I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
something more.
I did bring out some lime slices and squeezed it over the fish once
plated and that seemed to help but I just want a little more oomph to
the dish.
I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
maybe more of the olives and capers.

What do you think?

I served it with a side of spaghetti dressed in pesto and grilled
asparagus that was topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
http://i30.tinypic.com/15rmo10.jpg

If it wasn't for the pesto it would have been a pretty bland meal.
I know, two greens on the plate, oh well.

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Halibut in Sicilian Sauce

fish

1/4 cup all purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ozs halibut fillets; 1 inch thick
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion; finely diced
1 rib celery; finely diced
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, peeled seeded; optional
2 tablespoons green olives, pitted; coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts; toasted
2 tablespoons raisins; plumped in hot water
1 tablespoon capers; rinsed
1 clove garlic; finely minced
1/4 cup dry white wine


Using the 1/4 cup of flour, lightly flour the fillets, shaking off
excess flour.
In a sauté pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil. Sauté the fish on both
sides until lightly golden brown. Remove the fish.
In the same sauté pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium
heat. Add the onions and celery and sauté until the onion are
translucent and the celery softened.
Add the tomatoes if using, (I didn't) and simmer for a few
minutes until it starts to thicken slightly.
Add the olives, pine nuts, raisins, capers, garlic and wine.
Add the sautéd fish back to the pan and cover and simmer gently over
low heat until the fish is just cooked through.

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.84 **

koko
--
There is no love more sincere than the love of food.
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 6/25

On Jul 6, 8:04*am, wrote:
> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
> something more.
> I did bring out some lime slices and squeezed it over the fish once
> plated and that seemed to help but I just want a little more oomph to
> the dish.
> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>
> What do you think?
>
> [snip recipe]

The recipe looks good to me. My personal preferences would omit the
raisins and the pine nuts and double the capers, and I'd have used
lemon squeezes at the finish rather than lime. Maybe add a chopped
jalapeno pepper? -aem

In article >,
wrote:

> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
> something more.
> I did bring out some lime slices and squeezed it over the fish once
> plated and that seemed to help but I just want a little more oomph to
> the dish.
>
> Halibut in Sicilian Sauce
(Snip)

How about a little salt. Maybe there's not enough in the olives and
capers to spark it up some. JAT.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
rec.food.cooking
Preserved Fruit Administrator
"Always in a jam. Never in a stew." - Evergene

wrote in :

> http://i30.tinypic.com/15rmo10.jpg

You could spice up the flour mix:add a bit of cayanne pepper to the flour
mix or some say lemon pepper. You could sprinkle some diced roasted red
bell pepper on top, or maybe some lime, orange or lemon zest. Drizzle on
some balsamic vinegar (the cheap kind not the pricey stuff)? Acidity seems
to suit fish.



--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

wrote:
>
> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>
> What do you think?

This recipe doesn't have _any_ herbs (unless you
count celery). You correctly perceived it is
missing something, but you didn't know what.
It's herbs.

Many herbs could be used here. Other people might
use sage, tarragon, or that herb you use when you
don't know what to use -- oregano. But I would
suggest dill. Dill works well with fish, and it
doesn't require expert skill to avoid over-use.
(Unlike sage and tarragon, which can be quite
unpleasant if used in excessive amounts. My rule
is that if you can tell there's sage in it,
you've used too much.)

Rosemary is another possibility. It also works
well with fish, though I always think of rosemary
in connection with chicken. Mmmm . . . crispy
chicken skin with rosemary on it . . . if I could
buy that somewhere, I'd eat it every day.

wrote:

>
> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
> something more.
> I did bring out some lime slices and squeezed it over the fish once
> plated and that seemed to help but I just want a little more oomph to
> the dish.
> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>
> What do you think?

<snipped for space>
>
> Halibut in Sicilian Sauce

Play the saxophone while you're cooking it? <just kidding>

May I suggest some more garlic <veg> and (maybe) some fresh lemon juice
instead of the capers? However, I'm a bit puzzled; the capers should have
given it plenty of 'zing'?

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...

