Sardelle in teglia - Sardines on a tray

Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon are on holiday. Well, not really: they still have their heavenly and godly duties to attend to. Rather, they are performing those duties in a different place of the world than usual. They are whiling the summer away at their (guess?) United Residence of Summer Smoothness, or URSS. Of course, it's not as big as the Palace of the North East, nor as expansive as the Garden of the Five Fruit Dogs, but it is close to the (warm) sea. As such, the Summer Residence's windows are always open, and a warm and salty breeze wafts through the satin-draped rooms. Mornings are spent in quiet oceanic contemplation, and rays of benign sunlight bless the terrace throughout the day (Celestial Dragon had to put in a good word with his old flame the Sun, though. She had been rather reluctant lately).
However, all good things eventually come to an end (and then they start again, despite of what some would have you believe). And so it was that one day, the Sun decided to not do as she was supposed to. She closed her shop, and drew the curtains--which, down on earth, are mistakingly thought to be clouds. It is a little known fact, however, that her curtains have the peculiar characteristic to reflect their owner's mood. And the Sun, that day, was feeling rather morose and miserable. And so it was that it began to rain.
But do not worry, for Celestial Dragon had a plan: he had been talking to Pontus (who has a summer residence on one of the islands off the coast in front of the URSS). The latter, a friend of old, had lent Celestial Dragon a magic shell. And so it was that when the Sun decided to ruin everybody's day, Celestial Dragon decided to ruin her plan instead. When the first drops of rain started to reach the URSS, Celestial Dragon blew hard and melodiously in the shell and--lo and behold!-- the rain drops transformed themselves into savoury sardines.
Needless to say, that evening, Divine Cherry, whose garden was (annoyingly enough) full of sardines, decided that they'd be served for dinner. And this here below, o ye of little faith, is what she made of it.


 Sardines on a tray - quick and easy recipe for a nice summer dinner

- 30 - 35 sardines
- 2 tablespoons of exravirgin olive oil
- 10ish capers
- one small bunch of parsley
- 1/4 lemon juice
- salt and pepper

Prepare the sardines: remove the head; with it, the innards and the central fishbone should come off as well. In case the head comes off alone, though, grab the central fishbone with your tumb and index finger and extract it. In this way the sardines will open like a book. Don't worry, it is faster and easier done than explained. Arrange the fish with the skin down on a tray. In a cup, mix the finely chopped parsley and capers, the olive oil, and a sprinkle of lemon juice. Add a little salt if necessary and pour the mixture over the sardines. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C for 5- 10 minutes maximum. Be aware that sardines cook very quickly! Enjoy with a bowl of boiled potatoes dressed the same way than the sardines...



Sardelle in teglia - ricetta semplicissima per una veloce cenetta d'estate
- 30-35 sardelle
- 2 cucchiai di olio  evo
- una decina di capperi
- un mazzetto di prezzemolo
- il succo di un quarto di limone
- sale e pepe

Pulire le sarde: Staccare la testa in avanti. In questo modo con la testa si eliminano anche le interiora e la lisca centrale che rimane attaccata. Se si stacca solo testa recuperate con pollice e indice la lisca ed estratela. In questo modo le sarde saranno aperte a libro. Molto più facile a farsi che a dirsi, le sarde si puliscono molto velocemente. Disponetele aperte con la pelle in giù a raggiera in una tortiera. In una tazza mescolate il prezzemolo e i capperi tritati, 2 cucchiai di olio evo, una spruzzatina di succo di limone e eventualmente aggiungete un pò di sale e pepe. Infornate in forno già caldo a 180°C per 5-10 minuti massimo. Le sarde si cucinano molto velocemente, non stracuocetele o diventeranno stoppose. Noi le abbiamo accompagnate con delle semplici patate lesse condite con lo stesso intingolo usato per le sarde.


Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess

Bisque-in-the-pot

The Bisque-in-the-pot is one of Divine Cherry's wishes come true for it contains everything that's good in the world: bisque de homard, seafood, wine, pastry, and a pot! However, while it may be one of Divine Cherry's wishes, it is also one of Celestial Dragon's dreams come true.
One day, Celestial Dragon and Divine Cherry were wondering what to have for dinner. They were tired of the usual dishes like caviar, Kobe beef or cabbage soup. Especially of cabbage soup; and especially Celestial Dragon. In fact, he was so tired of it that he vowed never to have cabbage soup again. Naturally, he was wrong. Be that as it may, the two of them were looking out of the window when suddenly an old friend showed up: Small Perfect Cloud. It had been gone for a while, chasing after the green rainbows and yellow rains of dreams yet to come. Now, however, it had returned. And it had brought with it a friend. It was a small, small thing. It looked very much like a dragonfly. So much so that one could have thought that it actually was a dragonfly. In fact, it was a dragonfly -- albeit a special one. For it was a magic dragonfly that, in another story, called itself Tinkerbell and covered children with dust, much to their parents' dismay. This time, Tinkerfly or Dragonbell (it is as yet undecided about its own name), upon seeing Divine Cherry's and Celestial Dragon's pensive and morose faces, decided to grant them a wish. And so it was that they both wished for the ideal supper: Divine Cherry wished, very wisely, for a fulfilment of her wish, while Celestial Dragon, perhaps the more puerile of the pair, wished for the fulfilment of a dream. And so it was that they both knew that that evening, instead of cabbage soup, they'd have Bisque-in-the-pot.

Bisque-in-the-pot  For 2 people

- 250g of bisque de homard (leftover or canned)
- 250g fish stock
- bouquet garni 
- 1 tea spoon of tomato purée
- 1/2 glass of white wine
- 12 small scallops, cleaned
- 8 large prawns, cleaned
- half pack of puff pastry
- 20 g of melted butter or 1 egg for egg wash
- black seeds for decoration

Boil  the fish stock, with the bouquet garni, the tea spoon of tomato purée and the glass of wine. Let it reduce for 5-10 minutes. Add the bisque and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the bouquet garni. In the meanwhile, put in each ovenproof pot 6 scallops and 4 prawns. From the puff pastry cut two circles, 1 cm larger than the pots. When the bisque gets the right density (it depends on your taste, really), cool it down a bit and then pour it over the fish. Run a wet finger over the edge of the pastry circle and seal the pot. Brush the surface with some melted butter  (or egg wash) and sprinkle a few black seeds for decoration.
Cook in the preheated oven (200°C) for 17 minutes. Serve hot.

Note: My bisque was very dense. You should regulate the proportion of bisque/stock depending on the initial density of your bisque.

Bisque-in-the-pot  Dosi per due persone

- 250 g (circa) bisque de de homard (zuppa di astice) avanzata
- 250 ml brodo di pesce
- 1 cucchiaino di concentrato di pomodoro
- bouquet garni (odori misti chiusi in un sacchettino di tela)
- mezzo bicchiere di vino bianco
- 12 canestrelli puliti
- 8 mazzancolle pulite
- mezzo rotolo di pasta sfoglia
- 20 g burro fuso o 1 uovo per spennellare
- semi di sesamo neri per decorare (facoltativi)

In una pentola versare il brodo di pesce, aggiungere un cucchiaino di concentrato di pomodoro, il vino e il bouquet garni. Far bollire e ridurre, aggiungere a questo punto la bisque. Cuocere a fuoco medio fino ad ottenere una consistenza zupposa non troppo liquida. Nel frattempo, dal rotolo di pasta sfoglia ricavare due cerchi di un centimentro piu' grandi delle cocottes. Mettere da parte i cerchi di pasta coperti con pellicola.
Preparare le due cocotte: mettere in ognuna 6 piccoli canestrelli e 4 mazzancolle, coprire con la bisque tiepida, tendosi un centrimetro sotto il bordo della coccotte. Con un dito umido d'acqua bagnare i bordi dei cerchi di pasta sfoglia e farli aderire alle ciotoline come un coperchio. Spennellare con un po' d'uovo o burro fuso, spargere qualche semino nero e infornare per 17 minuti in forno gia' caldo a 200 gradi.

