Recipes: Paul Bartolotta Invokes the 'Simplicity of the Italian Kitchen'

April 17, 2009— -- Chef Paul Bartolotta's Italian meals are a treat. Find three of his favorite recipes below: on page 1 please find Red Mullet with Capers, Ligurian Taggiasche Olives, Tomato, Roasted Bell Peppers. On page 2: Whole Roasted Fish "Palermo Style. And on page 3: Tuscan Mussel Soup with White Beans.

Click HERE to read more about chef Paul Bartolotta.

Red Mullet with Capers, Ligurian Taggiasche Olives, Tomato, Roasted Bell Peppers

Courtesy of Paul Bartolotta

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Eight 1 oz fillets of Red Mullet

2 oz Ligurian Extra Virgin Oil

Salt and Black Pepper

6 Fingerling Potatoes (boiled, peeled, cut in rounds)

2 oz Ligurian Extra Virgin Oil

Salt & Black Pepper

4 oz Ligurian Extra Virgin Oil

4 pc Lemon Supreme

2 oz Cherry Tomatoes (cut in quarters)

2 oz Roasted Red Bell Pepper (diced)

2 oz Roasted Yellow Bell Pepper (diced)

1 T Capers (rinsed)

1 T Ligurian Taggiasche Olives (pitted)

1 T Chives ( sliced very thin)

Salt & Black Pepper

1 head Frisse (washed & picked)

4 Chives (sliced very thin)

4 Chervil

Salt & Black Pepper

Instructions:

Season mullet with salt and pepper, olive oil, and place in small sauté pan. Meanwhile, boil 6 potatoes in salted water until tender. Cool slightly, then peel and slice to ½ inch thick. Dress potatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper and arrange on 4 plates in a circular formation.

Now, warm 3 oz of olive oil with lemon and tomato. Cook on low heat for one minute and then add peppers, capers and olives. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, add chives and remove from heat.

Place mullet in a 350 degree oven and bake for 4 minutes. Now, spoon the tomato mixture on top of the potatoes and top this mixture with frisse that has been seasoned with chives, salt and pepper.

Remove mullet from oven and place 2 fillets in the center of the plate on top of the frisse. Finish each with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprig of chervil.

Serve immediately.

Whole Roasted Fish "Palermo Style"

Recipe courtesy of Paul Bartolotta

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 whole fish [1.5 - 2 pounds (orata) scaled and internals removed]

3 pieces Cloves garlic (sliced)

½ cup Extra virgin olive oil (preferably Sicilian)

2 cup Cherry tomatoes (quartered)

¼ cup Nocellara olives (pitted)

2 tablespoons Capers

1 whole Lemon (quartered)

1 cup White wine

2 cup Water

5 sprigs fresh oregano

1 tablespoon Fresh oregano (coarsely chopped)

1 tablespoon Italian parsley (coarsely chopped)

1 clove Garlic (sliced)

To taste: salt and black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F. In a large oven proof sauté pan warm half of the extra virgin olive oil with the sliced garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano sprigs, lemon and white wine. Now, season the fish with salt and pepper then place the fish in the roasting pan and add water. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the fish has reached an internal temperature of 140F. Once the fish has reached 140F remove from the pan. With the sauce remaining in the pan cook over high heat until it has reduced to about 2 cups. Add the chopped parsley, oregano, and the remaining olive oil, adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with the fish resting on top of the sauce.

Tuscan Mussel Soup with White Beans

Courtesy of Paul Bartolotta

Serves 4

Ingredients:

48 Mussels, washed

4 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. Garlic, minced

2 tsp. Butter

pinch crushed red pepper flake

1 ½ cups Dry white wine

4 tomatoes, blanched, seeded and diced

2 Bay leaves

4 tsp. Italian parsley, chopped

4 Croutons, peasant bread

½ cup Cannellini beans, boiled (reserve ½ cup liquid)

Salt and white pepper

Instructions:

Cut 4 square bread croutons approximately 1" x 1" and toast lightly in the oven until golden brown. Rub with peeled garlic, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with a pinch of salt, set aside. In a sauce pot, gently sauté the minced garlic and bay leaves in extra virgin olive oil and butter, do not brown. Add washed mussels, white wine and red pepper flakes then cover and steam open the mussels. Remove from the heat and remove the mussels from the sauce pot. As you remove the mussels from the shells reduce the mussel broth and acidity of the wine adding the liquid left from boiling the cannellini beans. Add the beans, diced tomato and chopped parsley. Adjust salt and white pepper to taste. Add the cleaned mussels and serve in hot soup bowls on top ot the bread croutons. Serve immediately.