Seafood!!! Images for the body and the soul (from Venice’s Rialto fishmarket)

Today’s post is food for the body and soul, images from Venice’s seafood market in Rialto.

Rialto Fishmarket in Venice

I love fishmarkets!!! As you can tell from a sequence of posts already dedicated to them!!!!

No words or explanations or arguments are necessary.

Red Mullets - Barboni - Μπαρμπουνια

Alici - Γαυρος

Sardines - Sarde - Σαρδελλες

Sardines - Sarde - Σαρδελλα φιλετο

Molli

Orate

Papaline

Monkfish - Rana peskantrice - Πεσκανδριτσα

Palombo

Eel - Anguila

Swordfish - Pesce Spada - Ξιφιας

Skate - Razza - Σαλαχι

Skate - Razza - Σαλαχι

Sole - Sogliola - Γλωσσα

San Pietro

Scorpion Fish - Scorfano - Σκορπινα

Tuna

Scallops - Canestrelli - Χτενια

Scallops - Capesante - Κοχυλια του Αγιου Ιακωβου

Cuttlefish eggs - Latti di seppia - Αυγα σουπιας

Small cuttlefish - Seppioline - Σουπιτσες

Cuttlefish - Seppie Grosse - Σουπιες

Small Octopi - Folpi - Χταποδακια

Octopi - Piovra - Οκταποδες

Calamaretti

Calamari

Mazzancolle

Scampi

Soft Venetian Crab

Canocce

Squilla - Canocce

Surf and Turf: Lunch at the Bar of Hotel Metropole, Venice, Italy

Hotel Metropole is one of the hospitality jewels in Venice. This I knew before my last visit to Venice. What I did not know was that for two years now they serve some real food dishes (not only sandwiches and salds) in the bar of the hotel every day of the week from 1230 to 1430. Taking into account that the famous gourmet restaurant of the hotel (with two Michelin stars) does not serve lunch except on Saturday and Sunday, the bar is a practical solution for a visitor who wants to have lunch.

Hotel Metropole, Venice

The Hotel commands a fantastic position on the promenade of the “Riva degli Schiavoni”, a few meters away from St. Mark’s square.

Lunch serving area of the Bar at the Hotel Metropole

The Bar is located on the ground floor, on the left side as you enter and before you reach the reception. It has beautiful wooden panels which are used as displays for the owner’s collection of objects.

Being in Venice, it is proper to start with the surf side of the menu.

Gamberi "in saor" - Hotel Metropole, The Bar

Gamberi (prawns) “in saor” (sweet and sour). A delightful appetizer. The prawns are seared for one or two seconds, literally, and then served on a bed of cabbage and pickled red onions, with raisins and raspberries (lamponi). On top the chef placed a few finocchio leaves. The flavor combinations are incredible! And if you do not have all the rest, go and get prawns and taste them with raspberries.

Prawns "al saor" detail - Hotel Metropole, The Bar

The red onions are pickled and caramelized, adding the mild sweet and sour background to the taste of the prawns.

Cod with asparagi and potatoes with mustard sauce - Hotel Metropole, the Bar

Merluzzo is “cod” of the Adriatic Sea. It was served on a bed of mashed potatoes with mustard seeds, and asparagus.

Cod - detail

The Merluzzo was seared on the side of the skin for a couple of minutes in very strong fire, that made the skin crispy and the flesh juicy, firm, and succulent. The fish was served with fresh oregano and dill. Wonderful execution!!!

We now move to the turf side of the menu: Italian Delicacies are the first chapter.

Prosciutto crudo di Sauris is the prince of this dish of mixed cured meats. Sauris is a locality near Udine, where this tender and tasty prosciutto crudo is produced. It tasted like it has more character than the prosciutto di Parma.

Soppressa di Valdobbiadene

Salsiccia del Veneto (deer and pork)

Speck di Alto Adige. Perfect balance of salty and sweet. When the pig has had the proper food, the fat is sweet and flavorful.