Note: la mia bisque era molto densa per cui l'ho diluita con il brodo e fatta riaddensare un poco. Regolatevi per le quantita' di brodo/bisque a seconda della densita' della vostra.


Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess!

Baked octopus and potatoes

A long time ago, and I do mean a loooong time ago, octopuses had only one leg. In fact, they were called monopuses. Also, they lived on land and were furry, had whiskers and purred like cats. Many believe that they were actually the true ancestors of the feline race, and proof has survived in the suffix of their name. Be that as it may, monopuses were quite clumsy. They had difficulty reaching higher, thus safer grounds; their mouths were too round to bite another animal; and their eyes were weirdly enough placed at the sides of their heads so that they constantly bumped into stones and rose bushes whenever they managed to gather enough strength to lift their one suction-cup-studded leg off the ground and hop away. Also, the lack of skeleton didn't help. However, because they so often bumped their mono-heads one stone and lost stone flip-flops on the beach, they developed a fierce intelligence. And so it was that the first Monopus-Council was called. Naturally, it was attended by monopuses of several generations later, since the journey was a long one and monopuses didn't have a long life expectancy (mainly due to their inaptitude at life).
One day, however, every monopus in the world had gathered on a beach. And this is in summary what they said: "Evolution hath made a mistake. It hath been most unfair. We therefore must compound a letter and sent it onto her, for thus our lives may not continue.  Godammit."
And so it was that Evolution, that old prankster, got the letter, read it, and decided to act upon it. A few days later, the monopuses woke up with eight legs instead of one and no fur. Yet their mouths were still wrong and their eyes weird. Their superior intelligence however told them that their new habitat was to be the sea, and so they set out towards the water, hoping in a better future and a more dignified life. Most of them drowned (they hadn't taken into account their lack of a breathing apparatus). And those who didn't were picked up by primitive men, thrown on primitive stone tablets along with primitive potatoes and shoved into primitive ovens that still burned with primitive volcano fire.
This particular recipe was found on a primitive stone tablet, and is believed by not that many scientists, actually, to be the first ever recipe. In fact, it is a prehistoric recipe, since before this story, it didn't even exist. Enjoy.



Baked octopus with potatoes  Recipe adapted from Vefa's Kitchen

- one octopus, medium-large size
- 6-7 potatoes, medium-small (more or less same quantity of octopus and potatoes)
- 10 date tomatoes
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- oregano
- 1/4 glass of white wine
- salt

Clean and cut the octopus in 4-5 cm long pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut them in wedges (8 wedges per potato). Cut the tomatoes in slices. Heat some oil in a pan, add the halved garlic cloves and let them fry for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and quickly cook for 4-5 minutes, season and add the oregano. Set aside. Preheat the oven at 180°C.
Arrange the octopus and potatoes in a baking tray, and pour the wine and the tomatoes with their juices on top. Add also a little water to keep the octopus moist. Bake it for 45min-1hour, until the octopus and the potatoes are soft and the liquids reduced.

Note: While baking, check the octopus from time to time and, if necessary, add some water to keep it moist. When the octopus is almost ready, do not add other liquids and let the juices reduce.


Polipo e patate al forno Ricetta adattata da Vefa's Kitchen

- un polipo medio grande
- 6-7 patate medio piccole (ok, si sara' capito che per questo tipo di ricette io non peso gli ingredienti, comunque visivamente tante patate quanto polipo)
- una decina di pomodorini datterini
- olio evo
- 2 spicchi d'aglio
- origano
- un quarto di bicchiere di vino bianco
- sale

Pulire il polipo e tagliarlo a pezzi lunghi 4-5 cm. Pelare le patate e tagliarle a spicchi (8 spicchi per patata). Tagliare i pomodorini a fettine. A parte scaldare un po' di olio in un pentolino, aggiungere gli spicchi d'aglio sbucciati e tagliati a meta' e quando l'olio si sara' insaporito aggiungere i pomodorini. Lasciar insaporire per 3/4 minuti, salare e aggiungere l'origano. Scaldare il forno a 180 C.
In una teglia, disporre il polipo e le patate, salare, dare un giro d'olio e mescolare bene. Versare i pomodorini appassiti con il loro sughetto sopra. Aggiungere il vino e un fondo d'acqua. Infornare e cuocere per 45min/ 1ora, finche' sia il polipo che le patate saranno morbidi e i liquidi asciugati.

