Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [143]
4. If there are thin juices left in the pan, boil them down and at the same time scrape loose with a wooden spoon any cooking residue sticking to the bottom. If, on the other hand, there is no liquid in the pan, add 2 tablespoons of water and boil it away while loosening the cooking residues. Pour the contents of the pan over the tuna, and serve at once.
Shrimp with Tomatoes and Chili Pepper
For 4 to 6 servings
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
Chopped hot red chili pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1⅔ cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice (see fresh tomato note below)
Salt
1½ to 2 pounds unshelled medium shrimp
Grilled or oven-browned slices of crusty bread
1. Put the olive oil and onion in a saute pan, turn on the heat to medium, and cook the onion until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and chopped chili pepper. When the garlic becomes colored a pale gold, add the parsley, stir once or twice, then add the cut-up tomatoes with their juice together with liberal pinches of salt. Stir thoroughly to coat the tomatoes well, and adjust heat to cook at a steady simmer. Stir from time to time and cook for about 20 minutes, until the oil floats free from the tomatoes.
2. Shell the shrimp and remove their dark vein. If they are larger than medium size, split them in half lengthwise. Wash in several changes of cold water, then pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
3. Add the shrimp to the simmering sauce, turning them 2 or 3 times to coat them well. Cover the pan and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the shrimp. Taste and correct for salt and chili pepper. Serve at once with crusty bread to dunk in the sauce.
Note If in season and available, use the same amount of fresh, ripe plum tomatoes, skinned with a peeler and diced very fine.
Ahead-of-time note The recipe may be completed several hours or even a day in advance up to this point. Refrigerate the sauce if you are not using it the same day. Bring to a simmer when you are ready to add the shrimp.
Note It’s possible that the shrimp may shed liquid that will make the sauce thin and runny. Should this happen, uncover the pan, transfer the shrimp to a warm, deep serving platter using a slotted spoon or spatula, turn the heat under the pan up to high, and boil down the sauce until it regains its original density. Pour over the shrimp and serve at once.
Baked Sea Bass or Other Whole Fish Stuffed with Shellfish
IN THIS PREPARATION, a whole bass is stuffed with shellfish, onions, olive oil, and lemon juice; it is then tightly sealed in foil or parchment paper and baked in the oven, where it braises in its own juices and those released by the stuffing. It emerges from the cooking with its flesh extraordinarily moist and saturated with a medley of sea fragrances.
The most agreeable way to serve the fish is whole, with the head and tail on, but completely boned. If you have an obliging fish dealer, he would know how to do it for you. If he is not that obliging, you can settle for having him fillet the fish, splitting it into two halves, removing the head and tail along with the bones, but leaving the skin on. Another solution is for you to bone it yourself, which is really not all that difficult as you will see from the instructions below.
Boning fish while leaving it whole A slit will be made in the fish’s belly when it is gutted at the store. With a sharp knife, extend the slit the whole length of the fish, head to tail. The entire backbone will then be exposed, along with the rib bones embedded in the upper part of the belly. With your fingertips and with the help of a paring knife, pry all the rib bones loose, detach them, and discard them. Use the same technique to loosen the backbone, separating it from the flesh attached to it. Carefully bend the head without detaching it, until the