R E C I P E S
Pesce Spada alla Stemperata (Sicilian-Style Swordfish)
Alla stemperata is a full-flavored Sicilian way to prepare swordfish or tuna (and sometimes rabbit or hare). For guidance on ecologically friendly fish choices, see Seafood Watch (www.montereybayaquarium.org). Giuseppe Coria, in his essential tome Profumi di Sicilia, published in 1981, attributes the dish to Ragusa and Siracusa and says the obligatory ingredients are green olives, celery, garlic, vinegar, and mint. Nonetheless, I’ve found recipes that use onion and not garlic, and omit the mint, and I like a somewhat larger group of ingredients, as below, including carrot, if only for color. If you want to include pine nuts, taste before you buy to be sure they’re fresh. This dish is good hot, but it’s traditionally served at room temperature.By Edward Behr
6 swordfish or tuna (not bluefin) steaks (about 3 pounds or 1.3 kg total)
excellent, fresh-tasting olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery heart, thinly sliced, to make about 1 cup (100 gr)
1 carrot, finely chopped
¼ cup (25 gr) capers in salt, well rinsed
20 (about 90 gr) green olives, pitted
½ cup (125 ml) white-wine vinegar
⅓ cup (50 gr) raisins, softened in hot water and drained
4 or 5 spearmint leaves, chopped
⅓ cup (40 gr) pine nuts, optional
salt and black pepper
Fry the fish in olive oil over medium heat just until the translucent flesh turns opaque, about 10 minutes for an inch (2.5-cm) thick steak, and remove it from the pan to stop the cooking. In a separate large, nonreactive pan with a lid, cook the garlic, onion, celery, and carrot gently in olive oil until soft but not colored, 5 minutes or more. Add the capers, olives, vinegar, raisins, mint leaves, and pine nuts. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt, if needed, and grind in pepper. If the pan seems in danger of drying, add up to ½ cup (125 ml) of water. Return the fish to the pan, cover, and cook gently to partly meld the flavors, not much more than 5 minutes. Serves 6.
From The Art of Eating Cookbook
