Bulgogi-Style Squid

For the few avid readers of my blog, you might have noticed a trend in some of the posts.  That trend involves South Korean-inspired recipes.  (I say inspired because, let's admit it, I am not a professional chef, and, I am a total rookie at cooking South Korean food).  It began with my personal culinary challenge to cook a main course (and two appetizers) from South Korea, which was part of my Around the World in 80 Dishes.   That was followed by an effort to Ojingeo Bokkeum (South Korean Spicy Squid).  And, then, there was the efforts at experimentation, first with Gochujang Chicken and now this recipe, a effort to create a Bulgogi-style squid. 

I realize none of this actually comes close or even approximates true South Korean cuisine, but, there is something about the use of peppers -- whether Gochujang or Gochugaru -- that has gotten my attention.  The heat of the chiles used in South Korean cuisine are different than the chiles used in other cuisines, such as the Piri-Piri chile, the Ancho chile, or my beloved Hatch chile. 

This recipe goes in a different direction, away from the chiles toward bulgogi.  I have made one bulgogi recipe in the past ... Flank Steak Bulgogi.  I noted in that post that flank steak is technically not the right cut of beef for Bulgogi. (It is ribeye.)  Now, I am throwing everything to the wind and using perhaps one of the most un-Bulgogi of ingredients: namely, squid. This was an experiment in creativity and, for a first time, it worked out fairly well.  The sweet (honey and sugar) combined with the salty (soy sauce), tied together by garlic, ginger and sesame to produce a fairy tasty dish.  

BULGOGI-STYLE SQUID

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds of squid, cleaned, slice bodies in 1 inch pieces 

      tentacles

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon rice wine or mirin

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Prepare the squid.  Combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, honey, rice wine (or mirin), garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.  Add the squid and toss.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

2.  Cook the squid.  Heat a pan over medium high to high heat.  Add the squid in batches and cook covered for about 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent.  Once the squid is cooked, serve with rice and a side, like broccoli.

ENJOY!

Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir Fried Squid)

It has been a few weeks since I completed my personal culinary challenge to cook a main course based upon South Korean cuisine.  That was part of my Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge.  I focused my cooking on seafood as part of South Korean cuisine, with a grilled squid recipe, followed by a fresh oyster recipe and the main course of grilled fish.  The seafood dishes were very delicious.  

I was particularly intrigued with the use of the South Korean ground chiles (Gochugaru) and South Korean chile paste (Gochujang).  As someone who loves chiles and the heat, it seems only natural that I would be drawn to South Korean cuisine.  I recognize that not every South Korean dish is spicy, but there appears to be a fair share of dishes that utilize chiles for a good kick.  Those are the dishes that I want to explore. 

So, when I wanted to find another South Korean dish to make, I just chose a protein -- in this case, squid -- and searched "spicy South Korean squid."  I eventually found this dish, Ojungeo Bokkeum or Korean Spicy Stir Fried Squid.  This dish is similar to Olingeo Gui or spicy grilled squid. Rather than grilling the squid, one uses a wok to quickly fry the squid in the spicy marinade.  

I made a couple of adjustments from the recipe that I found.  First, I decided to keep the one inch strips of squid intact, because I felt that the rolling up of the squid during the cooking process would "create" small tubular versions of the squid.  Second, I sliced the onion thinner than what was called for in the recipe. I wanted the dish to focus more on the squid than the onion.  Two inch strips of scallions (which was what was called for in the original recipe) did not seem right.  I thinly sliced the scallions and sauteed them up in the manner called for in the recipe. In so doing, the scallions still figured into to the flavor of the dish, but the thinly sliced scallions allowed for the squid to be front and center in the dish. 

In the end, there is one thing that I can say with absolute certainty ... I want to use Gochargaru and Gochujang in every dish.

OJINGEO BOKKUM (KOREAN SPICY STIR FRIED SQUID)

Recipe adapted from from Kimchi Mom

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

1 pound squid, cleaned

2 tablespoons cooking oil

5 scallions, sliced thinly

1 green chile pepper, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1 stalk of a scallion, thinly sliced (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

1.  Prepare the sauce.  In a medium sized bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger, Gochargaru, soy sauce and Gochujang.  

2.  Prepare the squid.  Rinse the squid.  Cut the bodies lengthwise along the ridge.  Flatten it out so that the interior wall of the body is face up on the cutting board.  Scrape off the interior.  Lightly score a diamond pattern on the squid.  To do this, first score a set of parallel lines (about 1/2 inch apart).  Score a second set of lines crosswise at about 30 degrees to the first set of line. Cut the squid length wise in 1 inch strips.  Repeat until all of the squid is cut.  

3.  Marinade the squid.  Add the cut squid bodies and tentacles to the sauce and toss to ensure that all of the pieces are evenly coated.  Let it rest for about 20 minutes.  

4.  Cook the dish.  Heat the cooking oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add the green onions and pepper and saute until the onions start to wilt.  Add the marinated squid and cook until done, about 1 1/2 minutes or 2 minutes.  The squid will turn opaque and curl up, and the diamond pattern will be more apparent.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.  Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. 

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: South Korea

I always thought that when I got to that part of my Around the World in 80 Dishes personal culinary challenge -- the part in which I would a main course from South Korean cuisine -- that I would be making Bulgogi or Galbi.  It makes a lot of sense, especially given my carnivore ways. The thin slices of ribeye that make Bulgogi or the ribs that comprise Galbi seem right up my alley. However, this personal culinary challenge took a completely different turn.

This personal culinary challenge will focus on seafood.  This focus seems appropriate for a country with 1,499 miles of coastline.  With the Sea of Japan to the east (also known as the East Sea) and the Yellow Sea to the west, there is a wide variety of fish available. The fish include mackerel, sardine, anchovies, herring, sea bream, salmon and trout. One can also find clams, oysters and squid in both seas. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the records show that, as far back as the 12th century A.D., commoners ate a diet that consisted primarily of seafood that included shrimp, clams, and fish. 

Dried seafood is very popular in South Korea, with anchovies, corvina and croaker being the fish of choice for such preparations.  South Koreans also dry squid and cuttlefish. Historically, the drying of fish and other seafood was to ensure that these foods would be available during the winter. I did not have enough time to prepare dried seafood and, even if I did, I am not sure that would satisfy the challenge to prepare a main course of South Korean cuisine.  

APPETIZER

The South Korean challenge began with a search for a recipe for grilled squid.  I had a hankering to eat the cephalopods.  As I searched the Intenret, I came across a recipe for Ojingeo Gui from Korean Bapsaeng.  The article described how squid -- or ojingeo -- is "an essential and versatile ingredient in Korean cooking."  Another site, Maangchi, observed that the recipe was a staple in Korean bars.  (I presumed that all references were to South Korea, as opposed to North Korea.)

This recipe marks the first time that I have worked with two quintessential South Korean ingredients.  The first is gochujang, which is a savory and spicy, fermented red chile paste,  The second is gochugaru, which are Korean red chile pepper flakes. 

While the recipe looked very good, and it tasted very good too, I decided that the grilled squid dish was not enough for a main challenge.

OLINGEO GUI (SPICY GRILLED SQUID)

Recipe from Korean Bapsang

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds of squid

6 to 8 perillla leaves (kkaennoip) or spring mix, arugula, lettce, etc.

1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped scallion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

1 tablespoon Korean red chile pepper flakes (gochugaru)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons Korean red chili pepper paste (gochujang)

2 tablespoons Korean corn syrup (oligodang) or sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Pinch pepper

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Clean the squid.  If using whole squid, clean by carefully pulling the tentacles until the innards slip out of the body.  Use your fingers to reach inside the tube to remove any remaining parts.  Cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes. Remove the beak from the center of the tentacles.  Discard everything except the body and tentacles. Rinse the squids under cold running water and drain.

2.  Prepare the marinade.  In a bowl large enough to hold the squid, combine the marinade ingredients and stir well.  Add the squids and coat evenly with the marinade, and then marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  

3.  Grill the squid.  Heat a lightly oiled grill or a frying pan until very hot.  Add the squids and sear quickly until the squids curl up and turn opaque, about a minute depending upon the size of the squid.  Flip and cook another minute.  Base with the sauce if you like.  Remove the squid.  You can pour the remaining squid into the pan, bring to a boil, and use as an extra sauce.

4.  Serve the dish.  Plate the squid on the sliced leaves and any other vegetables of your choice.  Drizzle with lemon juice and garnish with a slice of lemon.

APPETIZER

Having come to the conclusion that I needed more than grilled squid for this challenge, I continued to look for recipes.  The next one that caught my attention was a recipe for seasoned fresh oysters, which is known as Gul Muchim.  This is a raw oyster recipe, but it is not just any recipe.  The oysters are bathed in a sauce of garlic, green onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil.  This was also a very good recipe, but, it too was not what I would consider to be a main course dish. 

GULMUCHIM (SEASONED FRESH OYSTERS)

Recipe from Maangchu

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 ounces fresh, cleaned, shucked oysters

1 garlic clove, minced

1 green onion, chopped

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Directions:

1.  Combine ingredients.  Combine oysters, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, hot pepper flakes, sugar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.

2.  Plate the dish.  Transfer the oysters to a dish and serve with rice.

MAIN COURSE

The main course for my personal challenge is Saengseon Gui (or Saengsun Gui), which is whole grilled fish.  The word Saengseon means fresh fish, and, as one could expect, it could be any whole fish pulled out of the water.  Many recipes call for mackerel, which can be found in both the Yellow Sea and the East Sea.  I saw whole mackerel in my local grocery store, but the smallest fish was three and one-half pounds and rather costly. That got me to thinking, grilled fish recipes can be made with both saltwater and freshwater fish. The store also had black bass, a freshwater fish, that was both smaller and cheaper.

Interestingly, there are black bass in South Korea.  The fish imported from Louisiana to South Korea and were introduced into three lakes around the peninsula by the government.  The government did all of this without performing any studies and, apparently without any planning.  During the rainy season, water was pumped out of those lakes to make room for the expected rainfall accumulation.  When the water was pumped out, so were black bass fry, who found a new home in the rivers of South Korea.  Soon the black bass, along with the bluegill (who were introduced into Korean waters a few years earlier) came to dominate the local river system.

It is said that South Koreans hate the black bass and, whenever they catch the fish, they leave it on the shore to die. I don't know if that is true, but it got me to thinking about how best to deal with invasive species. For example, the Asian carp is menacing the rivers in the United States. Yet, Andrew Zimmern -- a chef and the host of Bizarre Foods -- suggested a response ... eat it. The human appetite, when marshaled in the right way, can be the best check for the growth of an invasive species.

So, for this challenge, I have prepared Saengseon Gui using whole black sea bass.  I grilled the sea bass and filleted it for dinner and the presentation.  The bass produced two nice-sized fillets, which were perfect for my beautiful Angel and myself.  

SAENGSEON GUI (GRILLED FISH)

Recipe adapted from  Bap Story

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 whole fish 

Sea salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

1.  Prepare the fish.  Cur crosswise slashes on the skin side of each piece.  Pat the fish dry with a paper towel.  Drizzle lemon juice over the fish.  Season all sides liberally with salt.  Set aside for 20 minutes.  Remove any visible traces of salt before cooking.  