Note: Controllare durante la cottura che il polipo sia sempre bagnato, altrimenti secchera', mescolare di tanto in tanto e aggiungere un po' d'acqua se necessario. Quando il polipo e' quasi cotto, non aggiungere piu' liquidi in modo da far restringere il sughetto.

Taramosalata

Legend, perhaps for the first time, doesn't remember something. It doesn't recall how a particular part of the world came to be. Of course, sitting in a cave all day doesn't help, and Legend knows it, but what is it to do? Go out and have a walk? Where's the age-old dignity in that? Nowadays Legend only lives in books, its presence is not needed under the sun anymore. The good old Memories are dwindling, and the few that remain more often than not don't have the strength to perpetuate a story. And so it is that Legend spends its days sitting morosely on the stony floor, picking listlessly at a fire with an ancient bolt of lightning, and wondering whatever happened to the past.
There's a knock on the cavern door (Legend's cavern has a door). Wondering who it is, and perhaps a little worried also, Legend gets up, shakes the dust off its clothes, spits in its hands and smoothes back its slick, still-black hair, casts a glance in the future, and opens the door. In front of it stand Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon. They bring an offering: an electric torch and a nose trimmer. Legend is delighted, it has never seen a nose trimmer before! But Legend isn't stupid. After all, it was there before anybody else. It was there before life began, and it will be the last to leave and lock the universe behind it. It knows that Celestial Dragon and Divine Cherry want something, and it also knows what it is.
Legend walks back deep inside the cave, rummages beneath old stones and brittle bones and comes back with a piece of papyrus – the object of the pair's desire.
Legend has it that this is what the papyrus contained: the legendary recipe for Taramosalata.

Taramosalata - Adapted from "Vefa's kitchen"
- 200g cured cod's roe
- 200g mashed potatoes
- 2 tablespoons of choppend onions
- 300ml olive oil
- 5 tablespoons of lemon juice

Put the cod's roe, onion, and a third of the olive oil in a food processor and blend everything for some seconds. Add the mashed potatoes a little at a time and blend everything together. Add olive oil while the motor is still on, and blend until the mixture is smooth and combined. Add the lemon juice and stir well. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water (or soda water) and stir. Serve with olives and crisp bread or pita bread.

Taramosalata, insalata di uova di pesce - Ricetta adattata da "Vefa's kitchen"
- 200 g uova di pesce in scatola, tipo uova di merluzzo
- 200g patate bollite e schiacciate
- 2 cucchiai di cipolla finemente tritata
- 300ml di olio evo
- 5 cucchiai di succo di limone

Mettere, le uova di pesce, la cipolla e un terzo dell'olio in un mixer e frullare tutto per alcuni secondi. Aggiungere le patate lesse schiacciate e frullare. Con il motore del mixer acceso versare a filo l'olio d'oliva, finchè la crema diventa liscia e ben amalgamata. agiungere il succo di limone e mescolare bene. Se la crema dovesse risultare troppo densa, aggiungere u po' di acua (o ancora meglio acqua gasata) e mescolare.
Servire con olive nere (kalamata) e crostini di pane o pane pita (tipo piadina).

Fishcakes - Tortini di pesce

Think of your favourite thing in the world. Think of something you want really really bad, like a pony if you're a girl or a car if you're a boy. Now imagine it is just behind that door. Can you feel the excitement? Can you feel your pulse starting to race? Can you feel how your entire being is yearning to go towards that door and open it because you know that behind it lies the object of all your desires? Now visualise yourself opening that door. The endless turning of the handle, the whispered creak of the joints, the darkness that lies behind it. Now you peer into the darkness, trying to pierce it with the light of your wanting. But you decided to hit the switch instead. Much easier indeed. And now, finally now, you behold whatever it is you want, and you discover that it is so much better than what you had expected.

