ITALIAN FOODIES

I have never been so interested in politics or the news as I have been this week which would account for why I have abandoned the blog over the last few days but the “budget” took precedence. It’s anxious times for everybody as we really are venturing into the unknown, it’s a strange place for us to be as business owners as up until now our focus was always on how to grow the business, what our next business venture would be etc etc but now it’s just focusing on what we have and try to keep costs to a minimum and basically “hold our own”. We have had to cut back all of our staff and are basically running on skeleton staff which means doing the work of 4 people ourselves with a couple of others. To be honest we don’t mind as we did the enjoy the “celtic tiger” years so it’s back to normality now I suppose, all work and no play!!

It’s interesting though as we’ve obviously put opening a second place on hold for the moment and are talking with a builder to change La Cucina around and put in seating for about 25 but the big question now is “will the bank give us the money”???, this would never have been an issue before but now everything has changed. The strange thing is we have wanted to go into the city centre for the last 3 years but could never find the right place with affordable rent and now  2 different developers contacted us(unheard of) this week with fabulous developments that are scheduled to be finished in 2010 and wanting us to take units in both, before we would have jumped at the chance but we’re not deciding on anything now until we see what happens with the economy.

The one thing I do hope that comes out of this recession is the growth of small local business, hopefully commercial rents will become more affordable (our rent review has been postponed), the number of franchises will probably slow down as the volume won’t be there anymore and people might become more frugal with their spending and support local businesses and producers, fingers crossed!!

The princess still won’t eat fish so I tell her these are chicken nuggets and it works every time:) I don’t have exact  measurements but they are simple to make so I’m sure you will manage without.

what you need:

 - cod fillets cut into goujons

 - breadcrumbs ( I buy the fresh 200g bag in Superquinn)

 - 1 tbsp chopped flat parsley

 - zest of 1 lemon

 - plain flour

 - 100g grated Parmesan

 - oil

 - sea salt and black pepper(for mammy and daddy)

 - 2 beaten eggs

what to do:

 - season your goujons and  roll in flour.

 - mix together your breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon zest and Parmesan in a bowl.

 - fill a frying pan with lots of oil and heat.

 - dip your goujons into the beaten egg and then the breadcrumbs mix and cook until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

 - serve with Parmesan mash and fried eggs - YUM!!!! Fast food at it’s best!

buon appetito!

The title does sound pretty fancy doesn’t it??,  but today I’m basically giving you ” fancy beans on toast - Italian style”!! I will be the first to admit I’m not adverse to the odd can of heinz on a couple of slices of Brennan’s “big toast” smothered in some Kerrygold and when I was in college it was one of the main staples of my student diet along with the pints of heineken:) Seeing that I have come a long way since even though this could be questioned some days I decided to share this more gourmet version with you!!

One thing I always have in my cupboard is a couple of tins of cannellini and borlotti beans, cannellini for this recipe and the borlotti for my scrambled eggs on toast recipe, yes I know, we are posh!! These 2 recipes are great when you’ve nothing to cook and want to use some leftovers to produce something quick and tasty!! I bought lots of prawns to make “spaghetti al cartoccio”  but as usual things didn’t go according to plan so rather than throw them out we had them this way!!

what you need:

 - prawns (fresh or frozen) I got shelled tiger prawns in Superquinn even though I suspect they are frozen, defrosted, fresh as they didn’t have a great flavour!! The full prawns in their shells were much better but do require a bit of cleaning and work but it’s worth it if you have the time!! If you don’t have prawns this recipe would be fine without or use Maz at Style Treaty’s recipe with bacon!!

 - 250g ripe tomatoes - Irish tomatoes are really good at the moment so I used Irish plum tomatoes!! If you can’t get your hands on any good ones you could use a tin of tomatoes or leftover tomato sauce!!

 - 1 garlic clove finely diced

 - 1 tsp dried chilli (optional)

 - 1 x 400g can cannellini beans

 - 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley

 - 1 tbsp basil(optional)

 - juice half lemon

 - sea salt and black pepper

 - olive oil

what to do:

 - if using fresh tomatoes blanch your tomatoes in boiling water for 1 min and drain, peel off the skin and roughly chop.

