Suggestions For Mindful Eating: Red Snapper Livornese
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Geographically speaking, Italy is primed to feature seafood strongly in its cuisine. The characteristic boot-shape is surrounded by the Adriatic, Ionian, and Tyrrhenian Seas and juts into the Mediterranean Sea. All over the country, seafood figures prominently in Italian cuisine, prepared as antipasto or entrees.
Fish dishes are found all over Italy, featured in soups and stews.
In Northern Italian cuisine, fish is not as common, as the region is more mountainous than oceanic. However, along the coasts, you’ll find dishes that feature shellfish. Due to its proximity to the Adriatic Sea, the Veneto region features fresh seafood such as shrimp, eel, clam, and fish. Liguria, along the western side, has offerings of swordfish, sea bass, tuna, and sardines.
In the Central region, Tuscany’s western edge borders the sea and as such, you’ll find popular seafood dishes such as fish stew cacciuccio alla Livornese. Also in Central Italy is the Marches, with a heavy seafood influence, seen in fish stew brodetto.
Southern Italian cuisine, with the sea surrounding it, offers much in terms of seafood. In almost all regions of Southern Italy, you’ll find grilled ocean-fresh seafood, such as fish fried in olive oil. Puglia, the “heel” of Italy’s “boot,” features hearty seafood dishes such as stewed or grilled mussels, octopus, and fish.
Sardinia and Sicily, the islands, also offer much seafood, combined with the influence of Greek, Arab, and Spanish cuisines. Spicy fish soup and spaghetti con bottarga (mullet roe) are popular choices.
The dish we are working toward today is from the western edge of Tuscany, the small city of Livorno.
This dish requires a simple tomato sauce and there is no need to buy a jar of sauce when you can prep one in 5 minutes and cook it for a mere 25 minutes.
Marinara derives from the Italian word for sailor, marinaro. Due to these origins many people say that marinara sauce must contain something from the sea, usually anchovies. Actually this is not the case, the origins of marinara sauce are that it is the sauce that they made in Naples for the sailors when they returned from the sea. It is very important to master making a good marinara sauce.
The quality of your marinara sauce will be directly proportional to the quality of the tomatoes you use. If you can find San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy, use those. If not, experiment with the different brands at your local supermarket until you find ones you like.
Marinara Sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
Two 28-ounce cans of tomatoes, crushed by hand with juices
Salt to taste
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. This sauce holds one week in the refrigerator or up to six months in the freezer. Makes 4 cups.
Red Snapper Livorno
* 2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
1 cup Gaeta olives
1/4 cup caper berries, drained (about 12)
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets
Salt and pepper
* Preheat oven to 450 degrees [F].
In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, combine the tomato sauce, olives, caper berries, pepper flakes and wine and bring to a boil over medium heat. Rinse the fish, pat dry, then cut into 4 equal portions. Season with salt and pepper and place skin side up in the skillet with the sauce. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, until just cooked through.
Place a portion on each of four plates, spoon some of the sauce over each, and serve.
Gaeta olives are small black Italian olives which may be brine or salt-cured. The olive is used as an appetizer, in salads or chopped and used in a tapenade. The olive's name comes from the Northern Italian coastal city where the olives were first grown. They are in a lot of grocery stores in jars.
Fish dishes are found all over Italy, featured in soups and stews.
In Northern Italian cuisine, fish is not as common, as the region is more mountainous than oceanic. However, along the coasts, you’ll find dishes that feature shellfish. Due to its proximity to the Adriatic Sea, the Veneto region features fresh seafood such as shrimp, eel, clam, and fish. Liguria, along the western side, has offerings of swordfish, sea bass, tuna, and sardines.
In the Central region, Tuscany’s western edge borders the sea and as such, you’ll find popular seafood dishes such as fish stew cacciuccio alla Livornese. Also in Central Italy is the Marches, with a heavy seafood influence, seen in fish stew brodetto.
Southern Italian cuisine, with the sea surrounding it, offers much in terms of seafood. In almost all regions of Southern Italy, you’ll find grilled ocean-fresh seafood, such as fish fried in olive oil. Puglia, the “heel” of Italy’s “boot,” features hearty seafood dishes such as stewed or grilled mussels, octopus, and fish.
Sardinia and Sicily, the islands, also offer much seafood, combined with the influence of Greek, Arab, and Spanish cuisines. Spicy fish soup and spaghetti con bottarga (mullet roe) are popular choices.
The dish we are working toward today is from the western edge of Tuscany, the small city of Livorno.
This dish requires a simple tomato sauce and there is no need to buy a jar of sauce when you can prep one in 5 minutes and cook it for a mere 25 minutes.
Marinara derives from the Italian word for sailor, marinaro. Due to these origins many people say that marinara sauce must contain something from the sea, usually anchovies. Actually this is not the case, the origins of marinara sauce are that it is the sauce that they made in Naples for the sailors when they returned from the sea. It is very important to master making a good marinara sauce.
The quality of your marinara sauce will be directly proportional to the quality of the tomatoes you use. If you can find San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy, use those. If not, experiment with the different brands at your local supermarket until you find ones you like.
Marinara Sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
Two 28-ounce cans of tomatoes, crushed by hand with juices
Salt to taste
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. This sauce holds one week in the refrigerator or up to six months in the freezer. Makes 4 cups.
Red Snapper Livorno
* 2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
1 cup Gaeta olives
1/4 cup caper berries, drained (about 12)
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets
Salt and pepper
* Preheat oven to 450 degrees [F].
In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, combine the tomato sauce, olives, caper berries, pepper flakes and wine and bring to a boil over medium heat. Rinse the fish, pat dry, then cut into 4 equal portions. Season with salt and pepper and place skin side up in the skillet with the sauce. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, until just cooked through.
Place a portion on each of four plates, spoon some of the sauce over each, and serve.
Gaeta olives are small black Italian olives which may be brine or salt-cured. The olive is used as an appetizer, in salads or chopped and used in a tapenade. The olive's name comes from the Northern Italian coastal city where the olives were first grown. They are in a lot of grocery stores in jars.