Rana Pescatrice al forno - Monkfish in the oven

Rana Pescatrice or Coda di Rospo (in English Monkfish, or Goosefish) is one of the ugliest fish you'll find in Italian markets. But it has delicious white meat and it’s great to make a soup.

In this recipe Monkfish is used whole with head to make a flavor more intensive. 
It’s a simple but very delicious recipe and It’s great for some fest of if you have guests at home.

You will need:
Monkfish 
About 1 kg of Potatoes
0.5 kg of Tomatoes cherry
7-15 Olives
4-5 cloves of Garlic
2-3 tablespoons bread crumbs
5-6 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
A few basil leaves
Extra virgin Olive oil
Sale

I always buy Monkfish already scaled, so I don’t know how to scale it. If you don’t find whole Monkfish, but the tail ends it’s also OK.
Clean garlic and cut it in 2-3 pieces, cut tomatoes.
For the first clean and cut potatoes as shown. Mix well potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, olives, Olive oil and basil. Put a little of salt and pepper. I mix by hand so tomatoes make a little of sauce. Leave blend for half an hour. You can mix the blend from time to time.

At the time mix bread crumbs and grated parmesan. 

Put Monkfish in the form for the oven. I always use clayware form:

Put blend with potatoes around the fish. If the sauce is not enough – pour a little of water.

Dredge with mix of bread crumbs and grated parmesan

and put in the oven at 200º. Fish don’t need many time to cook so I try potatoes and when they are cooked and have a crust I determine that a time get out.

Clean fish before serve and put a piece with potatoes and sause in every plate. Or you can put portions in small caseroles and after other 5 minutes in oven bring them on the table.  You must admit that it most scenic))
Buono appetito!

Cozze gratinate - Mussels au gratin

Mussels au gratin  are one of the most classic summer recipes of south Italy. It's really simple and quick to prepare and have the perfect recipe for a tasty dinner with fish.

1 Kg of mussels (I recommend especially the variety called mussels of Taranto, small but very fragrant and tasty)
2 cloves of garlic 
1 bunch of parsley
4-5 tablespoons bread crumbs or better fresh white bread
Milk
2-3 tablespoons  of olive oil
5-6 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 glass of water mussel
pepper


Usually we ask to clean and open mussels in fish shop. But if you don’t have this possibility you should clean the mussels by removing the beard and scraping the outside. Then open them. For more easy opening place the mussels in a pan, cover with a lid and leave until the shells open not (1-3 minutes). You should not cook them – only open. Strain the cooking liquid and keep aside.
When the mussels are open, remove the empty half shells, put those with shellfish in a baking dish side by side each other.

If you use bread crumbs – mix it with grated parmesan. 
Mince the garlic and parsley and mix them with olive oil. 

Put over mussels then put bread crumbs with grated parmesan.

Pour a little of milk and cooking liquid (that mussels will not be dry but rich). 

You can also mix them before and then cover each mussel with a teaspoon of mixture to completely cover the fruit. Put again crumbs with grated parmesan. Then put pepper.


If you use fresh bread – take pulp of the bread, mix well it with milk, olive oil and cooking liquid. Then push pulp. Mix with minced garlic and parsley. Cover each mussel with a teaspoon of mixture to completely cover the fruit.  Then dredge with bread crumbs and grated parmesan. Put pepper.


We forgot to buy fresh bread so on my photos you see recipe with bread crumbs, but usually we make with fresh bread pulp.


Preheat your oven to 380-395 F (200 C) . I switch on for beginning all oven then only bottom part so mussels are cooked well but not burned from above. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. They must have a nice golden color.
If you can cook mussels in wood stove they will be so tasty that you never taste before!

Buon appetito!

Insalata caprese

Insalata caprese  is a typical recipe from the island of Capri, the most famous island in the Gulf of Naples. When its too hot in summer I don't eat much that's why I like to cook it  because it’s fresh, fast and easy to make. It takes about five minutes for preparation. You can order this salad almost in every beach bar in Italy
A caprese salad or a insalata caprese is consisting of fresh tomatoes (better cherry), mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil and basil. The salad can be seasoned with salt, pepper and origano. 