> ha scritto nel messaggio
...
>
> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
> something more.
> I did bring out some lime slices and squeezed it over the fish once
> plated and that seemed to help but I just want a little more oomph to
> the dish.
> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>
> What do you think?
>
> I served it with a side of spaghetti dressed in pesto and grilled
> asparagus that was topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
> http://i30.tinypic.com/15rmo10.jpg
>
> If it wasn't for the pesto it would have been a pretty bland meal.
> I know, two greens on the plate, oh well.
>
> @@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format
>
> Halibut in Sicilian Sauce
>
> fish
>
> 1/4 cup all purpose flour
> salt and freshly ground black pepper
> 8 ozs halibut fillets; 1 inch thick
> 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
> 1/2 small onion; finely diced
> 1 rib celery; finely diced
> 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, peeled seeded; optional
> 2 tablespoons green olives, pitted; coarsely chopped
> 2 tablespoons pine nuts; toasted
> 2 tablespoons raisins; plumped in hot water
> 1 tablespoon capers; rinsed
> 1 clove garlic; finely minced
> 1/4 cup dry white wine
>
>
> Using the 1/4 cup of flour, lightly flour the fillets, shaking off
> excess flour.
> In a sauté pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil. Sauté the fish on both
> sides until lightly golden brown. Remove the fish.
> In the same sauté pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium
> heat. Add the onions and celery and sauté until the onion are
> translucent and the celery softened.
> Add the tomatoes if using, (I didn't) and simmer for a few
> minutes until it starts to thicken slightly.
> Add the olives, pine nuts, raisins, capers, garlic and wine.
> Add the sautéd fish back to the pan and cover and simmer gently over
> low heat until the fish is just cooked through.
> koko

That recipe is more frequently used with monkfish tails, but any
Mediterranean fish might be used. I think you should have eaten it with
milder accompaniments, because that sauce should be quite flavorful, but if
you make it compete against pesto and Parmigiano, it's too much. When I
have eaten it it was served with sautéed greens, like Swiss chard or French
fries. There is also quite a lot of sauce compared to fish when I have had
it. It isn't my favorite, but I like it. The oil in it was always very
pronounced and fruity.

"aem" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
On Jul 6, 8:04 am, wrote:

> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>
> What do you think?
>
> [snip recipe]

The recipe looks good to me. My personal preferences would omit the
raisins and the pine nuts and double the capers, and I'd have used
lemon squeezes at the finish rather than lime. Maybe add a chopped
jalapeno pepper? -aem

This is a traditional recipe, except for the fish used. No one has to like
it, so I think if they do not they should just move on to something else. I
am familiar with this dish and it is not bland by any means, so I think it
is just not to Koko's taste.

> wrote in message
...
>
> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
> something more.
> I did bring out some lime slices and squeezed it over the fish once
> plated and that seemed to help but I just want a little more oomph to
> the dish.
> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>
> What do you think?

Very nice.

Crusty Bread & EVOO etc for dipping.

I seem to remember as a kid we could not have fish without bread on the
table.

:-)

> wrote in message
...
>
> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
> something more.
> I did bring out some lime slices and squeezed it over the fish once
> plated and that seemed to help but I just want a little more oomph to
> the dish.
> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>
> What do you think?
>
> I served it with a side of spaghetti dressed in pesto and grilled
> asparagus that was topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
> http://i30.tinypic.com/15rmo10.jpg
>
> If it wasn't for the pesto it would have been a pretty bland meal.
> I know, two greens on the plate, oh well.
>
> @@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format
>
> Halibut in Sicilian Sauce
>
> fish
>
> 1/4 cup all purpose flour
> salt and freshly ground black pepper
> 8 ozs halibut fillets; 1 inch thick
> 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
> 1/2 small onion; finely diced
> 1 rib celery; finely diced
> 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, peeled seeded; optional
> 2 tablespoons green olives, pitted; coarsely chopped
> 2 tablespoons pine nuts; toasted
> 2 tablespoons raisins; plumped in hot water
> 1 tablespoon capers; rinsed
> 1 clove garlic; finely minced
> 1/4 cup dry white wine


I'd add some chopped fresh parsely to the dish.

Paul

said...

