When in Rome ... or not
New cookbook serves up recipes from the ancient city
If you don’t know how to cook Italian, you could start with Tasting Rome, a new cookbook that provides a short cooking course along with a soup-to-dessert collection of recipes from the ancient city.
Author Katie Parla and photographer Kristina Gill are American journalists who have lived and worked in Italy for decades.
Introducing the book (Clarkson Potter/Penguin Random House, $39), celebrated Italian-American chef Mario Batali calls it an indispensable explanation of Rome’s culture, which extends to two Jewish cuisines — one Roman, the other Libyan, the latter including today’s fish dish.
Hraimi, today’s recipe, is a Shabbat dish best prepared, refrigerated overnight and reheated.
SPICY FISH WITH COUSCOUS Serves: 4
2 lb (1 kg) amberjack steaks or sea bass fillets, about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) thick Sea salt 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil 2 yellow onions, diced 1 tbsp (15 mL) hot paprika 1 tbsp (15 mL) peperoncino or red pepper flakes 1 tsp (5 mL) ground caraway seeds 1 tbsp (15 mL) ground cumin 1/4 cup (60 mL) tomato paste 1 1/2 tbsp (22.5 mL) fresh lemon juice 3 cups (750 mL) hot, cooked couscous
1. Salt fish on all sides and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. When it begins to shimmer, add onions, sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring until translucent and very soft, about 20 minutes.
3. Add paprika, peperoncino, caraway and cumin and continue cooking until fragrant, about one minute. Add tomato paste and cook until it turns a deep, brick red, about two minutes.
4. Add lemon juice and one cup (250 mL) water, stirring to blend in. Simmer over low heat, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Lower fish into the hot sauce and cook over medium heat until it is opaque and cooked through, about 15 minutes, or 10 minutes per inch thickness. Serve with hot, cooked couscous.