 - fill the base of a pan with olive oil and fry the garlic and chilli for a couple of minutes until softened but not browned, add your tomatoes and cook for 5-7 mins. If you are using a tin of tomatoes I would leave it cook a little longer and maybe add a tsp of sugar!!

 - add your prawns and cook for another 5-10 mins until cooked through, add your herbs and mix through.

 - season and add your lemon juice.

 - heat a grill pan and cook your bread on both sides and rub some garlic on 1 side and drizzle with olive oil.

 - serve your prawns on your garlic bread and serve with some fresh parsley on top and a cup of tea if you live in Ireland:)

buon appetito!!

So, the novelty of sleeping with my award has worn off and I only shine it every 2 hours instead of every hour now;) and it has been returned to La Cucina and put in it’s place of pride on the shelf  beside the Mulino Bianco biscuits for everyone to marvel at! I don’t think anyone has even noticed it, they are too distracted by Laura’s damn cupcakes:) The princess is better even though she’s about half the size she was last week from not eating and she has passed it onto Bru so he was on dry toast and boiled risotto rice yesterday so I was eating alone!! I always notice this about Italians, they always know what to eat for different ailments whereas I stay in denial and still have chocolate biscuits when I’m sick just to cheer myself up whereas Bruno won’t even put butter on his toast but I still would. Bruno’s family always eat boiled risotto rice with just a drop of olive oil for an upset tummy whereas I still want to add Parmesan but they aren’t even tempted because it will disagree with their stomach, they cure everything with food before medicine whereas we tend to go straight to the chemist!!

 I was in the mood for pasta but not interested in doing anything too difficult when cooking for one so I had a quick look through my selection of cookbooks, the majority purchased in Tk Maxx at a quarter of the price. My newest addition is ”Fresh Italian” by Marina Filipelli which is a good enough book, the photos are very good and she gives nutritional analysis and healthy tips on all the recipes but I just didn’t find anything new or very exciting about it but it’s still a good one for the collection!! 

I spotted this recipe and it’s very similar to a recipe we do with prawns but I liked the idea of using sea bass for a change as it is a fish I would never put with pasta. I have to say it was absolutely delicious and I loved it and will  definitely be making it again for 2 the next time. Bruno looked a bit depressed to be honest while I was ooing and ah-hing while stuffing my face beside him while he drank some more flat 7up!!:)

what you need for 2:

 - 2 sea bass: I got mine in Superquinn and got them to fillet them for me so I would use 2 fillets per person as they were not that big. Remove the meat from the skin and chop into small chunks.

 - 250g sweet tomatoes: I used the San Marzano plum tomatoes from Italy available in SQ which are really good, sometimes Dunnes have them too!! If you can’t get your hands on any you can use a tin of tomatoes, the De Cecco pomodorini are really good but add a teaspoon of sugar if using tinned tomatoes.

 - 1/4 tsp dried chili

 - 1 garlic clove

 - tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped

 - 125ml dry white wine

 - olive oil

 - salt

 - pasta: I used Cordellia fresh tagliatelle that we sell in packets in La Cucina but you can use dried spaghetti or tagliatelle too.

what to do:

 - if you are using fresh tomatoes you need to skin them so bring a small pot of water to the boil and put your tomatoes in for about 2 minutes and drain. Leave to cool and peel the skin off and chop.

 - bring a pot of water to the boil, add salt and your pasta and cook until al dente.

 - fill the base of a deep pan with olive oil and cook your garlic clove until brown and remove, add your chili flakes and remove from heat for a couple of mins.

 - add your tomatoes and put back on heat, add your wine and a little sea salt and cook for about 10 mins over a medium heat until sauce thickens up.

 - when your pasta is almost ready add your fish and parsley to your sauce and cook for about 3-4 mins. The fish cooks quite fast so don’t cook for too long.