You will need:
1 fresh ripe tomato or 3-4 tomatoes cherry
1 ball fresh mozzarella 
fresh basil leaves

The quantity of cheese you should decide yourself - try and maybe you will like it with much tomatoes.

You need only to slice all ingredients and mix it wil oil, sale and pepper.
Caprese salad is usually accompanied by toasted bread.

Buon appetito!

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Katrin

Exploring Italy - Trip in Basilicata

Last Monday was a great holiday in Italy and we decided to take a trip. For a long time we intended to go to "Agriturismo" in Basilicata. "Agriturismo" is a restaurant-farm. They use their own products to cook and their dishes are very tasty! This restaurant is located in Rotondella in Basilicata, about 150 km from Brindisi. It is called "Bosco dei sapori" - Forest of Flavors, and it's a very right name! Everyting was delicious!

This is Rotondella - small antique town situated on the hill.


The view of Basilicata from the center of the town. Isn't it gorgeous?
After lunch we took a look around the farm.
(So cute)

This is a baby goat . It is only 4 hours old!!!

Sheepdog "Maremmano" - a famouse dog breed from Abruzzo. He is sleeping now.

So many cats))


In the forest nearby I found some mushrooms.

Greek cuisine - Tzaziki

When I visited Greece for the first time I immediately fell in love with the Greek cuisine even thought I am a big fan of Italian and Russian food.

So I’d like to share with you a recipe of a simple but very tasty Greek sauce, tzatziki. It is perfect when served with grilled meat, pita or flat bread.

Ingredients:
1 kg (2.2 lbs) cucumbers, peeled, seeded and grated
300 to 400 gr (0.7-0.9 lbs) of Greek yogurt
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced finely
Fresh chopped dill to taste
Pinch of salt

Transfer the prepared cucumbers to a colander and mix it with minced garlic, salt and dill. Squeeze the extra liquid from them 2-3 time during 1 hour. Refrigerate vegetables for about 2 to 4 hours. Squeeze the extra liquid again and mix with yogurt right before serving.






Transfer to a serving plate and serve with fresh sliced cucumber or olives. Enjoy!

Riсe, potatoes and mussels

Today I'll write how to cook one of the best dish of Salento cuisine. Salento is a region in the south of Italy. It’s famous for his beaches and cuisine. The meal is named “Riso patate e cozze” – rice potatoes and mussels.

So you'll need:
2 kg (4.4 lb) of potatoes
1 kg (2.2 lb) of fresh opened mussels (if they are not opened you’ll need 2 kg – 4.4 lb)
0.3 kg (0.66 lb) of rice
One onion
1 kg (2.2 lb) of tomatoes
Couple cloves of garlic
250 gr (0.55 lb) of grated Parmigiano - Parmesan cheese
Parsley
Breadcrumbs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ground black pepper
Salt


In a small container slosh the rice with the water and leave it.

Peel potatoes. Cut potatoes into thin slices.
Cut tomatoes to small pieces. Clean garlic cloves. Cut the onion vertically into thin slices.

Cut some parsley.

Put all ingredients in the big pot. Dredge grated Parmesan.

Then pour the oil. Put salt and pepper. Top up little water and mix it well. Leave it for half an hour.
Get a frying pan enough deep. We got the frying earthen pan, because we will cook in the stone oven. Remove the garlic from the pot. Pour a little oil in the pan. Put a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the pan.

Then put the layer of mussels.


Dredge the rice.

Put a little of cutted parsley.

Put salt and pepper.


Dredge grated Parmesan.

Put remaining potatoes. Carefully pour in the pan all the liquid from the pot with potatoes. If the water does not reach the level of potatoes, add the water. If you don’t do this, the rice quickly absorbs all the water and the dish will be dry. If you pour too much water, the rice absorbs not all the water.
Dredge Parmesan.

Pepper it and dredge breadcrumbs.

Pour some oil on the top.

If you cook at home, heat the oven to 250 degrees. Put the pan in the bottom of the oven. When the potatoes seem cooked - the dish is ready. Put the pan in the top of the oven. Turn in the oven grill for some minutes for delicious golden crust. When you take out the pan from the oven, leave it for 10-15 minutes. It will be more flavourful.

Enjoy the cuisine of Salento!