Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [139]
For 4 servings
2 pounds fresh swordfish OR other fish steaks, sliced ½ inch thick
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons parsley chopped very, very fine
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 eggs
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup flour, spread on a plate
1. Cut the fish steaks into pieces that are more or less 2 by 3 inches.
2. Put a liberal quantity of salt and pepper into a broad bowl or deep platter, add the olive oil, parsley, and lemon juice, and beat with a fork until the ingredients are evenly blended. Put in the fish, turning the pieces over several times in the oil and lemon juice mixture to coat them well. Let the fish marinate at least 1 hour, but no more than 2, at room temperature, turning it from time to time.
3. Retrieve the fish from its marinade, and pat the pieces thoroughly dry with paper towels.
4. Break the eggs into a deep dish, beating them with a fork until the yolks and whites combine.
5. Pour enough vegetable oil into a frying pan to come between ¼ and ½ inch up its sides and turn on the heat to high.
6. While the oil heats up, dip a few pieces of fish into the beaten eggs. Pick up one of the pieces, let the excess egg flow back into the dish, and dredge the piece on both sides in the flour. Holding the piece by one end with your fingertips, dip a corner of it into the pan. If the oil around it bubbles instantly, it is hot enough and you can slip in the whole piece. Dredge more egg-coated fish in the flour and add it to the pan, but do not crowd the pan.
7. When the fish has formed a light golden crust on one side, turn it. When crust forms on the other side, transfer the fish, using a slotted spoon or spatula, to a cooling rack to drain, or place on a large plate lined with paper towels. When there is room in the pan, add more fish. When it is all done, sprinkle with salt and serve at once.
Pan–Roasted Mackerel with Rosemary and Garlic
HERE FISH is cooked by the same method one uses for making a roast of veal in Italy, and for the same reasons. The slow cooking in a covered pan keeps the flesh tender and juicy, its flavor uplifted by the fragrance of rosemary and garlic.
For 4 servings
4 small mackerel, about ¾ pound each, gutted and scaled, but with heads and tails on
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
A small sprig of rosemary OR 1 teaspoon dried leaves, crumbled
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon
1. Wash the fish under cold running water, then pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Make 3 parallel, diagonal cuts on both sides of each fish, cutting no deeper than the skin.
2. Put the olive oil and garlic in an oval roasting pan, if you have one, or a saute pan or other pot where the fish can subsequently fit side by side. Turn on the heat to medium, and cook the garlic until it becomes colored a pale gold. Put in the fish and the rosemary. Brown the fish well on both sides. Keep loosening it from the bottom with a metal spatula to keep it from sticking, and turn it over carefully to make sure it doesn’t break up. Put salt and pepper on both its sides.
3. Add the lemon juice, cover with a tight-fitting lid, turn the heat down to low, and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the flesh feels tender when prodded with a fork. Serve promptly when done.
Sautéed Snapper or Other Whole Fish with Mushrooms
FISH AND MUSHROOMS in Italy have a strong common bond, the garlic and olive oil with which they are customarily cooked. Both fish and mushrooms come together quite naturally in this recipe, but they are fully cooked independently and if you want to omit the mushrooms, the fish stands well on its