Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [34]
6. Add the vermouth and the orange peel. Let the vermouth bubble gently for about 30 seconds, stir, then add the orange juice, lemon juice, salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Let everything bubble for about half a minute, stirring two or three times. Add the chopped parsley, stir once or twice, then pour the entire contents of the skillet over the fish in the serving dish.
7. Allow the fish to steep in its marinade at room temperature for at least 6 hours before refrigerating. Plan to serve the fish no sooner than the following day. Do serve it within 3 days at the latest to enjoy its flavor at its freshest. Take it out of the refrigerator at least 2 hours before bringing to the table to allow it to come to room temperature. Before serving, garnish it, if you like, with fresh slices of orange.
Gamberetti all’Olio e Limone—Poached Shrimp with Olive Oil and Lemon Juice
WHEN VERY GOOD SHRIMP is simmered briefly, then steeped in olive oil and lemon juice and served before ever seeing the inside of the refrigerator, it makes one of those appetizers in the Italian seafood repertory that is as sublime in taste as it is in its simplicity. You’ll find it on the menu of virtually every fish restaurant on the northern Adriatic. As in so many other Italian dishes where the principal elements are so few, the success of the preparation depends on the quality of its main ingredients: here, the shrimp and the olive oil. The first should be the juiciest and sweetest your fish market can provide, the latter the best estate-bottled Italian extra virgin olive oil you can find.
For 6 servings
1 stalk celery
1 carrot, peeled
Salt
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1½ pounds choice small raw shrimp in the shell (if only larger shrimp are available, see note below)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1. Put the celery, carrot, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the vinegar in 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil.
2. When the water has boiled gently for 10 minutes, add the shrimp in their shells. If very tiny, the shrimp will be cooked just moments after the water returns to a boil. If medium-to-large, they will take 2 to 3 minutes longer.
3. When cooked, drain the shrimp, shell, and devein. If using medium-to-large shrimp, slice them lengthwise in half.
4. Put the shrimp in a shallow bowl and, while they are still warm, add the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well and allow to steep at room temperature for 1 hour before bringing to the table. Serve with good crusty bread to help wipe the plate clean of its delicious juices.
Note The dish is far better if never chilled, but if you are compelled to, you can prepare it a day in advance and refrigerate it under plastic wrap. Always return it to full room temperature before serving.
Insalata Russa—Shrimp Salad with Assorted Vegetables
IF YOU ARE SUSPICIOUS, as I am, of dishes that look too pretty, this is one dish whose lovely appearance you can make allowances for, because it tastes as good as it looks. It is, moreover, very simple to execute. It does take time to clean, boil, and dice all the vegetables, but it can all be prepared and completed well in advance, whenever you feel like it and whenever you have the time. The only plausible explanation for this salad being called “Russian”—russa—is the presence of beets.
For 6 servings
1 pound medium shrimp in the shell
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons wine vinegar
¼ pound green beans
2 medium potatoes
2 medium carrots
⅓ of a 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
6 small canned whole red beets, drained
2 tablespoons capers, soaked and rinsed if packed in salt, drained if in vinegar
2 tablespoons fine cucumber pickles, preferably cornichons, cut up
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Mayonnaise, made as directed, using the yolks of 3 eggs, 1¾ cups extra virgin olive oil (see note below), 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon