Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [145]
For 6 servings
1½ pounds boiling potatoes
A bake-and-serve dish, approximately 16 by 10 inches, preferably enameled cast-iron ware
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
¼ cup chopped parsley
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
2 bluefish fillets with the skin on, approximately 1 pound each, OR the equivalent in other thick, firm fish fillets
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Peel the potatoes, and slice them very thin, barely thicker than chips. Wash them in cold water, then pat them thoroughly dry with cloth kitchen towels.
3. Put all the potatoes into the baking dish, half the olive oil, half the garlic, half the parsley, several liberal pinches of salt, and black pepper. Toss the potatoes 2 or 3 times to coat them well, then spread them evenly over the bottom of the dish.
4. When the oven reaches the preset temperature, put the potatoes in the uppermost third of it and roast them for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are about halfway done.
5. Take out the dish, but do not turn off the oven. Put the fish fillets skin side down over the potatoes. Mix the remaining olive oil, garlic, and parsley in a small bowl, and pour the mixture over the fish, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle with liberal pinches of salt and black pepper. Return the dish to the oven.
6. After 10 minutes, take the dish out, but do not turn off the oven. Use a spoon to scoop up some of the oil at the bottom of the dish, and baste the fish with it. Loosen those potatoes that have become browned and are stuck to the sides of the dish, moving them away. Push into their place slices that are not so brown. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 5 to 8 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish fillets.
7. Remove the dish from the oven and allow to settle a few minutes. Serve directly from the baking dish, scraping loose all the potatoes stuck to the sides—they are the most delectable bits—and pouring the cooking juices over each portion of fish and potatoes.
Bass or Other Whole Fish Baked with Artichokes
For 4 servings
4 medium artichokes
½ lemon
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
A 2- to 2½-pound sea bass OR red snapper OR similar fine-fleshed fish, scaled and gutted, but with head and tail on
An oval or rectangular bake-and-serve dish
A small sprig of fresh rosemary OR 1 teaspoon dried leaves, chopped very fine
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Trim the artichokes of all their tough parts following these detailed instructions. As you work, rub the cut artichokes with the lemon to keep them from turning black.
3. Cut each trimmed artichoke lengthwise into 4 equal sections. Remove the soft, curling leaves with prickly tips at the base, and cut away the fuzzy “choke” beneath them. Cut the artichoke sections lengthwise into wafer-thin slices, and squeeze the lemon over them to moisten them with juice that will protect them against discoloration.
4. Put the olive oil, lemon juice, several pinches of salt, and a few grindings of pepper in a small bowl, beat briefly with a fork or whisk, and set aside.
5. Wash the fish in cold water, inside and out, pat thoroughly dry with paper towels, and place it in the baking dish, which ought to be just large enough to contain it.
6. Add the sliced artichokes, the oil and lemon juice mix, and the rosemary. If using chopped dried rosemary, distribute it evenly over the fish. Turn the artichoke slices over to coat them well with the oil mixture, and stuff some of them into the fish’s cavity. Tilt the dish in a see-saw motion to distribute the oil and lemon juice evenly, and spoon some of the liquid over the fish. Place in the upper third of the preheated oven.
7. After 15 minutes, spoon the liquid in the dish over the fish, and move