Salame del Piave

The silky and full of flavour “Veal Carpaccio (di Manzo)” completed the tasting experience.

After the qualitative parts of the food, it is time to come to the value for money summary. Not only is the food of top quality, not only is the service excellent, the value for money of the Bar’s Lunch Menu is unbeatable, the best not only in Venice, but in most of Italy!!! But please please please, keep this little secret to yourselves.

String beans with bacalao – Αμπελοφασουλα με βακαλαο

Today’s dish belongs to the minimalist school, and as such requires tender loving care for the flavors and the textures. It is my own creation, and I am sure that if you like the ingredients, you will love the dish as much as I do.

Although it is the middle of October 2011, I had in the freezer  a bag with fresh string beans and in the middle of a rainy dark day I felt the urge to cook them. I cook them lightly in boiling salted water so that they remain crunchy. I love the texture of string beans and immensely enjoy the crunch. After boiling, I let them cool off in room temperature.

The day before I had put in fresh water two fillets of salted bacalao to desalinate. The marriage was inevitable, even though it was not the result of a plan, but of sheer coincidence. I have learned from my Basque friends to prepare the bacalao in low heat with the skin down, so I cut the fillets in pieces.

Both ingredients are best friends with garlic, so the next step was to chop plenty of garlic. I like very much the combination of garlic and chilli, so I chopped some chilli peppers and through them in a deep pan with the garlic and olive oil.

I place the pieces of bacalao on top and let it cook in low heat, so that all the natural juices of the fish mix with the garlic and the chilli in a mild way that preseres natural flavor to the maximum.

After 10 minutes the fish is ready and there is a fantastic sauce in the pan that is going to dress the beans.

Serve the dressed beans in a deep dish and put on top a piece of bacalao. Enjoy with a “Asyrtiko” white wine from the island of Santorini in Greece.

Palmyra: the marriage of crawfish and cod, on a bed of funghi porcini

Today I proudly present a dish I prepared in honour of my uncle George and my aunt Gail. Its name is Palmyra, for reasons not known yet to the human species.

Crawfish

I got some really fresh crawfish from my fishmonger, and had already in store some excellent salted cod.

So I decided to bring them into matrimony, with the help of funghi porcini that had just arrived in my kitchen.

Funghi Porcini

I boiled the crawfish heads and legs, while I lightly marinated the tail in extra virgin olive oil, a little lemon, and salt.

Crawfish tails

I added the crawfish stock to the funghi and let them loose the extra moisture, while absorbing the flavour.

Salted cod "boiling" in olive oil

A few centimeters away, I put a lot of olive oil in a deep pan, added some garlic, and after it got to about 50 degrees, I added the cod and let it “boil” there.

Funghi with crawfish stock and butter

In the meantime, I added butter to the funghi and after I took the pan off the heat, I added the tails and let them there for 60 seconds.

Palmyra

To plate the dish I added somechopped parseley and served.

Palmyra

The sweetness and tenderness of the crawfish tails, countere balanced the ferocity of the funghis’ earthy flavours, while the sublime cod fillet played the role of the mediator.

P.S. Next time I ill add more garlic ot the funghi.

Meze to welcome Uncle George and Gail – Μεζεδες για την υποδοχη του θειου Γιωργου και της Γκεηλ

Ο θειος μου ο Γιωργος ειναι αδελφος της μητερας μου. Εδω και χρονια ζει στο Σικαγο των ΗΠΑ, την ανεμοδαρμενη πολη διπλα στη λιμνη Μισιγκαν. Μια πολυ ομορφη πολη, που γινεται ολο και ωραιοτερη. Αυτες τις ημερες ηρθε στην Αθηνα με τη θεια μου την Γκεηλ και βεβαια ποιος καλυτερος τροπος να κουβεντιασουμε και να κανουμε παρεα απο το να δοκιμασουμε μερικα μεζεδακια;

Chicago Illinois USA

Uncle George is my mother’s brother. For many years now, he has made , Chicago Illinois his home. Chicago is a beautiful city by lake Michigan in the American Mid West. These days Uncle George is in Athens, with his wife, Gail, and there is no better way to welcome them both and touch base with all that is happening on both sides of the Atlantic, thna having some “meze”.

