Bottega - Michael Chiarello [9]
4 cups coarsely chopped yellow onion (about 2 large onions)
2 cups peeled and coarsely chopped carrots (about 3 large carrots)
2 cups coarsely chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
1 cup Pernod
1½ cups Tomato Passata (see Note)
1 gallon fresh water
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
In a stockpot, heat 1/4 cup of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp (or the combination of shrimp and shells) and sauté until the shrimp turns pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Empty the contents onto a baking sheet. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil to the pot and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add any juice that’s collected on the sheet under the shrimp. Add the Pernod, increase the heat to high, and cook until the liquid is reduced by about three-fourths. Add the tomato passata and return to a boil. Add the water, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Return the sautéed shrimp (or the shrimp and shells) to the pot and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, and strain through a chinois or fine-mesh strainer.
Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Fish Fumet
MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS
For the Fisherman’s Sauce alone as well as the Adriatic Brodetto, it’s worth knowing how to make a fumet.
Ask your fishmonger for bones a few days before making a fumet, so you’ll be sure to have them when you need them. Always rinse fish bones in cold water. If there’s any blood, toss the fish bones with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and then rinse.
¼ cup olive oil (see Chef’s Note)
1 cup coarsely chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
1 cup split, rinsed, and coarsely chopped leek (about 1 large leek)
2 cups coarsely chopped yellow onions (about 1 large onion)
1 cup coarsely chopped cored fennel (about 1 large bulb)
2 pounds fresh fish bones, well rinsed in cold water
¼ cup Pernod or Ricard
8 cups cold water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the celery, leek, onions, and fennel and sauté until tender, about 12 minutes, stirring often; don’t let the vegetables brown. Add the fish bones and the Pernod, increase the heat to high, and cook just until the alcohol burns off, about 1 minute. Pour in the water, but don’t stir. Bring the liquid to a simmer and then add the bay leaves (crumbling them into the pot with your hands), peppercorns, and fennel seeds. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, skimming any foam from the top. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
CHEF’S NOTE: You can tap the sieve gently to speed the liquid through, but don’t use a spoon to push on the solids or you could make your fumet cloudy.
Tuna Conserva
MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS TUNA AND 2 CUPS OIL
My mom would call this tonno sott’olio, which means “tuna in oil.” When she pickled vegetables, she would always add a chunk of this tuna conserva to the canning jar before she put in the veggies and the hot brine. This is old-school Italian and worth trying.
Ask your fishmonger to get you a tuna loin and to remove the skin for you (and maybe take him or her a bottle of wine or something home-baked by way of thanks).
1 albacore tuna loin, about 2 pounds
6 tablespoons kosher salt
1 bay leaf
2 large garlic cloves
10 black peppercorns
Cold, fresh water
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Cut the tuna loin crosswise into three pieces and place them in a large, heavy pot. Pour in the salt and add the bay leaf, garlic, and peppercorns. Add cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. (The fish will poach slowly for 3 hours, so be sure you start with enough water; the tuna should stay submerged for the entire cooking time.)
Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Monitor the heat so the liquid never boils.