Red Snapper Ceviche

If I should suddenly disappear, please come look for me in South America. Peru, to be precise. I'm going to learn all about ceviche. For now I can tell you this: no cooking required, light and very easy. I already feel like screaming Ceviche Forever! Can you blame me?


Red Snapper Ceviche
with Mango & Coconut Milk
for 4

red snapper, bream, or other white flesh fish 3/4 lb.
lime 3-4
coconut milk about 1 cup
mango 1/2
red bell pepper 1/2
shallot 1/2
Thai chili pepper 1
olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh cilantro to taste

For this recipe I used a red snapper fillet, a white flesh fish with firm texture, very common in this area. You can substitute it with sea bream, or if you'd like you can also use tuna.
Cut the fish into small cubes, place them in a bowl and cover them with lime juice and coconut milk. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours.
Drain the fish from the marinade, keeping few tablespoons aside. Dice the mango and the pepper. Finely chop shallot and Thai chili, seeds removed.
Mix them with the fish cubes, season with two tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, some finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and the reserved marinade. Serve cold.

Salt Baked Branzino

No, my dear sea bass, please don't look at me that way. I've already made up my mind, and let's not argue. And then, what are you complaining about? You'll end up in a classic, everyone will love it. So stop making that face...


Salt Baked Branzino
for 2

whole branzino (sea bass) 1, approximately 2 lb 3 oz
coarse sea salt 2 to 4 lb, depending on the size of the fish
parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper to taste

Clean and gut the sea bass, and rinse it under running water (... in cases like this, it wouldn't hurt to be friends with the fish guy).
Arrange half of the salt on the bottom of a baking pan, place the fish on top of it and coat it well with the other half of the salt. Bake at 400 for 35 to 40 minutes. When ready, transfer the sea bass on a plate, break the salt shell that will have formed and fillet it. Serve with a sauce prepared by mixing oil, pepper, chopped parsley, juice and zest of lemon.
If you wish, before baking you can season the inside of the fish with chopped herbs, a couple of bay leaves, some garlic and/or lemon slices.

Swordfish Orange Tartare

And yet I had been so far-sighted! Back in December I had kindly ordered Santa Claus to spare the set of pans by Le Creuset and the latest Kitchen Aid and to send me instead to the Mediterranean aboard a yacht, to be rocked by gentle waves and spoiled by July's sun and fresh fish of the day.
But at this point I honestly think he didn't understand. No sign of the yacht. The sun, he sent it to different horizons to warm some young bathing beauty. The waves are oceanic monsters spitting wind and freezing fog. As for the Le Creuset and the Kitchen Aid, I've given up on them long time ago.

Swept away by the usual fate amidst the greyness of the city in August, I find myself with a piece of fish. Fresh, they say.
Santa Claus, ever tried tartare with oranges?


Swordfish Orange Tartare
for 2 (me and Santa Claus)

fresh swordfish fillet about 300 gr.
orange, small 1
shallot 1
salt-packed capers a handful
parsley, basil, mint a handful each
salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice to taste

Cut off the skin from the fish fillet (if necessary) and dice it not too finely. Mince the shallot, the capers, rinsed from their salt, and a generous amount of parsley, basil and mint. Grate the orange zest. In another bowl, whisk together the juice of the orange, few drops of lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Dress the fish with this marinade, adding the minced herbs and capers. Mix well and refrigerate for few hours. Before serving, drain the fish from the marinade.

Coconut Shrimps

BUBBA: Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That's... that's about it.
(M. Williamson, Forrest Gump; if you care for the Italian version, look here)

Bubba knew everything about shrimps. Back home, his Mum would make shrimps, his Gran'ma would make shrimps, his Gran-Gran'ma would make shrimps, and Bubba was dreaming of going himself in the shrimp business the day the war would be over.

Too bad that the Italian version didn't like Bubba's shrimps that much. Both coconut shrimps and pineapple shrimps have been deleted from the Bubba-menu and changed into scrambled shrimps and shrimps with potatoes, respectively. Probably back in 1994 they thought that Italian taste was not ready for coconut shrimps and pineapple shrimps, but I still have one question though: these scrambled shrimps, what the hell are they?
I think that not even Bubba, or Bubba's Gran'ma, would be able to answer.


Baked Coconut shrimps
for 4

large shrimps 12
eggs 2
bread crumbs, grated dried coconut
salt, sugar, cayenne pepper, orange powder to taste

Before the "recipe" I have a confession to make. I have a feeling that when talking about coconut shrimps, Bubba meant fried shrimps, the ones with a greasy and crunchy crust that leaves you licking your fingers. But how could you arrange fried stuff with a mini-kitchen like mine? You can't, period. Therefore let's just give up and get over it with a couple of baked shrimps. But if you wish to indulge yourself with the fried shrimp, please do!
In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper. In another bowl, mix half a cup of dried grated coconut with three tablespoons of bread crumbs (I - not really very accidentally - had Panko, the Japanese style used for tempura, ever tried it?), add a pinch of salt, sugar and orange powder (totally optional, but since our conversation had ended right there...).
Clean shrimps, discarding the shell and the black vein, and roll them first in the egg and then in the coconut mixture. Place them on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake them at 425 for about 15 minutes, turning them once about half way through. Let them cool down before serving.

Sesame Crusted Tuna

This is the classic secret weapon, a very easy and superfast recipe that you can show off with nonchalance even in emergencies. Success is guaranteed, even for those who've been scared for years to confront fish dishes, like me.