According to Wikipedia, meze is a Turkish word, meaning ‘taste, flavour, smack, relish’. It is borrowed from Persian مزه (maze, “taste, snack”). The English word was probably borrowed from the Greek version mezés (μεζές).

Αρχισα με μια σαλατα με φακες, τις καστανες πεντανοστιμες φακες απο την Ελληνικη γη.

I first prepared a lentil salad, using Greek lentils, that are golen brown and medium sized.

Lentil Salad

Τις βραζω καλα σε αλατισμενο νερο και δαφνη. Μετα, αφου κρυωσουν, προσθετω φρεσκο κρεμμυδι, κοκκινη πιπερια φλωρινης, λαδι, ξυδι και λιγο αλατι και πιπερι.

After cleaning and soaking the lentils in water, I boil them in salted water with a couple of bay leaves. After draining all the liquids, and once they cool down, I add chopped fresh onion, roasted red peppers (if you are in Greece try the Florina peppers), some garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Bell Eggplant slices fried in olive oil

Συνεχισα με το υπερτατο ζαραβατικο, Μελιτζανες τηγανητες. Διαλεγω μεγαλες φλασκες, χωρις σπορια, για να ειναι πολυ γλυκες, και τις τηγανιζω σε μπολικο λαδι. Μετα τις αφηνω να κρυωσουν για μια ωρα, και τις σερβιρω.

I continued with the superb bell shaped eggplants that we have in Greece. I slice them and fry them in olive oil, then add a little salt and let them cool off. When done right, the eggplant is sweet, and the olive oil leaves an aromatic aftertaste in the mounth.

Fresh calamari

Καλαμαρακια φρεσκα, στο καταλληλο μεγεθος για τηγανι, δηλαδη απο 5 εως 10 εκατοστα.

The next dish was fresh calamari. Size matters here, as they must not be very big, nor very small. Ideal length is from 5 to 10 centimeters.

Calamari fried in olive oil

Το τηγανισμα ειναι η μιση επιτυχια η αποτυχια, αφου το λαδι πρεπει να ειναι καυτο, και σε βαθυ σκευος με ψηλα τοιχωματα. Στην προκειμενη περιπτωση ειχαμε επιτυχια, σε 75 με 90 δευτερολεπτα τα τηγανητα καλαμαρακια ηταν ετοιμα, γλυκισμα σκετο.

I fry the calamari in olive oil that is really hot. Turn them once, and take than out in 75-90 seconds. The frying was a big success. the calamari was tender and sweet, as every fresh calamari should be.

Baby red mullets

Μπαρμπουνακια φρεσκα, σπανια βρισκεις. Τα βρηκα μια μερα σε μια ψαροβαρκα και τα εβαλα στην καταψυξη, εν αναμονη του θειου. Λιγο αλευρωμα, και τηγανισμα σε μετριας θερμοκρασιας λαδι. Καθαρισμα κανενα!

The last meze dish was baby red mullets. they do not require any descaling or gutting. Just flour them and fry in olive oil.

Baby red mullets fried in olive oil

Οι ειδημονες τα τρωνε σαν λουκουμαδες. Μια μπουκια και πολλοι αναστεναγμοι.

Contrary to the calamari that needs very hot oil in a deep pan, the baby red mullets require a shallow pan with moderate temperature, otherwise they will be burned. The small fish was divine. All the aromas of the sea were present, and the real coinneseurs ate them without deboning, they are just delicious this way.

Καλως ηλθες θειε Γιωργο!

Welcome uncle George!