 - add the drained pasta and a little of the water to the sauce and mix together and cook for a couple of mins and serve.

 - I served mine with a little rocket on top and a squeeze of lemon juice which added a nice bite and flavour to the dish. Just to really annoy him I washed it down with a big glass of chilled Pinot Grigio:)

buon appetito!!

I’m afraid I won’t be able to make the blog awards this Saturday as my sister’s future “hubbie’s” stag is on in Dublin this Friday and Saturday and we have no baby sitter so I’m afraid the italian foodies will be absent:( I would love to have gone as it would be great to meet everybody and put faces to all the Irish food bloggers but I’ll just have to wait until next year!! I just wanted to wish everyone the best of luck, the shortlist finalists haven’t been announced in the food blog category yet but best blog has been and Kieren is in there so I’ll be rooting for him - best of luck Kieren!!! I’ll be thinking of you all while watching Turbridy on Saturday night so have a few for me:)

The lovely people at Taste Italia magazine have started sending me a free copy of the magazine every month????? just out of the blue which was a nice surprise!!! They have a great section on what’s in season so I’m going to post about it every month because if you are anything like me I never have a clue as to what’s in season.

 - prezzemolo (flat leaf parsley) - this is one of the main ingredients in salsa verde.

 - pesce san pietro (john dory) - really nice served simply dipped in flour, cooked in butter and served with mangetouts.

 - cipolline  (spring onions) - I have to admit I love mashed potato with spring onions like my grandma used to make:)

 - sedano rapa (celeriac) - mmmmm celeriac puree in Locatelli’s!!

 - ostriche (oysters) - I’ve never had them but interesting recipe in the Silver Spoon with hard boiled eggs of all things??

 - carciofi (artichokes) - the MIL’s artichoke tart, mmmmmmm!!

I’m promoting Superquinn again (what’s new) but they have a great range of fish in at the moment because the weather has been so good, I was like a kid in a sweet shop the other day as they had fantastic tuna, squid, sole, swordfish, clams, I didn’t know what to buy so I bought some tuna and squid. I often make this tuna recipe as it is so simple and I love the flavours of the salsa verde with the tuna and of course the main thing is it’s quick and easy!!

what you need:

 - 2 fresh tuna steaks

 - flat leaf parsley ( I used 40g)

 - anchovies ( I used a small Italian jar which are absolutely delicious from SQ, you can use tinned if you can’t find a jar!!)

 - tbsp capers 

- 1 garlic clove 

 - 10 basil leaves

 - salt and black pepper

 - olive oil

 - red wine vinegar 

 - 1 lemon

what to do:

 - a lot of recipes use a pestle and mortar for salsa verde but I just finely chop everything, place it in a bowl and add the red wine vinegar and olive oil. You could also use a mini food processor for a smoother finish but I like mine “rough and ready”;)

 - heat up your grill pan, season your steaks with salt and pepper and pat with olive oil, cook on each side for about 2-4 mins,  I like my tuna rare.

 - serve your tuna with a squeeze of lemon juice on top and some salsa verde on the side or drizzled over your steaks. We had a simple rocket salad with cherry tomatoes dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the side, btw the Italian plum and cherry tomatoes in SQ are really, really good at the moment!!

buon appetito!!

I always find I’m really lazy when it comes to cooking on Monday nights so I’m always trying to find quick and easy recipes!! Last week it was scrambled eggs with borlotti beans which was surprisingly “yum”, I’ll post it at some stage as it is definitely one of those recipes for those nights when you really couldn’t be bothered. They had nice cod in Superquinn yesterday so I whipped out the Silver Spoon and found this delicious recipe which was a great hit in the Italian foodie house - simple, little preparation and tasty (our kind of food). In saying that Alessandro our “Italian chef to the stars”:) came over last Tuesday and cooked us a 3 course meal based on dishes he used to cook  when he worked in Michelin star restaurants in Italy:

antipasto - marinated salmon served on a bed of rocket with a balsamic reduction.

pasta - tagliatelle with marinated sea bass with lemon and red onion, I think it was probably one of the nicest pasta dishes I’ve ever had and the sea bass wasn’t even cooked.

main - tonno cacciatore - tuna steak pieces served in a white wine sauce with garlic, tomato and rosemary!!