>
> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
> something more.
> I did bring out some lime slices and squeezed it over the fish once
> plated and that seemed to help but I just want a little more oomph to
> the dish.
> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>
> What do you think?
>
> I served it with a side of spaghetti dressed in pesto and grilled
> asparagus that was topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
> http://i30.tinypic.com/15rmo10.jpg
>
> If it wasn't for the pesto it would have been a pretty bland meal.
> I know, two greens on the plate, oh well.

> koko


I don't know about adding...it sounds good. I might've switched it around
to giant stuffed pasta shells stuffed with the halibut and pesto. Halibut
and fixins cooked as directed (but in real butter), then broken up,
combined with the pesto and some ricotta cheese in the mix for added
richness, and piped into 3/4-cooked giant pasta shells (to overflowing!),
with a top filling strip of mozzarella cheese and a decent over-coating of
more pesto sauce or some marinara sauce (half one and the other versions?)
and baked on buttered parchment paper (for eash of clean-up) in a casserole
dish for 20 minutes at 300° F. or so, until bubbly?

OK, so I DID add some "stuff." From the looks of your photograph, I'd know
I'd eat and enjoy YOUR version!

Best,

Andy

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
>> something more.
>> I did bring out some lime slices and squeezed it over the fish once
>> plated and that seemed to help but I just want a little more oomph to
>> the dish.
>> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
>> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
>> I served it with a side of spaghetti dressed in pesto and grilled
>> asparagus that was topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
>> http://i30.tinypic.com/15rmo10.jpg
>>
>> If it wasn't for the pesto it would have been a pretty bland meal.
>> I know, two greens on the plate, oh well.
>>
>> @@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format
>>
>> Halibut in Sicilian Sauce
>>
>> fish
>>
>> 1/4 cup all purpose flour
>> salt and freshly ground black pepper
>> 8 ozs halibut fillets; 1 inch thick
>> 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
>> 1/2 small onion; finely diced
>> 1 rib celery; finely diced
>> 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, peeled seeded; optional
>> 2 tablespoons green olives, pitted; coarsely chopped
>> 2 tablespoons pine nuts; toasted
>> 2 tablespoons raisins; plumped in hot water
>> 1 tablespoon capers; rinsed
>> 1 clove garlic; finely minced
>> 1/4 cup dry white wine
>
>
> I'd add some chopped fresh parsely to the dish.


Thinking more about it, I'd substitute the pasta for garlic mashed potatoes
mixed with a generous amount of butter. The pesto would go in the sauce for
the halibut.

Paul

> wrote in message
...
>
> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
> something more.

<snip>

I think it needed the tomatoes.

"Giusi" > wrote in message
...
> "aem" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> ...
> On Jul 6, 8:04 am, wrote:
>
>> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
>> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>>

>
> This is a traditional recipe, except for the fish used. No one has to
> like it, so I think if they do not they should just move on to something
> else. I am familiar with this dish and it is not bland by any means, so I
> think it is just not to Koko's taste.

Gotta go with Giusi here, its classic Sicilian. Tweak it to taste
for sure, perhaps red pepper flake, sundried tomato, soaking raisins in
wine and/or find good salt packed capers, perhaps different olives (cured
black?).

Keep it as close to its origin as you can otherwise it will not be
Siciliano.

On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 09:43:48 -0700, "gunner" >
wrote:

>
>"Giusi" > wrote in message
...
>
>>
>> This is a traditional recipe, except for the fish used. No one has to
>> like it, so I think if they do not they should just move on to something
>> else. I am familiar with this dish and it is not bland by any means, so I
>> think it is just not to Koko's taste.
>
>Gotta go with Giusi here, its classic Sicilian. Tweak it to taste
>for sure, perhaps red pepper flake, sundried tomato, soaking raisins in
>wine and/or find good salt packed capers, perhaps different olives (cured
>black?).
>
>Keep it as close to its origin as you can otherwise it will not be
>Siciliano.
>
And I agree with both of you that I should keep as close to the origin
as possible. One thing Giusi pointed out in another post is that I
should have served it with milder accompaniments. I will try it again,
perhaps with a different fish as I've since found out Halibut is not a
fish common to Sicily.