2.  Grill the fish. Clean and lightly oil the grill.  Preheat the grill over medium high heat.  Place the fish on the grill, skin side down.  Cook until the bottom edges are golden brown and the flesh turns opaque, about 2 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side for another minute or two.

3.  Finish the dish.  Carefully remove the head.  Remove one fillet using a spoon and fork along the spine and plate it.  Then remove the spine, leaving the other fillet, which can be plated.

*          *          *

This personal culinary challenge took me on a different road than previous ones. While the main course may perhaps been the easiest one to prepare, the entire journey -- beginning with the Olingeo Gui and continuing with Gul Muchim -- allowed me to experience different methods of preparing seafood in South Korea.  It is time to move onto the next challenge and to see path lies ahead for me.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Insalata di Calamari

When it comes to squid or calamari, there is a debate among some.  If you go to many restaurants and order calamari, you get rings.  Pale white rings (more often than not, overcooked and chewy).   The rings are sliced portions of the body or mantle of the squid.  They are also the most boring part of the animal.

For me, the best part of the squid are the tentacles.  Not only are the tentacles more interesting in a visual sense, but they also have a texture and taste that is far better than the cut rings of the body.  I think this preference is due to my love of octopus, which is only served in the form of tentacles.  Grill those tentacles, like the Barbecued Octopus with Arugula and Mint, and I am in heaven. Many people do not share my affinity for the tentacles of octopus or squid.  That is too bad for them, because they are missing out on a great food experience.  

This recipe -- Insalata di Calamari -- is a very simple and very tasty way to incorporate not just those rings, but the tentacles.  The simple part of the recipe is the boiling of the squid for a couple of minutes.  That is the beauty of squid.  It cooks fast.  That beauty is also deceptive, because a minute too long in the boiling water, and you are left with a chewy mess.  If you can cook that squid right, the rest falls into place.  Some white beans, lemon juice and red onions.  Garnish with some chopped parsley.  The end product is an amazing, healthy salad that will become a go to for a dinner any night or a nice dish to serve to guests. 

INSALATA DI CALAMARI

Recipe adapted from Oscar Farinetti, How to Eataly at pg. 232

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound calamari, bodies and tentacles

16 ounces of cooked white beans
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

Directions:

1.  Bring a pot of water to boiling over high heat.  Add the calamari and cook until opaque, for 1 to 2 minutes.  Drain  and, while still warm, toss some cooked white beans and sliced onion.

2. Whisk together the lemon juice and extra virgin oil oil and dress the salad.  Refrigerate until chilled.

3.  Serve with an additional spritz of lemon juice and some minced flat leaf parsley.

ENJOY!

Rigatoni with Shrimp, Calamari and Basil

Recently, my parents came to visit and spend some time with us and our little guy.  My mother brought a recipe that she wanted to make for dinner.  The recipe was for Rigatoni with Shrimp, Calamari and Basil.  My mother found the recipe online through Epicurious.  The original source was a recipe by Chef Michael White, which was printed in Bon Appetit.

Chef White is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of AltaMarea,  a restaurant group that includes Marea, which means "tide" in Italian.  Marea is Chef White's "ode to Italian seafood." Chef White describes Marea as "redefin[ing] the seascape of high-end Italian cuisine serving regional foods of Italy that are heavily influenced by ingredients drawn from the four bodies of water that surround the boot." Given the restaurant has two Michelin stars, as well as being part of Relais & Chateaux, one can assume that Chef White has done an excellent job of redefining the seascape of Italian seafood dishes.

This particular dish focuses on two seafood ingredients that are very common from Liguria to Calabria, Venice to Apulia, and all points in between: shrimp and squid.  These ingredients find themselves in a wide variety of dishes, including many that I have previously prepared, such as my Brodetto dei Pescatore di Abruzzo (Abruzzese Fishermen's Stew) and Seafood Risotto.

For this recipe, my mother and I used 16 to 20 count shrimp (i.e., there are approximately 16 to 20 shrimp per pound).  The recipe requires reserving half of the shrimp for a finely chopped mixture that is incorporated into the sauce, with the rest being sauteed and added to the pasta at the end.  After setting aside the requisite number of shrimp, I was still able to ensure at least three shrimp per serving.  You can use smaller counts of shrimp, such as 26/30, which will guarantee more whole shrimp for each dish.  I would not use shrimp any smaller than 26/30, because the smaller sizes take away from the presentation. 

My mother and I also used whole calamari bodies, but not the tentacles, as the recipe directs.  I really wanted to use the tentacles, because I think that the tentacles provide an interesting element to the presentation and that they are very delicious.  However, my mother disagrees on both counts.  So, we bought the squid bodies and prepared them in accordance with the directions.

When it came to preparing the shrimp and the squid, I got to work with my dad (who is also a very good cook himself).  We de-shelled and de-veined the shrimp, as well as double-checked the squid to make sure that it was thoroughly cleaned and prepped for use in the dish.

The best part of this recipe is the fact that I got to make it with my mom and dad.  Unfortunately, opportunities for me to cook with my parents are few and far between, because of time and distance.  I really enjoy the time that I spend with my mom and dad in the kitchen.  Since I started cooking, my mother has shared recipes, such as the Bolek Family Tomato Sauce and the Bolek Family Standing Rib Roast, that have become some of my most treasured recipes.  I wish that I had more opportunities to cook with my parents and to create more such enjoyable and memorable experiences. 