The whole lot was absolutely delicious so we’ve invited him over again tonight with meat being the main feature, he’s decided he might stay here now as he loves it so much so watch this space:) Back to my home cooking:

what you need:

 - 2 cod fillets

 - 3 leeks, white parts only sliced

 - plain flour

 - 1 egg

 - breadcrumbs (I use the fresh bag from Superquinn)

 - 50g butter

 - salt and pepper

 - vegetable oil or frying olive oil for deep frying

 - 1 lemon

what to do:

 - melt the butter in a saucepan, add your leeks and cook for 5 mins over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat, cover and cook gently for 15 mins.

 - spread out the flour in a dish, lightly beat the egg in another shallow dish and spread out the breadcrumbs in a third.

 - heat lots of oil in a deep frying pan,  dip your cod into the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs.

 - fry in the hot oil, turning occasionally for about 10 mins until golden brown and cooked through. The best way to check if fish is cooked through is to use a cocktail stick and pierce the centre of the fish, if there is no resistance then it is cooked - saw this on Market Kitchen and it does work!!

 - drain your cooked fish on some kitchen towel - btw Superquinn are stocking an Italian range of kitchen towels which is even better than Bounty, I kid you not:) The brand is called Regina, you can wet it and it doesn’t even tear, now that’s how exciting my life is:):):)

 - season your fish with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice and serve with your leeks and some crusty bread.

buon appetito!!

p.s. we’ve been shortlisted for the Irish blog awards (YAHOOOOOO)!! We haven’t a hope of winning as the competition is tough but it’s nice to be shortlisted all the same:)

This recipe was actually one of my first when I ventured into the unknown world of blogging last year but I didn’t take photos back then so I’ve decided to spruce it up and do it again. I was watching the Afternoon Show yesterday and they were talking about healthy eating, fish of course was the main feature and I was shocked to learn that 48% of Irish people don’t eat fish, I was aware that we don’t eat enough fish in this country but never realised it was that bad. It’s quite shocking really as we live on an island and I can’t imagine life without fish!! In saying that I never really ate it until I met Bru and travelled to Italy where fish is a major staple in their diet and chicken isn’t!!!

Speaking of diets everyone seems to be on one, especially in my family for the upcoming social event of the year  - my sister’s wedding!! I can happily say that I never diet anymore and haven’t for years even after having the princess I just returned to my normal weight. Now I’m not bragging here because it took me a long time to get to this stage with lots of disastrous diets and lots of unused gym memberships and still weighed in at 12 stone at my heaviest, which is pretty heavy for me! The most important thing I have probably taken from the Italian culture is their attitude to food and the understanding of what they eat!!

The main difference I noticed when I met Bruno first was how he would never spoil his appetite, he would much prefer to wait for his dinner and enjoy it rather than snack beforehand and then not finish it. We as Irish are always amazed by how much the Italians eat in one sitting, starter, pasta, main course and then a little sweet to finish it off. I didn’t understand it for a long time and could never get further than the pasta course but eventually after it being highlighted to me by numerous Italians (they say what they think btw) I was always snacking. I had this insane need to fulfill my hunger on the spot, I could never wait for my dinner. I’d start to shake and feel weak and convince myself I’d never last until dinner because I’d probably die from starvation:) so I’d have a slice of toast or something to keep me going, never a piece of fruit of course, always a carb!!!!Over the years I’ve gotten rid of this habit and will happily wait for my dinner and eat as many courses as I like without the guilt!! 

these are the main changes I’ve made to my eating habits over the years:

