L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 19 L'Italo-Americano I remember paddling a dinghy off the beaches of my mother's native Sardinia when I was a girl, looking for sea urchins in the transparent blue-lavender of the Bay of Cagliari. Aside from d i v i n g e q u i p m e n t , t h e o n l y things my cousins and I took with us on these forays were lemons, which we squeezed over the delicious briny flesh of the spiny creatures we caught and ate on the spot. And the fish we caught were so fresh, tender, and s t a r t l i n g l y f l a v o r f u l w h e n dressed simply with good olive o i l a n d p e r h a p s a s c r a p o f parsley, a slice of lemon. M a n y s u c h m e m o r i e s o f Italy's seafood are tucked away in the happy reaches of my mind, and I often call upon them when I crave a satisfying fish dish. It is not that Italy's fish dishes are more complex or unusual than other dishes. On the contrary, they are generally cooked more simply and with less preparation than other courses. If ever the principle of "fresh" in cooking applies, it is here. E x c e p t f o r p e a s , e v e n a vegetable can wait a few days before it is cooked and it will not disappoint. Not so with fish. Ideally, seafood should be eaten on the same day it is caught. Otherwise, certainly no more t h a n t h r e e d a y s u n d e r r e f r i g e r a t i o n s h o u l d p a s s between the time it is caught and c o o k e d , a n d t h e s o o n e r t h e better. Like the Italians, I like fish best when it is cooked simply. My friend's brother, Luciano Erenbourg, discovered this quick a n d e l e g a n t r e c i p e d u r i n g a summer in his Otranto home in Puglia, on the Adriatic. There, gilt-head bream or other firm- fleshed fish is sautéed in this manner, but you can successfully substitute branzino or other firm- fleshed fish. Pan-Fried Fish Filets with C r i s p y S a g e L e a v e s i n t h e Manner of Otranto Serves 4 • 2 pounds fres h branzino Seafood for the Summer: A Sage Find in Otranto JULIA DELLA CROCE filets • sea salt and freshly ground black or white pepper • 20 medium-sized fresh sage leaves • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides 2 . W a r m a w i d e , s h a l l o w cast-iron skillet over medium- high heat. When a drop of water skitters on the surface, after about 3 minutes, add the olive o i l . T i l t t h e p a n t o c o a t t h e bottom evenly and place the sage leaves on the bottom of the pan. Heat until the oil is almost smoking, about 30 seconds. 3. Lay the fish filets on top of the sage leaves. If the pan is not large enough to accommodate all the filets, cook them in two b a t c h e s . S e a r u n t i l l i g h t l y browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip each piece over. Reduce the heat to medium and sear until done but still moist, about 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked filets to a warm plate and repeat the whole process for the second batch, placing fresh s a g e l e a v e s u n d e r e a c h a s before. Serve at once. Julia della Croce is a print & broadcast journalist and James Beard award-winning cookbook author, cooking teacher, culinary consultant & recipe developer. You can visit her on her website, www.juliadellacroce.com and blog, http://juliadellacroce. com/forktales1/ Connect on Facebook: Julia della Croce - chef & foodwriter Twitter: @juliadellacroce Pan-Fried Branzino Filets with Crispy Sage Leaves in the Manner of Otranto | Copyright Julia della Croce, 2015 | Photo Copyright Nathan Hoyt/Forktales 2015 Fishing boats, Puglia | Photo: Copyright Nathan Hoyt/Forktales, 2015 Branzini at the fish market, Otranto | Photo: Copyright Julia della Croce/Forktales, 2015 Pan-Fried Branzino Filets with Crispy Sage Leaves in the Manner of Otranto | Copyright Julia della Croce, 2015 | Photo Copyright Nathan Hoyt/Forktales 2015

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