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.

koko
--
There is no love more sincere than the love of food.
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 7/06

> ha scritto nel messaggio .
> On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 09:43:48 -0700, "gunner" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Giusi"
>>> This is a traditional recipe, except for the fish used. No one has to
>>> like it, so I think if they do not they should just move on to something
>>> else. I am familiar with this dish and it is not bland by any means, so
>>> I
>>> think it is just not to Koko's taste.
>>
>>Gotta go with Giusi here, its classic Sicilian. Tweak it to taste
>>for sure, perhaps red pepper flake, sundried tomato, soaking raisins in
>>wine and/or find good salt packed capers, perhaps different olives (cured
>>black?).
>>
>>Keep it as close to its origin as you can otherwise it will not be
>>Siciliano.
>>
> And I agree with both of you that I should keep as close to the origin
> as possible. One thing Giusi pointed out in another post is that I
> should have served it with milder accompaniments. I will try it again,
> perhaps with a different fish as I've since found out Halibut is not a
> fish common to Sicily.
> koko

Koko, I am still trying to equate Mediterranean fish to fish I know, so I am
not much help. The strange thing is that Italians love cod almost to
extinction and that is N Atlantic, but for the most part they eat fish
caught in the Med or the Adriatic, which only makes sense.

Monkfish as I knew it was apparently a big fish cut into pieces. Here they
are smaller and you are served this very curvy whole tail, one for 2
persons. The sweetness of the meat however was very adapted to this cooking
method, which was baked in this sauce.
Of all the things in your list I would suspect the olives if you are not
using Kalamata type and the olive oil, which may be 10 times milder than
Sicilian.
Black olives as common in the US would be exotic here.

"Giusi" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> > ha scritto nel messaggio .
>> On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 09:43:48 -0700, "gunner" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"Giusi"
>>>> This is a traditional recipe, except for the fish used. No one has to
>>>> like it, so I think if they do not they should just move on to
>>>> something
>>>> else. I am familiar with this dish and it is not bland by any means,
>>>> so I
>>>> think it is just not to Koko's taste.
>>>
>>>Gotta go with Giusi here, its classic Sicilian. Tweak it to taste
>>>for sure, perhaps red pepper flake, sundried tomato, soaking raisins in
>>>wine and/or find good salt packed capers, perhaps different olives (cured
>>>black?).
>>>
>>>Keep it as close to its origin as you can otherwise it will not be
>>>Siciliano.
>>>
>> And I agree with both of you that I should keep as close to the origin
>> as possible. One thing Giusi pointed out in another post is that I
>> should have served it with milder accompaniments. I will try it again,
>> perhaps with a different fish as I've since found out Halibut is not a
>> fish common to Sicily.
>> koko
>
> Koko, I am still trying to equate Mediterranean fish to fish I know, so I
> am not much help. The strange thing is that Italians love cod almost to
> extinction and that is N Atlantic, but for the most part they eat fish
> caught in the Med or the Adriatic, which only makes sense.
>
> Monkfish as I knew it was apparently a big fish cut into pieces. Here
> they are smaller and you are served this very curvy whole tail, one for 2
> persons. The sweetness of the meat however was very adapted to this
> cooking method, which was baked in this sauce.
> Of all the things in your list I would suspect the olives if you are not
> using Kalamata type and the olive oil, which may be 10 times milder than
> Sicilian.
> Black olives as common in the US would be exotic here.

Hailbut is a good sub. I believe the Italian love of cod goes back to
pre-spice trade and the use of salt and/or dried cod on ships. When the
spice trade really kicked in salt dried Cod was a major food item spreading
to the New World Mexico and the Caribbean. A smaller factor was the cyclic
declines in the Med sea fisheries. In much more recent history fresh and
frozen fish has been easier to transport.

http://www.cliffordawright.com/caw/f...lay.php/id/79/



When I said black I meant it as in a ripe olive. Not the no-taste
California non fermented, dyed in the can black olives we get in the States
that IMO are best left to decorations. My Ital. friends told me the olive
from the Liguria region were the best because of the climate, but then
everything they told me to try was always "the best" followed with the
Italian lip smacking kiss of the fingers (they were usually right I came to
find out) . The same goes for capers. The small "imported" capers so
common in the US to me are packed in some horrid fingernail polish remover
and do not taste the same as I recall.