Well, let's say you were Celestial Dragon, and let's say that thing we've been talking about was fish. And let's say that the door to the attainment of that desire is the kitchen door. And that the switch with which you illuminate your life is actually Divine Cherry. And that thing that is better than what you wanted are fishcakes.

And in your magnanimity, in your infinite joy and happiness, you decide to share the recipe for those sublime fishcakes. Well done, you, because lo and behold, the recipe has appeared just underneath this text. Do enjoy.

Fishcakes

Ingredients

- 300g of coley or a similar fish

- a handful of shrimps

- 400g of white potatoes

- a handful of capers

- half an onion

- 4-5 spring onions

- a glass of milk

Steam the potatoes in their skins. Meanwhile, cook the fish in a pot covered with milk until it peels off in flakes, and when it's almost ready, add the shrimp and cook for a few seconds. Drain the fish and the shrimps, but save a little milk. Finely chop the onion and the spring onions, and put the capers in a cup of water. Drain and peel the potatoes.
Take a large bowl and mash the potatoes coarsely with a fork while still hot, add the chopped fish, shrimps, chopped onions, chopped capers, salt, pepper and mix well. If it seems to be dry, add a little milk you used for cooking the fish. Form large meatballs and a press them a little in order to give them the shape of an hamburger. In a separate plate, lightly beat the egg. Dip the 'hamburgers' the in egg, then roll it quickly in breadcrumbs. Proceed so until all ingredients have been exhausted. In a large frying pan heat a little of seed oil and fry the patties for about ten minutes. Serve warm.

On the side: stir-fried broccoli with extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic, 2 anchovies and lemon zest until tender.

Ricetta in italiano:

Tortini di pesce (per 6 tortini della dimensione di un hamburger)

Ingredienti

- 300 g merluzzo o altro pesce azzurro

- una manciata di gamberetti

- 400 g patate a pasta bianca

- una manciata di capperi

- mezza cipolla

- 4-5 cipollotti giovani e piccoli

-un bicchiere di latte

Cuocere a vapore le patate con la buccia. Nel frattempo, in una pentola cuocere il pesce coperto con il latte, fino a che si sfalda in fiocchi, quando e' quasi pronto aggiungere i gamberetti in modo da cuocerli per qualche secondo. Scolare pesce e gamberetti, salvando un po' del latte di cottura. Tritare finemente la cipolla e i cipollotti, dissalare i capperi in una tazzina d'acqua. Sbucciare le patate cotte.

Prendere un ciotola capiente e schiacchiare grossolanamente le patate ancora calde con una forchetta, aggiungere i pezzetti di pesce, i gamberetti, la cipolla tritata, i capperi sminuzzati salare, pepare e impastare. Se dovesse risultare asciutto, aggiungere un po' del latte di cottura. Formare delle grosse polpette e schiacciarle un po' in modo da dare la forma di un hamburger. In un piatto a parte sbattere leggermente un uovo. Immergere velocemente il tortino nell'uovo e rotolarlo poi nel pangrattato. Procedere cosi' fino ad esaurimento ingredienti. In una padella capiente far scaldare un po' di olio di semi e rosolare i tortini per una decina di minuti. Servire caldi.

Io li ho accompagnati con dei broccoli saltati in padella con olio evo, uno spicchio d'aglio, un paio di acciughe e finiti con una grattatina di buccia di limone.

Note: Di solito nelle ricette di fishcakes,  e' sempre indicato di aggiungere un uovo nell'impasto per renderlo piu' fermo. Probabilmente le mie patate erano molto asciutte, comunque non e' servito. Voi regolatevi ad occhio, se non riuscite a formare delle belle polpette che tengano la forma, aggiungetelo! :)

