Cuttlefish Confit with Guardavallein Artichokes and Chili Oil Reduction
Chef Louis Quintieri, La Tavola Di Melusinda, Soverato, Italy
1. The Fish
- common name: Cuttlefish
- scientific name: Sepia offici
- characteristics: The cuttlefish is so called because they have a bone in the middle of their bodies, known as a cuttlebone, filled with gas, which is used as a buoyancy control device. Averaging about 30 cm in length (giant cuttlefish can grow up to 100 cm), they have 8 arms and 2 prehensile (capable of grasping) tentacles around their parrot-like beak.
Like the octopus, cuttlefish have chromatophores on their skin which they can change instantaneously both in colour and texture making them among the best camouflage experts in the animal kingdom.
The best time to buy (for large cuttlefish) are certainly the first six months of the year.
2. The Recipe
Ingredients:
350 g cuttlefish, cleaned
350 g Guardavalle artichokes, washed and cleaned
70 ml extra virgin olive oil from Staletti
5 g chili
5 g garlic, chopped
20 g parsley, chopped
2 tsp sea salt
20 ml dry white wine
30 g corallino tomatoes, finely chopped
1 slice of home-made bread
For the chili oil reduction
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
5 g green chili peppers
Method:
1. Boil the artichokes in lightly salted water until they turn soft. Immediately place the artichokes in ice-cold water In order to preserve the green colour (chlorophyll).
2. Now boil the cuttlefish in water, but without any salt; remove and slice into juliennes. Cut the artichokes similarly.
3. Heat some oil in a large frying pan. Add the pepper, parsley and garlic. Saute.
4. Once browned, add the artichokes and cuttlefish. Saute for a few minutes.
5. Then add the wine, and once evaporated mix in the tomatoes. Season with salt and let cook for a few minutes over low heat.
6. To prepare the reduction, simply grind the chili with the oil.
7. Dry the slice of bread to a crisp by allowing it to bake in an oven at 50°C for about 10 minutes.
8. To plate the dish, assemble the cuttlefish with artichokes, a pinch of fresh parsley, the crisp bread and chili oil reduction.
Stroncatura con Alici, Origano di Montagna, Mentuccia e Pomodorino Campagnolo
Chef Louis Quintieri, La Tavola Di Melusinda, Soverato, Italy
1. The Fish
- common name: Anchovy
- scientific name: Engraulis encrasicolus
- characteristics:
Anchovies are very important in the fish food chain and, despite their small size, are also very important commercially, mainly as a flavoring ingredient. Canned anchovies are used in many recipes but their most important use is in production of fermented fish sauce, as essential to the cuisines of Southeast Asia as it was to those of Imperial Rome. Anchovies are not only canned and made into fish sauce, they are also made into fish meal, fish oil, and are heavily used as bait for tuna fishing.
2. The Recipe
Ingredients:
320 g stroncatura
15 g extra virgin olive oil
80 g anchovies from the Gulf of Squillace
10 g mountain oregano
10 g mint
50 g rustic tomatoes, chopped
15 ml dry white wine
15 g finely chopped parsley
5 g iodised salt
3 g finely chopped garlic
3 g chilli
3 g fennel herbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Wash the anchovies and debone them. Clean, wash again and pat dry with paper towels. 2. Heat some oil in a sauce pan. Add the garlic, pepper, some parsley and let it brown for a few minutes on low heat.
3. Mix in the anchovies. Cook for a few minutes, add the white wine and allow it to evaporate. Now add the tomatoes, adjust the salt and set aside.
4. Cook the stroncatura in boiling salted water. Remove it while it is still al dente as it will finish cooking with the sauce later.
5. To serve the dish, place the stroncatura on a plate and pour the hot anchovy sauce on top. Garnish with the remaining parsley, fennel, oregano and mint.
Involtino di Pesce Cintura(spatola) con Melanzane Piastrate, Provola Silana Affumicata, con Dadolata di pomodorino e Cipolla di Tropea Stufata al Balsamico
Chef Louis Quintieri, La Tavola Di Melusinda, Soverato, Italy
1. The Fish
- common name: Silver scabbardfish (frost fish/ belt fish/ spatola/ spadula)
- scientific name: Lepidopus caudatus
- characteristics: The silver scabbardfish reaches 9 kg in weight and 2.10 m in length. Its scaleless body is compressed and ribbon like, and leaves a lovely silvery tint on the hands and other things it
comes into contact with. It has long sharp teeth along both jaws.
Widespread in the Mediterranean Sea, it lives in waters between 100 and 500 m deep, although it is also possible to catch this species at greater depths, up to 1500 m, and at lesser ones, from 10 m.
It's white meat is compact, versatile and can be baked, stewed, fried among other preparations.
2. The Recipe
Ingredients:
400 g silver scabbardfish
200 g eggplant, cut into thin slices
100 g caciocavallo, cut into thin slices
200 g farm tomatoes, diced
200 g red onions, cut into 1 cm slices
30 g extra virgin olive oil
3 g garlic
3 g chilli
15 g reduced Balsamic vinegar
5 g parsley
10 g dry white wine
10 g lemon juice
5 g sea salt
5 g basil
Method:
1. Gut, clean and wash the fish. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
3. Place the onions in a baking dish and pour over a little oil and salt. Bake for about 15 minutes.
4. Now take the fish filets and place it on clean and flat surface with the skin down. Now place the eggplant on top as a layer follone by the cheese, a little olive oil, parsley and salt.
5. Fold and roll the filets. Fasten the roll with the help of a toothpick.
6. Place the rolls on a baking sheet sprinkled with oil. Pour some white wine and lemon juice on the rolls. Bake for about 4 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, cook the tomato for a few minutes in a pan with oil, garlic, parsley, red pepper, salt and basil.
8. To plate the dish, place the roll with the tomato mixture and onions. Drizzle some reduced balsamic vinegar and finish with a little chopped parsley and basil.
Pagello in foil
Locri (Reggio Calabria), Nino Serafino
- Common name: Axillary seabream (Pagello bastardo)
- Scientific name: Pagellus acarne
- Origin and characteristics: Like gilthead and dentex, the axillary seabream is a member of the Sparidae family. From 30 to 50 cm long, it has a flattened elliptical body, with a single long dorsal fin, pectoral and ventral fins in the thoracic area and a forked tailfin. It is widespread in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Adults inhabit various types of seabed, particularly seagrass meadows and sand to a depth of 500 m, but more usually between 40 and 100 m. Young fish are found closer to the coast.
2. The Recipe
Ingredients for 4 people:
A pagello (axillary seabream) weighing about 1 kilogram, a sprig of parsley, a sprig of rosemary, 2 lemons, extravirgin olive oil, salt, pepper
Preparation and cooking time: one hour
Method:
Spread a sheet of aluminum foil on the bench and lay the cleaned and scaled fish on it. Season inside with salt, pepper and the sprig of rosemary. Prepare an emulsion of the oil and lemon juice and copiously drizzle onto the pagello, then cover with minced parsley. Close the foil, place on an oven dish and cook in the oven at 180-200°C for half an hour.
Open the foil, remove the fish, arrange it on a serving dish and serve immediately, garnished with slices of lemon.