 - I rarely use cream.
 - I gave up toast, a slice of white toast here and there is a killer!! It was one of my main snacks.
 - I rarely buy low-fat, I feel I’m being cheated and that it’s not the same so therefore depriving myself which used to make me want full fat more!! I was a terror for buying low-fat biscuits and crisps which goes completely against everything because if you feel the need for them just have the full fat in moderation. I used to convince myself because they were lower in fat I could have them everyday.
 - I never calorie count or look at the back of a packet.
 - I gave up joining gyms, I think I took out full membership 3 years in a row and ended up getting heavier because I ate more because I was going to the gym 4 times a week. At the time I blamed my metabolism and my “big bones”:), it was never the food.
 - I never deprive myself, I always have starter, main course and dessert when I go out for dinner!! I have a packet of crisps with a sandwich if I feel like it but you know what the amazing thing is before I would have wanted a packet everyday for lunch when I wouldn’t let myself whereas now I might only have them once a week if even without even thinking about it!!
 - I don’t really drink fizzy drinks - maybe the odd 7up with dinner.!!
 - I don’t eat convenience foods or pre-packed meals!! In my dieting days I would buy weight watchers meals or the likes but you’re better off just having a piece of fresh fish and salad or a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce!! I can’t do brown pasta or rice either, I know it may be better for you but it’s not for me!! I’ve actually never seen brown bread in Italy but then they don’t eat sliced pan like we do here!! 
 - we always have an Italian breakfast which normally consists of a cappuccino and croissant or biscuits so I never feel the need for anything sweet as I’ve satisfied it first thing in the morning!! I know, I know I’m probably a nutritionist’s nightmare but hey they all do it in Italy and they are supposed to have one of the most healthy diets in the world so I’m with them!!

Now just in case you are thinking I’m a size 0 food angel I’m far from it and I do have my vices like everyone else but I just eat them in moderation - doritos topped with salsa and melted SQ superior range cheddar anyone???? mmmmmm:) , the most important thing for me is not even about weight loss it’s to have a healthy relationship with food! If I do need to lose a few lbs I just cut down on my portion sizes, cut out alcohol, have 2 biscuits instead of 4 in the morning;) but still eat the same food so losing weight isn’t an issue. Whereas before I’d be starving myself, cutting out everything I love, counting calories, eating tubs of weight watcher’s ice-cream, thinking about food constantly, dreaming about it in my sleep and generally feeling absolutely miserable!!! The main thing I have learned form the Italian culture is to understand my food, relax and enjoy it, never feel guilty and most importantly BE HAPPY !!   

I love swordfish and had it for the first time on my first visit to Sicily a few years back where it is a speciality, the last time we were there I was pregnant with the 10lb princess so I couldn’t eat it and it killed me as I love the smoked swordfish as an antipasto!! Superquinn often have it in stock and we regularly have this recipe, it’s quite a meaty fish so the best way to eat it is as simple as you can, it doesn’t need a heavy sauce so this marinade works really well with it and most importantly it’s healthy!!!

what you need:

 - 1 large clove garlic sliced very thinly

 - 1 chilli chopped finely

 - flat parsley chopped

 - juice of 1 lemon

 - olive oil

 - sea salt and black pepper

 - 2 swordfish steaks

what to do:

 - mix all of your ingredients together in a bowl and pour half over your fish and leave to marinate for 20-30 minutes if you have time.

 - heat a grill pan and cook your steaks until cooked though.

 - serve and spoon the remainder of your dressing over your fish.

 - we usually have a simple rocket salad on the side.

                                    
buon appetito!!!

p.s. sorry for the long post and probably boring the majority of you:(

p.p.s. - what things could you change about your eating habits???

The main thing I need to do for 2008 is eat more fruit and drink more water and give up those damn doritos:)

This marinade could also be used for swordfish like I made here or with fresh tuna. Just pour over your fish when cooked.