RIGATONI WITH SHRIMP, CALAMARI AND BASIL

Recipe by Chef Michael White, printed in Bon Appetit
Collaboration between Chef Bolek and his Mom and Dad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, divided

14 ounces cleaned calamari (bodies only, tentacles reserved 

     for another use)

12 ounces rigatoni pasta

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 cups of thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only, about 3 large)

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 8 ounce bottle of clam juice

1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

3/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

1.  Prepare the shrimp and calamari.  Place half of the shrimp in a medium bowl.  Slice half of the calamari crosswise into 1/3 inch wide rings and place in a small bowl.  Coarsely chop remaining shrimp and calamari, place in processor.  Blend until shrimp mixture is finely chopped.  Transfer to another bowl.

2.  Cook the pasta.  Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling.  Cook pasta until just tender but still firm to bit, stirring occasionally.

3.  Make the sauce.   Heat 5 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add leeks, garlic and crushed red pepper.  Saute until leeks are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes.  Add chopped shrimp mixture, stir until shrimp and calamari are just opaque, about 2 minutes.  Add clam juice and peas, simmer until flavors blend, about 3 minutes.  Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set sauce aside, cover to keep warm.

4.  Saute the shrimp and calamari.  Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add reserved whole shrimp and saute for 2 minutes.  Add calamari rings to shrimp, sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until just opaque, about two minutes longer.  Remove from heat. 

5.  Complete the dish.  Drain pasta and return to the same pot.  Add the chopped shrimp and calamari sauce, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 cup basil and toss to blend.   Divide pasta among 4 bowls.  Top each serving with sauteed shrimp mixture, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of basil.  Serve with additional grated cheese.

Finally, the recipe suggested pairing  this dish with a dry white with a hint of acidity like a Benito Ferrara Greco di Tufo (Italy, $25) or a Falanghina dei Feudi di San Gregorio (Calabria, $15).

ENJOY!

Grilled Seafood with a Romesco Sauce

A few weeks back, my beautiful Angel and I hosted our wine club dinner.  The theme of the Wine Club was "The F Word," or the recipes of Chef Gordon Ramsay.  I really wanted to focus on some of the cooking that inspires the Chef.  I have watched a lot of his shows, including The F Word and Gordon Ramsay's Great Escapes.  I also searched through many of his recipes to make sure each course would have distinct flavors and ingredients.

For the first course, we made Grilled Seafood with a Romesco Sauce.  The recipe is heavily influenced by Spanish cuisine.  With all of its coastline, from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Ocean, Spain is particularly well known for its seafood.  I have watched many a food show about Spanish cuisine, only to see the fresh seafood, such as sardines, tuna and squid.  

I was able to find some very large squid at a local Asian supermarket.  These squid were perfect because their thick bodies would stand up well to the grilling.  There are a couple drawbacks to using these large squid.  First, they are whole squid, which means they have to be cleaned.  The best thing to do is to first chop off the head, remove the beak and set aside the tentacles. After that, take a pair of poultry shears (or scissors) and cut down the top of the body very carefully.  You have to do your best not to disturb the internal organs.  (If you do, you could end up with a big mess.)  Once you have cut down the length of the body, you can remove the internal organs and everything else until you have a large squid steak.  You should then score the inside of the squid to make a hatch-like pattern.  This helps with the second problem.  The large squid tend to be tougher and a little chewier than the smaller ones that you usually find in a grocery store.  It is said that scoring the squid helps to make the large squid more tender to eat.  

As for the other principal component, romesco sauce originated in the Catalonian city of Tarragona. It is said that local fishermen made the sauce to be served with their catch.  The principal ingredients of the sauce -- roasted peppers, almonds, vinegar and olive oil -- are combined to produce a sauce that is not only perfect for seafood, but also works with any other protein (especially chicken or pork).  Romesco sauce even goes well with just some crusty, rustic bread.

Overall, this recipe produced a very good start to our wine club dinner.  While it may not have reached the standards of a Michelin star chef like Chef Ramsay, I think it both the flavors and the plating were fairly good for me.  

GRILLED SEAFOOD WITH A ROMESCO SAUCE

Recipe from Gordon Ramsay's Cookery Course

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the seafood):

4 medium to large squid, prepared and cleaned

12 king prawns, shell on

2 tablespoons of parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Ingredients (for the romesco sauce):

2 red peppers

1 thick slice of ciabatta or farmhouse white bread,

     crusts removed and torn into chunks

Olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

3 vine ripe tomatoes (like plum)  on the vine

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 tablespoons of blanched almonds, toasted

     and roughly chopped

1 lemon, juiced

1-2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar

Sea salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Make the romesco sauce.  Heat a grill until very hot.  Put the peppers on a foil lined baking tray and place under the grill.  Cook for 5 minutes turning regularly until he skin is blackened and blistered all over.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.  

2.  Continue making the romesco sauce.  Cook the bread chunks for 2 minutes in a small frying pan with a dash of oil, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute until the garlic is tender and the bread toasted.  By this stage, the peppers should have cooled and it will be easy to peel and rub off the charred skins.  Peel, deseed and roughly chop them, then place in a blender.  Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the peppers with the bread and garlic.  Blitz to form a rough paste.

3.  Continue making the romesco sauce.  Add the smoked paprika, chile flakes, almonds, lemon juice, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper to the blender and blitz until well mixed.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  With the motor running, slowly pour in 6 tablespoons of olive oil.  Taste and adjust the seasoning again if necessary.  Allow the sauce to come to room temperature and stir well before serving. 

4.  Grill the seafood.  Heat a griddle pan over high heat until hot.  Lightly score one side of the squid in a diamond pattern before cutting into strips.  Toss the prawns and squid together in a little olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper.  Place the prawns on the hot griddle and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.  Starting diamond side up, cook the squid for about 1 minute on each side.  Leave it to curl up and give it a furhter minute until just cooked.

5.  Plate the dish.   Serve the seafood hot, garnished with parsley, and with the romesco pepper sauce alongside.

ENJOY!

Crispy Salt and Pepper Squid with a Cucumber Salad

In a land where the food airwaves are dominated by Food Network, one can understandably look elsewhere for inspiration.  Rather than watching shows like Diners Dives and Drive-Ins, Semi-Homemade Meals and What is Brian Boitano Cooking, I find myself watching shows like Hell's Kitchen and MasterChef.  Both of those shows feature Gordon Ramsay, but they reveal very little about his cooking.  I found myself channel surfing again, only to stop at a show called the F-Word. 

When it comes to Gordon Ramsay, who built his reputation on being a brash, straightforward chef, the "F Word" could have a couple of meanings.  In this case, the "F Word" means food.  What sets the F-Word apart from other Ramsay shows is that the F-Word shows Gordon Ramsay cooking dishes and providing the recipes for the viewers.  One such recipe is Gordon Ramsay's Crispy Salt and Pepper Squid with a Cucumber Salad.

Of course, the recipe comes with that thought of Gordon Ramsay critiquing you from a distance.  As I made this recipe, I thought "what would the Chef say?"  Those thoughts became more and more frequent as it became clear as I struggled with the breading of the calamari.  In the end, I do not think that Chef Ramsey would have approved of the dish because the breading did not adhere to the calamari as much as I think he would expect.  There was still enough breading left that you could taste the peppercorns and Chinese five spice with every bite of the squid.  In any event,  I am not cooking on any of his shows and I have the opportunity to practice the dish before the rather unforeseeable event that I should find myself on one of those programs.

CRISPY SALT AND PEPPER SQUID WITH A CUCUMBER SALAD

Recipe by Gordon Ramsay

Available at BBC America

and BBC Good Food

Ingredients (for the squid):

3/4 pound squid, both bodies and tentacles
1 tablespoon of Szechuan peppercorns
     (or substitute black peppercorns, with 1/2 teaspoon of red chile flakes)
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 tablespoon sea salt
8 tablespoons of corn flour
Vegetable oil for frying

Ingredients (for the salad):
1 cucumber, peeled and shaved into thin ribbons
1 carrot, peeled and shaved into thin ribbons
1 chile, diced finely
1 to 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 pinch of sugar
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup of cilantro leaves
Lime slices, for serving

Directions: 
1.  Prepare the squid. Crush together the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt with a pestle and mortar then mix with the flours. Slit the squid hoods down one side, open out then score the inside lightly in a criss-cross pattern. Cut into bite-size pieces.  Add the squid to the flour and toss to coat the squid as much as possible.

2.  Prepare the salad.  Combine all of the ingredients, mix thoroughly.

3.  Fry the squid.  Fill a large pan or wok 1/3 full with oil. Heat until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Coat the squid pieces in the flour, shaking off the excess, and fry for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Serve with lemon wedges.

ENJOY!

Grilled Calamari with a Red Pepper Sauce

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of cooking a three course meal for my parents.  The theme of the meal was two fold: (1) grilled dishes and (2) most of the ingredients were to come from the West Side Market in Cleveland, Ohio.  My first dish was Grilled Apricots, Burrata and Arugula Salad, which was very good.  The second dish was an appetizer: grilled calamari with a red pepper sauce.

This recipe is a simplified version of a recipe that I found on Saveur's website.  The reason that this recipe is "simplified" is the lack of access to certain ingredients, such as aji dolce peppers and sherry vinegar.  I decided that I would simply make my own red pepper sauce that would parallel a romesco sauce.  A romesco sauce is a Spanish sauce made with roasted peppers and almonds that is often served with seafood.  However, a romesco sauce is very versatile and it can be served with really any kind of meat, including beef, chicken and turkey.

This dish was the least faithful to my theme, because the key ingredients -- calamari, roasted peppers and almonds -- came from the grocery store rather than the West Side Market.  The reason is that, by the time I got to the seafood vendor, the calamari was picked over and what was left was really too small to grill.  I really wanted a nice combination of big bodies and tentacles.  I also had to get the peppers and almonds from the grocery store, although I could have bought some red peppers and roasted them on the grill and then pureed them.  Even though this aspect of my theme fell short, the dish itself still worked out very well.

One final note: the calamari should be grilled whole.  It is not worth the effort to grill calamari rings.  The reason is that the rings will cook too fast and spend only about a minute or two total on the grill.  I wanted to keep the calamari on the grill for as long as I could without overcooking it.  So, look for large bodies and good sized tentacles for this dish. After grilling the calamari, you could serve the bodies whole, which I did, or cut them into rings. 

GRILLED CALAMARI WITH A RED PEPPER SAUCE

Recipe adapted from Saveur

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of calamari, bodies and tentacles

1 jar of roasted red peppers
1/4 cup of sliced almonds, toasted
2 cloves of garlic, diced finely
2 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/4 to 1/2 of olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1.  Make the red pepper sauce.  Combine the red peppers, toasted almonds, flat leaf parsley, garlic, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper in a blender.  Blend the ingredients, and add the olive oil slowly in a stream.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Move the sauce into a small saucepan and heat the sauce.  Do not let the sauce come to a boil.

2.  Grill the calamari.  Thread the squid bodies on skewers, about two bodies per skewer.  Thread the tentacles on a separate skewer.  Baste the squid bodies and tentacles liberally with olive oil.  Heat a grill to medium heat (about 300 degrees Fahrenheit).  Place the skewers on the grill.  Grill the skewers about two minutes per side.

