Archive

ITALIAN RECIPES

Fresh Fish

Salt Roasted Salmon with Herbs

Ingredients:

A fresh salmon fillet weighing about 2 1/4 pounds (1 k)
2 pounds (1 k) salt -- you won't need all of it
2 egg whites (optional)
A finely sliced lemon, organically grown if possible
The grated zest of half of another organically grown lemon, yellow part only
A small bunch parsley, minced
A few sprigs wild fennel, minced (if you can't find it, don't use fennel seeds)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary needles
Other chopped herbs you like -- for example, a little fresh dill

Preparation:

Select a fillet that is of uniform width and as uniform thickness as possible; the flesh should be compact and uniform salmon pink.

Come time to prepare your salmon, preheat your oven to 450 F (225 C).
Using a sharp, long-bladed knife, cut the salmon in half lengthwise to obtain two sheets (as it were) of salmon. Remove any spines you see with a pair of tweezers.
Next, sprinkle the chopped herbs uniformly over the lower sheet (the one with the skin) and place the upper sheet over it. Lay the lemon slices over the upper sheet to cover the meat.

Line a roasting pan large enough to comfortably contain the fish with oven parchment, and sprinkle a half-inch (1 cm) layer of salt over it. Carefully lay the fish on the salt, and sprinkle it with another half-inch layer of salt.
You can, if you want, moisten the salt you sprinkle over the fish, but it's not necessary to do so. You can also, if you want the crust to be firmer, beat 2 egg whites and combine them with the salt you put over the fish.

In any case, put the fish into the hot oven and roast it for about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and bring it to the table: Break the crust with the backof a heavy knife before your guests (or guest) and remove the pieces to reveal the salmon fillet below.
In terms of accompaniments, I might go with a delicate tossed salad, or a little spinach, and bubbly. Definitely bubbly, and I'd probably think about either Franciacorta, or a sparkling Gavi, or a sparkling Lugana. Champagne will also work, if you must.
Serves 4.

Fish Spiedini

Ingredients:

3/4 pound (350 g) salmon fillet
1/2 pound (225 g) boned monkfish fillet
2 tablespoons freshly minced marjoram
2 tablespoons freshly minced tarragon
2 tablespoons freshly minced thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup orange liqueur
1 clove garlic
Long wooden skewers

Preparation:

Skin the salmon fillet, pick out and discard the bones with a pair of tweezers, and cube it into 1-inch cubes. Cube the monkfish too.
Put the fish in a bowl, pour the liqueur over it, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill it for an hour in the fridge, giving the bowl a shake every now and again. While the fish is marinating, heat your grill.

Chop the herbs and the garlic. Put them in a bowl with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
Drain the fish and put the pieces on the skewers, alternating salmon and monkfish. Grill the kebabs for about 10 minutes, turning them often. Serve the fish kebabs with the aromatized oil, and a white wine, for example a an Alcamo from Sicily.

Don't have a grill? Heat your oven to 400 F (200 C), arrange the skewers over a roasting pan (with the tips and tails of the kebabs on the lips of the pan, so the fish remains suspended, without touching the bottom of the pan), and roast them for about 10 minutes.
Serves 4.

Lemony Tuna

Ingredients:

A fresh tuna fillet weighing about 1 1/3 pounds (600 g), cut into half-inch (1.2 cm) rounds
A small onion, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 tablespoons olive oil
4 lemon slices, cut into wedges (use an organic lemon if possible)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine a scant half cup of water (200 ml) with the lemon juice, parsley, and oil, and season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Marinate the tuna in the liquid for three hours.
When the marinating time is almost up, preheat your oven to 360 F (180 C).

Put the fish in a pan, sprinkle the onion and some of the marinade over it, season lightly with salt and pepper, and roast it for 20-25 minutes. Transfer the fish to a serving dish, decorate it with the lemon wedges, spoon the pan drippings over it, and serve.
The wine? White, and a Verdicchio would be nice.
Serves 4.

Baked Sea Bass

Ingredients:

A sea bass weighing about 3 pounds (1.3 k), cleaned and scaled
A small bunch parsley, minced
A bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 360 F (180 C).
Wash the fish well, pat it dry, and slip the bay leaf and tarragon into the cavity.
Lightly oil a baking dish, put the fish into it, and sprinkle the remaining oil over it, together with the parsley, and season the fish with salt and pepper.

Bake the fish for about a half hour; sprinkle it with a little wine every now and again lest the skin dry out, and turn it carefully after 15 minutes.
When the fish is done, transfer it to a heated serving dish, and strain the pan drippings into a sauceboat. Serve the fish with the drippings on the side, so those who want can spoon them over their fish.

Buon appetito!

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