How to make the Ligurian Seafood Caponata:
This is
the original recipe that is still used today if one wants to prepare
true cappon magro. Genoa's traditional Christmas Eve's dinner
specialty. Today cappon magro can be tasted in some Ligurian
restaurants, though it usually must be reserved in advance. To prepare cappon magro:
Step
1:
Brush the sea biscuits with salt, dip in water with vinegar and salt for
a few seconds, and pat dry excess water. Set aside.
Step 2:
Cook the vegetables whole and separately, except for the artichokes.
Remove from fire and cool. Peel and slice the beets and potatoes; dice
the rest of the vegetables. Slice and cook the artichokes. When done,
remove from heat and cool. Dress all the vegetables separately with oil,
vinegar and salt. Set aside.
Step 3:
Poach, bone, and crumble the bass and dress with oil, lemon and salt. Do
the same with the lobster and set aside.
Step 4:
Poach the prawns and set aside. Hard boil the eggs, cool and quarter.
Make 12 skewers alternating 2 olives, 2 shrimps, 2 anchovy fillets. Set
aside.
Slice
the air-dried fish very thinly. Mix the capers and the mushrooms
separately. Oen the oysters and shell them. Set all the ingredients
aside separately.
Step 5 - Topping Sauce:
Place all the ingredients into a food processor, mix well to get a fluid
consistency. Set aside.
Step 6 - Preparation and Presentation:
Take a large round or oval platter and start with the sea biscuits flat
on the platter. Sprinkle with olive oil; add a few thin slices of
air-dried fish and dress with a 2-3 tbs. of the sauce.
Next,
carry on layering all ingredients taking a little bit of each at a time,
placing the vegetables first, then the fish, the capers and the
mushrooms. Add some sauce on each layer and carry on until all
ingredients are used. As you build up, the final shape should be like
that of a dome or a pyramid.
Top
the whole with sauce and decorate with the skewers previously prepared.
Circle the base of the mold with oysters topped with green sauce and
serve.
Recipe courtesy of The Italian Trade Commission.
Serves 4-6
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