3.  Plate the dish.   Place a couple of squid bodies on a plate, with a couple of the tentacles.  Spoon the sauce over the squid. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Grilled Calamari Salad

When I looking for frog legs to make Grenouille à la Provençale, I saw something that I had never seen before in a grocery store ... large, whole squid.  I am not talking about the little white cones and small tentacles that one usually sees  in the seafood section of most grocery stores.  Those are baby squid.  This particular grocery store had much larger squid, measuring nearly a foot long.  And, while I recognize that squid can grow to as large as forty-three feet long, these foot-long specimens were the largest that I had ever seen in a grocery store.  So, of course, I had to cook with them.

The first question that came to mind is how to prepare the squid.  Fry, saute, or grill.  I settled on the last option, primarily because of the size of the squid.  The only issues with respect to grilling the squid are (1) to ensure that the squid does not become to tough to eat; and (2) to ensure that the squid remains flat during grilling to guarantee even cooking.  The first issue is resolved by the technique recommended for cooking large squid generally ... scoring the inside of the bodies.  Small squid are popular because they are tender.  As a squid grows in side, the meat becomes tougher and more chewy.  By scoring the inside of the bodies, it makes the large squid a little more tender.  As for the second issue, the use of skewers would keep the squid flat as they were grilled. 

The next question was how to serve the squid.  I answered that question with a salad.  It is a healthy option so long as you are mindful of what you add to the salad.  In this instance, I added some diced, roasted bell pepper, some red onions marinated in balsamic vinegar and some tomatoes.  The effort was definitely a success, both with respect to the squid and the salad. 

GRILLED CALAMARI SALAD

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

3 whole squid bodies

Juice from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

Juice from 1 lime

1 teaspoon of lime zest

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Pinch of dried thyme

Ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 bell pepper

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar

2-4 cups of baby arugula

Skewers

Directions:

1.  Prepare the squid. Clean the squid.  Using a small sharp knife carefully cut to separate the innards from the back of the body.  Pull out the head and the innards carefully, making sure not to break any of the insides.  Wash the inside and outside of the squid thoroughly.  Using a sharp, thin knife, fine the seam of the squid body (where the backbone/cartilage was) and slice through to open the squid body until it lays flat.  Score the inside of the squid body carefully, making sure that you do not pierce the meat.  

2.  Marinate the squid.  Combine the juice of the lemon and lime, along with the zest, sea salt, sugar, crushed red pepper, thyme, black pepper and olive oil.  Stir well.  Add the bodies and tentacles to the marinade.  Marinate the squid for no more than thirty minutes.  

3.  Roast the bell pepper and marinate the onions.  If you have a gas range, place the bell pepper over one element on high heat.  Blacken the skin, use tongs to rotate the pepper and continue to roast until the pepper is blackened on all sides.  Let the pepper cool down.  Once you can handle the pepper, peel off all of the black skin under a little running water.  Dice the bell pepper.  Also, place the sliced red onions in the balsamic vinegar.  Toss and let sit for about twenty minutes. 

4.  Grill the squid. Soak some skewers in water.  Thread the squid bodies with the skewers so that they will lie flat when grilled.  Also wrap the tentacles around skewers.   Heat the grill on high heat. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

Generally speaking, squid is the type of seafood that pairs best with a white wine.  The grilling of the squid opens up options both for light, fruity whites -- such as a Pinot Grigio -- as well as more rounded whites like a Chardonnay.  Both Clare and I paired this recipe with the following Chardonnay:

Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard -- Chardonnay (2010)

100% Chardonnay grapes

Comus, Maryland, USA

Flavors of pears and apples

ENJOY!

Cacciucco

One of my favorite Italian dishes is a seafood stew that varies region-by-region.  I have made a couple versions of this stew, inspired by the brodettos of Abruzzo.  The Tuscans have their own version called "Cacciucco" (kah-CHOO-koh).  I thought it was time to learn a little more about the Tuscan stew and try to make it for myself and my beautiful Angel, Clare.

The word "Cacciucco" comes from the Turkish word, Kϋçϋk, which means "small."  This is a reference to the fish used to make the dish, all of which are usually small, boney fish.  These fish are the pesce povero or "poor fish," which were left over from the catch.  The fish were left over because they were too small or too boney to sell in the market. The pesce povero usually included Black Scorpionfish, Atlantic Stargazer, Dogfish and Weeverfish. 

Few of those fish are available around where I live, so the suggested fish for this recipe include sole, mullet, catfish, eel, hake, monkfish, and John Dory.  Many of these fish -- such as sole, hake and monkfish -- are endangered because of overfishing or are unsustainable because the fishing methods used to catch the fish result in an unacceptable amount of bycatch or environmental damage.  I try hard to make sure that I follow the guidelines for sustainable seafood in my cooking.  Therefore, for my Cacciucco, I decided to use Rockfish and Vermillion Snapper, both of which have been designated as sustainable. I also used some squid and some cherrystone clams.  This dish was very good and, like the brodettos, I will definitely make it again.

CACCIUCCO

Adapted from LivornoNow

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of fish and shellfish

1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 small handful of parsley, chopped
1 can of San Marzano, whole peeled tomatoes 

8 thick slices Italian bread
Extra virgin olive oil
1 bayleaf
Thyme
Sage
Chile pepper
2 teaspoons of vinegar
1 glass dry red wine (e.g. Chianti)
Salt and pepper

2 cups of seafood broth

Directions:

1.  Prepare the seafood.  Wash all the fish. Clean the squid and wash shellfish.  Wash shellfish carefully and place in a large pan to open them.  Conserve the liquid and half of the shell with the clam or mussel.

2.  Prepare the base of the Cacciucco.  In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and lightly fry the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and parsley, all finely chopped. Add the chile, thyme, sage and bayleaf.

3.  Add the squid, followed by the vinegar, red wine and tomatoes.  Add the squid to the base and cook for a few minutes.  Add the vinegar. When the vinegar has evaporated, add the red wine and cook til this has evaporated as well. Add the tomatoes, chopped, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.  Add the remaining ingredients.  When the  squid is tender, add the fish stock (strained), the remaining fish, and in the last few minutes the shellfish.  Cook until the fish and shellfish are cooked through, with the fish about to flake apart and the shell fish are opaque/

5.  Plate the dish.  Toast the bread and rub with garlic. Place the slices in the bottom of a dish and pour the Cacciucco over the bread. Serve hot.  (there should be plenty of sauce, but the Cacciucco should not be too liquid).

ENJOY!

For more information about Cacciucio, check out LivornoNow.

Chipirones con Cebolla Caramelizada (Baby Squid with Caramelized Onions)

This dish, baby squid with caramelized onions, is another dish that comes from Jose Andres' cookbook, Made in Spain.  Like the Vieiras con Albariño, this dish is fairly straightforward.  In addition, I have made stuffed calamari in the past, so I have some experience trying to make this dish.  Those prior experiences were helpful for remembering two important things about making stuffed squid dishes as Chipirones con Cebolla Caramelizada.  First, patience is a virtue and it is needed when trying to stuff a mixture into the small bodies of squid.  Second, never put too much stuffing in the squid bodies.  Many stuffings will expand under the heat of the oven; and, if packed too tightly, the stuffing can cause the squid bodies to break open.  

Keeping those two things in mind, a stuffed squid dish is not only delicious, but is also a sustainable dish.  According to Seafood Watch, most squid sold in the United States comes from countries such as China, South Korea, India, Thailand and Taiwan.  The squid are caught using jigs or trawls, which minimize bycatch.  However, the extent of the squid populations is unknown, so it is not possible to give a definite endorsement as truly sustainable.  Most conservation websites and seafood monitoring sites, like Seafood Watch, give the thumbs up to squid.

This dish, like the Veirias con Albariño, is a very delicious dish.  I am definitely looking forward to making more dishes from José Andrés cookbook in the future.

CHIPIRONES CON CEBELLA CARAMELIZADA

(BABY SQUID WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS)

From Made in Spain at page 163

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil (Spanish is preferred, but Italian or Greek will work well too)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 medium Spanish onion, sliced finely
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup plus two tablespoons of white wine (like Albariño wine)
8 whole small squid bodies, cleaned with tentacles separated
Sea salt to taste
1 teaspoons of flat leaf parsley, chopped finely

Directions:

1.  Saute the onions and garlic.  Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a saute pan over low heat.  Add 3/4 of the garlic and saute until golden, about one minute.  Add the onion, pepper and bay leaf, increase the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for about twenty minutes.  Add the wine and continue to cook until alcohol evaporates, which should be about five minutes.  

2. Saute the tentacles and stuff the calamari.  Chop four of the squid tentacles and add them to the onion.  Cook for a couple more minutes.  Set mixture aside to cool.  When the mixture is cool, stuff each of the squid bodies with the mixture.  If there is any extra mixture, set it aside and keep it warm.

3.  Cook the calamari. Season the stuffed tubes and remaining tentacles with salt.  Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Add the stuffed tubes and tentacles, cooking until they are brown.  This should take about two minutes per side.  Stir in the remaining garlic and parsley.  Remove from heat.

4.  Plate the dish.  Divide any remaining onion mixture amongst the four plates.  Top each plate with the tubes and tentacles, drizzling any sauce from the saute pan.

ENJOY!

Roasted Red Chili Seafood Stir Fry with Lime Jasmine Rice

I planned on making a red curry one night except I inadvertently bought a jar of roasted red chili paste rather than the red curry paste.  So, I improvised and the curry turned into a stir-fry.  I used the roasted red chili paste in this dish and combined it with some sweet curry powder.  The end result is rather tasty.

This is a mixed seafood stir fry so, really, anything goes.  Having made a lot of fish recently, I decided that I would stick to other seafood, such as scallops, squid and shrimp.  The key to this dish, which is the key to any mixed seafood dish, is timing.  Scallops take longer than squid.  Both scallops and squid take longer than shrimp.  The size of the seafood can further change all of the cooking times.  The times in this recipe are approximate.  Cooking seafood is best done with your eyes, watching the seafood go from their "translucent" state to opaque.  When you see that start to happen, add the next seafood. 

ROASTED RED CHILI SEAFOOD STIR FRY WITH LIME JASMINE RICE

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-3

Ingredients (for the rice):
1 cup of jasmine rice
2 limes
Zest from one of the limes
2 cups of water

Ingredients for the stir fry:
1/2 pound of cleaned squid
1/2 pound of 16-20 count shrimp, shelled and deveined
4-6 sea scallops
2 shallots, sliced thinly
1 green pepper, sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic, diced
3 teaspoons of roasted red chili paste
2 teaspoons of sweet curry powder
4 tablespoons of canola oil
1 heirloom tomato, sliced into quarters or eighths

Directions:

1.  Make the rice.  Pour the rice in the bowl.  Take one lime and squeeze the juice over the rice, making sure that the rice absorbs the lime.  Heat the water on high.  Once the water begins to boil, add the rice and juice from the second lime.  Reduce the heat and cook until the rice absorbs the water.

2.  Cook the vegetables.  Heat the oil in a wok on medium high.  Add the shallots, green pepper and garlic.  Add two of the teaspoons of roasted red chili paste and one teaspoon of sweet curry powder.  Saute for five to seven minutes until the vegetables are well cooked.

3.  Cook the scallops and squid.  Move the vegetables to the side of the wok, but keep the oil on the other side.  Turn up the heat a little. Add the scallops and cook until the scallops begin to become opaque and browned on the bottom, which should take four to five minutes.   Flip the scallops and then add the squid.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of the red chili paste and 1/2 teaspoon of the sweet curry powder.  Stir to mix the paste and powder amongst the scallops and squid.  Continue to cook the scallops and squid, stirring and flipping the squid to make sure that it is cooked on all sides. 