BUON APPETITO!!!

reference - Silver Spoon, Carluccio, Valentina Harris

I’ve been a bit lazy on the fish front lately mainly due to a very limited selection in my local Superquinn!! There is only salmon or cod basically from Monday to Thursday and then there is a bit more at the weekend. They used to have a great selection but as usual in Ireland it probably didn’t sell so they have cut it back to the good sellers and they have one whole stand dedicated to “salmon”, now there is nothing wrong with salmon but I’m not going to eat it every week so I was delighted to see this weekend they has loads of fish - tuna, swordfish, clams, prawns, mussels and sea bass so I bought a bit of everything!!! I better get the Silver Spoon out;) 

p.s. I have no cooked photo as I prepared it that day and we ate it at night, but believe me it was DELICIOUS!!:)

 I have to admit when it comes to salads we tend to be a bit boring, we always have them as a side to meat or fish but never as the main dish. So, when browsing through Jamie Oliver’s site the other day I saw this tasty little number and decided to throw caution to the wind and ditch the pasta and have a salad for a change. The princess decided to make my little adventure a little difficult by deciding that bedtime at 8pm is for babies and 10.30pm is a much more suitable time! We tend to eat when she goes to bed as she is such a little minx, she’s 8 and 1/2  months going on 2, I can’t leave her for a second! My mother minds her on a Wednesday and she decided to give the poor women a heart attack last week by eating a piece of her Barney book and getting it caught in her throat! Luckily she got it out, a friend and neighbour of ours who is a doctor looked surprised when I told him the story and asked me “but was it a book for babies?”. Well no not exactly but she loves the pop out pictures - BAD MOTHER, it’s probably for a 3 year old!!!

She is such a tearaway, I call her the princess but she’s as far removed from one as a baby could be! She’s doing her damn hardest to walk by herself and is nearly there, she knows no fear, she decided yesterday who needs a table I’m going to stand on my own and she managed it! Now a lot of mother’s might brag about this but my advice to all you future parents is let them eat and sleep until they’re 6 months old, none of this new age stuff of reading them stories at 2 weeks old and getting them to stand at 3 months, the next baby is going to be so neglected the poor thing:)

Anyway we ended up eating our salads one at a time while the other tried to put her to sleep but she’s so bloody clever she knew one of us was in the kitchen and kept calling and trying to play. They make fools of you these babies, they just pretend to be cute and cuddly but as they say in Big Brother they all have a “GAME PLAN”.

The salad was delicious if not a little lonely and would be a great starter for a dinner party I think!!

WHAT YOU NEED FOR 2 - MAIN COURSE

• 2 fresh tuna steaks - I got mine in Superquinn, I have to say they always have a good selection of tuna at the weekends
• 2 bunches asparagus
• 1 punnet of good cherry tomatoes chopped - I used Irish but they’re not great at the moment - the weather???
• handful fresh basil leaves
• handful black olives pitted - I used Kalamata from Superquinn. They do a good pre-pack Italian brand called Salviani.
• 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp creme fraiche
• sea salt and black pepper

WHAT TO DO 

 - heat a griddle pan and cook your asparagus until it has the charred marks on it. Put a heavy pot or pan on top and press down to cook faster. Leave to cool down.

 -  put your asparagus in a bowl with your tomatoes, half the basil and olives, season and pour over some olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

 - rub your tuna steaks with a little oil and season them. Heat up your grill pan again and sear them for about 2 minutes each side.

 - pound the rest of the basil in a pestle and mortar, add the creme fraiche, season and add some lemon juice.

 - serve the salad on a plate and place tuna on top and creme fraiche on the side.

Verdict - Bruno would have preferred it without the creme fraiche but I liked it. It would still be as tasty without!

p.s. I have to say a big THANK YOU to our neighbours Dr John and Dr Lesley(parents of Alessia’s future husband, he’s 7 months), they took on the daunting task of inviting us to a BBQ last night. John was shaking in his boots about cooking my steak right and it was absolutely perfect - RARE just the way we like it! The grilled banana with dark chocolate sauce was surprisingly good and the espresso ended off a perfect evening. Thanks guys!!:) 

It’s HEART OF THE MATTER time again and this month’s theme is fish, for anyone who doesn’t know what it’s about, it’s a blogging event held by the lovely Ilva and Joanna who are trying to compile a database of healthy recipes that people can access at anytime, basically any blogger can submit whatever recipe they like as long as it is healthy and good for the heart. I have already done a cod recipe which I’m going to submit with this one, both done in a bag! I really like this month’s theme as we don’t eat enough fish in Ireland, I know we don’t, we always have great intentions to eat it at least once a week but it’s more like once every 2 weeks. I know a lot of people never eat fish and gag at the thought of it and other’s only eat it once in a blue moon.