The most difficult thing, if anything, is to go conquer the tuna. And also to go through the cash register without looking at the total, dropping the card and signing the receipt with your eyes closed : )


Sesame Crusted Tuna
with Mango Salsa

For The Tuna
fresh tuna steak, about 1 inch thick
balsamic vinegar, ginger, salt, black and white sesame seeds, olive oil to taste

For the Mango Salsa
mango 1/2
fresh pineapple 1-2 slices
red bell pepper, small 1/2
green chili pepper 1/2
salt, pepper, lime juice, fresh cilantro to taste

Rub tuna with the freshly grated ginger and let it marinate for about one hour with some balsamic vinegar, turning it around few times.
Drain from marinade and then coat both sides in the sesame seeds, previously combined in a bowl. Press slightly on all sides, so that the seeds will stick and form a nice thick crust.
Using a paper napkin, lightly grease a non stick pan with oil, and heat it up until it gets really hot. Turn the heat down and place the tuna on top of it, cooking it for about one minute each side. Season with salt and let it cool down before slicing it.
For the mango salsa, cut mango, pineapple, red bell pepper and green chili pepper in very small cubes. Put them in a bowl, mix well and season with salt, pepper, fresh cilantro and lime juice. Let it sit for at least one hour before serving.

Mussel Salad with Coconut Lime

...or Give Mussels a Chance. Let's admit that you don't like them cooked in the simplest possible way, like these ones, and let's also admit that you're still in doubts regarding their sex appeal. Well, then try giving mussels a second chance and preparing them in a slightly different way: I guarantee that coconut, lime and chili peppers will be a pleasant surprise.

This recipe, with a definite Thai flavour, comes from Bitten, the NY Times food blog by Mark Bittman, aka The Minimalist, the man behind the famous No-Knead Bread, to get you the idea.
And as if the recipe wasn't enough fusion on its own, I tried making it with some alternative mussels that I happened to find at the market: some giant New Zealand mussels with a characteristic bright green shell, so beautiful that it's almost a shame to throw it away at the end of your lunch.

In general, I'm not a big fan of bean sprouts, even though they're widely used in health-conscious California. Best case scenario, I find them too bitter, but maybe it's me that haven't been able to decipher them yet. And yet, they go well here, at least because of the contrast between their oblong shape, like that of spaghetti, and the curves of cucumber and mussels ; )
The best thing of this salad, though, is the dressing (which I've officially adopted for future dishes). It doesn't matter that the coconut milk comes from a can and that the lime grew up not far away from here. All it takes is a little imagination and you find yourself swinging inside a hammock in the middle of an exotic beach. Now, tell me something, is it that strange that in August I long for the sea???


Mussel Salad
with Coconut-Lime Dressins
for 2 people

fresh mussels 1 lb.
coconut milk about 1/4 cup
lime 1
Thai fish sauce 2 or 3 tablespoons
fresh Thai chilies 2
(but, come on, any kind of chili works as well) 2
fresh cilantro to taste
red bell pepper 1
cucumber 1
bean sprouts not too many...

In a bowl, mix coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, its grated zest, minced Thai chilies and fish sauce (just so you know, fish sauce is a very common ingredient in Thai cooking, it's sort of an anchovies extract and it is used instead of salt).
Cut bell pepper in cubes. Peel the cucumber and cut it into pieces. Add bean sprouts.
Clean the mussels, discard their beard and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. Heat a large pan, put in the mussels with a couple of tablespoons of water, cover with a lid and cook for few minutes, shaking the pan now and then. Take out the mussels as soon as they open and discard those that stay closed. Take them out of their shell and add them to the vegetables.
Cooking it on high heat, reduce the juice they left behind, then add few tablespoons to the dressing. Pour dressing over the salad, mix well, add some freshly minced cilantro and serve.

Mussels with White Wine

I raise here my protest in defense of mussels. Would someone please explain how it began the bad reputation that afflicts them? Ugly as a mussel. Excuse me, could you please repeat? (Ugly as a mussel is a common Italian expression, and it's used only for women, of course....)
Rumour has it that it's the freshly caught mussels that are ugly. Is that true? Who knows. Unfortunately I've never had the pleasure of seeing them. And I really wish that in this precise moment, instead of publishing useless bloggish lucubrations putting up with my monitor's blue radiations, again, I wish I could close my eyes and find myself sitting outdoors at the pier of a remote Mediterranean island, watching the fishermen coming back from the sea and exchanging opinions on their black haul.

And then, mussels may not be really beautiful right after being caught, but tell me the truth, who feels at their best in the morning right after waking up, before coffee, make-up, hair fixing and manicure?
Black-purplish shell, bright concentric veins and pearly inside. I bet you're already reconsidering them. Soft and seductive body. Perfect black-orange color pairing, to such an extent that one would think Domenico e Stefano (aka Dolce & Gabbana) didn't create anything new. And then mussels are too much fun: so easy and fast to cook, they always make an impression. Even as simple as these ones, that go only with their own juice and two slices of toasted bread.
You're ugly and mean as a mussel. I beg your pardon?


Mussels with White Wine Sauce
for 2 people

fresh mussels 1 lb.
white wine about 1/2 cup
olive oil, garlic, shallot, salt, pepper, parsley, butter

Clean the mussels, discard the beard and brush them very well. Transfer to a large bowl and mix them with one tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, minced parsley, one garlic clove, thinly sliced, and a little bit of minced shallot (optional).
Heat a large pan on the stove and when it's really hot pour the mussels with all their dressing in it. Shake the pan for few seconds, add the wine and cover immediately with a lid. Cook at high heat for 2 or 3 minutes, until mussels start to open. As soon as they open, take them out of the pan and transfer to a serving bowl. Discard the ones that didn't open. Add a tablespoon of butter to the leftover juice, reduce by cooking it for few minutes. Pour juice over the mussels and serve them with slices of toasted bread.