Καλως ηλθες θεια Γκεηλ!

Welcome aunt Gail!

Sea bass Sashimi with Yellow Split Peas Puree – Λαυρακι ωμο με φαβα

Today’s dish is simple, light, with delicate flavors of the earth and the sea.

I got a very fresh sea bass and filleted it. The flesh was firm and the smell wonderful! Such a good piece of fish should not be cooked at all! I submerged it for a couple of hours in cold water with the juice of one lemon and a bit of coarse salt, while I was preparing the accompanying ingredient of the dish: a puree of split yellow peas.

As always, I use yellow split peas  (“fava” in Greek) from the island of Santorini (Thira) whose volcanic soil produces the best “fava” in Greece. Once the puree is ready, I add lemon juice, finely chopped dry onions, coriander, olive oil, salt and pepper.

I slice the sea bass fillet, and place on top of the puree with fresh coriander.

Enjoy with a glass of asyrtico white from Santorini, and please tell me what you make of this divine dish!

Brandada de Bacalao – Salt Cod Mash (Brandade)

After the excesses of Despoinarion’s Oscars gala dinner, today’s dish is easy, cheap (cost efficient) and tasty! In addition, it has a name that in some languages refers to sensual oscillations…

Lets start with the geography of the dish. It is a Mediterranean dish, in the large sense, as we find it also in Portugal and the Basque Country. We find it in Catalunya, Provence, Rousillon, Languedoc, Liguria, Valencia.

It is based on salt cod (bacalao), garlic and olive oil. The variations include bread, potatoes, cream. What I present today is my own version, which uses potatoes, parsley, dill, garlic, and bread crumbs. It is an all season all weather dish, and goes very well with white wine. Who said that cucina povera is not wonderful?

It is best to use salted cod for the dish. Desalinate the cod and then remove the skin. Simmer in milk for 5 minutes in medium heat. Then gently break the flesh in a food processor. Gently, otherwise, you will get a mousse instead of threads.

Chop garlic, parseley and dill and boil potates until they become soft. Remove from the heat, drain, and then gently mash them in the food processor. Bring all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

 Spread the mix on a baking tray that has been thoroughly oiled, cover with breadcrumds and bake in 200 degrees centigrade for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before serving.

Prepare a mix of vegetables (fried or baked) for serving with the brandade. I have prepared a mix of red peppers, eggplants and zucchini with tomato sauce.

Cut the brandade in squares and serve over the vegetables sprinkling with chopped parsely.

Enjoy responsibly with chilled asirtiko, and let the good times roll!!!

Grey weakfish with summer vegetables

It is the time of the year for the wonderful grey weakfish (mylokopi in Greek) which has a whitish firm flesh and complex taste.

I fillet the fish and leave it in olive oil for an hour or so. In the meantime, I prepare my vegetables.

I start with these wonderful round zucchinis, which I slice, and continue with slicing eggplants, red and green peppers.

I put them all in a big baking tray, sprinkle generously with olive oil and cook them in the oven for 45 minutes at maximum heat, so that most of the moisture goes away but the vegetables retain their shape and texture. A key to the success of the dish is the taste of the vegetables. I therefore add in the middle of the cooking time some fish stock to enhance the flavor. It works!

Note that I do not use tomato in the mix. This is because I use fried slices of tomatoes sprinkled with parsley as a component of the dish. Ideally, it would be green fried tomatoes, but it is hard to find green tomatoes in the Greek market, so I had to do with the available red ones!

It is time to sauté the fish. Very high heat, skin side down, two minutes maximum on the skin side, 30 seconds on the other side, and out. Serve immediately on a bed of a sauce made with the fish stock (head and all bones) and the vegetables in it (onions, carrots).

The dish is a layered construct, with the fish fillet one before the top, the top being the fried tomato. Sprinkle generously with parsley and consule immediately.

It is an extremely light and tasty dish, that will satisfy almost everyone.

