Seven Fish Holiday Recipes

7. Jumbo Shrimp with Pine Nuts and Currants 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 medium diced onion

4 Roma Tomatoes, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 Tablespoon toasted pine nuts

1 Tablespoon black currants, plumped in white wine

2 Tablespoons capers, rinsed

1 cup dry white wine

½ teaspoon fennel pollen

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp

Sliced fennel

Fennel fronds for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet until hot. Sautee the sliced fennel and toss so that it cooks evenly. Cook until tender and caramelized. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and reheat the skillet. Add the onion and sautee until golden. Splash in the white wine and reduce slightly. Add the tomatoes, currants, capers, pepper flakes, and bring to a simmer.

Remove the pan from the heat and on top of the tomatoes layer first the fennel and then the shrimp.Cover the skillet and cook the shrimp for 4 minutes. Let the skillet stand off the heat and keep the cover on for 4 more minutes so the residual heat finishes the shrimp. Sprinkle with Fennel Pollen and Fronds.  

6. Garlic Shrimp

2 pounds of medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined

3 minced garlic cloves

½ cup white wine

¼ Cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and drop in the garlic. Do not let the warm garlic brown. Sautee the shrimp quickly until they just curl. Add the white wine and let reduce until the sauce thickens and just coats the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with steamed rice.

5. Sautéed Sole with Lemon

6 Sole fillets

Flour for dredging

½ a stick of butter

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

2 Tablespoons of chopped herbs

Place flour in a shallow dish and season generously with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick pan, heat the butter until the foaming ends. Add the oil. Lay the fillets in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown, turning only once so that the fish does not get damaged.  Remove the fish from the pan onto a paper towel lined plate. Add the lemon juice to the cooking fat for 4 minutes. Place the fish on a serving platter, pour the sauce over the sole and scatter with fresh herbs. Serve at once.

4. Baked Eel with Bay Leaves

1 large eel, skinned, cleaned and gutted.

Coarse Salt

Fresh Bay Leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the eel into 4 inch pieces and cover the eel in coarse salt and Bay Leaves. Place the eel on a baking sheet.  Bake for 35 minutes until a skewer goes into the eel easily.  Remove the eel from the oven and wipe off the salt. Serve immediately.

3. Seafood Salad (Insalata di Mare)

2 cloves of garlic

4 lemons, juiced

2 pounds assorted seafood such as shrimp, squid, mussels, baby Octopus, and clams.

¼ Cup Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk the lemon juice, garlic and olive oil together. Infuse for 20 minutes and strain. Season to taste.

Poach (place food in boiling water for 2 minutes then place in ice water) the seafood and discard any shellfish that doesn’t open. Drain.

Pour the lemon dressing over the seafood and stir gently. Sprinkle with parsley. Let sit for 30 minutes to let flavors mingle.

2. Sarde in Saor

1 1/14  pounds Fresh Sardines

2 cups of Flour

2 onions, cut into rings

½ Cup Olive Oil

1 glass red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

2 Tablespoons raisins

2 Tablespoons pine nuts

Clean and gut the sardines. Rinse.  Meanwhile heat half the olive oil in a medium skillet until hot. Pat the fish dry and dredge in flour.  Fry  until crispy and drain on paper towels. Wipe skillet clean and add the remaining olive oil. Sautee the onion until golden sweet and  translucent. Add the vinegar and reduce slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Add the raisins and the pine nuts. Place sardines in a shallow dish and cover with the sauce. Set aside for up to two days to absorb flavors.

1. Puree of Salt Cod

1 dried Salt Cod

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Nutmeg

2 Cloves of Garlic

Parsley

Wash the cod and boil for 20 minutes. Drain and look for bones and cut into pieces. Put in a food processor and while it is running, drizzle in olive oil and add the garlic. The mixture should be creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate some nutmeg over the Baccala