Category Archives: Recipes – Fish

CALAMARI RIPIENI (Stuffed Squid)

We got our hands on probably the best squid we have ever had. Fresh, large, tasting of the sea. We immediately started discussing our many options, determined to make the most of it.  The recipe we settled on was a tender, flavourful dish of squid. I cleaned as much as we need and froze the rest. After making a tender and tasty squid  with wine and spinach, Mrs BYF decided to put stuffed squid on the menu for lunch.

To serve six, or two with some very nice leftovers for the rest of the week 

6  whole Squid cleaned, tentacles and fins cut off leaving the sac intact

4  tablespoons extra-virgin Olive Oil

4  Garlic cloves or more

2  tablespoons chopped Italian Parsley 

140g fresh Tomatoes.

Salt to taste

chopped Chilli or chilli flakes to taste

1 Egg yolk

15g dry Bread crumbs. White bread unflavoured.

170g thinly sliced brown Onion 

100ml dry white Wine

Toothpicks the large strong ones

Method

Chop up the fins and tentacles

To make the stuffing, cook the garlic in the 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil until slightly coloured. Add the parsley and stir a few times before adding the tentacles and fins, cook for a few minutes stirring well. Add the tomatoes and let the stuffing simmer for  about 30 minutes until the tomatoes are dense and have lost the waterlines.  When done, transfer the stuffing to a bowl and let it cool completely. Add the egg and the breadcrumbs and mix well. Mrs BYF was using quail eggs and could not be bothered to seperate the whites from the yolks. The result was still very good. 

While the tomato mix cooks, cook the chopped onion in 11/2  tablespoons of oil until golden. Meanwhile divide the stuffing in to 6 equal portions and stuff the squid sacs, secure the openings with the toothpick.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the onion and turn up the heat, cook the squid turning it until all the sides of the sacs are golden brown. Add the white wine, let it bubble away completely, put the lid on the pan and turn the heat to a very gentle simmer for 45 minutes. Add a bit of water only when there is a danger of the squid sticking to the pan. When tender, slice the sacs in to 1 or 2 cm thick slices. Return to the pan and dribble whatever juices there are over the slices. Serve immediately.

The entire process was worth while because the end result was delicious! 

ENJOY and do not forget a glass of good home made red wine

Cured Salmon

DSCN0433

Today was Salmon curing time. With a beautiful, fresh fish I like to keep things simple, adding as few flavours as possible to enhance the taste but not change it. Fish, salt, sugar and lemon rind only. Smoking overpowers the fish and all the freshness is lost. This cured Salmon recipe is so easy and tastes wonderful. I vacuum seal the cured salmon, after processing, in smaller portions and it lasts for several weeks in the fridge.

After filleting, I remove all the small pieces of flesh from the carcass and then freeze these in smaller portions for making a very tasty and quick risotto. Everything remaining – bones, head, tail, etc goes into the stock pot wit some onions, celery and carrots. Add water and reduce the liquid by at least a third before portioning and freezing.  Use the stock for soups, risotto and fish stews.   NOTHING WASTED!

Rombo

3B09D62C-AE5C-49D3-A31D-AAD4C0A10FC3.jpeg
My neighbour caught some flounder (Rombo in Italian) locally. He generously gave me two lovely firm, fresh fish caught that day. We cooked them as soon as we could manage, being chronically over fed, we had to wait until the next day. Mrs BYF decided to fry the fish in pig fat that I rendered from the organic Kunekune last year. The fish looked fantastic and was delicious.  The fat contributed to the taste as well as the appearance, not sure why, but things fried in fat look more golden brown to me. The side was spinach and smashed potatoes, and roast pumpkin.
Flounder (Rombo)
1 cup of flour generously seasoned with salt and pepper
6 tablespoons of pig fat or vegetable oil about 10 mm deep for frying

Heat the oil in a pan big enough to hold the entire fish lying on its side. The oil must be hot enough to sizzle when the fish goes in. Use kitchen paper to dry the fish very well. Drench the fish in flour, make sure every bit of it is covered. Shake off excess flour and slide the fish into the pan, skin down. After about 5 minutes, when the skin is crispy and brown, turn over and fry for 5 minutes more.

Serve immediately with some cut lemon and a vegetable of your choice.

Love living in New Zealand!

Bianchetti – Whitebait

2014-08-25 - White Bait

 

The simple things in life are more than often the best and I think this also applies to recipes. Even though it is white bait season, I have not been able to locate a site near Dunedin where one could forage whitebait. To satisfy my craving, I went to the local fresh fishmonger and was lucky to find some lovely fresh whitebait, at $120 per Kg I was hesitant to buy, but got a small portion anyway. I would be grateful if there is anybody close to Dunedin who could head me in the right direction regarding catching whitebait!

RECIPE

Make sure the white bait is dry by patting it with kitchen paper. Make a mixture of flour, salt and black pepper, mix it well and put it in a plastic bag with the white bait. Shake well to evenly cover the bait. In the mean time heat a pan with about 50 mm deep vegetable oil to medium / high heat while you taste the wine. Separate the bait from the flour by sifting  the contents of the bag. Test the heat of the the oil by placing one fish in and it should sizzle. Now put the white bait in the hot oil in not too large portions – I did about 100 g at a time. Deep fry until light gold – about one minute. Place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil and serve immediately with lemon and fresh bread – do not forget the bottle of good wine.  ENJOY!

 

Foraging for Cockles (Vongole) close to home

2014-06-17 12.51.392014-06-17 13.07.06

On the way to fetch milk from the farm I passed the bay where the locals forage for cockles and clams. The tide was right so I went down to the water and scooped up about 100 cockles with my hands. No implements allowed or needed and the quota is 150 shells per person. In the hour I was there I was kept company by a solitary black swan who kept an eye on what I was doing. I invited the troops for lunch and had Linguine alle Vongole on the table within 1 hour of harvesting.  Next time I will soak them in fresh water for a little longer  – my sauce was a little salty but no one complained

Linguine alle Vongole (spaghetti with a cockle sauce)

Use  a large saucepan with a lid that can hold all the vongole

100 cockles or vongole

6 tablespoons of olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 cup of white wine

Pinch of chili

Cook the garlic until soft but not colored, add the chili and rosemary, add the wine and cook for a few minutes. Put all the cockles in the pan and cover tightly. Cook until the cockles open, releasing their liquid. Remove the cockles to a heated dish as they open. At this stage start boiling the pasta, I use spaghetti in place of linguine because the grand kids will not eat anything else. When all the cockles are removed from the pan turn up the heat and reduce the liquid by about half to intensify the flavor. When the pasta is done and drained return the cockles to the pan and add the pasta, mixing well. Serve immediately. Do not add salt at any time.

Simple Italian food at its best – and I got to forage for it myself. I love this island!