Who doesn’t love the fine tastes of the sea? The culinary world of fish is large and diverse, but always seems to please.
Human beings have been living by the seaside or along riverbanks since time immemorial. Along with this waterfront territory comes huge possibilities when it comes to consuming our maritime neighbors—the noble fish. Records from around 40,000 years ago show that people were consuming fish in eastern Asia at the time, and fish bones have been found in a number of Upper Paleolithic-era caves.
Relatively more recently, the ancient Egyptians depicted paintings of fish on the walls of their burial chambers in the Great Pyramids of Giza, one of the world’s most beloved ancient attractions. The river Nile, of course, is one of the longest and largest in the world, so it’s no surprise that plenty of fish were found in its depths. And with the Egyptians becoming an advanced and powerful civilization, harnessing the nutritional value of this fish gold mine must’ve been imperative for their rise as a regional power.
But fish isn’t only a tasty variety of food—it’s also an extremely nutritious one. Fish, like most seafood, is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital for your body and brain to function smoothly. Additionally, regular consumption of omega acids is strongly connected to reduced risks of various diseases. Doctors recommend eating fish twice a week, and by doing so, you may reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes later in life.
The beautiful world of Italian seafood
For anyone who’s seen Italy on the map, you’ll know that this European nation is shaped like a boot. Yes, Italy is a very long country, and its length coincides with thousands of miles of coastline. This means that the inhabitants of the region have been eating fish for a very long time, and modern Italians are no different.
In this exploration of Italian fish-based recipes, you’re not going to want to miss this first offering—a majestic tuna tartare with foie gras and caramelized eggplant. This dish was initially conceived as a seafood appetizer by Milan-based chef Roberto Okabe. It combines elements of his Japanese heritage along with local offerings. In this recipe, you’ll encounter both balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, as well as sake and extra-virgin olive oil. This dish surely is a true mashing together of cultures—in the best possible way.
Moving onward to some more traditional Italian seafood dishes, and it’s time to encounter the wonders of adding mint to your pasta. If you’ve never done this before, it’s about time to consider it. This is particularly the case for this linguine with swordfish, zucchini, and mint. You’ve never had fish pasta like this before. Aside from the titular ingredients, you’ll want to add parsley, chili, and ripe tomatoes to this first course dish.
But of course, no linguine is complete without a conza, the pasta’s hard topping. For this conza, you’ll need to enlist the help of minced almonds, as well as the obvious breadcrumbs. This will surely end up in a pasta that you won’t forget for a long time.
You’ll not want to miss out on the last installment in this magical trilogy of Italian fish recipes. Have you ever fried or even deep-fried swordfish before? Well, those may be good options for preparing this tasty fish delight, but it would surely be a tragedy not to try the ultimate preparation method of this noble fish.
Introducing this simple recipe for steamed swordfish, bagnara-style. Not only does this recipe take less than half an hour to prepare and cook—it’s also the simplest of the three recipes presented here. Aside from swordfish, you’ll need a number of typical Italian herbs and spices to add additional flavor to the dish, including garlic, oregano, and parsley. Capers are also an integral part of this recipe, and help bring out that fishy flavor ever so slightly. Buon appetito!
Flavors of the Oriental seas
You know that feeling. After a long day of work, you’re torn between cooking up a meal for yourself or getting a takeaway. There’s that fantastic sushi restaurant which is only a few blocks away, but it sure is expensive. And they usually take a while to prepare the food.
Well, luckily for you, sushi isn’t all that hard to make yourself at home. And what’s more is that it is infinitely cheaper to do so. So why not try making some salmon maki sushi in the comfort of your kitchen? Turn on some music, and start rolling those nori sheets!
Directly to the southeast of Japan lies the ancient Chinese region of Guangdong, also known in English as Canton. This is the home of many fantastic Cantonese dishes. And while ordering a takeaway from your local Chinese restaurant may be tempting, with a few basic ingredients at your disposal, you can also prepare food from this fascinating region at home. So next time you’re thinking of ordering Chinese, get going to the supermarket instead in order to buy the ingredients for a tasty Cantonese-style steamed salmon fillet.
