Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/833901
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 7 JUNE 2017 14 Food Choosing a sustainable fish Now that summer has started tucking into a fresh fish seems all the more appealing. Choosing which fish to eat, however, should be about more than just flavour. Overfishing has become an environmental problem, not just around the Mediterranean, but all over the world. When you buy fish, whether it's at a restaurant or a fishmonger, be aware of what kinds of fish are sustainable and what kinds should be avoided. On Gourmet Today TV last week, Michael Diacono made some simple recipes using sustainable fish. He cooked a saddled sea bream (kahlija, in Maltese) al sale, and grilled calamari which he paired with fresh, local ricotta and drizzled it with nduja, a spicy Calabrian sausage. If you are unsure about which fish are sustainable, log onto www.fish4tomorrow.com for a full list of locally available fish, with names in both Maltese and English, along with their recommendation for consumption according to sustainability. Saddled sea bream al sale Ingedients • 1 saddled sea bream (kahlija), with scales • 500g sea salt • 1 slice lemon • 1 tsp fennel seeds • Olive oil Sweet pepper salsa • 1 bell pepper, grilled and cooled • Handful walnuts • Handful kalamata olives • Handful basil • Salt and pepper Method 1. Season the fish in the inside with salt, pepper, the lemon slice and fennel seeds and olive oil. 2. Drizzle the olive oil over the fish. 3. Add a couple of tbsp water to the salt and cover the fish completely with the salt, pressing down to form a crust. Make sure the fish is completely covered, to keep the moisture inside, preventing the fish from drying out. 4. Cook the fish in a preheated oven at 190°C for 20-25 mins. 5. To make the salsa, chip the grilled peppers. 6. Finely chop the walnuts. 7. Remove the pit from the olives and finely chop. 8. Chop the basil. 9. Season with salt and pepper. 10. Mix all the ingredients together and add a little olive oil and mix again. 11. Remove the fish from the oven and remove the salty crust from the fish. 12. Remove the skin from the fish. 13. Serve with lemon wedges and the sweet pepper salsa. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 3 June, 2017. COMING UP THIS WEEK This week, on Gourmet Today TV, Michael Diacono joins Marliu Vella for some nose-to-tail recipes. In the past the poor man made use of every part of the animal, wasting nothing. As people grew more affluent they started to go for the more expensive parts of the animal, leaving the cheaper cuts to go to waste. Today there has been a shift back, and chefs are beginning to use some of the cheaper cuts again. Michael Diacono makes three recipes using offal – lamb brains cooked in a buerre noisette, brain fritters and a pasta dish with chicken livers. Don't miss this week's episode of Gourmet Today TV, this Saturday at 16:05. Calamari with nduja and ricotta Ingedients • • ¼ lemon • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped • ¼ hot chilli • Salt and pepper • Handful parsley, finely chopped • Olive oil • 150g nduja Ricotta mix • 1 tub ricotta • 2 tbsp pecorino • Handful mint • ½ tsp lemon zest olive oil Method 1. Chop the calamari. Remove the tentacles and cut the tubes into two flat pieces 2. Score the underside of the calamari. 3. Marinate the calamari in lemon, garlic, chilli, parsley, and season with salt and pepper. 4. Mix the ricotta with the pecorino, mint, lemon zest and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 5. In a small saucepan melt the nduja until it turns liquidy. 6. Heat a griddle pan on high heat. 7. Grill the calamari for a few mins until cooked through on both sides. 8. Serve the calamari with blobs of fresh ricotta mix, the nduja dressing and lemon wedges. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 3 June, 2017.