Bottega by Michael Chiarello & Claudia Sansone

Author:Michael Chiarello & Claudia Sansone [Chiarello, Michael & Sansone, Claudia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780811875394
Publisher: IB Dave's Library
Published: 2010-09-29T10:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Fish and Shellfish

Pesce Ed I Molluschi

My Italian ancestors were landlocked in the mountains of Calabria, so they ate only fish that could travel for three days. The Chiarellos/Aiellos would have walked a donkey down the mountain to the sea, caught their sardines and anchovies, salted them, and loaded them back on the donkey for the trip home.

Even though I was born in California, those traditions made their way through generations and flavored the fish that my family ate. We caught sardines and grass shrimp and had big fish only when someone went to Monterey and came back with a fresh catch. We went every year to Coos Bay, Oregon, where we met up with about fifty cousins to dig for clams, go crabbing, and can some albacore tuna (you can find that recipe, Tuna Conserva). Crab was a big deal every Christmas, but that was because we were within a day’s drive of San Francisco Bay.

The menu at Bottega shows a great respect for the big fish like salmon and swordfish, but it also reveals my fondness for the fish that Chiarellos have eaten for many generations. The brodetto, for example, is a fisherman’s stew, humble in origin and yet sultry and sexy with its accents of Spanish paprika and saffron. This is a signature dish that our regular guests order again and again.

Bottega has also become known for octopus with a recipe I created while cooking for the king of Thailand in Bangkok. I like that these dishes are Italian in origin but they’ve been influenced by a wide variety of cultures.

The one thing that’s changed since those Chiarellos of old salt-packed their anchovies—today we feel a responsibility to become better stewards of the oceans and marine life. I’m a big fan of the Web site www.seafoodwatch.org, maintained by the inspirational Monterey Bay Aquarium. Please check it before purchasing fish. Because I cook fish every day, I have a good idea of what’s sustainable, but I still visit the site periodically to see what’s new on their list.

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