As for black olives being exotic, I never knew that. I recall having had
ripe olives all over the Venato and even once in a linguine frutti de mare
in a small trattoria outside Napoli so I assume they were more common in
Italy than they are here.



as for side dishes, a risotto would also be nice, maybe a baked fennel,
grilled radicchio or just a mixed greens salad.

"gunner" > ha scritto nel messaggio
access...
> As for black olives being exotic, I never knew that. I recall having had
> ripe olives all over the Venato and even once in a linguine frutti de mare
> in a small trattoria outside Napoli so I assume they were more common in
> Italy than they are here.

I meant precisely those strange and tasteless ones in cans. Black olives of
all other types are everywhere. I bought some dried ones today.

On Tue, 8 Jul 2008 09:23:28 +0200, "Giusi" >
wrote:

>
>
> ha scritto nel messaggio .
>> On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 09:43:48 -0700, "gunner" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"Giusi"
>>>> This is a traditional recipe, except for the fish used. No one has to
>>>> like it, so I think if they do not they should just move on to something
>>>> else. I am familiar with this dish and it is not bland by any means, so
>>>> I
>>>> think it is just not to Koko's taste.
>>>
>>>Gotta go with Giusi here, its classic Sicilian. Tweak it to taste
>>>for sure, perhaps red pepper flake, sundried tomato, soaking raisins in
>>>wine and/or find good salt packed capers, perhaps different olives (cured
>>>black?).
>>>
>>>Keep it as close to its origin as you can otherwise it will not be
>>>Siciliano.
>>>
>> And I agree with both of you that I should keep as close to the origin
>> as possible. One thing Giusi pointed out in another post is that I
>> should have served it with milder accompaniments. I will try it again,
>> perhaps with a different fish as I've since found out Halibut is not a
>> fish common to Sicily.
>> koko
>
>Koko, I am still trying to equate Mediterranean fish to fish I know, so I am
>not much help. The strange thing is that Italians love cod almost to
>extinction and that is N Atlantic, but for the most part they eat fish
>caught in the Med or the Adriatic, which only makes sense.
>
>Monkfish as I knew it was apparently a big fish cut into pieces. Here they
>are smaller and you are served this very curvy whole tail, one for 2
>persons. The sweetness of the meat however was very adapted to this cooking
>method, which was baked in this sauce.
>Of all the things in your list I would suspect the olives if you are not
>using Kalamata type and the olive oil, which may be 10 times milder than
>Sicilian.
>Black olives as common in the US would be exotic here.
>

As for the olives, I used just plain ol' green olives. The recipe
specified green olives, why, oh why, did I choose this to be one of
the few times I followed the recipe ;-) and I have Kalamata on hand
along with some dry cured black whcih probably would have been great.
I will also look for some Sicilian olive oil. I'm sure these changes
along with using monkfish would give me the dish I thought I was
making.

Thanks Giusi

koko
--
There is no love more sincere than the love of food.
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 7/06

Koko wrote:

> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
> something more.
> I did bring out some lime slices and squeezed it over the fish once
> plated and that seemed to help but I just want a little more oomph to
> the dish.
> I was thinking of just a little, not too much, red pepper flakes, or
> maybe more of the olives and capers.
>
> What do you think?
>
> I served it with a side of spaghetti dressed in pesto and grilled
> asparagus that was topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
> http://i30.tinypic.com/15rmo10.jpg
>
> If it wasn't for the pesto it would have been a pretty bland meal.
> I know, two greens on the plate, oh well.
>
> @@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format
>
> Halibut in Sicilian Sauce
>
> fish
>
> 1/4 cup all purpose flour
> salt and freshly ground black pepper
> 8 ozs halibut fillets; 1 inch thick
> 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
> 1/2 small onion; finely diced
> 1 rib celery; finely diced
> 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, peeled seeded; optional
> 2 tablespoons green olives, pitted; coarsely chopped
> 2 tablespoons pine nuts; toasted
> 2 tablespoons raisins; plumped in hot water
> 1 tablespoon capers; rinsed
> 1 clove garlic; finely minced
> 1/4 cup dry white wine

> Using the 1/4 cup of flour, lightly flour the fillets, shaking off excess
> flour.
> In a sauté pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil. Sauté the fish on both
> sides until lightly golden brown. Remove the fish.
> In the same sauté pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
> Add the onions and celery and sauté until the onion are translucent and
> the celery softened.
> Add the tomatoes if using, (I didn't) and simmer for a few minutes until
> it starts to thicken slightly.
> Add the olives, pine nuts, raisins, capers, garlic and wine.
> Add the sautéd fish back to the pan and cover and simmer gently over low
> heat until the fish is just cooked through.