Enjoy it with a robust Greek white wine, like asirtiko!

Steamed green beans with boiled grouper head and Greek Mayonnaise

A couple of months ago, I posted a recipe for boiled grouper head with salad and vegetables, served with Greek Mayonnaise.

Today I present a variation of the dish, where I praise the green beans that are now in season in Greece.

The green beans come in many varieties, I prefer what we call “tsaoulia” in Greek. They are very long, have the shape of an elongated cylinder and when freshly cut are very tender. They need no preparation other than cutting the edges. The test I deploy before buying them is to break one in two pieces and smell it. If the aroma of the fresh flesh comes to you, we are in business!

I steam the beans, I do not boil them. You can notice that close to the brim of the pot there is another folding container with holes, which holds the beans. There is water in the pot, but only enough for it to create the required steam. The beans do not come in touch with the water. Also, the beans are as they came out of the field. I do not put any salt or other substance. For the purposes of taking the photo I uncovered the pot, but in order for the steam to do its work, the pot must be covered for the duration of the process.

Just do it this way and – if the beans are good – you will not want to put even salt on them!  You will taste the bean in its natural taste and flavor! And it is wonderful!

While the beans are being steamed, the fish head (usually grouper, but any big mother will do) is boiling in water, a bit of olive oil, dry onions, carrots, and celery. The unbeatable mix for creating a solid flavor baseline. I never boil the fish more than 20 minutes, because I want the flesh to be firm and juicy. It makes a huge difference in texture and flavor! The criterion for this is for the meat to “just” come off the bones, as if it is still lightly glued to them.

In parallel, I prepare the Greek Mayonnaise, which is a regular mayonnaise embellished with red fish roe, tarama, as we call it in Greek. the Greek Mayonnaise is therefore a cross between the French mayonnaise and the taramasalata, for those who know it. Try it and you will never have boiled fish without it!

To serve, you create a base with the beans, put the fish on top, sliced carrots around with parsley and dill, and sprinkle with olive oil and coarse sea salt. If you like lemon, add just a bit of lemon juice over the dish, to give it an extra kick of acidity. You finish the dish by putting a big dollop of the Greek Mayonnaise on top.

Enjoy it! Bon Appetit!

Its almost summertime and the living gets easier – Εσκασε μυτη το καλοκαιρακι και η ζωη γινεται ευκολωτερη

Late May in Greece and the continuum of space and time is broken.

You go to the beach and although the water is still rather cold, there are many ways to get warm inside your heart.

You then go for a stroll in the area and the smell of cooking foods arrest your senses.

In my case, I got so excited about all this that when my sister called me announcing that she had a lobster from Cyclades, I run to her house in almost zero time. (the more you want something, the more time is distorted – and with the distortion of time comes the degradation of senses and feelings).

Armirikia

The wonderful “armirikia”, the greens growing near the sea, are the natural choice of a warm salad to start your meal. All you need is olive oil, lemon juice and a bit of sea salt.

Maridakia

The next dish is the wonderful “maridakia”, small fish that is fried without any gutting or descaling. The absolute taste of the sea, must be eaten whole and enjoyed with ouzo. My sister fried them to perfection, and added to the dish a couple of seaweeds that were the highlight! I want to have fried seaweed now!

Lobster salad

The lobster came from the Cyclades, the islands complex in the center of the Aegean. I prepared the salad with the meat from the claws.

I started breaking the claws and pulling the meat out and the aromas of the sea made me forget that I wanted to take a picture!

In any case, I added lemon juice, olive oil, a spoonful of home made mayonnaise and parsley. the result was unforgettable!

I cannot ever describe the aromas and the texture of the claw meat. I surrender and declare my impotence.

Nature has defeated me in the most comprehensive way!

CREDITS

1. Thanks to Kelly and Natasha for bringing the freshness of  summer to the post.

2. Brava to my sister for sharing the delicacies with me.