Enjoy,

And Spread the Mess

Mini Brioche Di Gamberi - Tiny Prawns Brioche

Let me take you back. Let me take you back to that time, long ago, when Celestial Dragon was a guest in the Garden of the North-East. To that time, long ago, when the combined efforts of Divine Cherry and Golden Peach reached the climax of pre-history culinary art (for the very simple reason that history hadn't yet awakened). Long ago, when Hercules had already laid out the way to the banquet, the Gravel Way, and the Five Fruit Dogs were jumping lustily up and down the cicada-filled air with the trembling anticipation of what was to come.
Divine Cherry and Golden Peach were resting. On the table, next to their Grimoire of Good Things, were two glasses of sparkling white nectar. None of them was speaking. They were each absorbed in the mental preparation of what was to come: they had namely found a small recipe that they thought was simply marvellous. And now they were in deep mediation. Of course, the nectar was there merely to further their profound thinking. The recipe was a simple one, but, as this saying goes, "simple is pure; pure is beautiful; and beautiful is delicious". Incidentally, this saying was coined in just around that time. Of course, the sparkling nectar had nothing whatsoever to do with it.
Be that as it may, when Divine Cherry and Golden Peach rose from their state of absolute contemplation, they smiled broadly at one another: they knew what was to be done. And so they set forth preparing these small albeit bloody fantastic nibbles.
First, they took 16 king prawns and lightly fried them for a couple of minutes in olive oil with a clove of garlic. While these were roasting to a sublimely sun-colour, they took a roll of puff pastry and cut it in stripes (about 1.5cm wide). They then took the ready king prawns, placed them on the stripes of puff pastry and rolled them up, almost as a spiral. (Some of you may know this procedure very well. For those who don't, please look at the picture and work it out). Eventually, they put the mini-croissants/brioches in the preheated oven at 180°C until the puff pastry was cooked and had turned an inviting deep golden colour.
Needless to say, these small but heavenly little brioches gained the two culinary deities almost non-exhaustive praise.

Again:
Ingredients:
-1 roll of puff pastry
-16 king prawns
-olive oil (extra virgin - what else?)
-1 clove of garlic

Lightly toast the king prawns for a couple of minutes in a pan with the olive oil and the garlic.
Aside, cut the puff pastry in stripes about 1.5cm wide.
Once the king prawns are ready, put them on the stripes of puff pastry and roll the later up, forming a king of spiral reminiscent of a croissant.
Put the mini-brioches in a preheated oven at 180°C until the pastry is cooked and golden.
Serve and heartily enjoy.


Ricetta in italiano:
La ricetta è di quelle velocissime, ma è capace di rirarvi fuori dagli impicci per l'aperitivo.
Ingredienti:
- 1 rotolo di pasta sfoglia pronta
- 16 gamberoni o mazzancolle
- Olio EVO
- 1 spicchio d'aglio

Far saltare in padella i gamberoni per un paio di minuti con uno spicchio d'aglio intero e un po' d'olio evo. A parte tagliare la pasta sfoglia in strisce larghe un centrimetro e mezzo circa.
Prendere i gamberoni uno alla volta e avvolgerli nella strisce di pasta sfoglia formando una spirale.
Infornare in forno caldo (180 C) per 15 minuti circa, finchè la pasta sfoglia è cotta e dorata.


Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess

Sea Skewers

Our revels are now ended. The Divine Cherry is kiss-red, and the Celestial Dragon has roared contentedly at the glaring sun. The summer tree is heavy with perfumed blossoms of memory, and the soft aftertaste of sweet wine and lush nights continues still to tickle our tongues. In other words, holidays are over.
It is therefore time to resume what we suspended a couple of weeks ago. The recipe we are presenting here has a particular story to it, and it is worthwhile narrating it from the beginning.
In illo tempore, the world was still young. The moon hadn't yet learned to smile, and the sun didn't know how to murmur. The sky itself hadn't yet discovered sorrow - it was perpetually blue and impassive. Even the sea was still called Pontus, and time moved according to the stirrings of the flux. That day, the Celestial Dragon was resting his already-ancient bones in the Garden of the North-East. It was a particular garden, for not only was it guarded by the Five Fruit Dogs, but it had been entirely built by none other than the great Hercules himself. He had installed the Grey Gate, whose Sphinx-like entrance requirements had warded off many an intruder. He had even created a replica of the Milky Way which he had called the Gravel Way.
That day, the day the Celestial Dragon was resting on a long chair in the Garden of the North-East, basking in the still-shouting sun, Divine Cherry was about to be celebrated. Yes, even Divine Cherries have birthdays, and that day was not her birthday. After all, time had not yet even complete one cycle. Nonetheless, everyone had agreed that that day was to be the day that Divine Cherry's birthday should be celebrated. Divine Cherry was well-loved by everyone, and it was thus with a light heart that she had said "so be it" - and had immediately plunged herself in the preparation of succulent dishes to please her honoured and loving guests. She was helped in this by the Golden Peach, her trusted and respected mentor. Together they went prowling through the mansion that was their residence in search for food and ideas. They hunted relentlessly, ever vigilant, ever alert. Every nook and cranny of that fabulous residence could hide another recipe, and it was therefore with painstaking cautiousness that they sought for the Best. It was thus that, after an entire afternoon spent on hunting and discussing and drinking sparkling ambrosia, they eventually chanced, among other delicious treasures, upon the Sea Skewers. In those days, Sea Skewers were huge marine monsters, but Golden Peach and Divine Cherry managed to tame them and shrink them to a conventional, edible skewer size - to the joy and happiness and delight of everyone present. And this is how they did it:
First, they lightly fried the various kinds of seafood separately in a pan (those being king prawns, prawns, baby squids and scallops) with some olive oil and garlic. They decided that they were done once they were golden-hued - any longer in the pan would dry the fish unnecessarily and hence ruin everything. Fish must always be kept wept. Or at least slightly moist. Your call. Once then Golden Peach and Divine Cherry had conferred to the fish their golden complexion, they skewered them in the order shown in the picture (you may wonder how it is possible that we, now, have a picture of something that happened when Time was still in its cradle - well wonder not, for paradoxes run the world, and this is but one of many). Naturally, Golden Peach and Divine Cherry may just as well have chosen another order of impalement – excuse my French – but they didn't. You, however, may. Freely, even. Now, since we're tangentially talking about the picture, you may have noticed that in the upper half of the picture is a dragon-decorated bowl, and that this wondrous bowl contains a green sauce. That heavenly sauce Golden Peach and Divine Cherry used to complement the skewers, and it was made by mixing together a generous handful of rocket, some basil, half a clove of garlic, abundant olive oil (extra virgin; what else?), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then they simply sprinkled it on the skewers and served the rest in a that dragon-decorated bowl for those who wished to have more. People are greedy, so when you do it, do make sure you prepare enough sauce.
When the Sea Skewers were finally served, it was unanimously acknowledged that the former marine monsters tasted much better after having passed through the sapient hands of both Golden Peach and Divine Cherry.


Again:
SEAFOOD SKEWERS
For 16 skewers:
-16 king prawns
-16 prawns
-16 baby squids
-16 scallops

Rocket-based sauce:
-abundant rocket
-a handful of basil
-half a clove of garlic
-enough olive oil (extra virgin)
-salt & pepper

Lightly fry the seafood separately in a pan with oil and garlic until they turn light golden. Make sure not to overcook it, as to do so would dry it. Skewer the seafood. The order used here is: king prawn, baby squid, scallop and prawn. Feel free to change it to your own leisure. Prepare the sauce by mixing together all the ingredients in an electric mixer. If need be, add some oil and whisk it all with a fork. Cover the skewers lightly with the sauce and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Ricetta in italiano
SPIEDINI DI MARE
Per 16 spiedini:
-16 gamberoni
-16 mazzancolle
-16 moscardini
-16 canestrelli

Salsina alla rucola:
-una grossa manciata di rucola
-un mazzetto di basilico
-mezzo spicchio d'aglio
-abbondante olio evo
-sale & pepe

Saltare in padella con olio e aglio i diversi tipi di pesce separatamente. Il pesce dev'essere solo dorato, non va cotto troppo altrimenti rischia di diventare secco. Preparare gli spiedini con il pesce cotto: io ho inserito prima una mazzancolla, poi un moscardino, il canestrello e per chiudere un gamberone. Nel frattempo mettere nel bicchiere del frullatore ad immersione la rucola, il basilico, lo spicchietto d'aglio e irrorare con abbondante olio evo, salare e frullare il tutto. Spennellare gli spiedini con un po' di salsina e servirli con la rimanente a parte.



Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess