name of Amberjack and Hamachi, which to be precise [since fish names are often not precise] is the tuna type that is known as “Ricciola” in Italian).  I have used the bottarga of gray mullet and various tuna. In my opinion, the bottarga of Ricciola is the best, but it is very difficult, and almost impossible to find in America. If you can find a source and send it to me, I’ll be very grateful!

The recipe uses the same “original base” that I use to cook the spaghetti cacio e pepe and those with ricotta cheese: I mean, for those simple recipes (such as Pecorino or ricotta, or in this case bottarga), you want to leave the ingredients the chance to shine in their natural flavors.

Ingredients

  • 1 box of spaghetti or fettuccine or linguine
  • ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • A handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus 2 TB set aside to be used at the end of the recipe
  • 1 spicy Calabrian or Hawaiian, or Thai pepper (optional—use it if you like a little bit of a “kick” to your pasta)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • About 100 grams of bottarga. Keep the bottarga in the freezer until the last minute.

Preparation

  1. Start by boiling the water for the pasta and when it bois add spaghetti or fettucine or linguine.
  2. Finely chop a bunch of Italian parsley.
  3. Get out a pasta bowl and warm it up (I run hot water into it, then pour out the water before adding the pasta, or use the microoven).
    1. All the ingredients are mixed into the bowl at the end of this recipe and you will need to move quickly.
  4. In a large skillet, gently sauté a couple of cloves of crushed garlic in about ½ a cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Remove the garlic cloves as soon as they take on color.
  5. Turn off the heat, add half of the handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley (about two TB) and 1 or 2 minced peppers to the pan. (Remember to reserve about 2 more TB of parsley just prior to serving).
  6. A soon as the spaghetti tastes ready (al dente), reserve about 1 cup of the hot water from the pasta pan before pouring the pasta into a colander.
  7. Moving quickly, pour the pasta from the colander directly into the skillet (which should still be hot, but the fire is off). Gently mix the pasta with the oil and other ingredients in the pan. Add a little bit of the water that you reserved from the pasta pot (about ½ cup) and continue to mix. It should be a smooth mixture, not too “wet” but not too “dry,” either.
  8. Transfer to the warm pasta bowl.
  9. Add the remaining 2 TB of chopped parsley and gently mix.
  10. ” Grate –or shave- the bottarga directly into the spaghetti (the bottagrga, of course, you keep in the freezer until the last moment. Use a microplane or vegetable peeler to great/shave the bottarga).
    1. How much bottarga? Everyone has different tastes. I like a lot of it, but some people find it too fishy! So grate enough to suit your own taste. I’d suggest 200 grams for 1 box of pasta.
  11. Serve immediately.
  12. Buon appetito!

PS: I suggest you bring the bottarga to the table and allow guests to shave additional bottarga on their plates at will.

Buon appetito!

Suggested Wine Pairing

A fresh Rosé is a wonderful pairing; or use a cold, dry white wine like a Gavi.

Italiano: Spaghetti con la Bottarga
Piatto semplicissimo da fare, buonissimo, ma a alcuni non piace perché “sa troppo di pesce”!

Ci sono due tipi di Bottarga, almeno che io sappia, una di cefalo (muggine) e l’altra di Ricciola o altro tipo di tonno. Quella di Ricciola secondo me è la migliore, ma trovarla, almeno in America, è molto difficile, quasi impossibile visto che non l’ho mai trovata-se la trovate e me la spedite ve ne sarò molto grato!!!

La ricetta, semplicissima usa la stessa “base iniziale” che uso per cucinare gli spaghetti cacio e pepe e quelli con la ricotta, cioè per quelle ricette semplici dove vuoi lasciare al Pecorino (per il cacio e pepe), ricotta, e in questo caso alla bottarga la possibilità di farsi apprezzare nella loro naturalezza. Finita la filosofia procedere come di seguito:

  1. 500 g di spaghetti o fettucine linguine. Bollite l’acqua e calate la pasta.
  2. Soffriggere 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati in circa 120 ml olio d’oliva (½ cup). Toglierli APPENA prendono colore, SPEGNERE il fuoco e aggiungere un mezzo pugno di prezzemolo tritato (circa 2 cucchiaie) e un pepperoncino calabrese piccante tritato (o di più se vi piace mangiare piccante).
  3. Riempite di acqua calda una zuppiera, cioè dove metterete la pasta per servirla a tavola, e fatela intiepidire. Quando la pasta è al dente, dovete muovervi rapidamente!
  4. Prendere circa una tazza di acqua dalla pasta che sta bollendo appena prima di scolarla.
  5. Scolare la pasta e mischiarla nella padella con l’olio e aggiungere un po’ dell’acqua che avevate preso, circa ½ tazza, cioè quanto basta perché sia vellutata, né secca, né liquida. Aggiungere un altro po di prezzemolo tritato, (2 cucchiai). Mischiare e trasferire in un piatto di portata, che avete precedentemente intiepidito riempendola di acqua calda e poi asciugandola.
  6. SUBITO, grattare (microplane) or shave (vegetable peeler) RAPIDAMENTE sopra gli spaghetti la bottarga che naturalmente terrete nel freezer fino all’ultimo momento. Quanta bottarga? I gusti so gusti. A me piace tanta bottarga, ma alcuni storceranno il naso dicendo che sa troppo di pesce! Perciò fate a gusto vostro. Io uso circa 100 g. (suggerisco di portare la bottarga a tavola e grattarne altra sopra il vostro piatto a piacimento).

 

Giancarlo Gottardo’s Cold Octopus Salad

By

On April 28, 2021

In Antipasti, Entrees, Fish, Side Dishes

Octopus Salad alla Vucciria (for 4 to 6 people)

In my previous posting of how to cook octopus for soup, I suggested that it’s best to get a small octopus, because large octopus is too rubbery.  My good friend Giancarlo Gottardo taught me how to make even a large octopus tender and delicious.  Most American fish markets can provide you with fresh octopus, and they usually clean the inner organs, leaving the head and tentacles.

Octopus Salad

Michele’s version of the Polpo alla Vucciria

The Vucciria is the most famous open market in Palermo, Sicily.  Traditionally, the fishmongers there beat the octopus against marble counters to tenderize it, then cook it in large pots. When shoppers approach the counters, the fishmongers chop the octopus and serve it with a wedge of lemon. This recipe is Giancarlo’s elegant variation of the fresh, simple preparation of the Sicilian fish mongers.

The Vucciria is the most famous open market in Palermo, Sicily.  Traditionally, the fishmongers there beat the octopus against marble counters to tenderize it, then cook it in large pots. When shoppers approach the counters, the fishmongers chop the octopus and serve it with a wedge of lemon. This recipe is Giancarlo’s elegant variation of the fresh, simple preparation of the Sicilian fish mongers.

Ingredients

  • ½ to 1 cup of course sea salt
  • 1 large octopus – about 2.2 pounds
  • 6 whole lemons: 2 for juicing, and 4 which will be chopped for the salad
  • A handful of fresh Italian parsley, minced
  • 1 medium red onion, cut into thin slices

 

Dressing:

  • Juice two lemons
  • Extra Virgin Italian olive oil, approximately ¼ cup. The ratio of lemon juice to olive oil should be 1:1 (in other words, if the juice from the two lemons is ½ cup, mix it with ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil)
  • 2-3 TB of white vinegar, preferably white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 TB. fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

 

Preparation

  1. Put the octopus into a large pan or bowl. Rub the coarse sea salt over the entire body of the octopus, massaging the salt into the skin for about 10 minutes.  You will see a foamy liquid start to release from the body.  Cover the pan and place the salt-covered octopus in the refrigerator for four hours.(Note: If you need to prepare this recipe a day ahead, you can complete the brining process on one day, then cook it the next day.  The key is that you cannot brine the octopus longer than four hours.  Once the four hours are up, you can rinse the octopus very well as described in step 3, then store in an airtight container until the next day, when you cook it, starting at step 4)
  2. While you wait for the brining process to complete, make the dressing and put it into a jar that you can shake to mix the ingredients just prior to serving the salad.
  3. After 4 hours of brining, put the octopus into a colander in your sink and rinse it very well with cold water, making sure all the salt has been washed from the skin.
  4. Place the rinsed octopus into a heavy pan and cover with cold water, making sure that all the tentacles are covered with water. Cook at a low temperature for 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
  5. Remove the octopus from pot and allow to cool on a large cutting board. Chop the octopus into half-inch pieces. If the octopus’s beak is still present, use a sharp knife to remove the beak.
  6. While the octopus is cooling, slice or chop the red onion. Peel the 4 lemons and cut into small pieces, avoiding the seeds and the rind.  Put them into a large serving bowl and add the minced parsley. 

Italiano: Insalata di Polipo (per 4 -6 persone)

Nella mia ricotta su come cucinare il polpo, ho detto che è meglio prendere un piccolo polpo, perché il grande polpo è troppo gommoso. Il mio buon amico Giancarlo Gottardo mi ha insegnato come rendere tenero e delizioso anche un grande polpo. La maggior parte dei mercati ittici americani può fornirti polpi freschi e di solito puliscono gli organi interni, lasciando la testa e i tentacoli.

 

Ingredienti

  • 2 -3 pugni sale marino, grosso
  • 1 polpo tra 1 – 1.5 kili
  • 6 limoni interi: 2 per la spremitura e 4 che verranno tritati per l’insalata
  • Una manciata di prezzemolo fresco italiano, tritato
  • 1 cipolla rossa media, tagliata a fettine sottili

 

Salsa:

  • Succo di due limoni
  • Olio extra vergine di oliva italiano, circa ¼ di tazza. Il rapporto tra succo di limone e olio d’oliva dovrebbe essere 1: 1 (in altre parole, se il succo dei due limoni è ½ tazza, mescolarlo con ½ tazza di olio extra vergine di oliva)
  • 2-3 cucchiai di aceto bianco, preferibilmente aceto balsamico bianco
  • 1 cucchiaio di sale marino fine
  • 1⁄4 cucchiaio di pepe nero

 

Come Prepare Questa Ricetta

  1. Coprite il polpo con un paio di pugni di sale e lasciate riposare in frigo 1 ora.
  2. Sciacquate bene, coprite con acqua fredda, mettete un coperchio pesante cosi che tutto il polpo è sott’acqua, tentacoli compresi, e cuocete a fuoco basso 2 ore, finchè tenero (più è grosso il polpo più ci vuole e viceversa).
  3. Tritate il polpo a pezzettini piccoli col coltello, tritate finemente una cipolla rossa media e mezzo mazzo di prezzemolo, e 4 limoni tagliati a fettine sottili e poi tritati –niente semi ne bianco ne buccia. Mischiate il tutto.
  4. Salsa: sugo di due limoni, mischiate 1:1 con olio d’oliva (cioè lo stesso volume di limone e di olio), 2-3 cucchiai di aceto bianco, sale e pepe.
  5. Mischiare la salsa con il polipo e portare subito a tavola.

 

 

Oven-baked fillet of fish with fresh tomato sauce (Filetti di Cernia or altro pesce al pomodoro fresco al forno)

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On April 28, 2021

In Entrees, Fish

Baked filet of fish with tomato

Do you want a very fresh, simple recipe for fish? This takes only a few minutes to prepare and cook.

I use grouper or any other very fresh filet of fish.  When you shop for the fish, make sure the filets are of consistent thickness so they bake evenly.

Ingredients for 4-6 people

  • 1 filet of fish per person
  • ½ cup virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound fresh tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 bunch basil
  • 1/3 cup olives
  • Salt and, if you like, black or red pepper to taste

How to make this recipe

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425° F (220° Celsius)
  2. Put in a food processor olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and basil, salt, pepper, and mix just a little bit–do not exaggerate, just process until the tomatoes are still chunky.
  3. Put fish in a baking dish. Pour the tomato mixture from the food processor over the filets.
  4. Add the olives, and then turn the fish over so that both sides are coated with the tomato blend.
    Tuna-with-fresh-tomato-and-basil
  5. Cook for 5 minutes, then pull the pan from oven, and turn over the filets. Cook for another 5 minutes (add or subtract a minute or two, depending on the thickness of the filet). Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil.
  6. Buon appetito!

Suggested Wine Pairing

Ideally, if you can find it, a sparkling white from Librandi called “Labella”, otherwise a cold “Pecorino”.

Italiano: Filetti di Cernia or altro pesce al pomodoro fresco al forno

Ingredienti

  • Circa 250 g di pomodori freschi con la buccia
  • 1 spicchio d’aglio
  • 1 tazzina di caffè di olio d’oliva
  • 1 mazzetto di basilico, sale e se vi piace 1 peperoncino

 Preparazione

  1. Un filetto di cernia o di altro pesce, a testa.
  2. Mettere nel robot da cucina circa 250 g di pomodori freschi con la buccia, 1 spicchio d’aglio, 1 tazzina di caffè di olio d’oliva, 1 mazzetto di basilico, sale e se vi piace 1 peperoncino rosso. Mischiare un pó per amalgamare il tutto senza esagerare!  Non deve essere  una pappa liquida!
  3. Mettere i filetti di pesce nella teglia da forno, girarli, versarci sopra le olive, e infornare a 220 C (forno già caldo) per circa 10 minuti girando una volta.
  4. Buon appetito!

 

Shrimp with tomato sauce, green onions, and mint

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On April 28, 2021

In Entrees, Fish

This is an easy, excellent shrimp recipe.

Note: This recipe will work with other crustaceans, you just need to adjust for amount of time and ingredients.

Ingredients

  • Approximately 20 very large shrimp, with shells, heads and tails on
  • ¼ stick of butter (about 25 grams)
  • ½ box of crushed Pomì or other crushed Italian tomatoes (if you have homemade canned tomatoes, use them instead–see my website recipe)
  • 1 bunch (approximately 8) green onions, chopped
  • ½ glass white wine
  • ½ cup of fresh mint, finely chopped

Preparation

  1. In a large pot, boil water. Add the shrimp and boil it for 2 minutes.
  2. Using a colander, pour out the water, and allow the shrimp to cool. Once the shrimp have cooled, peel them, leaving their heads attached to their bodies.Put the peeled shrimp onto a platter.
  3. Melt the butter in a skillet, add green onions and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes or until they are soft. Stir often to avoid sticking.
  4. Keeping the heat on low, add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Add the white wine and allow the sauce to continue simmering for another 5 6 minutes, until the sauce is reduced (i.e. it becomes thick again).
  6. Spoon the sauce over each dinner plate, then put 5 shrimp on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped mint.
  7. Buon Appetito!

Italiano: Gamberetti con salsa di pomodoro, cipolle verdi e menta

Questa è una ricetta di gamberetti facile ed eccellente.

Questa ricetta è sufficiente per quattro persone.

Nota: questa ricetta funzionerà con altri crostacei, devi solo regolare la quantità di tempo e gli ingredienti.

Ingredienti

  • Circa 20 gamberetti molto grandi, con guscio, testa e coda
  • 25 grammi di burro
  • ½ scatola di Pomì schiacciato o altri pomodori italiani schiacciati (se avete pomodori in scatola fatti in casa, usateli invece – vedete la ricetta del mio sito web)
  • 1 mazzo (circa 8) cipolle verdi, tritate
  • 120 ml di vino bianco
  • 1 manciata di menta fresca, tritata finemente

Preparazione

  1. Bollire i gamberi 2 minuti, raffreddarli, pelarli lasciandogli la testa.
  2. Squagliare ¼ di bastoncino di burro, circa 25 g, in una padella a fuoco basso.
  3. Aggiungere 1 mazzetto di cipolline verdi tagliate a rondelle (circa 8 cipolline), 5 minuti a fuoco basso o finché pronte (girate spesso).
  4. Aggiungere mezzo scatolo di pelati (250g), meglio Pomì “crushed” o ancora meglio conserva fatta in casa, vedi la ricetta sul mio website.  Cuocere a fuoco basso 2-3 minuti.
  5. Aggiungere 120 ml vino bianco, continuare a cuocere sempre a fuoco basso per altri 5-6 minuti.  Spegnere il fuoco.
  6. Mettete la salsetta al centro di ogni piatto, metteteci sopra 5 gamberoni, la menta tagliuzzata e buon appetito.

 

Recipe 2:  Shrimp Calabrian style

Ingredients

  • 20 shrimp with head and everything else, not peeled!
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 bunch of parsley, chopped very fine
  • Hot red pepper (better fresh southern Italian hot peppers, or Hawaiian hot peppers, or Thai peppers, or whatever dry red pepper you have)
  • 1 glass white wine

Recipe

  1. Using scissors, cut lengthwise along the spine of the shrimp, starting from the junction of the head-body down toward the tail–but leave the head and the shell on! Carefully pull the black cord from the shrimp and rinse under cold water. Set aside until all the shrimp have been sliced.
  2. In a large pan, add ½ cup olive oil, and turn the heat to high. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Turn the flame off, and allow the garlic take on a golden color.
  3. Remove and discard the garlic.
  4. Turn the flame back to high and add ½ of the minced parsley, red pepper to taste, and immediately add the shrimp. Cook about 1 minute per side, add 1 glass of white wine, and cook for 2 more minutes (i.e. 1 additional minute per side).  
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Pour the sauce from the skillet over each plate, add the shrimp on top forming a circle, then garnish with the remaining minced parsley.
  7. Buon appetito!

Italiano: Gamberi alla Calabrese

  1. Tagliare il guscio dei gamberi dorsalmente con le forbici, senza rimuovere nè guscio nè la testa.
  2. Versare circa un bicchiere d’olio d’oliva in una padella grande.  Fuoco forte.
  3. Soffriggere l’aglio, rimuoverlo appena imbiondisce, aggiungere un pugno di prezzemolo tritato, pepperoncino rosso, a gusto vostro, a me piacciono molto piccanti, e immediatamente anche i gamberi.
  4. Soffriggere 1 minuto per lato.  Aggiungere 1 bicchiere vino bianco.  Cuocere altri due min, sempre fuoco forte, 1 minuto per lato.  
  5. Rimuovere padella dal fuoco, aggiungere un pugno di prezzemolo tritato, e servire i gamberi con la loro salsetta.  
  6. Buon appetito!

