Saturday, September 24, 2011

LAST NIGHT'S DINNER...
Another easy one for you all: 
Pagello (sea bream) and leeks with cauliflower pureé!  


Ok, we’ll start with the fish:
  • 1 Pagello per person (they are not that big), cleaned*
  • 1 leek per pagello, chopped in to thin pieces
  • olive oil
  • fresh oregano, chopped finely
  • 1 cup of white wine
  • salt to taste

Pre-heat oven at 200° C or 425°F
Make sure the Pagello has a nice cut from head to tail for stuffing.  Sprinkle a little olive oil inside, then a little salt, add the leek, a bit of white wine and then the oregano.  Stick them in a pyrex pan or regular pan with “carta al forno” and then cover with aluminum foil.  Cook for 25 minutes.


Next is my new favorite concoction.  I love mashed potatoes, but was looking for a new twist that might not bloat me up as much.  So I thought cauliflower!
  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/4 cube of butter
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • salt to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut up the cauliflower and add them to the water.  Let boil for about 12 minutes, until the cauliflower is getting mushy. Drain and put in a bowl.  Add  the ingredients a little at a time.  You have to be careful that it doesn’t become too liquid-like as the cauliflower requires much less than the absorbent potato.  Use a hand mixer to create a nearly fluffy pureé.  Serve hot.

There’s a lot of white going on, on the plate, so add a few of the leeks to one side and a little mixed salad to the other and it will spruce it up a bit.  It can’t get much simpler than this!
BUON APPETITO!  
*Pagello can be replaced with just about any flakey white fish, just make sure it’s a whole, fresh fish and preferably “pescato” (fished).