Wednesday, 25 March 2009

Trotta all'Acqua Pazza e funghi - Rainbow Trout all'Acqua Pazza with mushrooms


Cooking all'acqua pazza (literally crazy water) is very popular in trattorias and fish restaurants in Italy, and best suited to sea bass or sea bream, I am doing it with rainbow trout simply as a money-saving move, call it "credit crunch in crazy water"! By poaching the fish in the water, you retain all the moisture and the fish takes on all the flavours of the fresh basil and chilli peppers in the water. The sauce is great for mopping up afterwards with fresh bread, or a side of wild and long grain rice. 
The choice of adding mushrooms was inspired by chef Alberto at my friend's Mediterraneo restaurant in Rome. He served my friends and I a two kilo sea bass in acqua pazza with fresh porcini mushrooms, which just gave an edge to the sauce, making it richer and earthier which contrasted nicely with the fish. Being in Surrey right now, I do not sadly have great access to fresh porcini mushrooms, but we do have rather tasty, nutty British chestnut mushrooms so I added those to the mix. When getting the fishmonger to clean your fish or make fillets, always ask to keep heads, tails and anything else in a separate bag to make fish stock.


Ingredients (for 4):

4 rainbow trout/sea bream/sea bass - gutted and scaled. 
large bunch of cherry tomatoes or fat, red, mature tomatoes.
15-20 button mushrooms/chestnut mushrooms, or 5-6 porcini mushrooms.
fat bunch of fresh basil
fat bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
fat cloves of garlic to taste
2-3 dried bird's eye chillis
1 pint of fish stock
olive oil
salt and pepper

Method:

As ever, pour yourself a generous glass of white wine and stick on classic fm... Now. Whip out a large, deep frying pan, big enough to hold all your fish in it (you may have to cook them in two pans). I like the presentation of the whole fish, but if its easier, or you don't like your dinner looking at you, have the fish filleted. 

Salt and pepper the fish. Put the pan on the gas and pour in a tablespoon of olive oil. Crush your garlic cloves and smush up the dried chillis and cook them in the oil for a minute or two. Make sure the garlic doesn't brown, if it does, remove it form the oil with a slotted spoon. Add the mushrooms and slowly cook in the oil.

Chop up your tomatoes and the fresh herbs and plop those in the pan too, lowering the heat. Cook until the tomatoes start to go mushy. Now add your fish and seal on both sides. Pour over the heated fish stock, cover the whole lot with a lid or some aluminium foil and lower the heat to a slow simmer. Poach the fish about 10 minutes on each side.


To serve, remove the fish with a slotted spoon, arrange on the plate and cover with some tomatoes and mushrooms. Pour a generous glug of the stock over the fish and in the plate. Serve with rice, salad, or fresh crusty bread. And the white wine. If you haven't drunk it all already...

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