Roasted Sea Bass with Potatoes, Olives, and Tomatoes

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On April 28, 2021

In Entrees, Fish

This is such a simple and fast recipe to prepare, and it is always delicious!  Try it, and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into  1/4-inch thick rounds
  • 1 lb. tomatoes, cut into large chunks
  • ¾ cup pitted green olives
  • ¼ cup torn basil leaves
  • ½ cup plus 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 3 lb. Sea bass, cleaned

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. In a very large roasting pan, toss the potatoes, tomatoes, olives, and basil with ½ cup of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Next, make 3 shallow slashes in both sides of each fish, and rub both with 1 TB. of olive oil, seasoning them with salt and pepper.
  4. Place the fish in the roasting pan, nestling them within the vegetables.
  5. Roast for about 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the fish is cooked.

Italiano: Branzino arrosto con patate, olive e pomodori

Questa è una ricetta così semplice e veloce da preparare, ed è sempre deliziosa! Provalo e fammi sapere cosa ne pensi.

Ingredienti

  • 1 kg di patate Yukon Gold, sbucciate e tagliate a fette spesse .5 centimetro
  • 0,5 chili di pomodori, tagliati a pezzi grossi
  • 175 grammi di olive verdi denocciolate
  • Una manciata di foglie di basilico sminuzzate
  • 120 più 3 cucchiaini di olio extravergine di oliva
  • Sale e pepe appena macinato
  • 1 – 1,25 kg Branzino, pulito

Preparazione

  1. Preriscaldare il forno a 220 gradi C.
  2. In una padella molto grande, condisci le patate, i pomodori, le olive e il basilico con ½ tazza di olio d’oliva e condisci con sale e pepe.
  3. Quindi, fai 3 tagli superficiali su entrambi i lati di ciascun pesce e strofina entrambi con 1 TB. di olio di oliva, condendoli con sale e pepe.
  4. Mettere i pesci nella teglia, adagiandoli tra le verdure.
  5. Cuocere per circa 40 minuti fino a quando le verdure sono tenere ed entrambi i pesci sono cotti.

Photo from http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/whole-roasted-sea-bass-potatoes-and-olives

Poke – Italian Style (Pesce crudo) for 8 people

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On April 28, 2021

In Antipasti, Entrees, Fish

While in Lahaina, Maui a few years ago, I tried an Italian re-imagination of the famous Hawaiian “poke” recipe.  Typically, poke is raw sashimi-style fish that’s been marinated in soy sauce and tossed with onion or spicy mayonnaise.  But at the Italian restaurant in Lahaina, which has closed during the intervening years, they served Hamachi (yellow tail tuna) combined with mango and sweet Maui onion.  The flavors were lovely, so I was inspired to try to create my own version of the Italian poke.  Since then, I’ve served this dish at many dinner parties – most recently after I and some of my colleagues at the Weinman Symposium caught some fresh tuna a few weeks ago.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. sashimi style tuna
  • 1 medium sweet white onion, preferably Maui or Vidalia
  • 3 – 4 fresh mangos, preferably picked from your neighbor’s tree, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • Zest of 4 limes
  • A handful of fresh chopped cilantro
  • 1 handful of fresh chopped mint
  • 1 – 2 TB. of extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste, preferably black sea salt finishing salt because it adds a lovely color and texture to the final product

Preparation

  1. Put the tuna filet in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes in order to make it easy to cut.
  2. Using a sharp knife, slice the tuna into thin, bite-sized slices and put into a large bowl.
  3. Add the cubed mango, the lime zest, olive oil, mint and cilantro, and gently toss together. Finish with salt and serve immediately.

I often serve with fresh bread or even with tortilla chips.

Italiano: Tonno Crudo (Poke)

Ingredienti

  • Hamachi –Ricciola- o altro tipo di tonno, filetto, 1 kg
  • 1 cipolla dolce, medio grande di Tropea o di Maui o altra, tagliata a striscioline lunghe di circa ½ cm di spessore
  • 3 – 4 manghi maturi a fettine di 1 cm di spessore o quadratini di 2 cm
  • Buccia grattata di 4 lime, solo buccia niente bianco
  • Menta, due pugni di foglie fresche tritate
  • Coriandolo fresco, un mazzo tritato
  • 1 cucchiaio di olio di oliva, italiano della migliore qualità
  • Sale, meglio sale nero perché è più pittoresco.

Preparazione

Mischiare e servire immediatamente.

 

 

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