It’s amazing really as we live on an island but fish just wasn’t popular in Ireland until recently,  I know in our house the closest we got to fish was fish fingers. I wasn’t born a foodie you know!! When myself and Bruno first got together all those years ago (15 to be exact) I was every Italian mother’s nightmare. A heineken guzzling, kebab eating student who knew absolutely nothing about food, the first time she gave me pesto I hated it, I used to call gnocchi “YUCKY” and thought it was hilarious(cringe) and the first time she brought out a big platter of fresh prawns I nearly died. They had heads on, I only knew prawns as frozen little shrimp that you eat in prawn cocktail. In my defense these were the days of ordering chicken Kiev or Cordon Bleu in a restaurant and washing it down with a bottle of Blue Nun or going Italian with a bottle of Lambrusco!! So when they proceeded to snap the heads off the prawns, eat them with their hands and suck the juices and meat out of the claws and talk at the same time I was gobsmacked - where were their table manners???  It was a whole new world to me and one I eventually became part of. It took a while mind you - Italian mammas and their sons, another day’s post!!! I’m now a vino guzzling wannabe Italian cook who loves nothing more than a bowl of home-made “yucky” with fresh pesto topped with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano on top and an espresso after to digest!! - how things change:)!!

We’re lucky as Superquinn always have a great selection of fish so we try to vary and try new fish all the time, salmon is probably the most popular fish in Ireland. This is evident in Superquin as they have a whole stand dedicated to it, all the ladies seem to love it - my mother and sister included. They always order salmon when we are out to eat, I try to convince them to try something else, my mother did once and ordered the sea bass and nearly lost her life when it arrived head and eyes intact(the best way of course) - she couldn’t eat something that was looking at her!! We have become so far removed from food in it’s natural form in Ireland, I’ll be the first to admit I have never gutted or filleted a fish I always get them to do it in Superquinn for me, I’m really a fake foodie!!

Sea bass is one of the most popular fish in Italy because of it’s versatility and delicate but firm flesh. It’s great cooked anyway - boiled, baked, grilled or in a bag like this recipe. It is widely available in Italy as it can be caught off any coast where the sea is fairly rough. It can reach up to 1 metre in length and 10kg in weight. Because of it’s high demand sea bass has to be farmed and so the weight and size of the fish can be controlled for culinary use! - taken from Carluccio’s “Complete Italian Food”.

I served the sea bass with roast potatoes done with the duck fat left over from the dreaded duck recipe!!

WHAT YOU NEED FOR 2:

• 3 sea bass - either use whole or get your fishmonger to gut and fillet them for you. They are tastier if you cook them whole.
• 2 fennel bulbs - sliced thinly
• fennel seeds(optional) -fennel loses a lot of it’s flavour when cooked so you can add some seeds if you like for extra flavour.
• 1 white onion - sliced thinly
• 2 spring onion - chopped
• 1 sprig flat parsley-  finely chopped
• 2 lemons - 1 sliced and juice of another
• 2 cloves garlic sliced
• white wine
• olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper.
• parchment paper or tin foil.

WHAT TO DO:

 - line the base of your oven tray with parchment and have the same amount to cover over, heat your oven to 200 degrees.

 - pour some olive on the base of the parchment and place your fennel and onion on top, season with salt and pepper.

 - lay your sea bass on top of your fennel and scatter your garlic, spring onion, parsley and lemon slices over your fish.

 - season with salt and pepper, pour a splash of wine, your lemon juice and olive oil over everything.

 - close up your bag and cook for 20-30 mins.

BUON APPETITO!!

p.s. if you really don’t like fennel (shame on you), just leave it out and throw in a sprig of rosemary for extra flavour!!