Taking it "basque": fish in parsley garlic sauce

The astute reader will recall Annalena's affection for Spanish and Basque food.  It is difficult to find the "good stuff" in New York, and since she is not real familiar with the techniques and styles of the cuisine, Annalena makes do with what she can.  On her regular pilgrimages to San Francisco, she and the Guyman always eat at Piperade which is, to her knowledge, the only high end Basque restaurant in either San Francisco or New York.  Of Spanish food?  Well, NYC is in love with tapas.  Annalena is not.  She prefers a REAL plate of food:  a good paella, for example.  And as she said, this is somewhat difficult to find in NY.   She used to inhabit a Spanish restaurant, called Solera, but as of late, it seems to have become a "continental with Spanish influences restaurant," and that simply will not do.

So when Annalena happened on a Basque recipe, read through it and thought "this is too good to be true,"  she of course fixed it to make it the way she wanted it.  As a result, it is a hybrid of Basque, and Italian cuisine.  Along the way, she will tell you how it is done authentically Basque, and how she did it.  Then, you make it, however you like, but tell her, especially if you make it both ways.

What provoked this excursion, was the presence, and purchase of, hake at the local fishmonger.  Hake, for as long as Annalena can remember, was a EUROPEAN fish.  And indeed, when she researched this issue, Annalena learned that it is, still, essentially European, with about 1/3 of the consumption being in Spain.  And indeed, Annalena remembered learning of this.  Now, what she also learned, is that there are at l east five, maybe six different fish, which are named "hake."  And some are endangered, some are not.  And within the endangered species, some are mixed in the same geography - including the North Atlantic coast.  So , when she reads "buy this type but don't buy that type," and receives no guidelines as to how to tell them apart when they are filleted... what is a girl to do?

Well, what she will tell you is this:  the recipe adapts to any thick white fish, which is essentially what we can find locally this time of year.  So, go forth, ragazzi, find  yourself a nice piece of white fish, and make this.  Here we go.  And you will find, that indeed, it is easy.

Your ingredients are minimal:  a pound of fish.  Hake, cod, haddock, pollack, etc.  A bunch of parsley.  Four garlic cloves, a half cup of olive oil, and salt and pepper.   Equipment?  a non stick fry pan.  Think you can handle that?  Ok.

Now, to do this authentically, what you do is sear the fish in  that olive oil.  ALL of it.   After you have chopped and sauteed your garlic until it's brown.  And after you have seared one side, and turned it over, toss in one full bunch of chopped, flat leaf parsley.

Annalena lost you all, didn't she?  Indeed, the recipe lost HER, so this is what she did.  Parsley and garlic and olive oil, suggest pesto to Annalena.  You must keep in mind that pesto does not necessarily require basil.  "Pesto" means "paste," and you can make it with just about anything. And that is what Annalena did: she made a pesto, by peeling the garlic, and putting it in her processor, with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the chopped bunch of parsley.  A somewhat thick, green paste followed.

Then, to the cooking.  Again, salt and pepper the fish, put a bit of olive oil in a pan, and add it.  Sear it on both sides, just like above, and at the end, pour in the sauce and let the thing warm up a bit, and you're done.

Now, what happens, ragazzi, and you do need to know this, is that when heated, the sauce will separate a bit.  This did not bother Annalena, but if it bothers you, plate up your fish, and pour the sauce over it.    Either way, have some potatoes or rice to eat with it.  Both are terrific here.  And if you are blanching at the amount of oil, well... TOUGH.  Seriously, ragazzi, what you will find of the food of this region is that it is LOADED with olive oil.  Yet, nothing tastes greasy or oily.  The fish certainly didn't.  And Annalena could eat more of it right now.

So, how much time do you think that will take you?  Hmmmm.  So, why are you waiting.  Get in there and cook, as Annalena's beloved Richard Sax used to say.