Hm. Okay, first thing, I'd serve a pasta as a first course, and the fish as
the second course. (I'm finally acknowledging the virtues of the "Primi" and
"Segundi" concept.) In my opinion, and that of my imaginary "Italian
palate", spaghetti with pesto doesn't make a good accompaniment to the fish,
but it makes a fine first course. If you wanted to serve everything together
as you did, I'd toss the spaghetti with a sun-dried tomato tapenade instead
of a cheese-heavy pesto. Second, the green olives make me think this sounds
more Spanish than Sicilian, but either one could be very good.

The changes I'd make to the recipe would be these:

1. Add a bay leaf or two along with the onions and celery. You might also
consider substituting fennel for the celery: They're different, but both are
potentially good.

2. Rather than using 1/4 cup dry white wine, use 3 tablespoons white wine
vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar. Regardless of whether you choose to use wine
or vinegar, simmer the sauce for at least a couple minutes before returning
the fish to the pan.

3a. If you want to make it more "Spanish," substitute almonds for the pine
nuts, add a quarter-cup chopped canned pimientos, and sprinkle with parsley
at the end. Warm the vinegar (or wine) and steep a pinch of saffron in it
before adding to the pan.

3b. If you want to make it more "Sicilian," add some heaping teaspoons of
hot red pepper flakes. Sprinkle with fresh marjoram or parsley at the end.
If you want to serve asparagus alongside, leave the cheese off it; drizzle
with good-quality olive oil, then sprinkle with grated lemon zest and basil
chiffonade. Otherwise, serve the asparagus as a separate course, or with a
pasta first course.

Question: Were you using fresh garlic? It can really make or break a dish
like this.

Bob

On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:13:20 -0700, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

>Koko wrote:
>
>> I made this Fri. It was pretty good but I felt like it needed a little
>> something more.
snippage
>
>Hm. Okay, first thing, I'd serve a pasta as a first course, and the fish as
>the second course. (I'm finally acknowledging the virtues of the "Primi" and
>"Segundi" concept.)

Excellent idea. I forget about the primi, segundi concept, I should
use it more often.

>In my opinion, and that of my imaginary "Italian
>palate", spaghetti with pesto doesn't make a good accompaniment to the fish,
>but it makes a fine first course. If you wanted to serve everything together
>as you did, I'd toss the spaghetti with a sun-dried tomato tapenade instead
>of a cheese-heavy pesto. Second, the green olives make me think this sounds
>more Spanish than Sicilian, but either one could be very good.
>
>The changes I'd make to the recipe would be these:
>
>1. Add a bay leaf or two along with the onions and celery. You might also
>consider substituting fennel for the celery: They're different, but both are
>potentially good.
>
>2. Rather than using 1/4 cup dry white wine, use 3 tablespoons white wine
>vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar. Regardless of whether you choose to use wine
>or vinegar, simmer the sauce for at least a couple minutes before returning
>the fish to the pan.
>
>3a. If you want to make it more "Spanish," substitute almonds for the pine
>nuts, add a quarter-cup chopped canned pimientos, and sprinkle with parsley
>at the end. Warm the vinegar (or wine) and steep a pinch of saffron in it
>before adding to the pan.
>
>3b. If you want to make it more "Sicilian," add some heaping teaspoons of
>hot red pepper flakes. Sprinkle with fresh marjoram or parsley at the end.
>If you want to serve asparagus alongside, leave the cheese off it; drizzle
>with good-quality olive oil, then sprinkle with grated lemon zest and basil
>chiffonade. Otherwise, serve the asparagus as a separate course, or with a
>pasta first course.
>
>Question: Were you using fresh garlic? It can really make or break a dish
>like this.
>
>Bob

I always use fresh garlic.

Thanks so much Bob for your suggestions. I have a lot of great ideas
to work with.

koko
--
There is no love more sincere than the love of food.
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 7/06