March 2023

 

 

This month, one of our most experienced chefs, Paolo Tarantino, presents us with one of his best-loved recipes, a simple and tasty Mediterranean dish with a very special history.

 

First of all, tell us a little about yourself, your career and your time with MSC Cruises. 
"I'm originally from Milan, Italy, and I inherited a passion for cooking from my mother, who is an exceptional cook. Seeing the smile and satisfaction of our guests has always given me a sense of fulfilment. I studied at catering school and worked in several large hotels in Italy and abroad until, on the advice of a chef friend, I ventured into the world of cruises. Working as a chef on board a ship has allowed me to travel the world, discover new ingredients and recipes and, above all, meet a multicultural staff and share my passion with them. Nowadays, I am in charge of coordinating the chefs on board MSC Cruise ships."

How did this dish come about, what inspired you? 
"My homeland, Italy, and its history were the inspiration behind this dish. I thought of Garibaldi who, starting from Quarto, in Genoa, arrived in Sicily and unified Italy. This dish includes Panissa, a Genoese specialty, Caponata, a Sicilian delicacy and Sea bass, a typical fish found all across the western Mediterranean. The sea asparagus, which grows in the water near the shore, represents the land that Garibaldi united. All the ingredients blend into one another with no one flavour dominating the others."

It's a really fascinating and mouth-watering story! On which ship can you enjoy this dish? 
"This dish is normally served on Grand Voyages, to and from the Mediterranean, while the ship is in those waters."

 

 

INGREDIENTS AND QUANTITIES FOR 4 PEOPLE

 

2 whole Mediterranean Sea bass or 4 fillets of 140 g each - 30 g butter - Sea bass stock (fishbones, celery, carrots, onions and thyme to taste)

 

For the Panissa

500 g of chickpea flour - 2 litres of water, olive oil and salt - Grapeseed oil for frying

 

For the vegetable Caponata
200 g aubergines - 200 g onions - 50 g celery - 100 g red peppers - 100 g green peppers - 400 g vine tomatoes - garlic, thyme, fresh bay leaves - 1 tablespoon of tomato paste - 50 ml extra virgin olive oil - sugar to taste - apple-cider vinegar to taste

 

For the sea asparagus
200 g Salicornia - garlic, extra virgin olive oil, black pepper - 40 g Kalamata olives

 

 

PREPARATION

 

Let's start by preparing the Panissa, which requires a few hours in the fridge.
Bring half of the water to the boil and salt lightly. Place the remaining water in a large container and dissolve the previously sieved chickpea flour. When the water boils, pour a small amount onto the softened chickpea flour, mixing vigorously with the whisk. Cook for at least 20 minutes, continuing to stir and add olive oil. Blend together then pour on to a plate covered with clingfilm and spread out to a thickness of 1cm. Cover the Panissa with more clingfilm and leave to harden in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Then cut into rectangles of about 2 cm, heat the grapeseed oil and fry the Panissa. Drain it and leave it on some kitchen roll.
Now let's move on to preparing the fish, vegetable Caponata and sea asparagus.
Descale the fish, remove its fins, then gut and fillet. Gently score the skin side then use the fishbones and discarded parts to prepare the stock using celery, carrots, onions and thyme.
Roast the peppers, peel off the skin, deseed and cut into pieces. Chop the onions and let them sweat in a little oil with some crushed garlic. Remove the garlic and add the tomato paste, leaving it to cook for a few minutes. Then add the peppers and leave to cook for at least 10 minutes. 
Cut the aubergines and celery separately to the same size as the onions. Fry them separately in a pan with oil, sprinkle with little sugar and then mix onions and peppers. 
Remove the stalk from the tomatoes then cut them into cubes, removing the seeds. Add the raw tomato to the aubergines, part of the filtered stock and cook over a low heat for at least 20 minutes. Adjust the flavour, pour into a container and cool immediately.
Prepare sea asparagus by blanching and cooling it in ice water, then sauté with crushed garlic, extra virgin olive oil and black pepper. No need for salt as they are already full of flavour. Add the Kalamata olives and let the flavour be absorbed.
Finally, let's prepare our Sea bass. Heat a pan with a drizzle of oil, season the Sea bass fillet and brown it on the side of the skin. Turn it over, add a knob of butter and cook it by basting it with its own juices.
Heat the Caponata and create a sauce emulsifying it with extra virgin olive oil and a little apple-cider vinegar. Pour some of the sauce onto the plate, then add the fried Panissa, overlapping the sticks, the sea asparagus and finally the Sea bass. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves. Drizzle over some raw extra virgin olive oil. 

 

Enjoy your meal!