Italicious

I didn’t mean to let so much time lapse from my last post to this one, especially because they were supposed to be posted one right after the other. We are still in the process of moving, have gone from an empty apartment, camping out, once again, but this time in Charleston, to having an almost fully furnished apartment. Progress.

But now I need to make progress on Italicious, no excuses now, I’m unemployed and want to avoid any duty that resembles being a housewife, uggghhhhhhh.

This was what was in the other bag from the freezer that Zio Antonio gave us in Pozzuoli. I wish that I could tell you what type of fish they were, they are so funny looking and cartoonish. The ying-yang fish! They were both fairly small and I wasn’t sure what to do with them, and figured that I would try to make pesce all’acqua pazza (fish in crazy water), I think that the name comes from the fact that if fishermen drank the water from the sea they would become crazy (or they would be crazy to drink it?). Regardless of the origin of the name, this is a very typical way to prepare fish in Southern Italy.

Pesce all’Acqua Pazza

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 4 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lb very ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 lemon, sliced
• salt
• 1 or 2 whole fish, depending on their size

Make sure to ask your fish monger to scale and gut the fish before you start cooking it.

Place the olive oil and garlic in a skillet large enough for the fish over medium heat. As soon as the garlic starts to color add water to the pan about 1/2 inch deep.

Add about half of the parsley, the lemon and the tomatoes. Add the fish and top with the rest of the parsley. Season the fish lightly with salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat.

Cook for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure the fish is only half covered by the water. Adjust salt, and add pepper if necessary.

When the fish is cooked through, remove it and clean. Leave the pan with the tomato and water and simmer. Spoon the acqua pazza over the fish pieces and serve.

~ by italicious on January 22, 2009.

Posted in Campania, gluten free, seafood, secondi, tomatoes
Tags: seafood, secondi, tomatoes