Pesce Per Due Recipes

PEASANT'S ZUPPA DI PESCE

Steps:

• In a large saute pan (approximately 16-inches), add oil, garlic, and shallots. Saute until garlic and shallots are a very light golden color. Add all the fish to pan along with the wine, water, tomatoes, thyme, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cover pan and let simmer until clams and mussels open, approximately 20 minutes. Add parsley and basil and divide evenly into 4 soup bowls.
• At Peasant, Frank floats crostini (toasted bread rubbed with olive oil, garlic, Parmigano, oregano, salt and pepper) on top of each serving.

PESCE PER DUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a bowl, combine the sea salt and the egg whites and mix well. The mixture should feel like wet sand.
• Rinse and pat fish dry. Stuff the cavity of the fish with the rosemary, parsley stems, garlic, and lemon slices.
• Sprinkle baking tray with sea salt. Trim a piece of parchment paper in the shape of the branzino, making the paper 1 inch larger all around than the fish. Place the fish on the parchment-lined tray and cover with the salt mixture, packing down tightly.
• Place the tray in the oven and cook for 17 to 19 minutes. (When done, the salt should be golden brown around the edges.)

PASTA AL PESCE (SEAFOOD PASTA)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until golden, taking care not to burn it. Add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer. Add the scallops and shrimp and cook until the scallops are tender and the shrimp are pink, 2 about minutes. Add the clam juice, wine, sun-dried tomatoes and thyme and sautee until the sauce begins to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the pasta to the pan and turn the heat to low; toss until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Add the butter and parsley and toss until the butter is melted. Serve immediately.

PESCE ALL'ACQUA PAZZA (FISH IN CRAZY WATER)

Steps:

• In a large skillet with high sides, combine the olive oil, garlic, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes. Set over medium-low and cook, swirling occasionally, until sizzling and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add 2 1/2 cups water, the tomatoes and 2 teaspoons salt to the skillet. Bring to a boil over high, then cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the tomatoes are softened and the water is bright red and tastes like tomato, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Pat the fish dry and season with salt. Lay the fish into the tomato water, cover and cook until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, 4 to 8 minutes.
• Taste the water and adjust seasonings with salt and red-pepper flakes. If the liquid has reduced so much that it resembles sauce, add a little water until it looks like tomatoes suspended in red-tinted water. Serve the fish and tomato water in shallow bowls, with a drizzle of olive oil and bread for dunking.

PESCHE CON CREMA (PEACHES WITH CREAM)

Steps:

• Make the pastry cream: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring milk and lemon zest to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale yellow; add flour and whisk until well combined.
• Remove lemon zest from milk and discard; slowly whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and place over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until cream thickens and begins to boil.
• Transfer pastry cream to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap, pressing down on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely.
• Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Whisk eggs in another large bowl. Add sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in milk, butter, and lemon zest until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing with a fork, until dough is smooth and stiff. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats; set aside.
• Using a lightly mounded tablespoon of dough, roll the dough firmly between your palms to make a smooth round ball, about the size of a walnut. Repeat process, taking care to make sure all the balls are fairly uniform in size. Place balls on prepared baking sheets spacing about 1 inch apart; you should be able to fit 24 balls on each baking sheet. Flatten tops slightly with your fingertips.
• Transfer to oven and bake until bottoms are lightly browned, about 15 minutes; tops will remain pale. Transfer to a rack and let cool slightly.
• Assemble the peaches: While the cookies are still warm, use a small, sharp knife to cut a circle about the size of a quarter on the bottom (flat) side of each cookie, taking care not to crack the edges. Use the tip of the knife to scrape out enough crumbs to make hollow and hold about 1 teaspoon pastry cream. Set cookies aside.
• Place rum or maraschino liqueur and schnapps in a small bowl. Add enough red and yellow food coloring to create your desired shade of peach; set aside. Fill a shallow bowl with sugar; set aside.
• Fill each hollowed-out cookie with 1 teaspoon filling. Sandwich two cookies together so that the filling comes just to the edge, taking care not to crack or break. Using a pastry brush, brush "peach" with colored liquor and roll in sugar to coat. Transfer to a large airtight container and repeat process with remaining cookies, liqueur, and sugar. Cover container and transfer to refrigerator; let chill overnight.
• Just before serving, pierce each "peach" with a toothpick where the two cookies come together and insert the stem of a peach leaf. Alternatively, you can garnish cookies with decorative or chocolate leaves.

ZUPPA DI PESCE E FRUTTI DI MARE (MEDITERRANEAN SEAFOOD SOUP)

Steps:

• Cut cod into pieces, reserving any scraps. Peel and devein prawns, reserving any scraps.
• Place cod and prawn scraps, quartered onion, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until fish stock is fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain and reserve fish stock.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir sliced onion, red chile pepper, and minced garlic until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in wine; cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Add cod, prawns, clams, and mussels; pour in 1 cup fish stock. Simmer until fish is cooked through and clams and mussels have opened, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Toast bread in a toaster. Rub garlic halves on to 1 side of toasted bread.
• Place a piece of toasted bread in the bottom of each serving bowl. Ladle soup over toasted bread and top with parsley.

PESCE AL FORNO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350*F, spray 9X13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cover the bottom of the dish with potatoes and onions in alternating rows.
• Place fish on top and sprinkle with rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and pepper, then drizzle with the oil.
• Cover with foil and bake, occasionally basting with pan juices until potatoes are tender and fish is opaque in the center, 50-55 minutes.
• Pour wine over fish and bake, uncovered, 3-5 minutes longer.
• Serve at once.