4.  Add shrimp and tomatoes.  When the squid becomes opaque, which should be about another five to six minutes, add the shrimp and heirloom tomatoes.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of the red chili paste and 1/2 teaspoon of the sweet curry powder.  Stir to mix the paste and powder amongst the seafood ingredients.    Add 1/2 teaspoon of the red chili paste and 1/2 teaspoon of the sweet curry powder.  Continue to cook until the shrimp becomes opaque.  Stir all of the vegetables with the seafood.

5.  Plate the dish. Plate the rice in the center and spoon the seafood over the rice.  You could also place the rice to one side and spoon the seafood on the other side.  Garnish with the lime zest.

For a dish that I created on the fly, this turned out fairly well. The roasted red chili paste and the sweet curry powder blended well together.  The different seafood worked well together as well.  I liked the green pepper in the dish, but I think other vegetables may also work well.  I would suggest a crisp white wine, such as a Riesling or Pinot Grigio for this dish.

ENJOY!

Brodetto dei Pescatori di Abruzzo (Abruzzese Fishermen's Stew)

Back in April 2008, I posted the very first recipe on Chef Bolek, which was a recipe for Brodetto alla Pecarese.  This recipe was not just any recipe; instead, it represented a few firsts for me.  It was the first time that I took several recipes for a dish and tried to navigate my way through them -- taking bits from each one -- to create a dish that I could call my own.  It was also the first dish that I "mastered," with some (including myself) calling it my "signature dish."  Finally, it was the first time that I actively researched  a recipe so that I could understand the various ingredients and cooking processes for the recipe (as opposed to simply following a recipe).  Looking back over the past two and one-half years, I've seen that my cooking skills (and blogging skills) have grown a lot.  And, for the first recipe of this new year, I decided that I would return to where it all started.

Generally, a brodetto is a stew made by fishermen along the coast of the Adriatic Sea in cities like Venice and regions like Emilia-Romagna, Le Marche and Abruzzo.  Brodetto was the food of the poor; it was made by fishermen from the catch that was not good enough for the market or by their wives from the fish and seafood that did not sell at the market.  Brodettos were not considered the food of high society or even the middle class.  It was the food of the working poor, and, as is often the case, that food can often rival the food prepared in the finest restaurants.

Perhaps the fact that Brodetto was basically considered "peasant fare" is what attracted me to this dish, but it could also be the fact that Brodetto can vary significantly from region to region.  Fishermen used to use whatever fish, shellfish or other catch was on hand, as well as other local ingredients.  For example, in Abruzzo, fishermen would add a lot pepperoncino or crushed red pepper flakes, because peppers are used a lot in the local cuisine.  Many recipes for Abruzzese brodettos also call for the use of saffron, because farmers cultivated the flower in the fields near the capital of Aquila.  While I usually include saffron in the brodetto, it is to acknowledge a local ingredient.  I recognize that most fishermen do not have ready access to such an ingredient.

When making brodetto, there are a few things to keep in mind.  First, a Brodetto uses a couple types of fish and a couple types of other seafood, such as shellfish or squid; however, when you are only making it for yourself or for a couple of people, I use one type of fish and a couple types of other seafood, usually shrimp and squid.  Second, you can use either whole fish or fillets.  I generally prefer to use fillets because it is easier to cook the fish along with the other seafood.   Finally, I try to use a white wine that from the region in which I am basing the brodetto.  In Abruzzo, that would be a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo; however, that wine can sometimes be hard to find.  So, any dry white wine -- or for that matter -- any white wine from an area close to the region would be okay to use.  When making this recipe, I used an Orvieto, which is a white wine from the neighboring Umbria region.

BRODETTO DEI PESCATORI DI ABRUZZO (Abruzzese Fishermen's Stew)
A Chef Bolek Original

                                                                 Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1 pound of fish (such as red snapper, bluefish, turbot and/or tilapia)
1/2 pound of shrimp, preferably U-12 or 16/20 count shrimp
1/3 pound of cleaned squid (both heads and body)
1 can of whole tomatoes (canned with tomato puree and basil)
1 can of water
1 cup of a dry white wine (such as a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo or Orvieto)
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 medium sized shallot, diced
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme
1 large pinch of saffron stands
1 tablespoon of fresh basil, chiffonade
2 bay leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley, chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Ground peppercorns, to taste
Baguette, sliced

Directions:

1.  Saute onions and garlic.  Pour the olive oil into a pot and heat to medium. Add the onion and shallots and cook for about ten minutes until the onions are translucent.  Then add the garlic. Continue to saute the onions, shallots and garlic for about two to three minutes more.  

2.  Add tomatoes, liquid and spices.  Add the whole tomatoes and, with a potato masher, work to break up the tomatoes.  Then add the white wine and the water.  Mix the ingredients together with a slotted spoon, continuing to break up the tomatoes. Add the crushed red pepper, saffron, bay leaves, salt and ground pepper. Continue to stir until everything is well incorporated.  This is the base of the brodetto and it should simmer for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3.  Add seafood to broth.  Add the fish and allow the fish to cook for about four to five minutes or until the fish begins to become opaque.  Add the squid and continue to cook for about three to four minutes or until the squid starts to becomes opaque.  Add the shrimp and continue to cook until the shrimp is opaque. 

4.  Finish the dish.  Remove the brodetto from the heat. Toast the baguette slices and put a slice at the bottom of each bowl. Spoon the brodetto into each bowl and top the brodetto with flat leaf parsley.

ENJOY!

For more information about Brodetto, check out About.com.